- Chinuch in Torah – The Mitzvah to teach Torah to one’s children:[1]
Unlike the Mitzvah of Chinuch in Mitzvos which is Rabbinical in origin, there is a Biblical command upon a father to teach his son Torah, as the verse[2] states “Ulimadetem Osam Es Bneichem Lidaber Bam, and you shall teach your children to speak in them.” This matter will be explained in length in Chapter ?? Halacha ??. See there for the full details of this matter.
The source: The Ramban[3] comments on the verse[4], “Vishinantam Livanecha/and you shall teach your children,” that since G-d commanded us to keep his commands, therefore we are to teach our children the commands, as otherwise how will they learn them.
Who is obligated to teach – Fathers versus Mothers:[5] The Biblical obligation to teach one’s son Torah applies towards the father. However, women are not obligated in the mitzvah of Torah study and are therefore not required to teach their sons or finance their education, except as an act of charity when financially able. However, when a woman supports her husband’s or son’s Torah learning—personally or materially—she shares significantly in their reward, since she enables the fulfillment of a commanded mitzvah.
Who is obligated to be taught – Sons versus Daughters:[6] The Biblical obligation upon a father to teach Torah to his children applies specifically to his sons, as men have an obligation of studying Torah. However, there is no obligation for a father to teach his daughter Torah being that women are exempt from Torah study. Furthermore, even though women who study Torah receive reward and hence seemingly a father should be at least encouraged to teach Torah to his daughters, practically the Sages discouraged formal Torah education for daughters, particularly in the Oral Law, citing concerns about misapplication of study. Teaching her the Oral Torah is therefore likened to teaching frivolity, as it may foster cunning rather than genuine understanding. Nonetheless, women are fully obligated to learn all halakhot necessary for their religious observance and are bound by all prohibitions and non–time‑bound commandments.
What to teach – Theoretical:[7] The father is obligated to teach his child the entire Torah, both the entire Written Torah and Oral Torah. This obligation encompasses the entire Tanach and Torah Shebichsav, ensuring that the child acquires the ability to read and accurately comprehend the Hebrew text. Additionally, the father must instruct the child in all aspects of the Oral Torah, including all the 613 Mitzvos and Halachos, along with their underlying reasons. This includes study of the Mishnayos, Talmud, and Midrashim. The curriculum should cover even those Mitzvos that are not currently applicable, as well as all scholarly opinions, regardless of whether they are accepted as law.
What to teach – Practical:[8] In the present era, since the entire Oral Torah has been committed to writing, a father’s primary obligation is no longer to ensure that his son memorizes the entirety of the Tanach and Oral Law, but rather to provide him with the skills necessary for independent, in‑depth study. This includes a strong command of the Talmud, its complex legal discussions, and the major early and later halakhic authorities, enabling the student to analyze sources and determine practical law on his own. Consequently, the common practice is to focus early education on the Chumash itself, relying on later independent study for the remainder of Tanakh. Nevertheless, core passages containing commandments must be reviewed repeatedly, as they form the foundation of talmudic interpretation. Nonetheless, the above only applies if indeed the child will be able to receive the skills of learning the entire Torah through learning the Talmud and will be motivated to do so on his own. However, if the child will not succeed in getting these skills, or if he does not have the discipline to use his skills to study the entire Torah, then the father is obligated to teach him the entire Torah as stated above.
Discipline:[9] If a child is unable or unwilling to study Torah, the father remains fully obligated—using compulsion if necessary—to ensure mastery of the entire Written and Oral Torah, for the duty to teach one’s children includes enforcing their education when required.
Reteaching Material that child forgot:[10] Once a father has properly taught his son the entirety of the Torah, including the laws and their reasoning, he has fulfilled his Torah obligation even if the son later forgets the material due to lack of review. However, when the son is capable of continued Torah study but neglects it, and the father has the means to intervene, the father bears an ongoing rabbinic responsibility to compel his son to remain engaged in Torah learning.
From what age?[11] From what age is a father obligated to teach his son Torah? As soon as one’s son begins to speak[12], his father is Biblically obligated to teach him Torah.
Until what age: There is no maximum age in which a father becomes exempt from teaching Torah to his son, and so long as a son has not studied the entire Torah and has not received the skills to do so on his own, the father remains obligated to teach him Torah irrelevant of the age of the son.
