Jewish Texts

A survey of the great post-Shulhan Arukh legal authorities.

The rabbis of France and Germany created new genres of halakhic literature.

Alfasi's groundbreaking legal code invited criticism, defense, and supplementation.

Orthodox leaders responded to modernity by producing legal works on a variety of topics, in a variety of genres.

The Conservative Movement's legal texts represent a contemporary attempt to make halakhah relevant and meaningful in a changing world.

Reform Judaism is more halakhic than you think.

The disparate opinions in Caro's Bet Yosef and the bottom line decisions in his Shulhan Arukh combined to create the halakhic code par excellence.

The Mishneh Torah sparked the creation of extensive and voluminous commentary.

Maimonides' two main critics, Rabad and Asheri, argued that multiplicity of opinions is a positive and vital force in Jewish law.

In order to make his code categorical and prescriptive, Maimonides deliberately omitted sources and did not reference his predecessors.

Jewish communities in the West gain independence of the geonim, and inherit a rich tapestry of legal texts.

Major books of halakhot from the geonic period.