Is it better for a child not to learn Torah at all than to learn from a teacher who lacks fear of Heaven?
Is it better for a child not to learn Torah at all than to learn from a teacher who lacks fear of Heaven?
The source weighs the value of acquiring Torah knowledge against the spiritual character of the teacher. It emphasizes that a child absorbs more than information: the teacher's conduct and worldview also become part of the educational experience.
The practical force of the question lies in the boundary it draws. The Torah discussion must keep the source distinctions, conditions and competing values together rather than reducing the issue to a slogan or a one-line ruling. This localized text therefore stays within the exact canonical case and does not add new sources, factual claims or a broader practical ruling.