“Gather (hakhel) the people – the men, women, children, and the strangers in your midst, in order that they may hear and so learn to revere the Lord your G-d” (Devarim 31:12). This refers to the mitzva of Hakhel, which takes place on Sukkot at the conclusion of the Shemitah year. The Torah specifies the categories of people who are obligated to attend. Nevertheless, the verse’s inclusion of women may be limited, as we shall see.
Our initial assumption would be that women are not obligated in Hakhel. Since it takes place once every seven years, it seems to be a positive time-bound commandment (from which women are exempt). Yet the Mishnah tells us that Hakhel is an exception to the rule. There is another reason why women would might still be exempt. According to many opinions, the obligation of attending Hakhel is connected to the obligation to travel to Jerusalem for the three pilgrimage festivals. Only property owners are obligated to do so. Someone who does not own land is exempt from both the pilgrimage and Hakhel. Thus, it is possible that the verse’s inclusion of women in Hakhel is limited to the small minority of women who own land.
There is a disagreement about who is included in the category of children (taf) for this purpose. Some say that even the smallest children, namely nursing babies, must be brought to Hakhel. Others maintain that only children of educable age must be brought. According to this second opinion, who is watching over the little ones when all the parents are gathered in the Beit HaMikdash? If most women are exempt because they do not own land, this problem is solved. Furthermore, it is inconceivable that the whole nation gathers to hear and study the word of G-d, while leaving all the little children to run wild (or under the supervision of non-Jews, or impure Jews who are forbidden from entering the Temple. This is further support for the possibility that most women stayed at home for