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185.

moves from him the fear of Heaven. (Suggested by the exhortation in the Ethics of the Fathers, "Let reverence for thy teacher be as the fear of Heaven"). A pupil who neglects any of the courtesies due to his master causes the Shechinah to depart from Israel. If a pupil saw his teacher violating the ordinances of the Torah, he should say to him, "Our master, thus and thus, hast thou taught us". Whenever a pupil recites a dictum in his teacher's presence, he should say, "Thus, our master, hast thou taught us". He should never quote a dictum that he has not heard from his teacher, without giving the authority to it. When his teacher dies, he rends all the garments he wears till he bares his breast. These rents he never sews up. These rules only apply to the chief teacher from whom one has learnt most of what he knows. But his relation to one from whom he did not acquire most of his knowledge is that of a junior to a senior fellow student. Towards such a senior student (who was at the same time his teacher), the disciple is not required to observe all the above-mentioned points of courtesy. But the junior has to stand up before him, and, on his demise, has to rend his garments, just as he does for a deceased relative for whom he mourns. Even if one learnt from a person one thing only, be it great or small, one has to stand up before that person and rend one's garments at his demise. No scholar who possesses good manners will speak before his superior in knowledge, even if he has learnt nothing from him. If one's teacher desires to excuse all his pupils or any one of them from all or any of these observances, he may do so. But even then, the disciple must show courtesy to him, even at the moment when he explicitly dispenses with it. ((5. 1 - 11 ))

((Courtesy to be Shown to Pupils)) As pupils are bound to honour their teacher, so a teacher ought to show courtesy and friendliness to his pupils. The sages said, "Let the honour of thy disciples be as dear to thee as thine own" (Ethics of the Fathers 4:15). A man should take an interest in his pupils and love them, for they are his spiritual children who will bring him happiness in this world and in the world hereafter.

Disciples increase the teacher's wisdom and broaden his mind. The sages said, "Much wisdom I learnt from my teachers, more from my colleagues; from my pupils, most of all". Even as a small piece of