The Oral Talmud with Benay Lappe and Dan Libenson Episode 54

Rav Yitzḥak bar Sheila says that Rav Mattana says that Rav Ḥisda says: With regard to a father who forgoes his honor, his honor is forgone, and his son does not transgress if he does not treat him in the proper manner. By contrast, with regard to a rabbi who forgoes his honor, his honor is not forgone. And Rav Yosef says: Even with regard to a rabbi who forgoes his honor, his honor is forgone, as it is stated: “And the Lord went before them by day” (Exodus 13:21). God Himself had forgone the honor due Him and took the trouble to guide the people through the Wilderness. Rava said: How can these cases be compared? There, with regard to the Holy Blessed One, the world is His and the Torah is His, and therefore He can forgo His honor.

By contrast, here, is it his Torah, that the rabbi can forgo its honor? Rava then said: Yes, it is his Torah, as it is written: “Rather, his delight is the Torah of the Lord, and in his Torah he meditates day and night” (Psalms 1:2).

(20) They set out from Succoth, and encamped at Etham, at the edge of the wilderness. (21) The Lord went before them in a pillar of cloud by day, to guide them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, that they might travel day and night. (22) The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.

(32) You shall rise before the aged and show deference to the old; you shall fear your God: I am the LORD. (33) When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not wrong him. (34) The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I the LORD am your God. (35) You shall not falsify measures of length, weight, or capacity. (36) You shall have an honest balance, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin. I the LORD am your God who freed you from the land of Egypt.

(1) Happy is the man who has not followed the counsel of the wicked, or taken the path of sinners, or joined the company of the insolent; (2) rather, his delight is the Torah of the Lord, and in his Torah he meditates day and night. (3) He is like a tree planted beside streams of water, which yields its fruit in season, whose foliage never fades, and whatever it produces thrives. (4) Not so the wicked; rather, they are like chaff that wind blows away. (5) Therefore the wicked will not survive judgment, nor will sinners, in the assembly of the righteous. (6) For the LORD cherishes the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is doomed.

"Here, is it his Torah?" - In amazement. The honor is inherent in the Torah, and he cannot forgo the Torah's honor, for it belongs to the Holy Blessed One.

"And in his Torah he meditates" - For if his desire is the Torah of God, and he meditates in His Torah, at first it is called the Torah of God, and because he learns it and processes it, it is called his Torah.