I asked AI the following shyla:
According to Jewish law, should one interrupt the honor of one's mother to honor his father? [Note: This is not a well known question and does not appear in the classical poskim].
In a second or two it produced the following:
According to halacha, the mitzvah of kibbud av va'em (honoring one's father and mother) applies equally to both parents in most respects. The Torah equates the honor due to parents with the honor due to Hashem, and sources like the Rambam (Hilchot Mamrim 6:2) emphasize that father and mother are equal regarding both kibbud (honor) and mora (awe/reverence), despite the verse's order sometimes placing one before the other to highlight balance.
However, when there is a direct conflict—such as both parents simultaneously requesting the child's assistance (e.g., bringing water to drink)—and it is impossible to fulfill both requests at once, the halacha requires prioritizing the father's request.
This is explicitly stated in Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De'ah 240:14, based on the Gemara in Kiddushin 31a and earlier sources): If the father instructs the child to bring him water and the mother instructs the child to bring her water, the child should attend to the father first and leave the mother's request for afterward (or delegate if possible).
The reason given is that the mother herself is obligated to honor her husband (the father), so honoring the father takes precedence—even in service to the mother.
This precedence applies when the parents are married and living together (or in a situation where the mother's obligation to honor her husband remains in force).
If the parents are divorced, many poskim hold that there is no automatic precedence; the child may choose whom to honor first, as both are on equal standing without the intervening marital obligation.
In practice:
The overall mitzvah remains equal; this is a narrow rule for simultaneous conflicting demands.
One should strive to avoid such conflicts (e.g., by fulfilling both as quickly as possible or asking parents to coordinate).
Parents are encouraged to forgo excessive demands to prevent stumbling blocks for their children.
This is a classic example from the poskim (including Rambam Hilchot Mamrim 6:14, Tur, Shulchan Aruch, and later authorities like the Aruch HaShulchan). For a specific personal situation, consult a competent rav, as nuances can depend on details.
In other words - it told me what it knows but COMPLETELY ignored MY question. It answered the well known question of what one should do if both parents ask for something at the same time but NOT what one should do if one is already busy with one's mother and then his father asks him for something.
Maybe for a future audio shiur. Stay tuned....
Mussar Haskel: Zero creativity for AI in this shyla. It just spit back what is already known.
