Kiddushin, Daf Lamed Aleph, Part 2
Introduction
Today s section contains the famous stories of Dama ben Natina, the non-Jew who honored his parents better than anyone in history.
בעו מיניה מרב עולא עד היכן כיבוד אב ואם
אמר להם צאו וראו מה עשה עובד כוכבים אחד באשקלון ודמא בן נתינה שמו פעם אחת בקשו חכמים פרקמטיא בששים ריבוא שכר והיה מפתח מונח תחת מראשותיו של אביו ולא ציערו
They asked of R. Ulla: How far does the honor of parents [extend]?
He replied: Go out and see what a certain gentile, Dama ben Netinah is his name, did in Ashkelon.
Once the sages wanted to buy merchandise from him, at a profit of six-hundred-thousand [gold dinars], but the key was lying under his father s head, and so he did not bother him.
Interestingly, the greatest example of honoring one s parents is brought from a non-Jew, the famous Dama ben Netinah (rhymes with an old favorite, Funky Cold Medina). Dama did not wake up his Dad, even though this would have profited him 600,000 gold dinars. I have told me children that if someone comes by to our house and offers a deal that will make me the equivalent of millions of dollars, I m okay with being woken up.
אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל שאלו את ר’ אליעזר עד היכן כיבוד אב ואם
אמר להם צאו וראו מה עשה עובד כוכבים אחד לאביו באשקלון ודמא בן נתינה שמו בקשו ממנו חכמים אבנים לאפוד בששים ריבוא שכר ורב כהנא מתני בשמונים ריבוא והיה מפתח מונח תחת מראשותיו של אביו ולא ציערו
לשנה האחרת נתן הקב"ה שכרו שנולדה לו פרה אדומה בעדרו
נכנסו חכמי ישראל אצלו אמר להם יודע אני בכם שאם אני מבקש מכם כל ממון שבעולם אתם נותנין לי אלא אין אני מבקש מכם אלא אותו ממון שהפסדתי בשביל כבוד אבא
Rav Judah said in the name of Shmuel: They asked R. Eliezer: How far does the honor of parents [extend]?
He said: Go out and see what a certain gentile, Dama ben Netinah is his name, did in Askhkelon. The Sages sought jewels for the breast-plate, at a profit of six-hundred thousand [gold dinars] (R. Kahana taught: at a profit of eight-hundred thousand) but the key was lying under his father’s head, and he did not bother him.
The following year the Holy One, blessed be He, gave him his reward. A red heifer was born in his herd. When the Sages of Israel went to him [to buy it], he said to them, I know you, that [even] if I asked you for all the money in the world you would pay me. But I ask of you only the money which I lost through my father’s honor.
This is a slightly different version of the story. Here the sages need a precious stone for the High Priest s breastplate. And at the end Dama ben Natinah receives his reward a red heifer is born into his herd. But being such a generous guy, he only (!) asks for the 600,000 dinars he lost when not waking up his father.