Editing Halakha (section)

== Codes of Jewish law ==
[[Image:SA-EE1b.pdf|right|thumb|[[Shulchan Aruch#Page layout|Page of]] ''Shulchan Aruch''; [[Even Ha'ezer]] section, laws of [[Ketubot]]]]
[[File:Shulchan Aruch HaRav.jpg|thumb|Shulchan Aruch HaRav]]
The most important codifications of Jewish law include the following; for complementary discussion, see also [[History of responsa in Judaism]].
* The [[Mishnah]], composed by [[Judah haNasi]], in 200&nbsp;CE, as a basic outline of the state of the Oral Law in his time. This was the framework upon which the Talmud was based; the Talmud's [[dialectic]] analysis of the content of the Mishna (''[[gemara]]''; completed c.&nbsp;500) became the basis for all later [[posek|halakhic decisions]] and subsequent [[codification (law)|codes]].
* [[Codification (law)|Codification]]s by the [[Geonim]] of the halakhic material in the Talmud.
** An early work, ''[[She'iltot]]'' ("Questions") by [[Ahai of Shabha]] (c.&nbsp;752) discusses over 190 ''mitzvot'' – exploring and addressing various questions on these. The ''She'iltot'' was influential on both of the following, subsequent works.
** The first legal [[codex]] proper, ''[[Halachot Pesukot]]'' ("Decided Laws"), by [[Yehudai ben Nahman]] (c.&nbsp;760), rearranges the Talmud passages in a structure manageable to the layman. (It was written in [[Jewish Babylonian Aramaic|vernacular Aramaic]], and subsequently translated into [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] as ''Hilkhot Riu''.)
** ''Halakhot Gedolot'' ("Great Law Book"), by [[Simeon Kayyara]], published two generations later (but possibly written c. 743&nbsp;CE), contains extensive additional material, mainly from [[Responsa]] and [[Monograph]]s of the Geonim, and is presented in a form that is closer to the original Talmud language and structure. (Probably since it was distributed, also, amongst the newly established [[Ashkenazi]] communities.) 
* The [[Hilchot HaRif]] was written by the Rabbi [[Isaac Alfasi]] (1013–1103); it has summations of the legal material found in the Talmud. Alfasi transcribed the Talmud's halakhic conclusions verbatim, without the surrounding deliberation; he also excluded all [[Aggadah|aggadic]] (non-legal, and homiletic) matter. The ''Hilchot'' soon superseded the geonic codes, as it contained all the decisions and the laws then relevant, and additionally, served as an accessible Talmudic commentary; it has been printed with almost every subsequent edition of the Talmud.
* The [[Mishneh Torah]] by [[Maimonides]] (1135–1204). This work encompasses the full range of Talmudic law; it is organized and reformulated in a logical system – in 14 books, 83 sections and 1000 chapters – with each ''halakha'' stated clearly. The Mishneh Torah is very influential to this day, and several later works reproduce passages verbatim. It also includes a section on [[Metaphysics]] and [[Jewish principles of faith|fundamental beliefs]]. (Some claim this section draws heavily on [[Aristotle|Aristotelian]] science and metaphysics; others suggest that it is within the tradition of [[Saadia Gaon]].) It is the main source of practical ''halakha'' for many [[Yemenite Jews]] – mainly [[Baladi]] and [[Dor Daim]] – as well as for a growing community referred to as ''[[Dor Daim#Talmide ha-Rambam|talmidei haRambam]]''.
* The work of ''the Rosh'', Rabbi [[Asher ben Jehiel]] (1250?/1259?–1328), an abstract of the Talmud, concisely stating the final halakhic decision and quoting later authorities, notably Alfasi, Maimonides, and the [[Tosafists]]. This work superseded Rabbi Alfasi's and has been printed with almost every subsequent edition of the Talmud.
