A main part of the honor which one is obligated to give to one’s parents is after their death, that he should then do everything in his power for the sake of their souls, and not behave like those people who only remember their dead parents on the anniversary of their death, when they say Kaddish, give some charity and learn a little extra. Woe to such fathers who are waiting for their sons to redeem them and raise them from the pit of desolation, and the children are not doing it.
A son should not be content with saying Kaddish only during the first year after the death of either of his parents, as some say that Kaddish is not specifically to save from punishments but also to elevate the soul. It is therefore fitting that all of the son’s life he should have the image of his father’s face fixed in his mind, and he should imagine that his father is crying out bitterly from a fiery flame and saying “My beloved son, please help me, save my soul from the sword, myself from the dog”. Even if he thinks that his father was a completely righteous man and his soul is enjoying itself in the pastures, he should imagine that through the saying of Kaddish he is giving his father delicacies that his father enjoys, so that his father will bless him. He should therefore ensure that every day of his life he says Kaddish and gives charity for the souls of his parents.
