Women and Torah Study: Halachic and Hashkafic Analysis

Each question we ask as women in Judaism, comes with an array of avenues and directions one can examine it through. The question of women and Talmud Torah will at once consist of halachic considerations, gender theories of the societal and spiritual, and questions regarding meeting points between the Jewish world and its secular neighbor. In this article, we will briefly discuss each of these aspects of women and limud Torah, seeing the interplay between them all, and most importantly, coming to an understanding of the purpose of Talmud Torah in all its forms. 

The Halachic Background¹

The mitzvah of Talmud Torah is found in the Book of Devarim, in the words ve’higadeta l’bincha – you must teach your sons/children². The commentators understand the world ubincha to mean literally sons (rather than the plural, children) thereby exempting women from both learning and teaching Torah. The specific mitzvah referred to in this verse, is the mitzvah of Torah study for its own sake, and it is only in this that the exemption exists. Indeed, we learn from the mitzvah of Hakel, that women and girls are actually obligated in Torah learning in order to know how to keep the laws.³

Our Sages over the ages have agreed on this point, yet debated the methodology of her learning; should it be formal, through textual instruction like men, or should it be exclusively taught informally, through action. The Rishonim debated the question of women learning and seem to agree to some extent that women can learn Torah shebichtav, the Written Torah, but that Torah shebaal pe, the Oral Torah, is not to be taught (based on the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer in the Talmud.) The Sefer Chasidim expounds on all of the above when he writes; 

“A man is obligated to teach his daughters the mitzvot, such as halachic rulings. And that which they said, that he who teaches a woman Torah is as though he teaches her tiflut, folly, that [refers specifically to] depth of Talmud and reasons for commandments and secrets of the Torah. Those we do not teach to a woman and to a minor. But the laws of mitzvot he should teach her, for if she will not know the laws of Shabbat, how will she keep Shabbat? And similarly all mitzvot, in order to perform [them and] to be careful [to observe] the mitzvot.”⁴

Exemption, however, was not understood by the Sages to mean prohibition. The Rambam and other Rishonim mention the concept of a woman learning of her own initiative, stating that she receives reward for this, as for her voluntary observance of other mitzvot in which she is not obligated. This would explain how we have evidence of female Torah scholars throughout the ages. The idea here is that they independently chose (and were able) to learn, and that this is praiseworthy. 

Reasons Underpinning Women’s Exemption to Torah Study 

Why is it that women are not obligated in Torah study in the same way as men? One theory looks at the different spiritual traits of men and women through the lens of the sefirot: women are typically associated with the trait of Bina (often translated as understanding emotional intelligence or intuition), and men with that of Daat (understood to mean knowledge). Thus for men, the nitty gritty details of the halacha will provide spiritual satisfaction, yet for those whose soul yearns for understanding, this will not meet that need. Women are more focussed on the deeper meanings, finding spiritual fulfillment in personal interactions⁵. This approach would tie in to the concept that in general, men and women think differently. Female thinking is, according to this concept, less suited for the study of Talmud. This may be the basis for Rabbi Elizer’s opinion that women were not suited for Torah study and the basis of his well-known comment that teaching women Torah She’baal peh is tiflut (nonsense).⁶ 

At the basis of Torah study, both for its own sake and as a medium through which to know how to live a Jewish life, is the fact that Torah learning is there to help us deepen our relationship with Hashem, and with our fellow Jew, and to help us become holier, moral beings. Sarah Schnirer expressed how essential Torah study is when she wrote “A Jewish soul will not be satisfied from secular studies. Only sacred studies will satisfy its hunger, for only its Creator can know what nourishes it.”

Novick suggests a different reason that women are exempt from Torah study for its own sake, based on the teachings of Rav Shagar: “…Halacha assigns roles in public society to men. The gender distinction in the case of talmud Torah might derive from the centrality of Torah study to Jewish society.”⁷ Indeed, the Beit Midrash has, for thousands of years, been a key aspect of Jewish communal continuity, while we tend to associate women with Jewish continuity through the (no less important) private home. 