* The ''[[Sefer Mitzvot Gadol]]'' (The "SeMaG") of Rabbi [[Moses ben Jacob of Coucy]] (first half of the 13th century, [[Coucy-le-Château-Auffrique|Coucy]], northern France). "SeMaG" is organised around the 365 negative and the 248 positive commandments, separately discussing each of them according to the Talmud (in light of the commentaries of [[Rashi]] and the [[Tosafot]]) and the other codes existent at the time. ''[[Sefer Mitzvot Katan]]'' ("SeMaK") by [[Isaac ben Joseph of Corbeil]] is an abridgement of the ''SeMaG'', including additional practical ''halakha'', as well as [[aggad]]ic and [[Musar literature|ethical]] material.
* "The Mordechai" – by [[Mordecai ben Hillel]] (d.&nbsp;[[Nuremberg]] 1298) – serves both as a source of analysis, as well as of decided law. Mordechai considered about 350 halakhic authorities, and was widely influential, particularly amongst the Ashkenazi and [[Italian Jews#Italian rite Jews|Italian]] communities. Although organised around the ''Hilchot'' of ''the Rif'' (Rabbi Isaac Alfasi), it is, in fact, an independent work. It has been printed with every edition of the Talmud since 1482.
[[File:Arba'ah Turim.jpg|thumb|200px|An illuminated manuscript of ''[[Arba'ah Turim]]'' from 1435]]
* The [[Arba'ah Turim]] (lit. "The Four Columns"; the ''Tur'') by Rabbi [[Jacob ben Asher]] (1270–1343, [[Toledo, Spain]]). This work traces the ''halakha'' from the Torah text and the Talmud through the [[Rishonim]], with the ''Hilchot'' of Alfasi as its starting point. Ben Asher followed Maimonides's precedent in arranging his work in a topical order, however, the ''Tur'' covers only those areas of Jewish law that were in force in the author's time. The code is divided into four main sections; almost all codes since this time have followed the ''Tur'''s arrangement of material.
** [[Orach Chayim]] ("The Way of Life"): worship and ritual observance in the home and [[synagogue]], through the course of the day, the weekly sabbath and the festival cycle.
** [[Yoreh De'ah]] ("Teach Knowledge"): assorted ritual instructions and prohibitions, dietary laws and regulations concerning [[menstruation|menstrual]] impurity.
** [[Even Ha'ezer]] ("The Rock of the Helpmate"): [[marriage]], [[divorce]] and other issues in [[family]] law.
** [[Choshen Mishpat]] ("The Breastplate of Judgement"): The administration and [[adjudication]] of civil law.
* ''Agur'' (c. 1490) by Rabbi [[Jacob ben Judah Landau]] comprises principally an abridged presentation of the first and second parts of the ''Tur'', emphasizing practice; it also excerpts other works, and includes Kabbalistic elements. The ''Agur'' was the first ''sefer'' to contain a ''[[Haskama]]'' (rabbinical approbation). It was influential on subsequent codes.
* The ''[[Beit Yosef (book)|Beit Yosef]]'' and the ''[[Shulchan Aruch]]'' of Rabbi [[Yosef Karo]] (1488–1575). The ''Beit Yosef'' is a huge commentary on the ''Tur'' in which Rabbi Karo traces the development of each law from the Talmud through later rabbinical literature (examining 32 [[posek|authorities]], beginning with the Talmud and ending with the works of Rabbi [[Israel Isserlein]]). The ''Shulchan Aruch'' (literally "set table") is, in turn, a condensation of the ''Beit Yosef'' – stating each ruling simply; this work follows the chapter divisions of the ''Tur''. The ''Shulchan Aruch'', together with its related commentaries, is considered by many to be the most authoritative compilation of ''halakha'' since the Talmud. In writing the ''Shulchan Aruch'', Rabbi Karo based his [[posek|rulings]] on three authorities – Maimonides, Asher ben Jehiel (Rosh), and Isaac Alfasi (Rif); he considered ''the Mordechai'' in inconclusive cases. [[Sephardi|Sephardic Jews]], generally, refer to the ''Shulchan Aruch'' as the basis for their daily practice.
