Women & Talmud Torah

Yerushalmi Sotah, 3:4

[R' Eliezer says:] Let the words of the Torah be burnt, rather than be handed over to women.

Riaz, Sotah, 1:2

(R' Isaiah di Trani the Younger, ~1165-~1240)

Even though a woman is not commanded in Talmud Torah...if one wishes to teach her, he is permitted to do so.

Birkei Yosef, Yoreh Deah 246:7

(R' Chaim Yosef David Azulai, 1724-1806)

And although we have established that the halacha is not like R' Eliezer because he is a Shammaite, in which case one should follow Ben Azzai, [especially since] the Gemara uses the lashon of 'Rabanan' [as an apparent reference to the opinion of Ben Azzai]...nevertheless the Rambam and Tur and rule like R' Eliezer because they hold that R' Yehoshua who says in our Mishna "A woman desires etc." agrees with R' Eliezer...and furthermore in the Yerushalmi they say Ben Azzai does not agree with R' Elazar ben Azariah who says "If women come to hear etc.", and moreover R' Eliezer expounded on his Shabbat in a place of Zekeinim, and presumably this implies that all the Rabbis agreed with [R' Elazar ben Azariah's opinion].

Yerushalmi Brachot, Chapter 3, Halacha 4

It was taught: Zavin and zavot, niddot and yoldot read the Torah and recite Midrash and Halachot and Hagadot.

Maharshal, Notes Siman 29

R' Shlomo Luria (1510-1573)

So writes my father, master, teacher, elder, R' Yochanan Luria of blessed memory in his book, and these are his words: I Yochanan son of Kavod HaTorah Aharon, son of R' Netanel, son of R' Yechiel, son of R' Shimshon of Erfurt, son of Rabbanit Marat Miriam daughter of the Gaon R' Shlomo Shapira and sister of R' Peretz of Konstanz. And from the father of R' Shlomo Shapira Torah doesn't cease until Rashi of blessed memory, all of them in blessed memory and resting in honour. And furthermore, the Rabbanit Marat Miriam [circa 1350], her soul is in Eden, ran a Yeshivah for a number of years and she would sit in a tent, a curtain before her, and taught halacha before eminent young scholars.

Bnei Vanim, 3:12 (R' Yehuda Herzl Henkin, 1945-2020)

And from here one can see fit to distinguish between the studies of a young girl and those of a bogeret in the opinion of the Rambam, according to what he writes that 'the Sages commanded that a man not teach his daughter Torah...', and he doesn't write that 'the Sages prohibited' or that 'the Sages decreed'. And in truth the language of 'the Sages commanded' in Rambam is just [speaking of] a generic obligation or a good practice, and not a prohibition or a defined obligation, [for example] see in Hilchot Deot chapter 2 halacha 3, "The Sages commanded one to [act] very lowly...", and so too they commanded to distaince oneself from anger...and with all of these either the prohibition is [said] in the way of musar or in any case there is no defined quanitty and one who transgresses it is not called 'one who transgresses the words of the Sages' and we do not punish them, and accordingly this is also the case when Rambam uses the words that 'the Sages commanded that a man not teach his daughter Torah' - this is [said] in the way of a general principle, and as he writes that most women do not have the proper mindset to study it, and Rambam also agrees that it is not a complete prohibition and everything is according to the circumstance...

Haisha Vechinukha, 32

(R' Yosef Kapach, 1917-2000)

It is clearly evident that our master had a source that is no longer in our hands today.

Tur, Yoreh Deah 246

(R' Yaakov ben Asher, 1270-c. 1340)

The Rambam of blessed memory writes that a woman who learns Torah has a reward but it is not like the reward for a man because she is doing it without having been commanded to, and all who do something that they have not been commanded to do not receive a reward like the one who was commanded. And even though she receives a reward, the Rabbis ruled that a man should not teach his daughter Torah because most women do not have the mind for learning and they will convert words of Torah to words of nonsense due to their weak minds; the Rabbis say anyone who teaches their daughter Torah, it is as if they have taught them tiflut. What were they referring to? Regarding the Written Torah; but for the Oral Torah, one should not teach it to her initially, but if one did teach it then it is not as if one has taught tiflut.

Tov Ayin, 4

(R' Chaim Yosef David Azulai, 1724-1806)

The explanation of the Rambam who explains that words of tiflut [refer to one] who does not intend to learn, but rather will convert words of Torah to words of nonsense. And for Beruria, it was recognised that it was her intention to learn with all her heart and her great wisdom, therefore she learned.

