The Rebbe regarding the duty of women in teaching and studying Torah

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The goal of education, is to light up the life – with the candle of Mitzvos and the light of Torah – of the educated.

The Shalah writes, a woman has a greater Mitzvah to educate her sons (and daughters) for the practical reason, she is more present.

Empirically we see, the education of women is far more efficacious as their nature is to teach in a soft voice, filled with tenderness and love.

Especially today – as we see empirically – the best methodology through which the student/disciple accepts teaching, is only through love.

In addition, a wife/mother receives an extraordinary Divine reward for encouraging both her husband and sons (and daughters) Torah study.

Practically speaking, they are the ones who will often give their time, effort and resources to enable this.

A practical mechanism by which they can encourage their child’s Torah study, is to request that they “teach/repeat” them the lessons they learned – in addition to the benefit the child receives from repeating the lesson, they take note that this is valuable to their mother.

Furthermore, women are obligated hence also to teach their daughters… to quote the Alter Rebbe’s “Laws of Torah study:” “Women are obligated to study the laws applicable to them, which they must know, such as the laws of Niddah, Mikvah, Kosher, the prohibition of Yichud, etc. – every Mitzvah Aseh (Do commandments) not related to time, and every prohibition of the Torah and the Sages as their duty in these is exactly as the duty of males” – these constitute the great majority of Jewish laws.

And mainly and most importantly, women need to know and teach Chassidus (upon which the fundamental constant six Mitzvahs such as awe / love of God etc. is dependent.)

In addition to the laws of the Torah women are obligated to learn, they receive reward for studying those laws which they are not – as we see from the fact that they must make a Brochoh on this Torah study.

We find historically there were many women – Beruriah a famous example – who were great Torah scholars – in addition, today this has become the norm.

Though historically Jewish daughters received training from their Mothers and grandmothers, however when Jewish leaders saw the negative influence of “enlightenment” etc. they established schools to transfer the positive Jewish ideals.

Based on this reasoning, the maximum – not minimum – of education in all fields of Jewish teaching should be implemented.

An additional benefit to this is that through their knowledge in Torah they are able – as mentioned before – to engage hence encourage their children and husband’s Torah.

The spiritual reason why women began such amazing amounts of Torah study, particularly in the last generations, is because as we are heading towards Moshaich when the world will be filled with Divine knowledge – particularly as Moshaich is the “Women’s era” – hence this positive foretaste!

This is especially opportune, as we are preparing for Matan Torah – a time in which the Jewish women were first introduced before the men to Torah study – the reason being, is Torah is dependent on education, and the Jewish women practically as mentioned, are the greatest educators.

Action is the main thing – hence:

Women should encourage one another along these lines.

Women should increase in their Torah study – especially in those subjects which are easy and attractive like the stories of our Sages.

Women should seek to increase the Torah study of their children and husbands.