Question: If an elderly man passes by me while I am reciting “Pesukei De’Zimra,” must I rise for him?
Answer: The Torah (Vayikra 19) commands us: “You shall rise before the aged and show deference to the old; you shall fear your G-d, I am Hashem.” Our Sages (Kiddushin 32b) interpreted the word “aged” as a reference to the elderly and the word “old” as a reference to Torah scholars, even young in years. “Elderly” refers to individuals over the age of seventy. One must fully rise for both in order to show them respect; this is a positive Torah commandment.
Regarding the above question whether one should rise for an elderly man passing by one during “Pesukei De’Zimra” or any other part of the prayer service, Maran Ha’Chida (in his Birkei Yosef, Yoreh De’ah, Chapter 244) quotes a response from a holy sage that from the “Order of the Korbanot” (the very beginning of the Shacharit prayer) until “Alenu Le’Shabe’ach” is considered like the service in the Bet Hamikdash (according to the Kabbalah) in that the entire prayer revolves around praising Hashem. Therefore, if one sees an elderly man entering one’s four Amot (approximately six feet) radius, one should not rise before him, for one does not show honor to a student in the presence of his rabbi.
This means that since the entire prayer service is meant to show honor to Hashem, it is not respectful towards Hashem to show honor to an elderly man or a Torah scholar during this time. Therefore, one should only rise for them at the conclusion of the Shacharit prayer.
Nevertheless, Maran Ha’Chida himself rebuffs this opinion and says that the Halacha is not so, and this response is not to be relied upon. Indeed, the prevalent custom is to rise for an elderly man during “Pesukei De’Zimra,” the blessings of Keri’at Shema, and any other portion of the prayer. One need not be concerned about showing honor to the student when in the presence of the rabbi (i.e., Hashem), for the contrary is true. By rising for a Torah scholar or elderly man, the honor of Hashem is increased in the world as His commandments are being heeded.
Halachically speaking, Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef zt”l rules (in a response quoted in Yalkut Yosef, Volume 1, page 77) in accordance with Maran Ha’Chida and other Poskim who write that one should rise fully for an elderly man or Torah scholar passing by during any part of the prayer service, for this will cause an increase in Hashem’s honor.
