shulchan

Shulchan is a Hebrew word meaning table. It appears in a variety of Jewish contexts, from everyday life to ancient ritual use, and it also serves as the basis for several important terms in Jewish law and literature.

In the Hebrew Bible, the term refers to tables used for meals and for ritual purposes. The most well-known example is the Table of Showbread (lechem ha-panim) in the Temple, a wooden table overlaid with gold on which the twelve loaves of showbread were placed and replaced weekly. The shulchan is described as part of the sacred furnishings of the sanctuary, symbolizing hospitality and ritual propriety.

In rabbinic and liturgical literature, shulchan is sometimes used more broadly to denote any table for meals or ceremonial arrangements. The word also appears in the name of the principal codification of Jewish law, Shulchan Aruch, literally “The Set Table” or “The Table Prepared.” This work, compiled by Rabbi Joseph Karo in Safed in the 16th century, organizes halakha (Jewish law) into four sections: Orach Chayim, Yoreh De’ah, Even Ha’ezer, and Choshen Mishpat. It became a foundational reference in many Jewish communities and is often studied with their customary glosses and commentaries.

In modern Hebrew, shulchan simply means “table” and is used for dining tables, desks, and other flat surfaces. The term remains common in everyday speech as well as in religious and legal contexts.