Positive Commandment 11 (Digest)
Studying and Teaching Torah
"And you shall teach them diligently to your children"—Deuteronomy 6:7.
We are commanded to study and teach Torah to our students, whom the Torah refers to as our "children." We are instructed to study Torah to the extent that we are proficient in its teachings, and ready to answer without hesitation questions on that which we studied.
The 11th mitzvah is that we are commanded to study and to teach the wisdom of Torah. This is called Talmud Torah.
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement, "Teach them to your children."
The Sifri says, "The phrase, 'Teach them to your children,' refers to your students. One similarly finds all over that students are called children, as it is written, 'And the children [i.e. the students] of the prophets went out.'"
Our Sages also said there, "The word, 'Teach them,' signifies that they should be sharp in your mouth; that when someone asks you something, you should not stammer, but rather answer him immediately."
This commandment is repeated numerous times: "Learn them," "Do them," "So that you will learn them." This commandment is stressed and encouraged in various passages spread throughout the Talmud.
Women are exempt from this commandment, since the verse says, "Teach your sons." Our Sages explain, "[This obligation applies to teaching] 'your sons,' and not your daughters," as explained in tractate Kidushin.
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