Kiddushin, Daf Lammed, Part 1

 

Introduction

This week s daf discusses the obligation a father has to teach his son Torah.

 

עד היכן חייב אדם ללמד את בנו תורה

אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל כגון זבולון בן דן שלימדו אבי אביו מקרא ומשנה ותלמוד הלכות ואגדות

 

To what extent is a man obliged to teach his son Torah?

Rav Judah said in the name of Shmuel: Like Zevulun, the son of Dan, whom his grandfather taught Mikra [Scripture], Mishnah, Talmud, halakhot and aggadot.

 

The question asked is how much Torah a father is obligated to teach his son—every field in the Torah, or just the basics?

The answer is brought from the case of someone named Zevulun son of Dan, who Rashi said was a contemporary of Shmuel s. Zevulun learned from his grandfather basically all of the fields of Torah.

 

מיתיבי למדו מקרא אין מלמדו משנה

ואמר רבא מקרא זו תורה

כזבולון בן דן ולא כזבולון בן דן כזבולון בן דן שלמדו אבי אביו ולא כזבולון בן דן דאילו התם מקרא משנה ותלמוד הלכות ואגדות ואילו הכא מקרא לבד

 

They objected: If he [his father] taught him Mikra, he need not teach him Mishnah;

And Rava said: Mikra means Torah.

Like Zevulun b. Dan, yet not altogether like Zevulun b. Dan, whom his grandfather taught: and not like Zevulun b. Dan, for whereas there [he was taught] Mikra, Mishnah, Talmud, halakhoth and aggadoth, whereas here Mikra alone [suffices].

 

The Talmud raises a difficulty a baraita rules that the father needs only to teach his son Mikra (Torah), not all of the rest of the fields.

The resolution is that the example of Zevulun b. Dan was come to show that even a grandfather is obligated to teach his grandson Torah. But fathers (and grandfathers) are obligated to teach only Mikra, not all the fields.

ואבי אביו מי מיחייב והתניא (דברים יא, יט) ולמדתם אותם את בניכם ולא בני בניכם ומה אני מקיים (דברים ד, ט) והודעתם לבניך ולבני בניך לומר לך שכל המלמד את בנו תורה מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו למדו לו ולבנו ולבן בנו עד סוף כל הדורות

הוא דאמר כי האי תנא דתניא ולמדתם אותם את בניכם אין לי אלא בניכם, בני בניכם מנין ת"ל והודעתם לבניך ולבני בניך א"כ מה ת"ל בניכם בניכם ולא בנותיכם

 

Now, is the grandfather obligated? Was it not taught: And you shall teach them to your sons, but not your sons sons (Deuteronomy 11:19). How then do I fulfill [the verse], And you shall make them known to your sons, and your sons sons (Deuteronomy 4:9)? This is to teach you that anyone who teaches his son Torah, the Torah ascribes merit to him as though he had taught him, his son and his son’s son until the end of all time!

He agrees with the following Tanna. For it was taught: And you shall teach them to your sons : I only know, your sons. How do I know your sons sons? From the verse: you shall make them known to your sons, and your sons sons. If so, why state, your sons ? To teach: your sons, but not your daughters.

 

The Talmud notes that there is actually a tannaitic debate about whether grandfathers must teach their grandsons Torah. Some read the verse and your sons sons as requiring a grandfather to teach his grandsons, but some read it metaphorically.