Editing Responsa (section)

==In Judaism==
[[File:מכתבו של הרב שמואל הלוי וואזנר אודות האם תרגום הוא תורה שבכתב או בע&quot;פ מכתב תשובה להרב שלמה שטנצל.pdf|thumb|1981 ''responsum'' of Rabbi [[Shmuel Wosner]], ''Shevet HaLevi'', concerning the status of translated works of Torah, in response to a question from Rabbi [[Shlomo Sztencl]].]]
{{Main| History of responsa in Judaism}}
{{Further|Oral Torah|Halakha|Posek}}
In [[rabbinic literature]], the ''responsa'' are known as ''She'elot u-Teshuvot'' ({{langx|he|שאלות ותשובות}} "questions and answers"), and comprise the body of written decisions and rulings given by [[Posek|poskim]] ("deciders of Jewish law"). A modern term, used mainly for questions on the [[internet]], is "[[Ask the rabbi]]".<ref name="JE" >{{cite encyclopedia |last1=Bacher |first1=Wilhelm |last2=Lauterbach |first2=Jacob Zallel |date=1901–1906 |title=SHE'ELOT U-TESHUBOT ("questions and answers," or "interpellations and decisions") |url=https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13525-she-elot-u-teshubot |encyclopedia=[[Jewish Encyclopedia]] |location=New York |publisher=[[Funk & Wagnalls]] |access-date=29 May 2025}}</ref>

Judaism's responsa constitute a special class of [[rabbinic literature]], to be distinguished from the [[Rabbinic literature#Meforshim|commentaries]] (''meforshim'')—devoted to the exegesis of the [[Tanakh|Hebrew Bible]], the [[Mishnah]], the [[Talmud]]—and from [[Halakha#Codes of Jewish law|the codes of law]] which delineate the rules for ordinary incidents of life.<ref name="JE" />

The responsa literature covers a period of 1,700 years—the mode, style, and subject matter have changed as a function of the travels of the Jewish people and of the development of other halakhic literature, particularly the codes.<ref name="JE" />

Responsa play a particularly important role in [[Halakha|Jewish law]]. The questions forwarded are usually practical, and often concerned with new contingencies for which no provision has been made in the [[Halakha#Codes of Jewish law|codes of law]], and the responsa thus supplement the codes. They, therefore, function as a source of law, in a manner similar to [[stare decisis|legal precedent]], in that they are consulted by later decisors ([[posek|poskim]]) in their rulings; they are also, in turn, incorporated into subsequent [[Halakha#Codes of Jewish law|codes]].<ref name="JE" />

In addition to requests for halakhic rulings, many of the questions addressed were theoretical in character, particularly among the earlier responsa. The responsa thus contain rulings on [[ethics]], [[Business ethics#Religious views|business ethics]], the [[philosophy of religion]], [[astronomy]], [[mathematics]], [[history]], [[geography]], as well as interpretations of passages in the [[Bible]], the [[Mishnah]], the [[Talmud]], and the [[Midrash]]. Thus, while early [[rabbinic literature|Jewish literature]] has few historical works, many notes on the [[Jewish history|history of Judaism]] have been introduced into the responsa.<ref name="JE" />

Responsa thus contain valuable information about the [[culture]] of the Jews and the people among whom they lived. Information may also be gleaned about the moral and social relations of the times, occupations, the household, [[minhag|customs]], expressions of joy and of sorrow, and recreations, and even games. Older responsa are also important for readings and emendations of the [[Mishnah]] and the [[Talmud]].<ref name="JE" />