סיפא אתאן לתינוקות של בית רבן, ומתקנת יהושע בן גמלא ואילך –
In the latter clause we arrive at the case of schoolchildren who come to learn Torah in his house, and this ruling applies from the time of the ordinance of Yehoshua ben Gamla and onward.
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סיפא אתאן לתינוקות של בית רבן, ומתקנת יהושע בן גמלא ואילך –
In the latter clause we arrive at the case of schoolchildren who come to learn Torah in his house, and this ruling applies from the time of the ordinance of Yehoshua ben Gamla and onward.
דאמר רב יהודה אמר רב: ברם, זכור אותו האיש לטוב – ויהושע בן גמלא שמו, שאלמלא הוא, נשתכח תורה מישראל. שבתחלה, מי שיש לו אב – מלמדו תורה, מי שאין לו אב – לא היה למד תורה. מאי דרוש? ״ולמדתם אתם״ – ולמדתם אתם.
What was this ordinance? As Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: Truly, that man is remembered for the good, and his name is Yehoshua ben Gamla. If not for him the Torah would have been forgotten from the Jewish people. Initially, whoever had a father would have his father teach him Torah, and whoever did not have a father would not learn Torah at all. The Talmud explains: What verse did they interpret homiletically that allowed them to conduct themselves in this manner? They interpreted the verse that states: “And you should teach them [otam] to your sons” (Deuteronomy 11:19), to mean: And you yourselves [atem] should teach, i.e., you fathers should teach your sons.
התקינו שיהו מושיבין מלמדי תינוקות בירושלים. מאי דרוש? ״כי מציון תצא תורה״. ועדיין מי שיש לו אב – היה מעלו ומלמדו, מי שאין לו אב – לא היה עולה ולמד. התקינו שיהו מושיבין בכל פלך ופלך. ומכניסין אותן כבן שש עשרה כבן שבע עשרה,
When the rabbis saw that not everyone was capable of teaching their children and Torah study was declining, they instituted an ordinance that teachers of children should be established in Jerusalem. The Talmud explains: What verse did they interpret homiletically that enabled them to do this? They interpreted the verse: “For Torah emerges from Zion” (Isaiah 2:3). But still, whoever had a father, his father ascended with him to Jerusalem and had him taught, but whoever did not have a father, he did not ascend and learn. Therefore, the rabbis instituted an ordinance that teachers of children should be established in one city in each and every region [pelekh]. And they brought the students in at the age of 16 and at the age of 17.
Text data via Sefaria: William Davidson Edition - English and William Davidson Edition - Vocalized Aramaic, CC-BY-NC; edition provenance: Koren. Display terminology has been modernized for readability.