Honor and Authority in the Jerusalem Talmud
y. Bikkurim 3:3, 65c–d
R. Eleazar said, the Torah does not get up because of her son. [ . . . ] When the patriarch enters, all the people stand before him and are not permitted to sit until he says to them, “Sit.” [When] an av bet din [head of the court] enters, they make rows for him, and he decides which to enter through. [When] a sage enters, one person stands and another sits [as he passes by], one person stands and another sits, until he reaches [his place] and sits.
y. Horayot 3:9, 48c
People from [the house of] R. Hoshaiah and [from the house of] Bar Pazi used to ask how the patriarch was doing every day. Those from [the house of] R. Hoshaiah would enter first and go out first. Some members [of the house of] Bar Pazi married into the patriarch’s family. They came and requested to enter first. [ . . . ] Two families were in Sepphoris, [one of] councilmen and [one of] commoners. They used to ask how the patriarch was doing every day. The councilmen would go in first and go out first. The commoners went and acquired knowledge of Torah. They came and requested to enter first.
Translated by Matthew Goldstone.
Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 2: Emerging Judaism.