Personally teaching versus sending to Cheder:[13] By Torah law, the father is obligated either to teach his son himself or to secure a teacher who will instruct him in the entirety of the Torah. If such instruction cannot be obtained without payment, then—even if the father himself is incapable of teaching, and even if he lacks any ability to study at all—he remains obligated by Torah law to hire a qualified teacher to educate his son properly, so that he will acquire knowledge of the entire Written and Oral Torah.
[1] Admur Hilchos Talmud Torah 1:1 “Although a minor is exempt from all the commandments, and his father is not obligated by Torah law to educate him in the commandments but only by rabbinic enactment, the study of Torah is a positive commandment from the Torah incumbent upon the father to teach his young son Torah, even though the child himself is not obligated. As it is stated: ‘And you shall teach them to your sons, to speak of them’ (Deuteronomy 11:19). From when is the father obligated to teach him? From the time the child begins to speak, he teaches him ‘Torah tzivah lanu Moshe…’ (‘The Torah that Moses commanded us…’) and the first verse of the section Shema Yisrael. Afterwards, he teaches him little by little, verse by verse, by heart, until the child reaches the age of five years.”; Michaber Y.D. 245:5; Rambam 1:1 and 5; Kiddushin 29a
[2] Eikev 11:19
[3] Ramban Vaeschanan 6:7; This concept is also recorded a number of Rishonim, including: Bahag in his introduction of Kum Asei 71 who writes the one must teach his child Torah and mitzvah’s; Semag Mitzvas Asei 12; Yireim 225; Rabbeinu Meyuchas on Torah Eikev 11:19; Meiri Kiddushin 30a; Bamidbar Raba 17a
[4] Vaeschanan 6:7
[5] Admur Hilchos Talmud Torah Chapter 1 Halacha 14 “A woman is not obligated in the commandment of Torah study, as it is stated: ‘And you shall teach them to your sons’—your sons and not your daughters. Just as she is not obligated in the commandment of Torah study for herself, so too she is not obligated in the commandment of Torah study for her sons, and she is exempt from paying the costs of their instruction. She is not compelled in this matter, unless she is wealthy, in which case it applies as an obligation of charity. Nevertheless, if she assists her son or her husband—whether through her efforts or her financial support—so that they may engage in Torah study, she shares in their reward, and her reward is great, since they are commanded and fulfill the mitzvah through her assistance. This is unlike a woman who studies Torah herself, who does receive reward, but not as great as that of a man, since she is not commanded and does so voluntarily.”
[6] Admur Hilchos Talmud Torah Chapter 1 Halacha 14 “Even though she receives reward, the Sages instructed that one should not teach his daughter Torah, because most women lack the disposition for formal study and may misinterpret words of Torah as trivial matters due to limited intellectual preparation. Teaching her the Oral Torah is therefore likened to teaching frivolity, as it may foster cunning rather than genuine understanding. Nevertheless, women are obligated to learn the laws that are necessary for them to observe, such as the laws of niddah, immersion, salting meat, the prohibition of seclusion, and similar matters, as well as all positive commandments not dependent on time and all prohibitions—whether from the Torah or rabbinic enactment—in which they are obligated equally with men. In earlier generations, sages would publicly teach the commonly applicable laws needed by all people, in language understood by women and the unlearned, every Sabbath.”
