Chapter 4 Mishna 8
Rabbi Yose says: “Anyone who honors the Torah — his body is honored by people; and one who disgraces the Torah — his body is disgraced by people.”
We must understand what the Tanna comes to teach us by repeating his words, for it’s obvious that someone who does not honor the Torah will not be honored by others. Why, then, did he say “his body is honored” and not simply “he is honored”? Additionally, we must examine why he said “his body is honored by people” and not “among people.”
This can be explained based on what the Poskim (halachic authorities) wrote (Yoreh De’ah 244:12): that one is obligated to rise before a person who performs good deeds. It is also ruled (Yoreh De’ah 243:6) that it is forbidden to make use of someone who studies halachot (Torah laws). Based on these principles, the Tanna teaches us two things.
First, he said: “Anyone who honors the Torah,” that is, one who performs good deeds — even if he is not a Torah scholar — “his body is honored by people”, meaning others may not use his body for labor or tasks, just as it is forbidden to make use of one who studies halachot. That is why the Tanna precisely stated “his body is honored by people” — because using his body is forbidden, and everyone will regard him as someone above them.
Secondly, he added: “One who disgraces the Torah — his body is disgraced”, to teach us a novel idea: even if he is a Torah scholar, if he disgraces the Torah, his body becomes chol (חול: mundane, devoid of sanctity), as Rashi explains, and others may use him freely without any prohibition. For the Talmud (Yoma 72b) says: “Any Torah scholar whose inside does not match his outside is not a true scholar and is called an abomination.”
