Someone who is materially supporting a Torah scholar must not lose any of his respect for that scholar, Heaven forbid. Nor should he congratulate himself for being the one who feeds and provides for the Torah scholar, for the Torah scholar’s portion [from Heaven] is mixed in with the donor’s finances, so that the donor is in reality merely the Holy One’s agent to deliver the money to that Torah scholar. On the contrary, more than what a wealthy person does for the poor man, the poor man does for the wealthy one, because the wealthy man will merit his portion in the World of ultimate Good on account of the poor man he supported. Let the supporter, therefore be careful with respecting the person he is supporting.
Conversely, Torah scholars should be careful in their respect of their wealthy brethren who benefit and support them. For if Rebbi and Rabbi Akiva showed respect for the wealthy, though they had no need for their support (see Eiruvin 86a), all the more so is there an obligation upon someone who does need their assistance and receives benefit from them to show them respect and give them pleasure in some way. [The scholars can] teach [the wealthy] the proper deeds to be done and the path upon which to walk — through pleasant discourse and loving language; they should share their hardships and pray for them. The scholars should consistently pray that [the wealthy] be successful in all their endeavors, and while a scholar engages in his Torah study and good deeds he should also have [his benefactors] in mind.