Mitzvah 419: The commandment of Torah study

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 about all of this is it stated (Deuteronomy 6:7), “You shall teach them to your sons.” And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Sifrei Devarim 34:4), “‘Your sons’ - these are your students. And thus do you find that students are called sons, as it is stated (II Kings 2:3), ‘And the sons of the prophets went out.’” And it is [also] said there (Sifrei Devarim 34:1), “‘And you shall teach them (shinantam, which sounds like the word for tooth, hence, make them sharp like a tooth)’ - they shall be ordered in your mouth, so that if a person questions you [concerning them], you will not stammer to him, but answer him forthwith.” 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).

Sefer HaChinukh cites Deuteronomy 6:7.

You shall teach them to your sons.

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.

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.

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.

• II Kings 2:3
• Deuteronomy 5:1
• Deuteronomy 31:12
• Deuteronomy 11:19
• Sukkah 42a
• Deuteronomy 33:4