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Daily Mitzvah (Rambam)

Day 12: Positive Commandment 209

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Positive Commandment 209 (Digest)
Respecting the Sages

"You shall stand up before an elderly person and give respect to a sage"Leviticus 19:32.

We are commanded to accord respect to Torah scholars and respectfully rise for them. Although everyone is required to respect sages, even one Torah scholar must respect another of equal stature, this mitzvah is compounded with regard to the respect a student is expected to have for his teacher.

A student is required to respect and revere his teacher, he is forbidden to challenge his teachings, and always must give him the benefit of the doubt. Indeed, our Sages tell us, "Your reverence for your teacher must be akin to your reverence for G‑d."

From Sefer Hamitzvot, published and copyright by Sichos in English. To purchase the Sefer Hamitzvot two-volume set, please click here.
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Daily Quote
As soon as the earth heard G-d say, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helpmeet opposite him" (Genesis 2:18), she began to tremble and clamored. She said before her creator: 'Master of all the worlds, I haven't the power to feed all the kids of man!" Said G-d to her, "You and I shall feed them" and they split it between them.
  –Midrash Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer, ch. 12
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