Va’eschanan 4:5 · unit 1

TT #9 · Parashas Va’eschanan · First Aliyah · Passuk 4:5

The Complete Passuk

רְאֵה֙ לִמַּ֣דְתִּי אֶתְכֶ֔ם חֻקִּים֙ וּמִשְׁפָּטִ֔ים כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוַּ֖נִי יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֑י לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת כֵּ֔ן בְּקֶ֕רֶב הָאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתֶּ֛ם בָּאִ֥ים שָׁ֖מָּה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃

See, I have taught you statutes and judgments, as Hashem my God commanded me, to do so in the midst of the land that you are coming there to possess.

Chabad.org — 4:5

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to the baraisa that just as Moshe taught free of charge, so must others teach free of charge (Nedarim 37a / Yerushalmi parallel).

Sefaria — Nedarim 37a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
רְאֵה לִמַּדְתִּי אֶתְכֶם — מָה אֲנִי בְּחִנָּם אַף אַתֶּם בְּחִנָּם. יָכוֹל אַף מִקְרָא וְתַרְגּוּם בְּחִנָּם? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר חֻקִּים וּמִשְׁפָּטִים — חֻקִּים וּמִשְׁפָּטִים וְלֹא מִקְרָא וְתַרְגּוּם.

English: “See, I have taught you” — just as I [taught] free of charge, so you [must teach] free of charge. Might this include even Mikra and Targum free of charge? The verse says “statutes and judgments” — statutes and judgments, but not Mikra and Targum.

On the daf / in context: The obligation to teach Torah free of charge is derived from Moshe’s own example. The limitation to chukim u-mishpatim (as opposed to the written text and its translation) is discussed in the sugya of teachers’ wages.

Type of Learning

Custom (derasha equating the teacher’s practice with Moshe’s free instruction).

What Is Learned

Torah must be taught free of charge, just as Moshe taught free of charge; the primary application is to the oral statutes and judgments.