Kiddushin

‘Thou shalt rise up before and honour the hoary head; thou shalt rise up before and honour the old man.ð And since It is not written thus, it follows that they are identical. 1 The Master said: ‘I might think that one must honour him with money, therefore it is written: "thou shalt rise up and thou shalt honourð: just as rising up involves no monetary loss, so does honouring also mean without monetary loss.’ But is there no monetary loss involved in rising? Does it not refer [even] to him who is piercing pearls,2 and whilst he rises up before him he is disturbed from his work?3 — But rising is compared to honouring: just as honouring involves no cessation of work,4 so rising too means such as involves no cessation of work. And honouring is compared to rising too: just as rising involves no monetary loss,5 so honouring means such as involves no monetary loss. Hence it was said: Artisans may not rise6 before scholars whilst engaged in their work. Must they not? But we learnt: All artisans rise before them, give them greeting,7 and exclaim to them, ‘Our brethren, men of such and such a place, enter in peace.’8 — Said R. Johanan: Before them they must stand up, yet before scholars they may not. R. Jose b. Abin said: Come and see how beloved a precept is in its time;9 for behold, they rose up before them, yet not before scholars. But perhaps it is different there, for otherwise you may cause them to offend in the future!10 The Master said: ‘I might think that one must rise up before him out of a privy or a bath-house.’ Is it then not so? But R. Hiyya was sitting in a bath-house, when R. Simeon son of Rabbi passed by, but he did not rise before him, whereat he was offended and went and complained to his father, ‘I taught him two-fifths of the Book of Psalms,11 yet he did not rise up before me!’ It also happened that Bar Kappara — others state, R. Ishmael son of R. Jose — was sitting in a bath-house, when R. Simeon b. Rabbi entered and passed by, yet he did not rise before him. Thereat he was offended and went and complained to his father. ‘I taught him two-thirds of a third of "The Law of Priests".’12 Said he to him, ‘perhaps he was sitting and meditating thereon’.13 Thus, it is only because he might have been sitting and meditating thereon; but otherwise, it would not be [excusable]? — There is no difficulty: the one refers to the inner chambers, the other to the outer chambers.14 That is logical too. For Rabbah b. Bar Hanah said: One may meditate [on learning] everywhere except at the baths and in a privy.15 [That however does not follow:] maybe it is different when [done] involuntarily.16 ‘I might think one may shut his eyes as though he has not seen him.’ Are we then dealing with the wicked! — But [say thus:] I might think that one may shut his eyes before the obligation arises,17 so that when it does, he will not see him that he should stand up before him; therefore it is stated: ‘thou shalt rise up and thou shalt fear’. A Tanna taught: Which rising up shews honour? Say, that is four cubits.18 Said Abaye: That was said only of one who is not his distinguished teacher;19 but as for his teacher par excellence,20 as far as his eyes reach.21 Abaye used to rise as soon as he saw the ear of R. Joseph's ass approaching. Abaye was riding an ass, making his way on the bank of the River Sagya.22 Now, R. Mesharsheya and other scholars were sitting on the opposite bank, and they did not rise before him. Thereupon he expostulated with them: ‘Am I not your teacher par excellence!’ ‘It was thoughtlessness on our part, replied they to him. ‘R. Simeon b. Eleazar said: How do we know that the Sage must not trouble [the people]? From the verse: "old man and thou shalt fear".’ Abaye said: We have it [on tradition] that if he [the Sage] takes a circuitous route,23 he will live [long]. Abaye took a circuitous route. R. Zera did likewise. Rabina was sitting before R. Jeremiah of Difti24 when a certain man passed by without covering his head.25 How impudent is that man! he exclaimed. Said he to him: Perhaps he is from the town of Mehasia,26 where scholars are very common.27 ‘Issi b. Judah said: "Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head" implies even any hoary head.’ R. Johanan said: The halachah is as Issi b. Judah. R. Johanan used to rise before the heathen28 aged, saying: ‘How many troubles have passed over these!’ Raba would not rise up, yet he shewed them respect.29 Abaye used to give his hand to the aged. Raba sent his messengers.30 R. Nahman sent his guardsmen, [for] he said: ‘But for the Torah, how many Nahman b. Abba31 are there in the market place!’32 R. Aibu said in R. Jannai's name: engaged on their own work, so that the passage must be translated, . . . need not (Tosaf.). v. Bik. III, 3. LXXIII-LXXXIX, XC-CVI, CVII-CL. Each of these divisions end with ‘amen,’ except the last, which marks the end of the book as a whole, presumably divided into three sections, and he had taught him two-thirds of one of these. — The work is also known as the Sifra. [Albeck, Untersuchungen uber die halakischen Midraschim, p. 89, n. 1, however, questions this identification, but regards the ohbvf ,ru, as denoting the book of Leviticus itself.] chamber, unlikely supposition of men to whom the study of the Torah was one of the most vital objects in life. he has learnt something, but not the greater part of his knowledge. Tosaf. Ri. important canal passing Pumbeditha and joining the Euphrates with the Tigris. [Rashi's text reads: who are familiar with the Rabbis.] the aged.