Levítico 19:33 Halacá: Mishneh Torah, Torah Study & Sefer HaChinukh

It is mandatory to respect every disciple of the wise even though he be not one's master, for it is said: "Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head and honor the face of the old men" (Lev. 19.32); the old man herein spoken of is, the old man who acquired wisdom. Whence-onward is the obligation to rise before him applicable? From the time he will approach within four ells until he will pass by from in the front of him.

To not oppress the convert with words: That we have been prevented from oppressing converts, even [only] with words — and that is one from the [other] nations who converted and entered our religion — such that it is forbidden for [one] to disgrace him even with words, as it is stated (Exodus 22:20), “and you shall not oppress a convert.” And even though we are warned about this with [Jews] and since this one entered our religion, behold he is like [any other Jew], Scripture added a warning to us and also redoubled the prohibition for him, as it is written (Leviticus 19:33), “do not oppress” another time; because the issue of oppression is more relevant to a convert than it is to [another Jew], as [another Jew] has redeemers who will redress his insult. And there is another reason, [and that is] because there is a concern that [the convert] might return to his deviance out of anger over the disgraces. And they said in the Sifra (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 8:2) that one shouldn’t say, “Yesterday you were an idolater and now you entered under the wings of the Divine Presence.”

And behold, my son, I will write a little of the text of general contracts. And even though this is not included in this commandment and its subject, the word get that we have spoken about is a general word for all contracts, and [so] this is included in the word. Before anything, I will say that it is fitting for all proper witnesses to investigate and to understand the essence of the things to which they will testify, whatever the matter may be; and that they inform the involved parties to inform them of all the stipulations between them in a clear language, and to review all of the things in front of them until they comprehend them well. And [they should not act] like the foolish witnesses, who strip people of their cloaks and their possessions and their properties “by the tail of their cloaks.” [The parties] whisper a little into the ears of the silly masses and, before they inform them [properly — such] that they understand the essence of the stipulations — they go and write and sign according to what is good in their eyes about them, until they [strip] them clean of their possessions. And the Lord, our God, did not give us, the holy people, this [way] to do anything that is not the way of truth. And therefore the prohibition against deceptions is repeated in the Torah three times, as it is written in three places (Leviticus 19:33, 25:14, 17), “a man shall not wrong his people.”