Jewish law ''Halakha'' ( ; , ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws that are derived from the Written and Oral Torah. ''Halakha'' is based on biblical commandments ('' mit ...

, a ''posek'' ( , pl. ''poskim'', ) is a

legal scholar Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the a ...

who determines the application of ''

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 ...

'', the

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

religious law Religious law includes ethical and moral codes taught by religious traditions. Examples of religiously derived legal codes include Christian canon law (applicable within a wider theological conception in the church, but in modern times distin ...

s derived from the

written Writing is the act of creating a persistent representation of language. A writing system includes a particular set of symbols called a ''script'', as well as the rules by which they encode a particular spoken language. Every written language ...

and

Oral Torah According to Rabbinic Judaism, the Oral Torah or Oral Law () are statutes and legal interpretations that were not recorded in the Five Books of Moses, the Written Torah (), and which are regarded by Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox Jews as prescriptive ...

, 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 ''Responsa'' (plural of Latin , 'answer') comprise a body of written decisions and rulings given by legal scholars in response to questions addressed to them. In the modern era, the term is used to describe decisions and rulings made by scholars i ...

literature.

Orthodox Judaism

Poskim play an integral role in

Orthodox Judaism Orthodox Judaism is a collective term for the traditionalist branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Torah, Written and Oral Torah, Oral, as literally revelation, revealed by God in Ju ...

. * Generally, each community will regard one of its ''poskim'' as its ''Posek HaDor'' ("posek of the present generation"). * Most rely on the

rav ''Rav'' (or ''Rab'', Modern Hebrew: ) is the Hebrew generic term for a person who teaches Torah or is a Jewish spiritual guide or a rabbi. For example, Pirkei Avot (in the Talmud) states (1:6) that: The term ''rav'' is also Hebrew for ''rabbi ...

in their community (in

Hasidic Hasidism () or Hasidic Judaism is a religious movement within Judaism that arose in the 18th century as a spiritual revival movement in contemporary Western Ukraine before spreading rapidly throughout Eastern Europe. Today, most of those aff ...

communities, sometimes the

rebbe A Rebbe () or Admor () is the spiritual leader in the Hasidic movement, and the personalities of its dynasties.Heilman, Samuel"The Rebbe and the Resurgence of Orthodox Judaism."''Religion and Spirituality (Audio)''. UCTV, 20 Oct 2011. web. ...

) 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.

Conservative Judaism

Conservative Judaism Conservative Judaism, also known as Masorti Judaism, is a Jewish religious movements, Jewish religious movement that regards the authority of Jewish law and tradition as emanating primarily from the assent of the people through the generations ...

approaches the idea of ''posek'', and

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 ...

in general, somewhat differently: ''poskim'' here apply a relatively lower weighting to precedent, and will thus frequently re-interpret (or even change) a previous ruling through a formal argument. Although there are some ''poskim'' in the Conservative movement (e.g.,

Louis Ginzberg Louis Ginzberg (, ''Levy Gintzburg''; , ''Levy Ginzberg''; November 28, 1873 – November 11, 1953) was a Russian-born American rabbi and Talmudic scholar of Lithuanian-Jewish descent, contributing editor to numerous articles of '' The Jewis ...

David Golinkin David Golinkin (; born 1955) is an American-born Conservative rabbi and Jewish scholar who has lived in Jerusalem since 1972. He is President of the Schechter Institutes, Inc., President Emeritus of the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies and ...

, Joel Roth, and

Elliot Dorff Elliot N. Dorff (born 24 June 1943) is an American Conservative rabbi. He is a visiting professor of law at UCLA School of Law and Distinguished Professor of Jewish theology at the American Jewish University (formerly the University of Judaism) in ...

), the rulings of any one individual rabbi are considered less authoritative than a consensus ruling. Thus, the Conservative movement's

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, an ...

maintains a

Committee on Jewish Law and Standards The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards is the central authority on halakha (Jewish law and tradition) within Conservative Judaism; it is one of the most active and widely known committees on the Conservative movement's Rabbinical Assembly. Wit ...

, whose decisions are accepted as authoritative within the American Conservative movement. At the same time, every Conservative rabbi has the right of ''

mara d'atra A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as '' semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

'' to interpret Jewish law for his, her, or their own community regardless of the responsa of the Law Committe

Progressive Judaism

Both Reform Judaism, Reform and

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 ...

do not regard Halakha as binding. Although Reform stresses the individual autonomy of its membership, it never completely abandoned the field of responsa literature, if only to counter its rivals' demands. Even Classical Reformers such as Rabbi David Einhorn composed some. Rabbi

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, h ...

, and his successor Rabbi

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 R ...

, attempted to create a concept of "Progressive Halacha", authoring numerous responsa based on a methodology laying great emphasis on current sensibilities and ethical ideals. Full text collections of Reform responsa are available on the website of the

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. ...

. The Reconstructionist position is that if Jews had formed cohesive communities again, their rulings would be binding, but presently Judaism is in a "post-Halakhic state". Therefore, their basic policy is to allow tradition "a vote, not a veto" in communal and personal affairs.

List of poskim and major works

In chronological order, by the year of birth, and if needed, secondarily, by year of death and surname.

Poskim of past years

1600-1900

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 Centr ...

