Abimi, son of R. Abahu taught: There is one who feeds his father pheasants as food, yet [this] drives him from the world; whereas another may make him grind in a mill and [this] brings him to the world to come!
In the Yerushalmi Talmud, we read its interpretation:
There is one who feeds his father fatted birds and inherits Gehenom and one who ties his father to a mill and inherits heaven.
How is it that one can feed his father fatted birds and inherit Gehenom? There once was a man who fed his father fatted birds. Once, his father said to him, "Son, where did you get this?" He said back, "Old man, eat and shut up like a dog." It turns out that while he feeds his father fatted birds, he still inherits Gehenom.
How is it that one can tie his father to a mill and still inherit heaven? There once was a man who was a wheat-grinder. A command came from the king to the grinder. The son said to his father, "Father, grind in my place so that if they come to disgrace or beat (one of us) better they should disgrace or beat me and not you." [The king would first take those who were not working]. It turns out that he ties his father to the mill, and still inherits heaven.
kiddushin 31
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