Included in the mitzvah of supporting Torah, is to give support to those who study Torah and perform mitzvos by honoring and elevating them. Or the opposite: to not discourage those who study Torah and perform mitzvos by denigrating or ridiculing them, Heaven forbid.
Now, when it comes to adults who already possess knowledge and insight, there is not that much concern that they will retreat from their path in the face of ridicule. But when it comes to youngsters, or those who are only beginning to study Torah and keep mitzvos, it is vital to give them support by expressing positive words and by giving them gifts and prizes, according to their level and interests, so that “out of doing good with an ulterior motive” they “will come to doing good for its own sake” (see Pesachim 50b). Also, when others see the honor of Torah and those who study it and the honor shown to people who perform mitzvos, they too will become excited to do so themselves; they will say to themselves: “If this is how it is in this World for those who do Hashem’s will, then how much more so will it be in the World to Come.
