Reb Moshe Turk davened every morning with the Chazon Ish zt'l, and he considered it a zechus to receive the Chazon Ish's daily "good morning" blessing. After shacharis, Reb Moshe Turk would go off to a cheder in Tel Aviv, where he taught. Once, he brought his class to Bnei Brak to daven shacharis with the Chazon Ish.
After shacharis, one of the students wanted to ask Reb Moshe a question, but Reb Moshe stopped him. He said, "In the presence of the Chazon Ish, it is derech eretz to be silent."
The class passed by the Chazon Ish and received his brachos. When the child who had a question passed the Chazon Ish, the Chazon Ish asked him what he wanted to ask his Rebbe. The child looked up at Reb Moshe Turk, wondering whether it was derech eretz to speak now, and Reb Moshe Turk replied, "If the Chazon Ish asks, you may reply."
The student asked a question that only a child can ask. He said, "How did the Chazon Ish become the Chazon Ish?"
The Chazon Ish replied, "It was because I never wasted a moment of my time, and I was always careful with the mitzvah of kibud av v'em" (Maaseh Ish vol.4, p.198).
The Beis Aharon of Stolin zt’l said that he attained his spiritual levels from the mitzvah of kibud av v’em.
The Meshech Chachmah teaches that the Beis HaMikdash was built on Binyamin’s land because Binyamin was the only brother who did not partake in selling Yosef. He was the only brother who didn’t cause his father distress; therefore, the Beis HaMikdash was built on his portion.
(Succah 45:) Reb Shimon bar Yochai said he could absolve the entire world from judgment. If he adds on the merits of his son, Reb Eliezer, he can redeem the world from judgment and punishment from the day the world was created until that day. If he added the merits of King עוזיהו בן יותם, he could redeem the world from judgment and punishment from the day the world was created until the end of time.
What was unique about עוזיהו בן יותם? Rashi writes, "He was a humble tzaddik, more than all other kings. And he excelled in honoring his parents. About him it states (Malachi 1:6), בן יכבד אב, a son that honors his father. As long as his father had tzoraas, and Yosem took his place, he didn’t put on the royal crown and passed all judgments in his father's name."
The Gemara teaches (Kiddushin 30), “Honoring one’s parents is equal to honoring Hashem... Fearing one’s parents is equal to fearing Hashem. When one honors his parents, HaKadosh Baruch Hu says, "I consider it as though he honored Me.”
