Rabbi Tarfon and His Mother
Rabbi Tarfon bends down so his mother can climb into bed, and when her sandal tears on Shabbos, he places his hands under her feet all the way home.
To prove their point that one should not engage in idle chatter on Shabbos, Tosefos quote a Midrash that the mother of a famous tanna wanted to discuss something mundane on Shabbos. The tanna politely told his mother that he only discusses holy things on Shabbos.
One may think, What chutzpah! What a lack of kavod! How dare anyone say that to his mother! A little perspective is in order. Who was the tanna in the story? According to the Sefer Agudah, it was none other than Rebbe Tarfon. The Gemara in Kiddushin says that when Rebbe Tarfon’s mother wanted to go into bed, he would bend down so that she could climb on his back. The same process was utilized when she descended from her bed. The Yerushalmi records that one time Rebbe Tarfon’s mother was taking a Shabbos stroll when her sandal tore, whereupon Rebbe Tarfon put his hands under her feet. She walked all the way home with every step of her feet on Rebbe Tarfon’s hands!