Part II: Yoreh De'ah
Chapter 18 - TORAH STUDY
A person who is capable of teaching Torah to others should do so (145:3),
but he should not teach an unrighteous student or study under an unrighteous
teacher (246:7-8), and a bachelor or woman should not teach children
(245:20-21). Teaching one's own children and grandchildren has priority
(245:1-3). A person who cannot teach his children personally is required to
hire a teacher for them (245:4). A father should teach his son personally
from the time he begins to speak until the age of 6 or 7 (245:5,8), after
which he may turn him over to a teacher (245:5, and see 16) to teach him
the written Torah and if possible also the oral Torah (245:6).
Every city is required to appoint teachers (245:7) who should be competent
and diligent (245:17,19). A child should attend classes even if he does
not (immediately) understand what is being taught (245:9). Classes should
be held every day except Sabbaths and holidays and should extend into the
evening except on Sabbath and holiday eves (245:11-13). On class size and
discipline see 245:10,15; on classroom arrangements and manners see
246:9-17,22-26. On teachers' salaries see 245:6, 246:5; on competing
teachers or rabbis see 245:18,22.
Everyone is required to study Torah (245:1); a person who is not capable
of doing so adequately should support others who do so (246:1). On the
importance of Torah study see 246:18-21,26; on receiving compensation for
Torah study see 246:21. A person should fix times for Torah study during
the day and at night (246:1,23-24) and should continue his studies
throughout his lifetime (246:3,25). On the division of the studies among
subjects see 246:4. A woman is rewarded for studying Torah and must study
the laws that are relevant to her, but a father should not teach his
daughter Torah (particularly: oral Torah), and a woman is not required to
teach her son Torah though she is rewarded for helping her husband or her
son study (246:6). On Torah study by a married man see 246:2.
Shulchan Aruch, Copyright (c) 2000 ProjectGenesis, Inc.
