כִּֽי־שִׂפְתֵ֤י כֹהֵן֙ יִשְׁמְרוּ־דַ֔עַת וְתוֹרָ֖ה יְבַקְשׁ֣וּ מִפִּ֑יהוּ כִּ֛י מַלְאַ֥ךְ יְהוָֽה־צְבָא֖וֹת הֽוּא׃
C’est que les lèvres du pontife doivent conserver la science; c’est de sa bouche qu’on réclame la doctrine, car il est un mandataire de l’Éternel-Cebaot.
Or Neerav
Previous [indications] in this matter [are] that one may not study Torah except from a messenger of the Lord of Hosts (Mal. 2:7), as our rabbis, their memory be a blessing, have taught.1Mo’ed Katan 17a: “If the master is like a ‘messenger of God,’ they should seek Torah from his mouth. If not, let them not seek Torah from his mouth.” They have also said that one should not learn from a magus.2Shabbat 75a: “He who learns one thing from a magus is worthy of death.” Besides that, there are two rules [to be followed] by those beginning in this science.