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ןנברמ אברוצ הא ורות מומ ת תו ו · מ רועיש · 145

The Purpose of Talmud Torah

What is the purpose of the mitzva of talmud Torah? Is it to attain as much knowledge as possible of
Hashem’s wisdom, or should the goal be primarily studying in order to know how to perform the other
mitzvot that we are obligated to do? It seems that the sources are somewhat conflicted concerning this
issue. One relevant passage can be found in the Gemara in Kiddushin.

h Masechet Kiddushin 29b :טכ ןישודיק תכסמ 8 .

From where do we derive that a father is obligated to teach םתוא םתממ ו“ :בית מ ?ן נמ – ״ורות וממ “
his son Torah? As it is written: “And you shall teach them וירמגא א מ א יוו .)טי ,אי םירבמ( ״ם ינב תא
[velimadtem] to your sons” (Devarim 11:19). And in a case :בית מ ,וישפנ רמגימ וויא בייחימ – וובא
where his father did not teach him he is obligated to teach .)א ,ו םירבמ( ״ם ֶּ ת ְ מ ַ מ ְ ּו“
himself, as it is written, i.e., the verse can be read with a
different vocalization: “and you shall study [ulmadtem].”

The Gemara here states that a father is obligated to teach his son Torah, but if he did not do so, the son
is obligated to teach himself. This seems to imply that if the father did teach his son Torah (or enabled
him to study), and the son has acquired all of the necessary knowledge for living according to the Torah,
the son no longer has an obligation to do so. This is also the implication of the Rambam.

r Rambam, Hilchot Talmud Torah 1:3 ג:א הרות דומלת ׳לה | ם״במר 8 .

And one is obligated to hire a teacher for his son to teach ודמיל אלש ימ …וממ ונב ממ מ רו ש בייחו
him… one whose father has not taught him is obligated to :רמאנש ,ריכישכ ומצע תא דמלל בייח – ויבא
teach himself when he realizes, as it is stated: And you shall ,ו םירבמ( ״םתושע םתרמשו םתוא םתממ ו“
study them and be careful to keep them (Devarim 5:1). And םמוק מומ תוש ,םוקמ לכב אצומ התא ןכו .)א
so do you find in every place, that study precedes action, ,ושעמ ימי איבמ מומ תוש ינפמ ,ושעמ
since study leads to action, and action does not lead to study.
.מומ ת ימי איבמ ושעמו ןיאו

From this halacha as well, it seems that one is obligated to study Torah only if he was not taught by his
father, but if one was taught by his father, one would be exempt, and it would seem that the next line
provides the reason: Torah study leads to proper fulfilling of the mitzvot (and therefore takes precedence),
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so one must teach himself only if he has not yet learned how to perform them. But a few halachot later,
the Rambam states that everyone is obligated in the mitzva of talmud Torah.

r Rambam, Hilchot Talmud Torah 1:8, הרות דומלת ׳לה | ם״במר 8 .

10 י ,ח:א
8. Every Jewish man is obligated to study Torah, whether he is ,ורות מומ תב בייח ארשימ שיא .ח
poor or rich, whether his body is healthy and whole or afflicted עב ןיב ופוגב ם ש ןיב ,רישע ןיב ינע ןיב
by difficulties, whether he is young or an old man whose strength ששתש ומג ןקז ויוש ןיב רוחב ןיב ,ןירוסיי

8. See, though, the Kesef Mishneh, who is bothered by the connection between the two.

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