* The works of Rabbi [[Moshe Isserles]] ("Rema"; [[Kraków]], [[Poland]], 1525 to 1572). Isserles noted that the ''Shulchan Aruch'' was based on the [[Sephardic laws and customs|Sephardic]] tradition, and he created a series of [[gloss (annotation)|glosses]] to be appended to the text of the Shulkhan Aruch for cases where Sephardi and [[Ashkenazi]] [[minhag|customs]] differed (based on the works of [[Yaakov Moelin]], [[Israel Isserlein]], and [[Israel Bruna]]). The glosses are called ''ha-Mapah'' ("the Tablecloth"). His comments are now incorporated into the body of all printed editions of the ''Shulchan Aruch'', typeset in a different script; today, "Shulchan Aruch" refers to the combined work of Karo and Isserles. Isserles' ''Darkhei Moshe'' is similarly a commentary on the ''Tur'' and the ''Beit Yosef''.
* The ''Levush Malkhut'' ("Levush") of Rabbi [[Mordecai Yoffe]] (c. 1530–1612). A ten-volume work, five discussing ''halakha'' at a level "midway between the two extremes: the lengthy ''Beit Yosef'' of Karo on the one hand, and on the other Karo's ''Shulchan Aruch'' together with the ''Mappah'' of Isserles, which is too brief", that particularly stresses the [[minhag|customs and practices]] of the Jews of Eastern Europe. The Levush was exceptional among the codes, in that it treated certain ''Halakhot'' from a Kabbalistic standpoint.
* The ''[[Shulchan Aruch HaRav]]'' of Rabbi [[Shneur Zalman of Liadi]] (c. 1800) was an attempt to re-codify the law as it stood at that time – incorporating [[Shulchan Aruch#Major commentaries|commentaries on the ''Shulchan Aruch'']], and [[History of Responsa#Acharonim|subsequent responsa]] – and thus stating the [[posek|decided ''halakha'']], as well as the underlying reasoning. The work was written partly so that laymen would be able to study Jewish law. Unfortunately, most of the work was lost in a fire prior to publication. It is the basis of practice for [[Chabad-Lubavitch]] and other [[Hasidic Judaism|Hasidic groups]] and is quoted as authoritative by many subsequent works, Hasidic and non-Hasidic alike.
* Works structured directly on the ''Shulchan Aruch'', providing analysis in light of [[Acharonim|Acharonic]] material and codes:
** The [[Mishnah Berurah]] of Rabbi [[Yisrael Meir Kagan|Yisroel Meir ha-Kohen]], (the "Chofetz Chaim", Poland, 1838–1933) is a commentary on the "Orach Chayim" section of the ''Shulchan Aruch'', discussing the application of each ''halakha'' in light of all subsequent [[Acharonim|Acharonic]] decisions. It has become the authoritative halakhic guide for much of [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] Ashkenazic Jewry in the postwar period.
** [[Aruch HaShulchan]] by Rabbi [[Yechiel Michel Epstein]] (1829–1888) is a scholarly analysis of ''halakha'' through the perspective of the major Rishonim. The work follows the structure of the ''Tur'' and the ''Shulchan Aruch''; rules dealing with vows, agriculture, and ritual purity, are discussed in a second work known as ''[[Aruch HaShulchan he'Atid]]''.
** [[Yaakov Chaim Sofer|Kaf HaChaim]] on [[Orach Chayim]] and parts of [[Yoreh De'ah]], by the Sephardi sage [[Yaakov Chaim Sofer]] ([[Baghdad]] and [[Jerusalem]], 1870–1939) is similar in scope, authority and approach to the Mishnah Berurah. This work also surveys the views of many kabbalistic sages (particularly [[Isaac Luria]]), when these impact the Halakha.
** [[Yalkut Yosef]], by Rabbi [[Yitzhak Yosef]], is a voluminous, widely cited and contemporary work of ''halakha'', based on the rulings of Rabbi [[Ovadia Yosef]] (1920–2013).
** ''Piskei T'shuvot'', by Rabbi [[Biala_(Hasidic_dynasty)#Lineage|Ben-Zion Simcha Isaac Rabinowitz]], is a commentary on ''Orach Chayim'' and the ''Mishna Berura'', drawing on contemporary ''Acharonim''. Generally oriented towards the decrees of the Hassidic ''poskim'', it includes practical solutions and instructions for modern Halakhic issues. ''P'sakim U'T'shuvot'' by Rabbi Aharon Aryeh Katz (Rabinowitz's son in law) is a similar work on ''Yoreh De'ah''.
