Horayos Daf 13 הוריו דַף 13

The next Mishnah states: האיש קודם לאשה להחיות ולהשב אבדה – a man precedes a woman regarding keeping one alive (if only one can be saved), or to return a lost object to one of them. והאשה קודמת לאיש לכסות ולהוציא מבית השבי – But a woman precedes a man regarding providing clothing to one, or to free one from captivity (because she may be violated). In a case where even the man may be abused by his captors, the man takes precedence.  A Baraisa teaches that if one was captured together with his father and Rebbe, he precedes his father, who would precede his Rebbe. His mother would precede all of them, as the Mishnah taught. The Baraisa proceeds with a list of precedence: a חכם, a Jewish king, a Kohen Gadol, and a נביא. It then details the order of precedence among different types of כהנים גדולים and other positions in the Mikdash. [A חכם precedes a king because חכם שמת אין לנו כיוצא בו – when a sage who dies, there is no one like him, but the king is replaceable, because כל ישראל ראוים למלכות – all of Yisroel are fit for kingship.]

The next Mishnah states that a Kohen precedes a Levi, a Levi precedes a Yisroel, a Yisroel precedes a ממזר, a ממזר precedes a נתין, a נתין precedes a גר, and a גר precedes a freed slave. This is only true בזמן שכולם שוים – when they are all equal, but if one was a תלמיד חכם, then ממזר תלמיד חכם קודם לכהן גדול עם הארץ – even a mamzer who is a talmid chochom precedes a Kohen Gadol who is an ignoramus. The Gemara presents sources for the first series of cases. Rav Acha bar Rebbe Chanina explains that the final halachah is derived from the passuk: יקרה היא מפנינים – [the Torah] Is more precious than pearls. This teaches that the Torah is even more precious מכהן גדול שנכנס לפני ולפנים – than a Kohen Gadol who enters the innermost room of the Mikdash.

When Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel was the Nasi, Rebbe Meir was the preeminent sage, and Rebbe Nassan was the אב בית דין. Initially, whenever any of them would enter the Beis Medrash, everyone would stand up for them. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel instituted lesser honors for the others to ensure a distinction between the Nasi and the others. When they discovered the new policy, Rebbe Meir suggested asking him to lecture about מסכת עוקצין, which he had not mastered, disqualifying Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel from his role. Then Rebbe Meir could become אב בית דין, and Rebbe Nassan could become the Nasi. Rebbe Yaakov ben Karshi overheard the plot and learned עוקצין aloud several times near Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel’s chamber, until Rabban Shimon suspected what had taken place, and mastered עוקצין, and was able to give the requested shiur. Rebbe Meir and Rebbe Nassan were expelled from the Beis Medrash, but after they sent questions to the Beis Medrash, and answered those that went unanswered, Rebbe Yose said: תורה מבחוץ ואנו מבפנים – “The Torah is outside, and we are inside?” Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel allowed them back in but penalized them that Rebbe Meir’s teachings would be quoted as "אחרים" – Others, and Rebbe Nassan would be quoted as "יש אומרים" – There are those who say.