“The Torah is acquired through forty-eight requirements ... (46) making his rabbi wise” — (Avot 6:5-6)
In order for a talmid to have a real interest in learning from a rabbi he must respect him as a wise and knowledgeable teacher. He therefore acquires Torah only by “making his rabbi wise” – considering him wise and worth learning from.
Another perspective is based on the confession made by one of the Sages that he learned more from his talmidim than he did from his teachers and peers. The talmid who challenges his rabbi with questions stimulates him and actually makes him wiser. His own stimulation in providing the challenge and the growth he sparks in his rabbi enables the talmid to acquire the Torah he seeks.
- Midrash Shmuel