Study Kiddushin folio 33A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
״מפני שיבה תקום והדרת, תקום והדרת פני זקן״ ומדלא כתב הכי, שמע מינה חד הוא.
Before the hoary head of an elder you should stand and revere; you should stand and revere the face of an elder. From the fact that God did not write this and thereby divide the two concepts, learn from it that “elder” and “hoary head” are together referring to one type of person.
אמר מר: יכול יהדרנו בממון? תלמוד לומר: ״תקום והדרת״ – מה קימה שאין בה חסרון כיס – אף הידור שאין בו חסרון כיס. וקימה לית בה חסרון כיס? מי לא עסקינן דקא נקיב מרגניתא, אדהכי והכי קאים מקמיה ובטיל ממלאכתו!
The Master said previously in the baraita: One might have thought that he should revere him through money, i.e., he is required to give him money in his honor; therefore, the verse states: “You should stand and you should revere” (Leviticus 19:32). Just as standing includes no monetary loss, so too, reverence is referring to an action that includes no monetary loss. The Talmud asks: And does standing include no monetary loss at all? Are we not dealing with a case where he was piercing pearls, a highly remunerative task, and in the meantime he must stand for the elder and thereby neglect his work, which causes him a loss?
אלא: אקיש קימה להידור. מה הידור שאין בו ביטול – אף קימה שאין בה ביטול. ואקיש נמי הידור לקימה, מה קימה שאין בה חסרון כיס – אף הידור שאין בו חסרון כיס. מכאן אמרו: אין בעלי אומניות רשאין לעמוד מפני תלמידי חכמים בשעה שעוסקין במלאכתם.
Rather, the verse juxtaposes standing to reverence: Just as reverence does not include neglect of work, so too, standing does not include neglect of work; therefore, one who is engaged in work is not obligated to stand before an elder. And the verse also juxtaposes reverence to standing: Just as standing includes no monetary loss, as standing applies only when it does not entail neglect of work, as explained previously, so too, reverence is referring to an action that includes no monetary loss. From here the rabbis stated: Craftsmen are not permitted to stand before Torah scholars when they are engaged in their work.
Text data via Sefaria: William Davidson Edition - English and William Davidson Edition - Vocalized Aramaic, CC-BY-NC; edition provenance: Koren. Display terminology has been modernized for readability.