|
Psak
In Jewish law, a ''posek'' ( , pl. ''poskim'', ) is a legal scholar who determines the application of ''halakha'', the Jewish religious laws derived from the written and Oral Torah, in cases of Jewish law where previous authorities are inconclusive, or in those situations where no clear ''halakhic'' precedent exists. The decision of a posek is known as a ''psak halakha'' ("ruling of law"; pl. ''piskei halakha'') or simply a "psak". ''Piskei halakha'' are generally recorded in the responsa literature. Orthodox Judaism Poskim play an integral role in Orthodox Judaism. * Generally, each community will regard one of its ''poskim'' as its ''Posek HaDor'' ("posek of the present generation"). * Most rely on the rav in their community (in Hasidic communities, sometimes the rebbe) or the leading posek. Poskim will generally not overrule a specific law unless based on an earlier authority: a posek will generally extend a law to new situations but will not change the Halakhah. Co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Halakha
''Halakha'' ( ; , ), also Romanization of Hebrew, transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Judaism, Jewish religious laws that are derived from the Torah, Written and Oral Torah. ''Halakha'' is based on biblical commandments (''Mitzvah, mitzvot''), subsequent Talmudic and Mitzvah#Rabbinic mitzvot, rabbinic laws, and the customs and traditions which were compiled in the many books such as the ''Shulchan Aruch'' or ''Mishneh Torah''. ''Halakha'' is often translated as "Jewish law", although a more literal translation might be "the way to behave" or "the way of walking". The word is derived from the Semitic root, root, which means "to behave" (also "to go" or "to walk"). ''Halakha'' not only guides religious practices and beliefs; it also guides numerous aspects of day-to-day life. Historically, widespread observance of the laws of the Torah is first in evidence beginning in the second century BCE, and some say that the first evide ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rabbinical Assembly
The Rabbinical Assembly (RA) is the international association of Conservative rabbis. The RA was founded in 1901 to shape the ideology, programs, and practices of the Conservative movement. It publishes prayerbooks and books of Jewish interest, and oversees the work of the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards for the Conservative movement. It organizes conferences and coordinates the Joint Placement Commission of the Conservative movement. Members of the RA serve as rabbis, educators, community workers and military and hospital chaplains around the world. Rabbis ordained by Jewish Theological Seminary of America (New York, New York), the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the American Jewish University (Los Angeles, California), The Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano (Buenos Aires, Argentina), The Zacharias Frankel College (Berlin, Germany) and The Schechter Rabbinical Seminary (Jerusalem, Israel) automatically become members of the RA upon their ordination. Rabbis whos ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Avraham Gombiner
Abraham Abele Gombiner () ( – 5 October 1682), known as the Magen Avraham, born in Gąbin (Gombin), Poland, was a rabbi, Talmudist and a leading religious authority in the Jewish community of Kalisz, Poland, during the seventeenth century. His full name was Avraham Abele ben Chaim HaLevi. There are texts that list his family name as Kalisz, after the city of his residence. After his parents were killed in 1655 during the aftermath of the Chmielnicki massacres of 1648, he moved to live and study with his relative in Leszno, Jacob Isaac Gombiner. From there, he moved to Kalisz, where he was appointed as rosh yeshiva and judge in the tribunal of Rabbi Israel Spira (who was a son of Rabbi Nathan Nata Spira). He is known to scholars of Judaism for his ''Magen Avraham'' commentary on the ''Orach Chayim'' section of Rabbi Joseph Karo's ''Shulchan Aruch'', which he began writing in 1665 and finished in 1671. His brother Yehudah traveled in 1673 to Amsterdam to print the work but ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sabbatai Ha-Kohen
