Jewish Law

Though the Torah commands the appointment of "officers" to uphold the law, Jewish tradition does not recognize crime as a legal category.

This Torah injunction is understood to require individuals to do everything in their power to avoid bloodshed.

According to Jewish law, am I Jewish if my adopted mother is Jewish?

The author of the Arba'ah Turim set the stage for Joseph Caro's Shulchan Aruch.

Ancient Jewish law and legend embraced by the academy.

Finding midrash in current events, your local synagogue and your movie theater.

A guide to the major sages and scholars known for their work on this canonical text.

Laws regarding purity and impurity may seem obscure to modern Jews, but the concepts give us a glimpse into a world where manifestations of death within life are not sanitized away.

The order of the Mishnah that describes the customs, laws, and rituals of Judaism's holy days

The rabbis restored the religious meaning of the sacrificial cult even though the Temple itself had been destroyed.

Seder Nashim's primary concern is the protection of society's "exceptional" members.

Some of the mishnaic laws related to agriculture remain directly relevant for contemporary urban and suburban lives.