אמרתי לו דבר אחד יש לי שאני מטיל לתוך הדיו וקנקנתום שמו אמר לי וכי מטילין קנקנתום לתוך הדיו התורה אמרה ומחה כתב שיוכל למחות
IF SHE POSSESSED A MERIT, IT [CAUSES THE WATER] TO SUSPEND ITS EFFECT UPON HER. SOME MERIT SUSPENDS THE EFFECT FOR ONE YEAR, ANOTHER FOR TWO YEARS, AND ANOTHER FOR THREE YEARS. HENCE DECLARED BEN AZZAI, A MAN IS UNDER THE OBLIGATION TO TEACH HIS DAUGHTER TORAH, SO THAT IF SHE HAS TO DRINK [THE WATER OF BITTERNESS], SHE MAY KNOW THAT THE MERIT SUSPENDS<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [MS.M.: 'suspended'. In the absence of such a knowledge, the woman who passed through the ordeal unscathed may be led to doubt the efficacy of the water of bitterness searching out sin, and thus indulge in further immoral practices. By realising however that merit has suspended the effects, she would pause and be in constant dread of the fate hanging over her.]
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Sefer HaChinukh
And this commandment is practiced in every place and at all times by males, but not by females, since it is stated (Deutoronomy 1:19), "your sons" - and they, may their memory be blessed, expounded (Kiddushin 29b), "But not your daughters." And so [too,] a woman is not obligated to teach her son, as anyone who [does not have] the obligation to study, [does not have] the obligation to teach. But even though she is not commanded by Torah writ, nonetheless it is fitting for every woman to make efforts that her sons should not be ignoramuses, and she has good reward [for this] in general (based on Sotah 21a). And there is also reward for a woman who studies Torah. But nonetheless, the Sages commanded (Sotah 20a) that a man not teach his daughter Torah, because the mind of women is weak, and they turn words of Torah into words of nonsense through the poverty of their minds. And one who transgresses it and does not teach his son Torah - until he knows how to read in the Scroll of the Torah and understand the simple understanding of the verses - has violated this positive commandment. And anyone who has the wherewithal in his hand to study in any way is included in this positive commandment. And if he does not fulfill it, his punishment is very great, as this commandment is the mother of them all.
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