halakhah

Halakhah is the body of Jewish religious law that guides daily life, worship, and social conduct. Derived from the Hebrew term halakhah, meaning “the path” or “the way,” it encompasses ritual obligations, ethical norms, and civil and communal norms. Halakhah distinguishes itself from aggadah, the non-legal narrative and ethical teachings found in rabbinic literature.

The sources and development of halakhah span the Written Torah and the Oral Torah. The Mishnah, compiled around 200 CE, organizes oral traditions into legal codes. The Gemara, part of the Talmud, expands and interprets these laws. Together, the Mishnah and Gemara constitute the Talmud. Later codifications and commentaries systematized legal reasoning: the Tur and the Shulchan Aruch, with major glosses by Moses Isserles (the Rema) to represent Ashkenazi practice; Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah; and other authorities such as Beit Yosef. Law is interpreted and applied by poskim, jurists who issue rulings on new circumstances.

Halakhah governs a wide range of areas, including Sabbath and holiday observance, kashrut (dietary laws), prayer and ritual purity, marriage and divorce, civil and ethical conduct, and issues of ritual purity. Legal decisions employ formal methods of argument and deduction, including categories like casuistic reasoning and comparative analysis. Batei din, or rabbinic courts, adjudicate disputes in many communities, though individuals often seek guidance from local rabbis.

In the modern era, halakhah remains central in Orthodox Judaism, where it is regarded as binding. Conservative and Reform movements engage with halakhah differently, allowing varying degrees of reinterpretation or adaptation. Contemporary poskim address new technologies and ethical questions, maintaining ongoing debate within and between communities.