83. Paying Teachers

Talmud Torah 1:7

If the local practice is for the teacher of schoolchildren to receive payment, he should be paid. The father must pay for his son’s education until the child is able to read the entire written Torah.

One is permitted to receive wages for teaching the written Torah in a place where the practice is to do so. One may not, however, receive wages for teaching the Oral Law as per Deuteronomy 4:5, “Behold, I have taught you laws and statutes, as God commanded me.” Just as Moshe learned Torah from God at no cost, he taught the nation at no cost. Similarly, future generations should be taught at no cost. However, if a person cannot find a teacher willing to teach pro bono, he must pay for his education as per Proverbs 3:23, “Buy truth.” This doesn’t mean that he can turn around and charge to teach others because the verse continues, “but do not sell.” We see that one may not charge to teach Torah even if his teacher charged him.

Talmud Torah 1:8

Every Jewish man is obligated to study Torah, whether he is rich or poor, healthy or sickly, young or old. Even a poor man who lives off of charity and begs door to door, even if he is a husband and father, he must set a fixed time for to study Torah by day and night, as per Joshua 1:8 “You shall think about it day and night.”