Honoring Parents: It is Forbidden to Curse One's Father or Mother

Biblical Prohibition Against Cursing Any Person

One who curses any person from Israel, whether man or woman, child or adult, wise or foolish, in their presence or not, even if they are deaf and cannot hear and will never know about it, and even one who curses himself, violates a negative commandment from the Torah and is liable to lashes.

The Rambam wrote in Sefer HaMitzvot (Mitzvah 317): One should not curse any Israelite, as it is written (Leviticus 19:14): "You shall not curse the deaf." Even one who only curses himself violates a Torah prohibition, as it is written (Deuteronomy 4:9): "Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself." (Sanhedrin 66a. Shevuot 36a. Rambam Laws of Sanhedrin Chapter 26. Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat Section 27. Sefer HaChinuch, Charedim, Responsa Yehuda Yaaleh Asad Part 1 Yoreh Deah Section 249 and more. B 525)

Explaining this commandment, the Rambam (Sefer HaMitzvot Mitzvah 317) wrote: We are warned against cursing any Israelite, as stated, "You shall not curse the deaf." Why specify the deaf? Because when a person seeks revenge against someone who harmed them, their desire will not be satisfied until they retaliate according to their wishes. Sometimes their desire is satisfied merely through curses and insults, and they are content with the harm caused to the offender through those statements and insults. Sometimes the matter is more severe, and they will not be satisfied until they destroy all the offender's property. Sometimes they won't be satisfied until they take physical revenge through beatings and dismemberment. And sometimes they won't be satisfied until they take the offender's life and remove them from existence.

Sometimes the soul's desire for punishment of the offender is minor, proportionate to the minor offense, so that it is satisfied merely by shouting, expressing anger, and cursing, even though that person does not hear the curse and is not present at all. This is well-known behavior among those who are hot-tempered and angry, whose souls are satisfied with this for very minor offenses, even though the offender is unaware of their anger and does not hear their insults.

Perhaps we might think that the reason the Torah prohibited cursing an Israelite was because of the pain and suffering it would cause them, but cursing a deaf person who cannot hear and feels no pain would not make the one who curses guilty of sin. Therefore, the Torah informs us that it is forbidden and warns against it. For the Torah is not concerned only with the one being cursed, but also with the one cursing, warning them not to move their soul toward revenge and not to accustom it to anger. This concludes the Rambam's words.

The Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 231) wrote that the root of this commandment is that Hashem prevented us from harming others with our mouths, just as He prevented us from harming others through actions [striking]. And regarding this matter, our Sages said (Moed Katan 18a): "There is a covenant made with the lips," meaning that there is power in the words of a person's mouth. See what was brought earlier about this, in the name of the Pele Yoetz.

Additional Prohibition for Cursing Father or Mother

One who curses their father or mother, besides violating the Torah prohibition against cursing any person from Israel, transgresses an additional Torah prohibition.

And one who curses their father or mother using Hashem's name, when the Temple was standing, would receive the punishment given to someone who worshipped idols or desecrated Shabbat. (Sanhedrin 53a)