Learning as an obligation and way of life

According to a medieval taqqanot, an ordinance passed in 1220, everyone is required to study according to their own abilities. Halakhic rules of Jewish law stipulate that religious education for boys should be the focus of such studies, but girls also learn prayers and commandments. In fact, headstone inscriptions from the ShUM cemeteries even bear witness to a number of female cantors and prayer leaders. In yeshivot, the religious universities, young men study the Torah, Talmud and Halakha (religious laws) in sessions led by a rabbi. Frequently travelling long distances to learn from the greatest authorities was a long-standing tradition.