Defining the Command to Study Torah; Are Women Included?

(18) Therefore impress these My words upon your very heart and self, bind them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a symbol on your forehead, and teach them to your children—reciting them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up; (20) and inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates—

(1) The commandment of Torah study: The positive commandment to study the wisdom of the Torah and to teach it; meaning to say how we should perform the commandments, guard ourselves from that which God prevented us and to also know the laws of the Torah according to their true intention....

And this commandment is repeated in many places, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 5:1), “and study them and do them,” “and in order that you will study them” (Deuteronomy 31:12), “and you shall teach them to your children” (Deuteronomy 11:19).

(2) The root of this commandment is well-known; as with study, a man will know the ways of God, may He be blessed. But without it, he will not know and not understand, and be considered like an animal.

(3) From the laws of the commandment: That which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Sukkah 42a) [that] from when does a father begin to teach his son Torah? From when he begins to speak, he should teach him, “Moshe commanded us the Torah” (Deuteronomy 33:4), and the first verse from the recitation of Shema, which is “Hear Israel” (Deuteronomy 6:4). And afterwards he teaches him a little [at a time] of the verses of the Torah, until he is six or seven, when he takes him to a teacher of young children.

And it is fitting for every intelligent person to put his heart to not overburden the child with study when he is still weak-limbed and weak-hearted, until he he grows and his strength firms, his limbs become vigorous, his bones fill with marrow and he can endure the exertion of study, and that the illness of fainting [spells] not happen to him on account of much exertion upon it. However after his strength firms and his eyes enlighten to understand the voice of his teachers, then is the thing proper and fit; and he is [then] obligated to put his neck to the yoke of Torah [study], and not to loosen it from him, even a hair’s breadth. And he should [then] always give him to drink from its spiced wine, and feed him from its honey.

(7) And this commandment is practiced in every place and at all times by males, but not by females, since it is stated (Deutoronomy 1:19), “your sons” — and they, may their memory be blessed, expounded (Kiddushin 29b), “But not your daughters.” And so [too,] a woman is not obligated to teach her son, as anyone who [does not have] the obligation to study, [does not have] the obligation to teach. But even though she is not commanded by Torah writ, nonetheless it is fitting for every woman to make efforts that her sons should not be ignoramuses, and she has good reward [for this] in general (based on Sotah 21a). And there is also reward for a woman who studies Torah. But nonetheless, the Sages commanded (Sotah 20a) that a man not teach his daughter Torah, because the mind of women is weak, and they turn words of Torah into words of nonsense through the poverty of their minds. And one who transgresses it and does not teach his son Torah — until he knows how to read in the Scroll of the Torah and understand the simple understanding of the verses — has violated this positive commandment. And anyone who has the wherewithal in his hand to study in any way is included in this positive commandment. And if he does not fulfill it, his punishment is very great, as this commandment is the mother of them all.

There is a merit that delays punishment for one year, there is a larger merit that delays punishment for two years, and there is a merit that delays punishment for three years.... Rabbi Eliezer says: Anyone who teaches his daughter Torah is teaching her promiscuity [tiflut].

(1) Women,(gentile) slaves, and minors are free from the obligation of Torah study. Nevertheless, a father is obligated to teach his son Torah while he is a minor, as [Deuteronomy 11:19] states: "And you shall teach them to your sons to speak about them."

A woman is not obligated to teach her son, for only those who are obligated to learn are obligated to teach.....

(13) A woman who studies Torah will receive reward. However, that reward will not be [as great] as a man's, since she was not commanded [in this mitzvah]. Whoever performs a deed which he is not commanded to do, does not receive as great a reward as one who performs a mitzvah that he is commanded to do. Even though she will receive a reward, the Sages commanded that a person should not teach his daughter Torah, because most women cannot concentrate their attention on study, and thus transform the words of Torah into idle matters because of their lack of understanding. [Thus,] our Sages declared:7Sotah 21b "Whoever teaches his daughter Torah is like one who teaches her trivial things ("tiflut"). This applies to the Oral Law. [With regard to] the Written Law: at the outset, one should not teach one's daughter. However, if one teaches her, it is not considered as if she was taught trivial things.

Rav Yosef Karo; 1488-1575; Spain to Zfat, Israel; author of Beit Yosef, on the Tur, and Shulhan Arukh (1555), Kesef Mishneh to Rambam's M.Torah).

Rav Moshe Isserles; 1530-1572; Polish; appended in all printed editions of the Shulhan Arukh since 1578; many other works

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(6) A woman who studied Torah receives a reward, but not like that of a man, because she is not obligated yet performs the commandment. (Rambam)

Rama: Nonetheless, a woman is obligated to study laws that are relevant to her.

Attributed to R. Judah ben Samuel of Regensburg (d.1217); presents customs and laws of German communities.

Joshua ben Alexander HaCohen Falk; Polish; 1555-1614; Commentaries on the Tur called Prisha and Drisha, and other halakhic works.