''Arba'ah Turim'' ( he, אַרְבָּעָה טוּרִים), often called simply the ''Tur'', is an important Halakhic code composed by

Yaakov ben Asher Jacob ben Asher (c. 1269 - c. 1343), also known as Ba'al ha-Turim as well as Rabbi Yaakov ben Raash (Rabbeinu Asher), was an influential Medieval rabbi, rabbinic authority. He is often referred to as the Ba'al ha-Turim ("Master of the Columns"), ...

( Cologne, 1270 – Toledo, Spain c. 1340, also referred to as ''Ba'al Ha-Turim''). The four-part structure of the ''Tur'' and its division into chapters (''simanim'') were adopted by the later code Shulchan Aruch. This was the first book to be printed in Southeast Europe and the Near East.

Meaning of the name

The title of the work in Hebrew means "four rows", in allusion to the jewels on the High Priest's breastplate. Each of the four divisions of the work is a "Tur", so a particular passage may be cited as "Tur Orach Chayim, siman 22", meaning "Orach Chayim division, chapter 22". This was later misunderstood as meaning "Tur, Orach Chayim, chapter 22" (to distinguish it from the corresponding passage in the Shulchan Aruch), so that "Tur" came to be used as the title of the whole work.

Arrangement and contents

The ''Arba'ah Turim'', as the name implies, consists of four divisions ("Turim"); these are further organised by topic and section (''siman'', pl. ''simanim'').The Shulchan Aruch contains a further division by paragraph (''sa'if'', pl. ''se'ifim''), which is incorporated into some editions of the Arba'ah Turim to enable point-by-point comparison. :The four Turim are as follows: :* Orach Chayim - laws of prayer and

synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...

Sabbath In Abrahamic religions, the Sabbath () or Shabbat (from Hebrew ) is a day set aside for rest and worship. According to the Book of Exodus, the Sabbath is a day of rest on the seventh day, commanded by God to be kept as a holy day of rest, as G ...

, holidays :* Yoreh De'ah - miscellaneous ritualistic laws, such as shechita and

kashrut (also or , ) is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher ( in English, yi, כּשר), fro ...

:* Even Ha'ezer - laws of marriage, divorce :* Choshen Mishpat - laws of finance, financial responsibility, damages (personal and financial) and legal procedure In the ''Arba'ah Turim'', Rabbi Jacob traces the practical Jewish law from the Torah text and the dicta of the Talmud through the '' Rishonim''. He used the code of Rabbi Isaac Alfasi as his starting point; these views are then compared to those of Maimonides, as well as to the

Ashkenazi Ashkenazi Jews ( ; he, יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז, translit=Yehudei Ashkenaz, ; yi, אַשכּנזישע ייִדן, Ashkenazishe Yidn), also known as Ashkenazic Jews or ''Ashkenazim'',, Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: , singu ...

traditions contained in the Tosafist literature. Unlike Maimonides' '' Mishneh Torah'', the ''Tur'' is not limited to normative positions, but compares the various opinions on any disputed point. (In most instances of debate, Rabbi Jacob follows the opinion of his father, Rabbi

Asher ben Jehiel Asher ben Jehiel ( he, אשר בן יחיאל, or Asher ben Yechiel, sometimes Asheri) (1250 or 1259 – 1327) was an eminent rabbi and Talmudist best known for his abstract of Talmudic law. He is often referred to as Rabbenu Asher, “our Rabb ...

, the ''Rosh''.) The ''Arba'ah Turim'' also differs from the ''Mishneh Torah'', in that, unlike Maimonides' work, it deals only with areas of Jewish law that are applicable in the Jewish

exile Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...

Later developments

The best-known commentary on the ''Arba'ah Turim'' is the ''

Beit Yosef A Beit (also spelled bait, ar, بيت , literally "a house") is a metrical unit of Arabic, Iranian, Urdu and Sindhi poetry. It corresponds to a line, though sometimes improperly renderered as "couplet" since each ''beit'' is divided into t ...

'' by rabbi Joseph ben Ephraim Karo: this goes beyond the normal functions of a commentary, in that it attempts to review all the relevant authorities and come to a final decision on every point, so as to constitute a comprehensive resource on Jewish law. Other commentaries are ''Bayit Chadash'' by rabbi Joel Sirkis, ''Darkhei Moshe'' by Moses Isserles, ''Beit Yisrael (Perishah u-Derishah)'' by rabbi

Joshua Falk Joshua ben Alexander HaCohen Falk (1555 – 29 March 1614) was a Polish Halakhist and Talmudist, best known as the author of the ''Drisha'' and ''Prisha'' commentaries on the ''Arba'ah Turim'' as well as ''Sefer Me'irat Enayim'' (סמ"ע) on ...

, as well as works by a number of other '' Acharonim''. These often defend the views of the Tur against the Beit Yosef. The ''Tur'' continues to play an important role in Halakha. * Joseph Caro's '' Shulchan Aruch'', the fundamental work of '' Halakha'', is a condensation of his ''Beit Yosef'' and follows the basic structure of the ''Arba'ah Turim'', including its division into four sections and chapters - ''Tur's'' structure down to the ''siman'' is retained in the ''Shulchan Aruch''. * The views in the other commentaries are often relevant in ascertaining or explaining the Ashkenazi version of Jewish law, as codified by Moses Isserles in his ''Mappah''. Students of the ''Shulchan Aruch'', particularly in

Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...

Semikhah programs, typically study the ''Tur'' and the ''Beit Yosef'' concurrently with the ''Shulchan Aruch'' itself: in some editions the two works are printed together, to allow comparison of corresponding ''simanim''.

References

External links

Arba'ah Turim
Prof. Eliezer Segal * *''Tur'' text in clear Hebrew print
TurShulchanArukh – AlHaTorah.org
{{Authority control Jewish medieval literature Rabbinic legal texts and responsa Hebrew-language religious books Hebrew words and phrases in Jewish law Sifrei Kodesh

Meaning of the name

Arrangement and contents

Later developments

See also

References

External links