To honor those who teach and know Torah

Respecting Torah Teachers and Rabbis

• Rambam (Hilchot Talmud Torah 5:1) rules that standing for Torah scholars, greeting them first, and showing deference in conversation are practical expressions of this mitzvah. Today, this includes showing kavod to rabbanim, roshei yeshiva, and dayanim — both in person and in digital forums, where respectful language and tone honor the Torah they embody.

Valuing Torah Institutions

• Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 430) teaches that honoring Torah scholars is honoring Torah itself. In our time, this extends to supporting yeshivot, kollelim, schools, and study programs — through donations, volunteering, or advocacy — ensuring Torah institutions remain vibrant and central in Jewish life.

Students’ Conduct

• Talmud (Kiddushin 33b) explains that standing for a Torah scholar applies even while engaged in another mitzvah, because kavod haTorah takes precedence. Today, this is fulfilled in classrooms and shiurim by attentive listening, refraining from interruptions, and treating teachers with dignity.

Public Recognition

• Rambam notes that public signs of honor elevate Torah in the eyes of the people. Communities today express this by offering aliyot to scholars, giving them seats of honor, or inviting them to address gatherings — visible acts that remind the community that Torah learning is the highest crown.

Digital Age Respect

• In an era of podcasts, Zoom shiurim, and YouTube classes, honoring Torah teachers means citing sources accurately, acknowledging teachers, and refraining from casual or dismissive comments online. Ramban (Deut. 17:11) emphasizes deference to Torah authorities as safeguarding halachic integrity — a responsibility that extends to digital spaces.

Parents as First Teachers

• Talmud (Kiddushin 30a) calls parents the first Torah teachers of their children. Honoring them is therefore intertwined with this mitzvah. Today, this means recognizing and respecting the Torah foundation one’s parents or mentors provided, and transmitting that kavod onward to future generations.

Kavod HaTorah in Debate

• Rambam (Hilchot De’ot 5:13) requires maintaining dignity even in disagreement. Applied today, this means handling halachic debates respectfully, whether in yeshiva study halls, communal forums, or online discussions — ensuring machloket strengthens, rather than diminishes, Torah’s honor.

Encouraging New Teachers

• Honoring Torah wisdom also means fostering the next generation of transmitters. Supporting semicha programs, women’s Torah learning, and outreach educators ensures Torah continues to spread widely. Sefer HaChinuch stresses that Torah’s chain must never be broken, making this a living fulfillment of the mitzvah.