לָכֵ֞ן כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה אִם־תָּשׁ֤וּב וַאֲשִֽׁיבְךָ֙ לְפָנַ֣י תַּֽעֲמֹ֔ד וְאִם־תּוֹצִ֥יא יָקָ֛ר מִזּוֹלֵ֖ל כְּפִ֣י תִֽהְיֶ֑ה יָשֻׁ֤בוּ הֵ֙מָּה֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְאַתָּ֖ה לֹֽא־תָשׁ֥וּב אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃
Therefore thus saith the LORD: If thou return, and I bring thee back, Thou shalt stand before Me; And if thou bring forth the precious out of the vile, Thou shalt be as My mouth; Let them return unto thee, But thou shalt not return unto them.
Tosefta Horayot
The measure [allotted] to anyone that teaches a single chapter to his fellow, the verse ascribes to him as though he formed him, and shaped him, and brought him into this world, as it is said (Jer. 15:19), "If you bring out the precious (yakar) from what is worthless, you shall be as My spokesman (lit., 'My mouth')" (JPS Tr.). For just as the selfsame mouth [of God] imbued Adam the first man with a soul, so too [as to] anyone who brings a single creation under the wings of the shekhinah, we ascribe to him as though he formed him, and shaped him, and brought him into this world. And "precious" (yakarah) is Torah (lit., "teaching"), as it is said (Prov. 3:15), "She is more precious than rubies; [All of your goods cannot equal her]," and it says (Prov. 20:15), "Gold is plentiful, jewels abundant, But wise speech is a precious object" (JPS Tr.).