Va’eschanan 6:7 · unit 1

TT #23 · Parashas Va’eschanan · Passuk 6:7

The Complete Passuk

וְשִׁנַּנְתָּ֣ם לְבָנֶ֔יךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ֖ בָּ֑ם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֤ בְּבֵיתֶ֙ךָ֙ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ֣ בַדֶּ֔רֶךְ וּֽבְשׇׁכְבְּךָ֖ וּבְקוּמֶֽךָ׃

And you shall teach them diligently to your children, and you shall speak of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk on the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.

Chabad.org — 6:7

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to the classic derashos of “veshinantam” (sharp, repeated teaching) and the times of day that define the obligation of Keri’as Shema (Berachos 2a ff. / Kiddushin 30a).

Sefaria — Berachos 2a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ — שֶׁיִּהְיוּ דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה מְחֻדָּדִין בְּפִיךָ, שֶׁאִם יִשְׁאָלְךָ אָדָם דָּבָר אַל תְּהֵא מְגַמְגֵּם וְאוֹמֵר לוֹ אֶלָּא אֱמוֹר לוֹ מִיָּד.

English: “And you shall teach them diligently (veshinantam) to your children” — so that the words of Torah will be sharp in your mouth: if a person asks you something, you should not stammer and tell him, but rather tell him immediately.

On the daf / in context: The root sh-n-n is taken to mean both “teach repeatedly” and “sharpen,” so that the student (and the teacher) can answer without hesitation.

Type of Learning

Diyuk of the verb “veshinantam” (sharpen / repeat).

What Is Learned

Torah must be taught so thoroughly that it is sharp and ready on the tongue; the teacher must be able to answer at once.