101. Honoring One's Teacher

Talmud Torah 5:1

Just as one is obligated to honor and revere his father, one is likewise obligated to honor and revere his teacher. In fact, one must honor and revere a teacher even more than one does his father. This is because one’s father brings him into life in this world but one’s teacher imparts wisdom and brings him into life in the Next World. Therefore, if one sees a lost object belonging to his father and another one belonging to his teacher, returning his teacher’s lost object takes precedence. If one’s father and one’s teacher are both carrying loads, he should assist his teacher first and then his father. If one’s father and one’s teacher are both being held captive, he should redeem his teacher first, then his father. However, if his father is a Torah scholar, he should redeem his father first. Similarly, if one’s father is a Torah scholar, he should return his father’s lost object before the teacher’s, even if the father is not as great a scholar as the teacher.

There is no level of honor and reverence greater than that we must show our teachers. Regarding this, the Sages said that the awe in which we hold our teachers should be the same as the awe we have for Heaven. Therefore, one who disputes against his teacher is like one who disputes against God. We see this in Numbers 26:9, which refers to those who rebelled against Moses and Aaron as also rebelling against God.

Similarly, one who argues with his teacher is considered as if he argued with God, as per Numbers 20:13, “...where the Jews contested with God.” One who complains about his teacher is considered as if he complained about God, as per Exodus 16:8, “Your complaints are not about us but about God.” One who disparages his teacher is considered as if he disparaged God, as per by Numbers 21:5, “The people spoke out against God and Moses.”

Talmud Torah 5:2

An example of contesting a teacher would be one who founds a study hall where he teaches without his teacher's permission in his teacher's lifetime. This is so even if the teacher is in another country. It is prohibited for a student to rule on a matter in his teacher's presence. Whoever does so is deserving of death.