[7] Admur Hilchos Talmud Torah Chapter 1 Halacha 1 “until he reads the entire Written Torah, together with all of the Prophets and the Writings. In those days, when most people spoke the holy language (Hebrew), and even an infant, when he began to speak, his father would speak with him in the holy language, there was therefore no need to teach young children the meanings of the words. Afterwards five years to learning the Mishnah by heart, which consists of fixed legal rulings without cantillation. After that, they would devote five years to the Talmud, which is the concise understanding of the reasons for the laws and judgments and their sources from the Written Torah, through the thirteen hermeneutical principles by which the Torah is interpreted, as well as all other rabbinic interpretations—whether received as a tradition, as a law given to Moses at Sinai, derived by logical reasoning, or enacted by the Sages as protective measures and safeguards for the words of the Torah.” Chapter 1 Halacha 4: “And even if he himself does not know how to study at all, he is nevertheless obligated by the Torah to hire a teacher to instruct his son thoroughly, so that he will know the entire Written and Oral Torah, that is, Tanakh and all the fixed halakhic rulings of the entire Torah together with their reasons, for these are the very explanation of the 613 commandments of the Torah and their precise details in all their particulars. And although there are differences of opinion among them, these and those are the words of the living God. This obligation applies even to commandments that are not practiced at present. He must also teach all the words of the Sages that are supported by interpretations of the verses—namely, the aggadot, as it is stated: ‘If you will surely keep this entire commandment”
[8] Admur Hilchos Talmud Torah Chapter 1 Halacha 6 “In our time, since the entire Oral Torah is written and accessible to us, there is no longer a need to hire a teacher for one’s son to teach him the entirety of the Oral Torah. Rather, the father must ensure that his son is taught to understand the Talmud well in most places, including the laws and complex sugyot, together with the majority of the early and later halakhic authorities, and to train him in analytical study of practical halakhah, so that he will be able to examine, learn, understand, and rule on matters of law independently through study of the Talmud and the early and later decisors. In this way, the son will be able on his own to learn the entire Talmud and the halakhic authorities and thereby know all the laws of the Oral Torah, which are the explanation of the 613 commandments with their details, reasons, and sources, as though he had learned them directly from a teacher. The same applies to all of Tanakh and the aggadic interpretations. For this reason, it is no longer customary to teach young children the entire Tanakh as was done in earlier generations, but only the Torah itself, relying on the assumption that they will learn the remainder on their own as they mature—unlike earlier times, when vowelization and cantillation were not written and were transmitted orally. Nevertheless, it is necessary to teach the child and review with him many times all the sections of the Torah in which the commandments and laws are written, for these are explained in the Talmud, and the verses, words, and letters of these passages are constantly expounded in talmudic interpretation. However, if the son does not reach the level at which he can study and understand on his own all the laws of the Oral Torah with their underlying reasoning, or if he is unwilling to study independently, the father is obligated to hire a teacher who will compel him and teach him thoroughly the entire Written and Oral Torah, reviewing it with him many times until he knows and remembers all the laws of the Oral Torah with their reasons. For even the act of compelling a child to study and acquire full knowledge of the Torah is included in the positive commandment of ‘And you shall teach them to your sons,’ since Scripture speaks of minors, who require compulsion.”
[9] Admur Hilchos Talmud Torah Chapter 1 Halacha 6 “For even the act of compelling a child to study and acquire full knowledge of the Torah is included in the positive commandment of ‘And you shall teach them to your sons,’ since Scripture speaks of minors, who require compulsion.”
[10] Admur Hilchos Talmud Torah Chapter 1 Halacha 6 “Once the son has learned all the laws together with their underlying reasons at least once, and later forgets them because he does not wish to review his studies on his own, the father has already fulfilled his obligation. Since he taught him thoroughly until he knew the entire Torah, he has fulfilled the positive commandment of ‘And you shall teach them to your sons.’ Nevertheless, as long as the son is capable of engaging in Torah study but does not do so, and the father has the ability to compel him, the father is obligated by rabbinic tradition to compel him to engage in Torah study.”
[11] Admur Hilchos Talmud Torah 1:1; Michaber 245:5; Rambam Talmud Torah 1:6; Sifri Eikev 11; Sukkah 42a
[12] This is approximately at two years old. [Likkutei Sichos 21:343 footnote 40 based on Radak] Others say it is when the child knows how to speak fluently, which is approximately at age 4. [Aruch Hashulchan 245:2] See Menoras Hamaor Ner 3 Kelal 2:2; Nitei Gavriel 17:8
[13] Admur Hilchos Talmud Torah 1:4 “By Torah law, the father is obligated to teach his son himself, or to find a teacher who will teach him the entire Torah. And if he cannot find one for free—even if he himself is unable to teach him, and even if he does not know how to study at all—he is nevertheless obligated by the Torah to hire a teacher to instruct him properly, so that he will know the entire Written and Oral Torah.” and 9; Kuntrus Achron 1:1; Nitei Gavriel 17:7
