Chagigah 6A

עד הכא, מאן אתייה?

Who brought him to here, all the way to Jerusalem? If the father could bring his child to Jerusalem, why can’t he bring him to the Temple Mount?

אמר ליה אביי: עד הכא דמיחייבא אימיה בשמחה ⁠— אייתיתיה אימיה. מכאן ואילך, אם יכול לעלות ולאחוז בידו של אביו מירושלים להר הבית ⁠— חייב, ואי לא ⁠— פטור.

Abaye said to him: With regard to the way to here, as his mother is also obligated in rejoicing on the Festival, his mother brought him when she herself ascended to the capital. From this point forward, if he is able to ascend and hold his father’s hand from Jerusalem to the Temple Mount, he is obligated, and if not, he is exempt.

השיב רבי תחת בית הלל: לדברי בית שמאי, ״וחנה לא עלתה כי אמרה לאישה עד יגמל הנער והביאותיו״⁠ — והא שמואל, דיכול לרכוב על כתיפו של אביו הוה.

It is taught in a baraita that R' Yehuda HaNasi responded in place of Beit Hillel, that according to the statement of Beit Shammai that a child who is unable to ride on his father’s shoulders is not obligated in the mitzva of appearance, they must explain a verse that deals with Hanna, Samuel’s mother: “But Hanna did not ascend, for she said to her husband: Until the child is weaned, when I will bring him” (I Samuel 1:22). But Samuel was able to ride on his father’s shoulders. The age of weaning is 24 months, before which Samuel was already old enough to ride on his father’s shoulders, and yet he was not ready to ascend to the Tabernacle. This shows that only a child who is able to walk on his own is obligated in the mitzva of appearance.

אמר ליה אבוה: ולטעמיך, תיקשי לך, חנה גופה מי לא מיחייבא בשמחה? אלא חנה, מפנקותא יתירתא חזייא ביה בשמואל, וחשא ביה בשמואל לחולשא דאורחא.

R' Yehuda HaNasi’s father said to him: According to your reasoning, ask about Hanna herself: Wasn’t she obligated in rejoicing? Why didn’t she travel to the Tabernacle to fulfill a mitzva in which she herself was obligated? Rather, Hanna saw in Samuel the need for extra pampering, and she was concerned about Samuel lest he experience weakness from the journey. Since she was unable to bring him, she herself did not come.