More Discussions for this daf
1. Verse 2. The Chiyuv to Support One's Children 3. Present-time Tithing
DAF DISCUSSIONS - KESUVOS 50

Chaim asks:

What I understood from the recent daf yomi gemoros is that according to din Torah (I don't know if this is Hallocho, or lemaaseh), a father is not required to support his minor children, from the age of 6 onwards (younger too?).

Setting aside all the takonos Rabbonon on this topic, how did the Torah (i.e., Hash-m) envision 6 year-old children supporting themselves?

Thanks and kol tuv,

Chaim

The Kollel replies:

Dear Chaim,

The Gemara (Kesuvos 65b) says "Katan Yotzei b'Eiruv Imo". If the wife made one Eiruv Techumin and the father made another one, the child's Techum is determined by the mother's Eiruv. Rashi explains that the child needs his mother's help until the age of six. (In fact, it is somewhat implied in Rashi that a man really only has an obligation to support his wife and that as long as the child is dependent on the mother he is subsumed in that obligation; but not that there is an independent obligation to support the child.) From six years on the child begins to follow his father, ideally to begin learning Torah seriously (Kesuvos 50a), but also possibly to start working for him.

Far be it from me to condone child labor, especially the way it is practiced today in developing countries, but the Torah seems to be obligating a parent to take care of his/her children only until such time as the child could begin working. If you read descriptions of child labor in various industries you see phrases like "as early as five or six years old", "between four and seven years old". It seems that around the age of six a child can begin to do useful work. If they cannot take out a mortgage and buy a house, they can at least earn as much money as they are consuming at home.

Of course, this is only the bare minimum requirement. The Torah saw fit to leave it up to the Chachamim and Jewish sensibilities to create the system of child support that we have today.

Kol Tuv,

Yonasan Sigler

This is not a Psak Halachah