Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Glossary
- Abbreviations
- PART I MONOGAMY
- PART II COMMANDMENTS (MIṢVOT)
- 8 Zeman Gerama
- 9 Derekh
- 10 The Scriptural Evidence
- 11 Deuteronomy: A Pattern
- 12 The Priestly Torah
- 13 Two Writers on Purity Law
- 14 Torah Study
- PART III INTRINSIC EQUALITY
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index of Authors (Medieval & Pre-modern)
- Index of Citations from Rabbinic Literature
- Index of Names (Hebrew Bible)
- Index of Names (Talmudic)
- General Index
14 - Torah Study
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 June 2011
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Glossary
- Abbreviations
- PART I MONOGAMY
- PART II COMMANDMENTS (MIṢVOT)
- 8 Zeman Gerama
- 9 Derekh
- 10 The Scriptural Evidence
- 11 Deuteronomy: A Pattern
- 12 The Priestly Torah
- 13 Two Writers on Purity Law
- 14 Torah Study
- PART III INTRINSIC EQUALITY
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index of Authors (Medieval & Pre-modern)
- Index of Citations from Rabbinic Literature
- Index of Names (Hebrew Bible)
- Index of Names (Talmudic)
- General Index
Summary
It was taught in a baraita a father is obligated to circumcise his son; to ransom him, to teach him Torah, to get him married and to teach him a trade … (Qid. 29a)
[A father is obligated] to teach him Torah – whence do we know that? It is written [Dt 11:19] You shall teach them [these words] to your sons. If his father failed to instruct him he is obligated to instruct himself as it is written [Dt 5:1] You shall learn. How do we know that she is not obligated? It is written [Dt 11:19] You shall teach [Dt 5:1] You shall learn; all who are obligated to learn are obligated to teach but all who are not obligated to learn are not obligated to teach. And how do we know she is not obligated to teach herself? It is written [Dt 11:19] You shall teach [Dt 5:1] You shall learn; all whom others are commanded to teach are commanded to teach themselves but all whom others are not commanded to teach are not commanded to teach themselves. How do we know that others are not obligated to teach her? Scripture says [Dt 11:19] You shall teach them [the commandments] to your sons. Your sons not your daughters. (Qid. 29b)
Maimonides disposes of a woman's share in Torah study in a single paragraph:
A woman who studies Torah has her reward but it is not the same as the reward of a man because she was not commanded and the reward for doing something that one was not commanded to do is never the same as, but rather less than, the reward for doing something one was commanded. […]
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- Information
- The Status of Women in Jewish Tradition , pp. 100 - 118Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011