For the source text click/tap here: Ketubot 96
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Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: All tasks that a Canaanite slave performs for his master, a student performs for his teacher, except for untying his shoe, a demeaning act that was typically performed by slaves and would not be appropriate for a student to do.
Rava said: We said this only if the teacher and the student are in a place where people are not familiar with the student, and he could be mistaken for a slave. However, in a place where people are familiar with the student, we have no problem with it as everyone knows that he is not a slave. Rav Ashi said: And in a place where people are not familiar with the student, we said this halakha only if he is not donning phylacteries, but if he is donning phylacteries, we have no problem with it.
We explore current notions of “shimush talmidei chachamim”
Including anecdotes regarding Rav Aron Kotler, Rav Shlomo Freifeld and Reb Chaim Shmuelevitz…..