Halacha is the word referring to Jewish law.
Though based in the "written Torah" of the Bible (Tanach), Halacha itself is further elaborated upon by the "oral Torah," which was written down as the Mishna and Talmud.
Later rabbinic works greatly expanded on Halacha, most famously the Shulchan Aruch, written in Safed by Rabbi Yosef Karo in the 16th century, which, along with the commentaries on it, is widely considered the most authoritative work on Halacha.
Each of its nine chapters includes source material from biblical verses, Talmudic discussions, and classical and contemporary responsa, in Hebrew/Aramaic and English, presented chronologically.
On an average year, it is estimated there are 15 to 20 such cases in Israel and a couple in the United States. During wartime, that number goes up.
We need to remember the commitments we made on Yom Kippur every day, not just during the confessional.
Jerusalemite of the Week: Rabbi Ido Pachter of Beit Midrash LeMa'ase is attempting to reframe how we approach Jewish law to create something new: Halachat Yisraeli (Israeli Jewish law).
Generally, Halacha permits only medical interventions whose efficacy has been proven. Yet even with tested treatments, one cannot be sure that the intervention will succeed.
Religion has been hijacked by cultists with long white beards in long black coats, and they have sullied it. Politics and religion simply shouldn’t mix; the result is a toxic mess.
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