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The Torah says mipnei seiva takum, that one must stand for one elders.
I was wondering, it is common practice on public transportation such as buses (very common in eretz yisroel) to offer ones seat to an older (over the age of 70) person. Is there an halachic obligation to give ones seat to the elder, or although not thoughtful, is it enough to stand for them but not to give them the seat. Are there any sources that discuss this.
Qitzur Shulhhan Arukh, Yalqut Yosef (Yoreh De'ah 242-244:12) states (my translation):
היושב באוטובוס ונכנס תלמיד חכם או זקן, והגיע סמוך אליו, תוך ד' אמותיו (כשני מטר) והוצרך לעמוד בפניו כפי הדין, והחכם או הזקן נשארו עומדים תוך ד' אמותיו, מאחר ואין מקום פנוי באוטובוס, צריך לתת לו את מקומו לשבת
One seated in a bus into which a Talmid Hakham or elderly person enters and approaches the one seated (within four amot or about two meters) thus requiring the one seated to stand per the law [of Mipene'i Se'ivah Taqum], and the Hakham or elderly person is left standing within four amot of the one seated, since there is no open seat in the bus, the one who had been previously seated needs to give him [i.e. the Hakham or elderly person] one's place to sit.
The same applies if a wise and/or elderly woman enters and approaches the one who had been seated (see Se'if 20).
