Introduction Rabbi Yose was one of Rabbi Akiva’s students. He was one of Rabbi Judah Hanasi’s teachers, and is one of more prevalent sages in the Mishnah.
Rabbi Yose said: whoever honors the Torah is himself honored by others, and whoever dishonors the Torah is himself dishonored by others. There are several explanations as to what it means to “honor the Torah”. One is that to honor the Torah is not to place a Torah scroll on a bed or a bench, or a book of the Torah (the Pentateuch) on a Torah scroll, or a volume of the “Prophets” or “Writings” on a volume of the Torah, or a volume of the Talmud on top of any book of the Bible. These are all physical ways of honoring the Torah. Others explain that honoring the Torah means to honor its commandments and to perform them eagerly. Still others explain that honoring the Torah means acting in a moral manner when performing the commandments.