הלכה על מגילה 55:2

So it is with the talmid hakham in this world; his glory is at the end, as they say about the Torah scroll – “the talmid hakham rolls up the torah scroll in the end.”²⁶An allusion to the honor of rolling and tying the Torah scroll back up after it is read publically in the synagogue service – the honor of being the “golel.” According Chavel, R. Bahya takes “the greatest among them rolls up the sefer torah” in b.Megillah 32a to refer to the talmid hakham, the Torah scholar. I believe R. Bahya is also implying that the reward the torah scholars – talmidei hakhamim – will receive at the “end of this world” is in the world to come, and will be much greater than the perks that the kohanim receive for their hereditary status only in this world.
This expresses the same belief in the spiritual superiority of the talmidei hakhamim over non-torah scholars (‘ammei-ha-‘aretz) about which R. Bahya speaks at length in the previous Second Gate. Moreover, this reflects the general tendency of rabbinic Judaism to supplant the priests with rabbinic Torah scholars as the ideal Jewish religious authorities and role models. However, R. Bahya and his fellow kabbalists accentuate the priest-like, “sacramental” powers of the Torah scholars – those adept in both rabbinic and kabbalisticTorah – by comparing them to the kohanim in the Temple, using priestly language especially to describe their divine service (‘avodah ‘elohit) at the table, the “little Temple” (mikdash me’at). An ordinary Jew who is a talmid hakham ought to confer honor on the kohen by letting him go first, provided that the kohen is a talmid hakham. But if the ordinary Jew were a talmid hakham and the kohen an ‘am ha-‘aretz,²⁷A Jew who is not learned in rabbinic torah. the talmid hakham says the blessing first, for thus they said in the Talmud in the tractate Horayot on the order of statuses: “An illegitimate child [mamzer] who is a talmid hakham has precedence over the High Priest if he is an ‘am ha-‘aretz.”²⁸B. Horayot 13a. If someone who is not a talmid hakham, – driven by his pride and need to dominate – wants to say a blessing over the table instead of a talmid hakham, the talmid hakham may not give him permission to do so. And thus they said in the section in the Talmud about “fellow townsmen”: “Any talmid hakham before whom an ‘am ha-‘aretz, even if he is the High Priest, says a blessing, deserves to die,” as it is said, ‘All those who hate me [mis’anai], love death.’²⁹Prov. 8:36. Wisdom (Hokhmah) personified is the “me” speaking. Don’t read this as mis’anai (those who hate me), but as masniy-ai (those who cause people to hate me).” ³⁰B. Megillah 28a. They said in the laws of Derekh Eretz: “Don’t eat the bread of an ‘am-ha-‘aretz priest [kohen] lest he feed you the holy things dedicated to Heaven.”³¹Derekh Eretz Zuta 1.

And we will explain the dwelling of the Divine Presence in this place in this way according to the simple understanding: Even though, in truth, our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Megillah 28a) [that] their sanctity is upon them, even when they are desolate - which implies that there is no reason at all for the dwelling of the Divine Presence from the side of the worshipers - [still,] it is possible to say that God chose this place to bless from it people that He crated, as we have said. And [just] like it was His desire to send a prophet to people to teach them the path in which they should walk and [so] merit to preserve their souls, so too did He desire, in His great kindnesses, to fix a place on earth for them that would be prepared for the good of people and their merit - and all of this is from His kindnesses to His creatures. And regardless, blessing and holiness will increase there according to the good actions that people do there. And then with the good actions, the channels of good will open up corresponding to it; since in truth the holiness of a place in its destruction is not similar to its holiness in it inhabitation (use).

And this commandment is practiced by males and females. And even at this time, one who enters there and is impure according to the guidelines that we wrote, will be liable for excision - since the holiness of God is upon it, even today when it is desolate. And [it is] like they, may their memory be blessed, expounded (Megillah 28a) from that which it is written (Leviticus 21:31), "and I will make your sanctuaries desolate," as I wrote above in Acharei Mot (Sefer HaChinukh 184).

And this commandment that one impure should not enter is practiced both by males and by females at the Temple Mount even in our days, and like the matter stated by the verse (Leviticus 26:31), "and make your holy places desolate" - and they, may their memory be blessed, expounded (Megillah 28a), "Their holiness is upon them even when they are desolate." And [it is] as I wrote above (Sefer HaChinukh 184, 363).