Joseph Caro on Some Actions of a Student in Presence of a Teacher - Interesting!
May 31st, 2007From Mr D’s Notes on Teaching..
Joseph Caro (1488-1575) a Jewish writer once mentioned some of the actions a young man should take when in the presence of a teacher.
- He held that the student was to honor his teacher above his parents.
- He likened anyone striving or complaining with/to his teacher to striving or complaining with/to the Lord.
- A scholar was not allowed to answer a point of law if his teacher was present. To do so without permission was open to punishment.
- The student was never, even after death, to call his teacher by his first name.
- The student was never allowed to sit in the teachers seat.
- When a teacher died the student was to tear his coat as if his father had died.
- Basically the teacher in many ways was to be held as superior to one’s own father.
- The teacher however was also to honor the scholar as the scholar was to honor the teacher.