Changing Times

The reality we experience today in terms of women and Torah learning is nothing like the reality described. For many decades, women learning Torah for Torah’s sake, was the exception to the rule and in general, women were usually illiterate. But in the late 1800s and especially after the First World War, great social changes took place and women began to advance in secular studies⁸. Jewish leaders had to grapple with the question of how a Jewish woman could be so well versed in secular studies, while not in the matters of her religion. Added to this was the effect of changing women’s roles and the risk of assimilation. Rav Shimshon Rafael Hirsch, recognizing this, and citing halachic precedent for teaching girls, opened a school that provided Jewish education to both girls and boys. At this time, we also meet the inspiring Sarah Schnirer, who caused – with her Rav’s support- no less than a revolution in formal Jewish education for girls and women⁹. 

The Chafetz Chaim also saw the influence of secular culture on women’s learning and specifically mentions the social changes of the times, noting that in the reality that had formed, fostering a love of Torah and Mitzvot and connection to Hashem could not come solely through mimesis¹⁰.

What Does Hashem Want?

Since the times of the Chafetz Chaim, the question of whether or not girls should be taught and learn Torah, both formally and informally, has become almost non-existent. In her book, Lisa Aiken even describes Torah study for women as a primary means of connecting to and identifying with Judaism as a whole¹¹. However, the question of what area of Torah women should learn (Oral or Written Torah) still remains and differs from community to community. 

At the basis of Torah study, both for its own sake and as a medium through which to know how to live a Jewish life, is the fact that Torah learning is there to help us deepen our relationship with Hashem, and with our fellow Jew, and to help us become holier, moral beings. Sarah Schnirer expressed how essential Torah study is when she wrote “A Jewish soul will not be satisfied from secular studies. Only sacred studies will satisfy its hunger, for only its Creator can know what nourishes it.”¹²

That in recent years, women’s Torah study has become, somehow, grounds for political and social argument is a testament only to society losing sight of the real purposes of Torah study, and chas ve’shalom, misusing it. Women today are blessed to be able to choose what they wish to learn – including both the written and the oral law- from the most highly educated teachers, male and female. Rav Ahron Lichtenstein makes an important point about women’s Torah study: when we learn Torah, we need to do it seriously: “… then it needs to be taught seriously, to assure that indeed Torah is understood and absorbed with the seriousness and with the earnestness, with the exhilaration, with the excitement, the passion that is coming to it. But secondly, not only respect for Torah requires this of us, but respect for women as well. Respect for their abilities, their commitment, for their potential…¹³

When we couple respect for Torah with respect for women we can reach great heights. One of the benefits of Torah study being a voluntary mitzvah for women is that we can approach it from the point of view that best suits our intellect. Some women are thrilled by the study of Talmud, some prefer to focus on commentaries to Tanach, some on Chasidut – with 70 Faces of the Torah, we are sure to find so much meaning in whichever aspect we connect to most. What is important, is that we approach our learning with its true goal in mind – devekut to Hashem. When we do it with respect for Torah and respect for ourselves as women, we are worthy of the reward. 

1. For a full halachic discussion see Laurie Novick’s 4 part examination of the issue here: https://www.deracheha.org/learning-torah/, or Michael Kaufman’s The Jewish Woman in Law and Tradition, Chapter 15. ↩︎
2. Devarim, 11,9 ↩︎
3. Devarim 31:12 ↩︎
4. Sefer Chasidim, 313 ↩︎
5. Lisa Aiken, To Be a Jewish Women, p. 37 ↩︎
6. https://www.deracheha.org/learning-torah-2-obligation/
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7. https://www.deracheha.org/learning-torah/#n19
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8. For a greater understanding of women’s access to Torah study, and the historical changes that affected women, view this article, or read the book by Devorah Fastag, The Moon’s Lost Light. ↩︎
9. For more on this see: Sarah Schenirer: The Woman Who Revolutionized Jewish Girls’ Education/  ↩︎
10.  https://www.deracheha.org/learning-torah-3-openings/  ↩︎
11. Lisa Aiken, To Be a Jewish Woman, p. 38 ↩︎
12. Sarah Schenirer, Em BeYisrael, Part I pp. 39-40 ↩︎
13. Rav Aharon Lichtenstein, ‘Women, Talmud Study, and Avodat Hashem’ ↩︎