* [[Layman]]-oriented works of ''halakha'':
** Thesouro dos Dinim ("Treasury of religious rules") by [[Menasseh Ben Israel]] (1604–1657) is a reconstituted version of the Shulkhan Arukh, written in Portuguese with the explicit purpose of helping ''conversos'' from Iberia reintegrate into halakhic Judaism.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Moreno-Goldschmidt|first=Aliza|date=2020|title=Menasseh ben Israel's Thesouro dos Dinim: Reeducating the New Jews|url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10835-020-09360-5|journal=Jewish History|volume=33|issue=3–4|pages=325–350|doi=10.1007/s10835-020-09360-5|s2cid=225559599|via=SpringerLink|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
**The ''[[Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (book)|Kitzur Shulchan Aruch]]'' of Rabbi [[Shlomo Ganzfried]] ([[Hungary]] 1804–1886), a "digest", covering applicable Halakha from all four sections of ''Shulchan Aruch'', and reflecting the very strict Hungarian customs of the 19th century. It became immensely popular after its publication due to its simplicity, and is still popular in [[Orthodox Judaism]] as a framework for study, if not always for practice. This work is not considered binding in the same way as the Mishneh Torah or ''Shulchan Aruch''.
** [[Chayei Adam]] and [[Chochmat Adam]] by [[Avraham Danzig]] (Poland, 1748–1820) are similar Ashkenazi works; the first covers ''Orach Chaim'', the second in large ''Yoreh De'ah'', as well as laws from ''Even Ha'ezer'' and ''Choshen Mishpat'' pertinent to everyday life.
** The [[Ben Ish Chai]] by [[Ben Ish Hai|Yosef Chaim]] ([[Baghdad]], 1832–1909) is a collection of the laws on everyday life – parallel in scope to the ''Kitzur Shulchan Aruch'' – interspersed with mystical insights and customs, addressed to the masses and arranged by the weekly [[Torah portion]]. Its wide circulation and coverage has seen it become a standard reference work in Sephardi Halakha.
*Contemporary "series":
** [[Peninei Halakha]] by Rabbi [[Eliezer Melamed]]. Fifteen volumes thus far, covering a wide range of subjects, from Shabbat to organ donations, and in addition to clearly posing the practical law – reflecting the customs of various communities – also discusses the spiritual foundations of the Halakhot. It is widely studied in the [[Religious Zionist]] community.
**[[:he:מכון צורבא מרבנן|''Tzurba M’Rabanan'']] by Rabbi [[:he: בן ציון אלגאזי|Benzion Algazi]]. Six volumes covering 300 topics<ref>[http://mizrachi.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Tzurba-Learning-Schedule.pdf Tzurba Learning-Schedule] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724185217/http://mizrachi.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Tzurba-Learning-Schedule.pdf |date=2020-07-24 }}, mizrachi.org</ref> from all areas of the ''Shulchan Aruch'', "from the Talmudic source through modern-day halachic application", similarly studied in the Religious Zionist community (and outside Israel, through [[Mizrachi (religious Zionism)|Mizrachi]] in numerous [[Modern Orthodox]] communities; 15 bilingual translated volumes).
**[[:He: נטעי גבריאל|''Nitei Gavriel'']] by Rabbi [[Gavriel Zinner]]. Thirty volumes on the entire spectrum of topics in ''halachah'', known for addressing situations not commonly brought in other works, and for delineating the varying approaches amongst the [[List of Hasidic dynasties|''Hasidic'' branches]]; for both reasons they are often reprinted.
* ''Temimei Haderech'' ("A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice") by Rabbi [[Isaac Klein]] with contributions from the [[Committee on Jewish Law and Standards]] of the [[Rabbinical Assembly]]. This scholarly work is based on the previous traditional law codes, but written from a [[Conservative Judaism|Conservative Jewish]] point of view, and not accepted among Orthodox Jews.