Kiddushin
קידושין כ״ט ב — ד"ה לְלַמְּדוֹ תּוֹרָה
Kiddushin 29b:8
A father is obligated to teach his son Torah based on Deuteronomy 11:19, and if his father does not teach him, he must teach himself; however, a woman is not obligated to learn Torah and therefore is not obligated to teach it or teach herself, since the same verse specifies "your sons" and not daughters.
לְלַמְּדוֹ תּוֹרָה. מְנָלַן? דִּכְתִיב: ״וְלִמַּדְתֶּם אֹתָם אֶת בְּנֵיכֶם״. וְהֵיכָא דְּלָא אַגְמְרֵיהּ אֲבוּהּ מִיחַיַּיב אִיהוּ לְמִיגְמַר נַפְשֵׁיהּ, דִּכְתִיב: ״וּלְמַדְתֶּם״. אִיהִי מְנָלַן דְּלָא מִיחַיְּיבָא? דִּכְתִיב: ״וְלִימַּדְתֶּם״ ״וּלְמַדְתֶּם״, כֹּל שֶׁמְּצֻוֶּוה לִלְמוֹד – מְצֻוֶּוה לְלַמֵּד, וְכֹל שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְצֻוֶּוה לִלְמוֹד – אֵינוֹ מְצֻוֶּוה לְלַמֵּד. וְאִיהִי מְנָלַן דְּלָא מִיחַיְּיבָה לְמֵילַף נַפְשַׁהּ? דִּכְתִיב: ״וְלִימַּדְתֶּם״ ״וּלְמַדְתֶּם״, כֹּל שֶׁאֲחֵרִים מְצֻוִּוין לְלַמְּדוֹ – מְצֻוֶּוה לְלַמֵּד אֶת עַצְמוֹ, וְכֹל שֶׁאֵין אֲחֵרִים מְצֻוִּוין לְלַמְּדוֹ – אֵין מְצֻוֶּוה לְלַמֵּד אֶת עַצְמוֹ. וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁאֵין אֲחֵרִים מְצֻוִּוין לְלַמְּדָהּ? דְּאָמַר קְרָא: ״וְלִמַּדְתֶּם אֹתָם אֶת בְּנֵיכֶם״ אֶת בְּנֵיכֶם, וְלֹא בְּנוֹתֵיכֶם.
§ The baraita teaches that a father is obligated to teach his son Torah. The Gemara asks: From where do we derive this requirement? As it is written: “And you shall teach them [velimadtem] to your sons” (Deuteronomy 11:19). And in a case where his father did not teach him he is obligated to teach himself, as it is written, i.e., the verse can be read with a different vocalization: And you shall study [ulmadtem]. From where do we derive that a woman is not obligated to teach her son Torah? As it is written: “And you shall teach [velimadtem],” which can be read as: And you shall study [ulmadtem]. This indicates that whoever is commanded to study Torah is commanded to teach, and whoever is not commanded to study is not commanded to teach. Since a woman is not obligated to learn Torah, she is likewise not obligated to teach it. The Gemara asks: And from where do we derive that she is not obligated to teach herself? The Gemara answers: As it is written: “And you shall teach [velimadtem],” which can be read as: And you shall study [ulmadtem], which indicates that whoever others are commanded to teach is commanded to teach himself, and whoever others are not commanded to teach is not commanded to teach himself. And from where is it derived that others are not commanded to teach a woman? As the verse states: “And you shall teach them to your sons” (Deuteronomy 11:19), which emphasizes: Your sons and not your daughters.