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The great importance of Torah study can be seen in the existence of three independent mitzvot to study or teach Torah.
First, parents have a mitzva to teach their children Torah, and to send them to schools where they will study Torah.
Second, teachers and rabbis have a mitzva to teach Torah.
Third, every Jew has an individual and personal mitzva to study Torah.
Thus, even if one was deprived of a Torah education as a child, one must find a way to study Torah later on in life.
Over two thousand years ago, a basic educational system was established to ensure Jewish children of all backgrounds would be able to study Torah. This included the provision that there be no more than twenty-five students in a classroom; if this number was exceeded, an assistant teacher was to be appointed. This model set a precedent for educational systems worldwide.
The insights of the Torah are infinite, and every letter can teach us something about law or lore. Nevertheless, the basic obligation to study Torah applies to the fundamentals. First and foremost, this means the Hebrew Bible (primarily the Pentateuch). People should also study works of halakha, faith, and morality necessary to help them discover how to live a virtuous life. There is no set curriculum for this. Every parent and every educational institution should design a course of study to teach their children these basics, as well as how to implement them on personal, family and global levels.