Bnei Vanim, 3:12 (R' Yehuda Herzl Henkin, 1945-2020)

And according to this we can understand how a few women learned Oral Torah in the times of the Mishana and the Gemara and Rishonim and Acharonim...and see in Masechet Pesachim 62b: 'Beruriah taught 300 statements from 300 Rabbis'.

Maayan Ganim, Letter 10

R' Shmuel Archivolti (1515-1611)

In the case of a woman who is ready to receive an abundance of wisdom, where negligence is harmful to her, we are not concerned by that which the Rabbis said, that all who teach their daughter Torah, it is as if they teach them tiflut...since one can distinguish, for the Sages of blessed memory only applied their dictum where the father teaches a young girl...for certainly in this case there are grounds for concern that most girls have weak minds for words of nonsense and since most are like this they sin through impatience.

However, women whose hearts have stirred them to draw near to the royal work, the work of God, based on their choosing of the good… They will ascend the mountain of God and dwell in His holy place, as they are women of distinction, and it behooves the Sages of their generation to honor them and to strengthen their hands.

Torah Temimah, Devarim 11:19 (Note 48)

R' Baruch HaLevi Epstein, 1860-1941

Now I wish to quote, at the end of this discussion, from the old rare book called Maayan Gannim (responsa), authored by R. Shemuel ben Elhanan Harkevalti (Venice 1553), that which he wrote to a wise woman, in reference to Torah study for women. This is what he writes: 'That which our Rabbis say (Sota 20a) that whoever teaches his daughter Torah, it is as if he taught her tiflut, this is said perhaps if the father would teach his daughter when she is young. . . and in this state one should be concerned that most women have irresolute minds, for they spend their time on worthless endeavors, and they sin from this . . .but those women who turn their hearts to come closer to the work of God from their freedom of choice to choose good. . . and it is incumbent upon our leaders to praise and beautify. . . strengthen their hands and their arms . . . you should do this and be successful and heaven shall help you.' We do not know who this worthy writer was, who innovated a new law based on reason alone. Tosafot Yom Tov at the end of Masekhet Tamid quotes him and calls him the "medakdek" (grammarian) and writer of the book Arugat ha-Bosem on grammar.

Sefer Chasidim, Siman 313 (Judah ben Samuel of Regensburg, 1150-1217)

A man is obligated to teach his daughters mitzvot like halachic rulings. And that which they said, that one who teaches Torah to a woman it is like they have taught them tiflut, this [refers to] delving into Talmud and the reasons behind mitzvot and the foundations of Torah, these should not be taught to a woman or child, but the rules of mitzvot you should teach her. For if she doesn’t know the halachot of Shabbat, how will she keep Shabbat?” And so too for all mitzvot so that they can be careful to keep them.

Maharil, 199

R' Yaakov ben Moshe Levi Moellin (1365-1427)

And if it is so that they know how to fulfil the mitzvot, it is possible for them to learn by tradition the foundations and principles, and when in doubt they can ask a teacher, as we see in our generation, that they have great expertise in the laws of salting and rinsing and gouging and the laws of niddah and the like, and all of this is by means of tradition from outside.

Beit Halevi, 1:6

(R' Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, 1820-1892)

Since also for the mitzvot which are proper for them, there is no mitzvah of Talmud Torah at all as there is for men. For with men the learning is a positive commandment, as with putting on Tefillin, and when one learns they fulfil a positive commandment. And also for mitzvot that we don't practice, nevertheless they are obligated to learn because of the positive commandment of Talmud Torah. But for women their learning is not at all commanded for themselves, only the Smag writes that nevertheless they are obligated to learn the mitzvot that are relevant to them, so they know how to fulfil them. And this is the distinction in Chagigah: "Men come to learn, women come to hear"...but the learning itself is not at all commanded for them, and if she is already expert in the laws [that are relevant] to her, and she knows how to do them, she does not need to learn them anymore, even [according] to the Smag.

Divrei Yatziv, Yoreh Deah 139 (R' Yekutiel Yehudah Halberstam, 1905-1994)

And it is known that many gedolei Yisrael from previous generations authored books specifically for women, like the Mahari Abuhav who wrote the Tsena Urena, and so too the sefer Menorat Hamaor which he copied into Yiddish, and AA"Z Baal Yismach Moshe wrote the laws of Niddah in Yiddish for women and printed it in many siddurim, and the central Rav from Lubavitch wrote the Pokeach Ivrim, and it didn't occur to them to make schools for girls for written and oral Torah and teach them books of Chazal as given, since with designated books as mentioned above, to introduce within them simple faith in God and His Torah, and so they know the way to go and the action they should do. And this was the way of our fathers and holy Rabbis. And how great an evil has now spread to such an extent, the teaching of books of analysis to women whose minds are weak, for it is known that the gedolei Yisrael opposed in every circumstance the teaching of this...

