Igrot Kodesh · Letter 8635 — Chinuch

The day after the festival of Shavuos* 5723,

Two fundamental aspects (note 1: See the Likkutei Sichos*, volume 8, at page 273) of the giving of the Torah* concern more specifically women and Jewish mothers. First of all, Hashem, when He gave the Torah*, asked Moshe*, our master, to address himself, first of all, to the women and, only after that, to the men. Our Sages* give this reading (note 2: In the Mechilta*, cited by the commentary of Rashi* on the verse Yisro* 19:3) of the verse: "Thus you shall speak to the house of Yaakov*" (note 3: The Rebbe* underlines the words "house of Yaakov*"), that is to say to the women, then, subsequently, "you shall say to the children of Yisrael*," to the men. Furthermore, the Torah* was given when the children of Yisrael* took the commitment that their children would be their guarantors (note 4: According to the Midrash* Shir HaShirim Rabbah*, chapter 1, paragraph 4), so that the Torah* and the Mitzvos* not be forgotten, which Hashem forbid.

It follows that the maintenance of the Torah* and the Mitzvos* depends, to a very large extent, on the woman and the Jewish mother. She can and must motivate her husband to study the Torah*. She can and must lead her home on the basis of the Torah* and the Mitzvos*, with holiness and purity. Moreover, the mother has more time that she can devote to her children and she therefore bears, in large part, the responsibility for their good education.

Also, through organized action destined to support schools providing an education based on sacred values or, more generally, to support Judaism in her surroundings, women can exercise an influence and an impact also outside of their home.