Conduct Toward Sages and Elders
10. It is forbidden to call one's rabbi and teacher by name, even after his death. If someone nearby has the same name as one's teacher, one may not call that person by name. One may ask someone else to call him, or call him without using his name, but in a way that will not offend him. If the name is rare and unusual, one may not call that person by name even outside the teacher's presence.
11. Outside the teacher's presence, one may say “my teacher, Rabbi […]” (and give the teacher's name), but in his presence, only “rabbi,” meaning “my teacher,” without mentioning his name.
12. If a person's teacher is his father, he may call him “avi” (my father).
13. When greeting one's teacher or sharing a meal with him, one should feel awe and deep respect in one's heart.
14. A student may not sit down in his teacher's presence without receiving permission. The same rule applies to standing up.
15. When leaving one's teacher, one must not turn one's back on him. Before leaving town, one should ask one's teacher for permission (and a blessing).
16. One may not remove one's tefillin in front of one's teacher.
17. One may not enter a mikveh[1] or a bathhouse together with one's teacher unless he needs assistance.
18. One may not stand behind or in front of one's teacher during prayer. One may also not pray to his right or left within 4 amot (2 meters).
19. It is forbidden to sit in a place designated for one's teacher (for example, his chair or the place from which he usually teaches).
20. One may not refute his arguments or contradict him outside the learning process.
21. When entering a room, one's teacher or an older person is allowed to enter first.
22. When walking with one's teacher or another Torah scholar, one should walk slightly behind him, to his left, rather than alongside him. If there are two students, the senior student should walk on the right and the junior student on the left.
23. Someone who sees his teacher violating a prohibition should warn him and point out the error very politely and cautiously, referring, for example, to the teacher's own words.
24. If he does not know whether the action is a transgression, but thinks it may involve a Torah prohibition, he should speak to his teacher before the teacher performs the act.
But if he thinks it involves a rabbinic prohibition, it is better to speak to him afterward.
25. A student should help his teacher in every way.
This includes duties usually performed by a servant. It is forbidden to deprive a student of this opportunity, since through these things he can acquire a special sensitivity to the spiritual and a deeper understanding of Torah.
26. Much of what is listed above applies only to one's principal teacher, from whom the student acquired most of his knowledge of the Written and Oral Torah. This does not necessarily mean that he acquired from him the skills of deep and detailed analysis (pilpul). What matters is that he acquired from the teacher the ability to analyze the material correctly, without departing from law and tradition.
27. A teacher may waive all forms of honor and offers of help, but this does not annul the commandment to respect sages, for even if a person does nothing and provides no service, he still retains respect and awe for his teacher, as well as a willingness to fulfill his wishes at any moment.
28. Even if a student has surpassed his teacher in both knowledge and analytical ability (for example, if the teacher taught him in elementary school), he must respect him throughout his life.
29. One important custom is to visit one's teacher on the festivals. If a student lives in a neighboring town, he should visit his teacher once a week or at least once a month. If they are in the same town, he should visit him every day.
[1] A pool for ritual immersion.