Otzar Hamelech, 1:13 (R' Zadok HaKohen Rabinowitz, 1823-1900)

The Rema in Yoreh Deah (Siman 246) brings in the name of the Agur in the name of the Smag that women are also obligated to learn the laws that they need, see there. And there's a difficulty in my humble opinion from the Gemara in Sotah (21a); on that which is taught in the Mishna that the merit delays, it asks: the merit of what? If it is the merit of Torah, [a woman] is not one who is commanded and performs it! And the conclusion in the Gemara [is that the merit is for] the reward for making their sons read and study. And now if you say that women are also obligated to learn what they need, then there's still merit of Torah in what they learn. And until here it's certain that R' Eliezer, who says that all who teach their daughter Torah it's as if they teach them tiflut, this [means] it is prohibited to teach all types of learning, rather [only permitted for them] to hear, and like we said in the first chapter of Chagigah (3a), men come to learn [and] women come to hear etc. And maybe there are those who say that on the other hand, for R' Eliezer certainly in every circumstance it is prohibited to teach one's daughter Torah, [and] it is only by necessity that Ben Azzai only allowed one to teach her Torah where it is halachot that she is obligated in [and] not all Torah, and the Smag and Agur rule like Ben Azzai and therefore write that [women] are obligated to learn the things they need.

Bnei Vanim, 3:12 (R' Yehuda Herzl Henkin, 1945-2020)

Regarding the permission for women to learn Talmud, [we] saw one of the gedolim of our time wrote that they can even learn the order of Kodshim and Tahorot because soon God will build the Temple [and at that time these laws will be relevant to them]. And others only allow them to learn what is relevant to their day-to-day life [like] the order of festivals and the like. And many others prohibit their learning any Talmud as was the ruling of decisors in previous generations.

Likkutei Halachot, Sotah 20b

(R' Israel Meir HaKohen Kagan, 1838-1933)

It seems that all of this [prohibition against women learning Torah] applies only to times past when all daughters lived in their fathers' home and tradition was very strong, assuring that children would pursue their parents' path, as it says, ‘Ask your father and he shall tell you.’ On that basis we could claim that a daughter needn't learn Torah but [could] merely rely on proper parental guidance. But nowadays, in our iniquity, as parental tradition has been seriously weakened and women, moreover, regularly study secular subjects, it is certainly a great mitzvah to teach them Chumash, Prophets and Writings, and rabbinic ethics, such as Pirkei Avot, Menorat Hamaor, and the like, so as to validate our sacred belief; otherwise they may stray totally from G-d's path and transgress the basic tenets of religion, G-d forbid.

Shvili Hachinuch, p. 35 (Quoting Chofetz Chaim)

...and those who are concerned and critical regarding the prohibition to teach one's daughter Torah, there is no concern for that in our days...because our generation is not like the earlier generations, for in the earlier generations every Jewish home had a tradition from fathers and mothers to go in the way of Torah and religiosity and read the Tzena Urena every Shabbat. In our many sins, this is not the case in our generation.

Bnei Vanim, 3:12 (R' Yehuda Herzl Henkin, 1945-2020)

And the central basis in all this [i.e. the lenient approach] is [the verse] (Tehillim 119) 'It is time to work for God, for Your law has been broken', and in tractate Brachot 54a in the Mishna and on 63a they explain [that this applies] from first to last, [meaning] that [this refers to] a time to work for God, to punish the transgressors who have broken Your Torah, and [it applies] from last to first, [meaning] that they have broken Your law [because] it is a time to work for God, since sometimes there is a need to revoke the words of the Torah in order to sustain it.

Iggrot Moshe, Yoreh Deah 3:87

(R' Moshe Feinstein, 1895-1986)

Here regarding the matter we find of schools for girls and young women that are called ‘Beit Yaacov’ and likewise they want the management and teachers to learn Mishnayot with them. On this point Rambam (Hilchot Talmud Torah 1:13) rules like Rabbi Eliezer in Sotah (20a) that we don’t teach Torah to daughters…so Mishnayot, which are Oral Torah, the Rabbis commanded that they shouldn’t learn, and that it is like teaching tiflut, and therefore we must desist from this, and [they should only learn] Pirkei Avot, which deals with ethical matters and goodly practices, in order to arouse them to the love of Torah and good character traits, but not the other tractates.