Shabbatai ben Meir HaKohen (; 1621–1662) was a talmudist and halakhist. He became known as the ''Shakh'' (), which is an abbreviation of his most important work, ''Siftei Kohen'' () (literally ''Lips of the Priest'') on the Shulchan Aruch. Biography Shabbatai HaKohen was born either in Amstibovo or in Vilnius, Wilno, Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Lithuania in 1621 and died in Holešov, Moravia, on the 1st of Adar, 1662. He first studied with his father and in 1633 he entered the yeshivah of Rabbi Joshua Höschel ben Joseph at Tykotzin, moving later to Kraków and Lublin, where he studied under Naphtali Cohen. He also studied under Rabbi Ya'acov ben Ephraim Hersch, Av Beis Din of Lublin and Brisk, and the Rosh Yeshiva of the latter. Returning to Wilno, he married the daughter of the wealthy Shimon Wolf, a great-grandson of Moses Isserles, and shortly after was appointed to the Beit Din as one of the assistants of Moses ben Isaac Judah Lima, author of ''Moses ben Isaac Judah Lima, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David HaLevi Segal
David ha-Levi Segal (c. 1586 – 20 February 1667), also known as the Turei Zahav (abbreviated Taz []) after the title of his significant ''halakha, halakhic'' commentary on the ''Shulchan Aruch'', was one of the greatest Jews of Poland, Polish rabbinical authorities. Biography Born in Ludmir, Volhynia, Segal was the son of Samuel ha-Levi Segal. His chief Torah teacher was his older brother, Isaac HaLevi Segal. He became a reputed Talmudic scholar, and married the daughter of Rabbi Joel Sirkis of Brest, Belarus, Brest who was also known as the Bach (ב"ח), and quoted his father-in-law frequently in his works. He was also a Mohel. After residing with his father-in-law and continuing his Torah studies for several years, Segal and his family moved to Kraków. He was then appointed chief rabbi of Potelych (Polish language, Polish: Potylicz), near Rava-Ruska, Rava, where he lived in great poverty. Later he went to Poznań, where he remained for several years. Around 1641 he becam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yoel Sirkis
Joel ben Samuel Sirkis (Hebrew: רבי יואל בן שמואל סירקיש; born 1561 - March 14, 1640) also known as the Bach (an abbreviation of his magnum opus BAyit CHadash), was a prominent Ashkenazi posek and halakhist, who lived in Central Europe and held rabbinical positions in Belz, Brest-Litovsk and Kraków, and is considered to be one of the greatest Talmudic scholars of Poland. He is known for his liberal rulings in his responsum in which he challenges the rabbinic status quo. Biography Born in Lublin, Poland in 1561, his father Samuel Sirkis was a rabbi in Lublin and his mother Sarah Jaffe was a member of the Jaffe family, through her father Moses Jaffe of Kraków, making Mordecai Jaffe, the Bach's second cousin. At age fourteen he went to the yeshiva of Naftali Zvi Hirsch Schor, a leading student of Moses Isserles. After remaining there for some time he went to Brest-Litovsk, where he attended the yeshiva of Rabbi Phoebus. While still in his youth, he was in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Toledot Ha-Poskim
Toledot, Toldot, Toldos, or Toldoth (—Hebrew language, Hebrew for "generations" or "descendants," the second word and the Incipit, first distinctive word in the ''parashah'') is the sixth weekly Torah portion (, ''parashah'') in the annual Judaism, Jewish cycle of Torah reading. The parashah tells of the conflict between Jacob and Esau, Isaac's Wife-sister narratives in Genesis, passing off his wife Rebecca, Rebekah as his sister, and Isaac's blessing of his sons. It constitutes Book of Genesis, Genesis 25:19–28:9. The parashah is made up of 5,426 Hebrew letters, 1,432 Hebrew words, 106 Chapters and verses of the Bible, verses, and 173 lines in a Torah Scroll (, ''Sefer Torah''). Jews read it the sixth Shabbat, Sabbath after Simchat Torah, generally in November, or rarely in early December. Readings In traditional Sabbath Torah reading, the parashah is divided into seven readings (, ''Aliyah (Torah), aliyot''). In the Masoretic Text of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), Parashat Tole ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Central Conference Of American Rabbis
The Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), founded in 1889 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the principal organization of Reform rabbis in the United States and Canada. The CCAR is the largest and oldest rabbinical organization in the world. Its current president is Rabbi Erica Asch. Rabbi Hara Person is the Chief Executive. Overview The CCAR bylaws state that “the purpose of this Conference shall be to preserve and promote Judaism and to encourage all efforts for the dissemination of its teachings in a Liberal spirit; to advance the cause of Jewish learning; to foster fellowship and cooperation among rabbis and other Jewish scholars; and to serve the welfare of its members.” Membership primarily consists of rabbis educated at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. The CCAR also offers membership to those who have graduated in Europe from the Leo Baeck College in London (United Kingdom) and the Abraham Geiger College at the University of Potsdam, and other ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Walter Jacob
Walter Jacob (March 13, 1930 – October 20, 2024) was an American Reform rabbi. He was rabbi at the Rodef Shalom Congregation in Pittsburgh from 1955 to 1997. He served as chairman of organizations such as the Central Conference of American Rabbis and World Union for Progressive Judaism. Jacob wrote a book, ''Christianity Through Jewish Eyes'' in 1974, leading to interfaith dialogue. He founded the Solomon B. Freehof Institute for Progressive Halakhah in 1991, an international forum for Jewish law. In Germany, he co-founded the Abraham Geiger College, the first rabbinic seminary in Central Europe since the Holocaust, in 1999. Biography Jacob was born in Augsburg, Germany, on March 13, 1930, into a family with rabbinic tradition for 17 generations. His father was Ernest Israel Jacob, district rabbi in Augsburg, and his grandfather was Benno Jacob, who was regarded as a great liberal Jewish bible commentator. His mother was Annette Loewenberg Jacob, and he grew up with a broth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Solomon Freehof
Solomon Bennett Freehof (August 8, 1892 – June 12, 1990) was a prominent Reform rabbi, posek, and scholar. He served as president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and the World Union for Progressive Judaism. Beginning in 1955, he led the CCAR's work on Jewish law through its responsa committee. He also spearheaded changes to Reform liturgy with revisions to the '' Union Prayer Book'' (siddur). For many years, he served as the pulpit rabbi at Rodef Shalom in Pittsburgh, PA.Rodef Shalom Congregation, Pittsburgh, PA - More information Personal life Freehof was born in London, moved to the U.S. in 1903, received a degree from the |
David Einhorn (rabbi)
David Einhorn (November 10, 1809November 2, 1879) was a German rabbi and leader of Reform Judaism in the United States. In 1855, he became the first rabbi of the Har Sinai Congregation in Baltimore, the oldest Jewish-American congregation affiliated with the Reform movement since its inception. While there, he created an early American prayer book for the congregation that became one of the progenitors of the 1894 '' Union Prayer Book''. Writing and preaching in German, rabbi Einhorn denounced slavery as a moral evil, rebutting the pro-slavery theology of rabbi Morris Jacob Raphall. In April 1861, after preaching a sermon against slavery, Einhorn was driven out of Baltimore by a pro-slavery mob. He fled to Philadelphia and became rabbi of Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel. In 1866 he moved to New York City, where he became rabbi of Congregation Adath Israel. Early years He was born in Diespeck, Kingdom of Bavaria, on November 10, 1809. He studied at the yeshiva in Fürth w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Reconstructionist Judaism
Reconstructionist Judaism () is a Jewish religious movements, Jewish movement based on the concepts developed by Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan (1881–1983)—namely, that Judaism as a Civilization, Judaism is a progressively evolving civilization rather than just a religion. The movement originated as a semi-organized stream within Conservative Judaism, developed between the late 1920s and the 1940s before seceding in 1955, and established a Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, rabbinical college in 1967. Reconstructionist Judaism is recognized by many scholars as one of the five major streams of Judaism in America alongside Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox, Conservative Judaism, Conservative, Reform Judaism, Reform, and Humanistic Judaism, Humanistic. There is substantial theological diversity within the movement. ''Halakha'' (Jewish law) is not considered normative and binding but is instead seen as the basis for the ongoing evolution of meaningful Jewish practice. In contrast with the Refo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
