86. Schoolteachers

Talmud Torah 1:13

If a woman studies Torah, she will be rewarded for it, albeit not to the same degree as a man because she is not obligated in the matter. The general principle is that one who performs a mitzvah voluntarily does not receive as great a reward as one who was required to do so. Even though a woman will be rewarded for studying Torah, the Sages said that a man should not teach it to his daughter because many women cannot concentrate on Torah study, which would cause the words of Torah to turn into idle chatter. They therefore said that teaching one’s daughter Torah is like one teaching her frivolous things. This was only said with regard to the Oral Law. When it comes to the Written Torah, one should not teach it to his daughter but if he did, it is not considered as if he taught her frivolous things.

Talmud Torah 2:1

Teachers of young children should be appointed in every nation, state and city. If a town does not have children studying Torah, the residents are placed under a ban until they hire teachers. If they don’t hire teachers, the town doesn’t deserve to exist because the world only endures in the merit of the children who study Torah.