Sh"ut Seridei Eish, 2:39 (R' Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg, 1884-1966)

In previous generations there was no need to engage in education of daughters, since everyone in Israel was filled with Torah and fear of Heaven, and also the air in every city of Jews was filled with the spirit of Judaism, and daughters grew up in a Jewish home where they inhaled the spirit of Judaism in their midst without any action and as if fed with Judaism from their mother's bosom.

But now the generations have undergone a sad change. The influence of the street removes from the heart of every male and female youth every spark of Judaism, and the daughters are educated in non-Jewish or secular schools, where they are not diligent in inculcating in the heart of their students a love for Torah and the holy practices of a full Judaism, [so] now it falls upon us to concentrate all our strength in the education of daughters.

And this is a matter that pains the heart, that in general education, language education, secular books and natural sciences and humanities, girls take care like boys, but Jewish education - [like] Tanach studies and musar books of Chazal, and education in practical mitzvot in which women are obligated - is neglected.

Happily, in the previous generation gedolei Yisrael stood up against this curse and established Torah institutions and strengthened orthodoxy among Jewish daughters. The establishment of a large network and institution of Beit Yakov is the most wonderful example for our generation.

Pneini HaRav, p. 168

(R' Yosef Ber Soloveitchik, 1903-1993)

In previous generations a girl just needed to look at the practices of her mother in the kitchen and the home each day and on Shabbat and Pesach to know how to act in accordance with the Torah, [regarding] practical halacha. Today...there are complex issues that arise every day in our technical world, and if girls do not learn the foundations of Torah from Chumash and Gemara with the commentaries of the Rishonim, then God forbid [this will lead to] the end of our true Judaism.

Fundamental Problems Regarding the Education of the Woman, in Ha-isha Ve-chinukha, 158-159

(R' Aharon Lichtenstein, 1933-2015)

To my mind it is desirable and necessary, not only possible, to provide intensive education for women even from Torah she-be’al peh sources, whether resorting to the argument that since women are engaged in all professions, why should they be specifically limited regarding Torah, or because of the words of the Chafetz Chayyim (when Beis Ya’akov was founded), that if the Rambam can say that it is necessary to teach a convert the essentials of Judaism, an individual who grows up in a Jewish context should all the more so be afforded such an education… Women today receive a broad general education and many attend universities, and there – as well as within society in general – they come into contact with diverse worldviews and philosophies, to the point that the knowledge and values of Torah are urgently required by women.

I completely accept the position of the Beit Ha-Levi that a woman needs to study Torah so that, pragmatically, she will know what to do… In my opinion, what is necessary in order for women to be adequately prepared from a Torah perspective for practical living is far more than what she is being taught today. Torah education for women must be strengthened, both quantitatively as well as qualitatively, including the teaching of all aspects of Torah. Even so we will not be violating the framework that was outlined above…

I am not opposed to teaching women Talmud… I am also not convinced that it is desirable to press women to study Talmud in such an intensive form. After all, halakha does differentiate between men and women in this matter, and their respective life roles are also different. But when one speaks about the ability to study a page of Talmud, to understand it and enjoy it, I see no reason to deny these teachings to women. And it is even necessary to establish this as an integral part of the school curriculum, an actual shiur. This is the way I teach my daughters and so was my wife educated. This seems to me to be the recommended approach regarding the women of our generation.

Bnei Vanim, 3:12 (R' Yehuda Herzl Henkin, 1945-2020)

...And women educated in secular studies who are not also educated in Judaism will convert words of Torah to words of vanity [because] it will seem to them like the words of our Torah are peripheral matters, God forbid, compared to other [areas of their] education, and therefore "It is time to work for God" to deepen the study of Torah, and provided there is room for this within halacha, as I wrote. And [regarding] the pious ones [who wish] to prohibit [teaching women] Oral Torah as in previous generations, in my humble opinion this is a piety of foolishness and leads to souls leaving to an evil civilisation, God forbid. But we do not need this, rather [with regards to] all who exclude themselves from the majority, it is permitted to teach them Talmud.

Aseh Lecha Rav II, 52

(R' Chayim David Halevi, 1924-1998)

It seems that in earlier times, when a woman was merely a homemaker, and girls did not learn anything at all, there was concern that Torah study, which is entirely wisdom… might cause damage to those women who are far-removed from any other wisdom… But in our time, when they learn general studies with all the appropriate seriousness, why should the words of the Torah be treated in inferior manner?