Choulhan Aroukh

The Choulhan Aroukh (שולחןערוך in Hebrew) is a compilation of all the laws stated by the Talmud, as well as opinions and comments of the large legalists and décisionnaires which examined them. He is written by Rav Yossef Karo, traditionally called the Mehaber (the compiler).

Choulhan Aroukh means “drawn up table literally”, by allusion to the table of Shabbat and the Torah, of which all the laws are drawn up in front of you. The work compiles the whole of the halakhot (laws), and is divided into four parts.

This work marks the end of the era of the Rishonim: indeed, their efforts tended to identify and determine the applications, exceptions, restrictions etc of the rules and laws dispersed in the Talmud and to explain the direction of them in order to better encircle them (as did it Rachi, the Tossafistes and their disciples in general). Choulhan Aroukh is the result of this work. Consequently, the posterior commentators of Talmud to this work will be the Aharonim (last).

The Halakha is the strict minimum thought observance of the Judaism. Choulhan Aroukh is thus one of the essential books most read nowadays.

Its Sources

Rav Yossef Karo mainly referred to the Mishné Torah of the Rambam (the Code of Maïmonide), with the Tour , the Rosh, and the Sefer ha-halachot of the Rif. It thus based its Halakhot on the decisions and laws of the Wise Spaniards. Rabbi Moshé Isserles (the Rowed , 1525-1572) wrote a book where it quotes in the chronological order the laws determined by Rabbi Yossef Karo in Choulhan Aroukh. This book is called HaMappa , and gives also the annotations of the Rama . It based its Halakhot, him, on the decisions and laws of Wise Europeans. All the laws given by the Rama are connected to Choulhan Aroukh and any Halakhka which is not given by the Rama is accepted by the Jews Séfarades and Ashkénazes. Choulhan Aroukh was printed in regular characters and the annotations of the Rama are disseminated there in letters Rachi.

Its Structure

The Choulkhan Aroukh , just like its precursor, the Beth Yosef , is built on the model of the Arbaa Tourim. It there thus four books, subdivided in chapters and paragraphs:

Ora' H Hayim - laws concerning the prayer and the Synagog, the Shabbat, the festivals and the various blessings;
Yoreh Deah - laws on the ritual abbatage and the Cacheroute, the laws of Nidda like on religious conversion);
Even HaEzer - laws on the related marriage, divorce and subjects;
Hoshen Mishpat - laws on finance, the responsibilities financial, the damages (personal and financial), the rules of Beth DIN (court), as well as the laws of the witnesses.

Study Bureau Yossef

August 1st Shulkhan Arukh is year abridgment off has much larger work by Rabbi Karo, titled Beth Yosef (Hebrew: " House off Joseph"). In form it has commentary upon Jacob Ben Asher 'S Arba' ah Turim ( " Tur" ); goal it is really much more understanding, going back to the Talmud and the Midrash compilations relating to Jewish law. This work discusses the pros and idiots off the authorities cited by the " Tur" , and off examine the opinions the authorities not mentioned by to lath. Rabbi Karo began the Beth Yosef in 1522 At Adrianople, finished it in 1542 At Safed in the Land off Israel; He published it in 1550-59.

Thirty-two authorities, beginning with the Talmud and ending with the works off Rabbi Israel Isserlein (the Terumath ha-Deshen ), are briefly summed up and critically discussed in Beth Yosef . No other rabbinical work compare with it in wealth off material. Karo obviousnesses not only year astonishing off arranges reading, covering almost the whole off Rabbinic literature, goal also very remarkable powers off critical investigation. He shows No provision to accept blindly the opinions off the ancient authorities, notwithstanding his great respect for them.

