Le Deutéronome 31:12 Halakha : Mishneh Torah, Festival Offering, Mishneh Torah, Foreign Worship and Customs, Mishneh Torah, Positive Mitzvot & The Sabbath Epistle

It is a positive commandment to assemble all of Israel - men, women and youngsters - at the end of every sabbatical year, when they come up for the pilgrimage [on Sukkot], and to read sections from the Torah in their ears; sections, which enthuse them about the commandments and strengthen them in the true religion. As it is stated (Deuteronomy 31:10-12), "At the end of seven years at the time of the sabbatical year on the festival of Sukkot. When all of Israel come to appear, etc... Assemble all of the people, the men, the women and the youngsters and your stranger that is in your gates, etc."

Both men and woman are obliged to observe all of the prohibitive commandments in the Torah, save destroying a beard, rounding the corners of the head, and a priest's contamination for the dead which refer only to men; and, pertaining to mandatory commandments, every such commandment the performance of which takes place only at stated times, and not continuously women are exempted, save the sanctification of the Sabbath day with words of prayer, eating of Mazzah on the first (two) night(s) of Passover, the eating of the Paschal lamb, its slaughter, to be present when all Israel assemble once in seven years, and rejoicing on the festivals wherein women's participation is obligatory.⁴Kiddushin, 29a; Ibid. 31a; Berakot, 20b; Pesahim, 87a. C. G.

To assemble the people to hear the Torah, at the close of the seventh year^*On the 2nd day of the Feast of Tabernacles after the close of the Sabbatical year., as it is said, “Assemble the people” (Deut. 31:12).