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Since the Torah is supreme and elevated above everything else, there is a mitzva to honor Torah scholars, who dedicate their lives to studying and teaching it. This honor helps inculcate a respectful attitude towards Torah and morality. A Torah scholar is on a higher level than even a high priest, if the high priest is not as learned as the scholar. This is true even if the scholar does not have notable lineage, and even if he is a mamzer (bastard). The Sages tell us to watch out for the children of the poor, because they often become great Torah sages. Rabbi Akiva, for example, was from a poor family of converts, yet he became one of the greatest Tanna’im. To express the great respect of the community for Torah scholars, people stand up for them when they enter or exit a room.