In the introduction to his monumental compilation, Karo clearly states the necessity off and his let us reasons for undertaking such has work. The expulsion off the Jew S from the Iberian peninsula and the invention off printing endangered the stability off religious observances one to their legal and ritual sides. In Spain and Portugal questions were generally decided by the " customs off the country" ; the different districts had to their standard authorities to which they appealed in doubtful boxes. The most prominent off thesis were Maimonides, Nahmanides, and Asher Ben Jehiel. When the Spanish-Portuguese exile cam to the various communities in the East and West, where entirely uses different from those to which they had been accustomed prevailed, the question naturally arose whether the newcomers, the majority off whom were men off greater learning than the members off the invaded communities, should Be ruled by to lath, but vice versa. The increase off printed books, moreover, spread broadcast the products off halakhic literature; so that many half-educated off let us persons, finding themselves in possession legal treatises, felt justified in following any ancient authority At will. Karo undertook his Beth Yosef to remedy this evil, quoting and critically examining in his book the opinions off all the authorities then known.

Standard The authorities

Karo At first intended to follow his own judgment in boxes off differences off opinion between the various authorities, especially where He could support his own view by the Talmud. Goal He gave up this idea because, ace He says: " Who has the courage to rear his head aloft among mountains, the heights off God? " and also because He thought, though He does not mention his conclusion, that He could profit No following yew He set up his authority against that off the ancient scholars. Hence Karo took the halakhot off Rabbi Isaac Alfasi (the Rif ), Maimonides, and Asher Ben Jehiel (the Rosh ) standard aces his, accepting ace authoritative the opinion off two off the three, except in boxes where most off the ancient authorities were against them. Karo very often decide disputed boxes without old glance to the off and importance the authority in question, expressing simply his own views. He follows Maimonides' example, ace seen in Mishneh Torah (the " Yad" ), rather than that off Jacob Ben Asher, who seldom decide between ancient authorities.

In its form, Karo' S Beth Yosef follows Jacob Ben Asher “S " Tur" . Several reasons induced Karo to connect his work with the "Tur" , instead off Maimonides” codes. In the first place, the " Tur" , although not considered so great year authority ace Maimonides' codes, was much more widely known; to lath being recognized only among the Spanish Jews, while to form enjoyed has high reputation among the Ashkenazi m and Sephardi m, ace well ace the Italian Jews. Secondly, it was not Karo' S intention to Write has code similar in form to Maimonides' work; He intended to give not merely the results off his investigations, goal also the investigations themselves. He wished not only to aid the officiating Rabbi in the performance off his duties, goal also to trace for the student the development off particular laws from the Talmud through later rabbinical literature. The study off Talmudic literature was not for Karo, ace for Maimonides, merely have means toward year end (namely, for religious observances) goal year end in itself; He, therefore, did not favor codes that contained only decisions, without giving any let us reasons for them. -->

Its Comments

Books of explanation as of criticisms were also written on Choulhan Aroukh. In annotations in the text, they are called “ Nossei Hakélim ”:

Beer HaGola - Rabbi Moshé Rivkes of Amsterdam, annotated the sources of Choulhan Aroukh.
Biour HaGra - Rabbi Eliyaou de Vilna, revealed the sources Halakhiques of Choulhan Aroukh.
Meirat Einayim - Rabbi Yeoshoua Folk HaCohen de Levov, corrections of the errors and compromise of the divergences of opinions between the author and the Rowed .
Siftei Cohen (Shah) - Rabbi Ben Meir HaCohen de Vilna (1621-1662), supplemented the Meirat Einayim .
Helkat Mehokek - Rabbi Moshé Lima (1605-1655), debate based on the sources.
Beit Shmouel - Rabbi Shmouel Ben Rabbi Ouri Shraga Faivel, debate based on the sources.
Tourei Zahav (Taz) and Magen David - Rabbi David Shmouel Halevi (1586-1667), comparison between the later halakhic laws and those of Choulhan Aroukh and extraction of the halakhic decisions.
Mishna Broura - Rabbi Israel Meir Hacohen monumental work relating to the first part of Shoulhan 'Aroukh. This work is regarded today as being the reference as regards Halakha.

Anecdote

In 2005, Choulhan Aroukh was in the middle of a controversy in Russia, where it was claimed that it would contain heinous passages against the not-Jews. It is necessary to see especially there a reviviscence of the Russian Antisémitisme which, remainder, never badly went.

Be-X-old: Шулханарух

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