LEV776 One who speaks with lashon hara or rechilus about an elderly person in his presence, thereby demeaning him, also transgresses the commandment of וְהָדַרְתָּ֖ פְּנֵ֣י זָקֵ֑ן, “And you shall honor an elderly person” (Vayikra 19:32). (Even though the זָקֵ֑ן mentioned in the pasuk refers to a talmid chaham, Chazal nevertheless explain that this commandment of honoring also refers to a שֵׂיבָה֙, an elderly person, who is mentioned in the earlier part of the pasuk). This mitzvah requires one to honor an elderly person verbally, by speaking to him in a respectful and submissive manner. When one demeans an elderly person, he is certainly not honoring him, and he therefore transgresses this commandment. This commandment is also transgressed when one speaks lashon hara about a talmid chaham in his presence, even if he is not elderly, for Chazal say that the word זָקֵ֑ן in the pasuk refers to a talmid chaham; the word זָקֵ֑ן is expounded as זה שקנה חכמה, one who has acquired wisdom.... If one speaks lashon hara about someone who is both elderly and a talmid chaham, then he transgresses this commandment doubly.