"And they looked after Moses" (Exodus 33:8). Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Yitzchak — one said it was to his discredit, and one said it was to his praise. Rabbi Avdimi of Haifa said: When a sage passes by, one rises before him within four cubits, and once he has passed, one sits. When the head of the court passes by, one rises before him as far as the eye can see, and once he has passed four cubits, one sits. When the patriarch passes by, one rises before him as far as the eye can see, and one does not sit until he has taken his seat in his place, as it is said, "And they looked after Moses" and so on. The one who said it was to his discredit: they would say, See his thighs, see his legs! He eats from what is the Jews' and drinks from what is the Jews'. And the one who said it was to his praise: to gaze upon a righteous man brings merit.
They Gazed After Moses in Praise or in Blame
Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 393:6
וְהִבִּיטוּ אַחֲרֵי מֹשֶׁה. רַבִּי אַמִּי וְרַבִּי יִצְחָק, חַד אֲמַר, לִגְנַאי, וְחַד אֲמַר, לְשֶׁבַח. אֲמַר רַבִּי אַבְדִּימֵי דְּמִן חֵיפָה. חָכָם עוֹבֵר, עוֹמֵד מִלְּפָנָיו (מְלֹא עֵינָיו) [אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת], וְכֵיוַן שֶׁעָבַר, יוֹשֵב. אַב בֵּית דִּין עוֹבֵר, עוֹמֵד מִלְּפָנָיו מְלֹא עֵינָיו, וְכֵיוַן שֶׁעָבַר אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת, יוֹשֵׁב, נָשִׂיא עוֹבֵר, עוֹמֵד מִלְּפָנָיו מְלֹא עֵינָיו, וְאֵינוֹ יוֹשֵׁב עַד שֶׁיֵּשֵׁב בִּמְקוֹמוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְהִבִּיטוּ אַחֲרֵי מֹשֶׁה וְגוֹ'. חַד אֲמַר, לִגְנַאי, חֲמוּ שֹׁקֵיהּ, חֲמוּ כְּרָעֵיהּ, אָכוּל הוּא מִיהוּדָאֵי וְשָׁתֵי מִיהוּדָאֵי. וְחַד אֲמַר, לְשֶׁבַח מֵיחֲמֵי צַדִּיקָא מִיזָכֵי.