Pisqa’ 46118H:98;JN1:151 1. “And teach them to your sons” (beneichem; Dt.11:19)— your sons, but not your daughters: words of R. Yose b. Akiva.119Cf. M. Sot. 3:4 On this basis they taught: When a baby begins to speak, his father should speak to him in the language of holiness [Hebrew], and teach him Torah. But if he does not speak to him in the language of holiness, and does not teach him Torah— he might as well bury him!120// T. Hag. 1:2; Cf. S.Z, shelakh, 15:38. For it is said: “And teach them to your sons, to speak of them” (Dt.11:19). If you teach them to your sons— [they apply this verse to you]— “so that you extend your lives and your sons’ lives” (Dt.11:21). But if not— so that you shorten your lives. For this is how words of Torah are interpreted: a negation implies an affirmation, and an affirmation implies a negation.121// Mech Ishmael, bakhodesh 8.
(דברים יא יט) וְלִמַּדְתֶּם אֹתָם אֶת בְּנֵיכֶם – בְּנֵיכֶם וְלֹא בְּנוֹתֵיכֶם, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן עֲקִיבָה. מִכָּן אָמְרוּ: כְּשֶׁהַתִּינוֹק מַתְחִיל לְדַבֵּר, אָבִיו מְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ בִּלְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ וּמְלַמְּדוֹ תּוֹרָה, וְאִם אֵין מְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ בִּלְשׁוֹן קֹדֶשׁ וְאֵינוֹ מְלַמְּדוֹ תּוֹרָה, רָאוּי לוֹ כְּאִלּוּ קוֹבְרוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְלִמַּדְתֶּם אֹתָם אֶת בְּנֵיכֶם לְדַבֵּר בָּם. אִם לִמַּדְתֶּם אוֹתָם אֶת בְּנֵיכֶם – (דברים יא כא) ״לְמַעַן יִרְבּוּ יְמֵיכֶם וִימֵי בְנֵיכֶם״, וְאִם לָאו – לְמַעַן יִקְצְרוּ יְמֵיכֶם, שֶׁכָּךְ דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה נִדְרָשִׁים: מִכְּלַל הֵן לָאו וּמִכְּלַל לָאו הֵן.
Pisqa’ 46118H:98;JN1:151
1. “And teach them to your sons” (beneichem; Dt.11:19)—
your sons, but not your daughters:
words of R. Yose b. Akiva.119Cf. M. Sot. 3:4
On this basis they taught:
When a baby begins to speak,
his father should speak to him
in the language of holiness [Hebrew],
and teach him Torah.
But if he does not speak to him
in the language of holiness,
and does not teach him Torah—
he might as well bury him!120// T. Hag. 1:2; Cf. S.Z, shelakh, 15:38.
For it is said:
“And teach them to your sons, to speak of them” (Dt.11:19).
If you teach them to your sons—
[they apply this verse to you]—
“so that you extend your lives and your sons’ lives” (Dt.11:21).
But if not—
so that you shorten your lives.
For this is how words of Torah are interpreted:
a negation implies an affirmation,
and an affirmation implies a negation.121// Mech Ishmael, bakhodesh 8.