(1561–1640), ''Bach'' *

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 ...

(1586–1667), ''Turei Zahav'' * [ abbatai ha-Kohen (1621–1662), ''Shach'' *

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. Hi ...

(1633–1683), ''Magen Avraham'' *

Tzvi Ashkenazi Tzvi Hirsch ben Yaakov Ashkenazi (; 1656 – 2 May 1718), known as the Hakham Tzvi after his responsa by the same title, served for some time as rabbi of Amsterdam. He was a resolute opponent of the followers of the self-proclaimed messiah, Sa ...

(1668-1718), '' Chacham Tzvi'' *

Jacob Emden Jacob Emden, also known as the Yaʿavetz (June 4, 1697 – April 19, 1776), was a leading German rabbi and talmudist who championed traditional Judaism in the face of the growing influence of the Sabbatean movement. He was widely acclaimed for ...

(1797-1776) *

Yechezkel Landau Yechezkel ben Yehuda HaLevi Landau (8 October 1713 – 29 April 1793) was an influential authority in halakha (Jewish law). He is best known for the work ''Noda Biyhudah'' (נודע ביהודה), by which title he is also known. Biography Land ...

(1713–1793), ''Noda Bihudah'' *

Vilna Gaon Elijah ben Solomon Zalman, ( ''Rabbi Eliyahu ben Shlomo Zalman''), also known as the Vilna Gaon ( ''Der Vilner Goen''; ; or Elijah of Vilna, or by his Hebrew acronym Gr"a ("Gaon Rabbenu Eliyahu": "Our great teacher Elijah"; Sialiec, April 23, 172 ...

(1720–1797), ''Gra'' *

Shneur Zalman of Liadi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, (; September 4, 1745 – December 15, 1812 O.S. / 18 Elul 5505 – 24 Tevet 5573) commonly known as the Alter Rebbe or Baal Hatanya, was a rabbi and the founder and first Rebbe of Chabad, a branch of Hasidic Judaism. He ...

(1745–1812), ''

Shulchan Aruch HaRav The ''Shulchan Aruch HaRav'' (; also romanized ''Shulkhan Arukh HaRav'') is especially a record of prevailing halakha by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745–1812), known during his lifetime as '' HaRav'' (Hebrew for "The Rabbi") and as the firs ...

'' *

Aryeh Leib Heller Aryeh Leib Kahana Heller ( 1745 – 1812) () was a Rabbi, Talmudist, and Halachist in Galicia. He was known as "The ''Ketzos''" based on his magnum opus, '' Ketzot Hachoshen (''). Biography Born about 1745 in the Galician town of Kalush (pr ...

(1745-1812), '' Ketzos HaChoshen'' *

Avraham Danzig Avraham ben Yehiel Michael Danzig (; 1748–1820) was a rabbi, ''posek'' (legal decisor) and Halakha#Codes of Jewish law, codifier, best known as the author of the works of halakha, Jewish law called ''Chayei Adam'' and ''Chochmat Adam''. He is so ...

(1748–1820), ''

Chayei Adam Chayei Adam () is a work of Jewish law by Rabbi Avraham Danzig (1748–1820), dealing with the laws discussed in the Orach Chayim section of the Shulchan Aruch. It is divided into 224 sections - 69 dealing with daily conduct and prayer, and 155 w ...

'' *

Yaakov Lorberbaum Jacob Lorberbaum or Jacob ben Jacob Moses of Lissa (1760-1832) , Hebrew: יעקב בן יעקב משה מליסא) was a rabbi and posek. He is most commonly known as the Ba'al HaChavas Da'as or the Ba'al HaNesivos for his most well-known works, ...

(1762-1830), ''Nesivos HaMishpat'' *

Moses Sofer Moses Schreiber (1762–1839), known to his own community and Jewish posterity in the Hebrew translation as Moshe Sofer, also known by his main work ''Chatam Sofer'', ''Chasam Sofer'', or ''Hatam Sofer'' ( trans. ''Seal of the Scribe'', and acron ...

(1762–1839), ''Chasam Sofer'' *

Menachem Mendel Schneersohn Menachem Mendel Schneersohn (; September 20, 1789 – March 17, 1866) also known as the Tzemach Tzedek (Hebrew: "Righteous Sprout" or "Righteous Scion") was an Orthodox rabbi, leading 19th-century posek, and the third rebbe (spiritual leader) o ...

(1789–1866), ''Tzemach Tzedek'' *

Shlomo Ganzfried Shlomo Ganzfried (or ''Salomon ben Joseph Ganzfried'', , , ; 1804, in Ungvár, Com.Ung, Royal Hungary – 30 July 1886, in Ungvár, Ung, Royal Hungary) was an Orthodox rabbi and posek best known as the author of the work of Halakha (Jew ...

(1804–1886), '' Kitzur Shulchan Aruch'' *

Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor or Isaac Elhanan Spector (; 1817 – March 6, 1896) was a Russian rabbi, ''posek'' and Talmudist of the 19th century. Early life Spektor was born in Ros', Belarus (Yiddish: Rosh), then part of the Grodno Governorate ...

(1817–1896) *

Yehoshua Leib Diskin Moshe Yehoshua Yehuda Leib Diskin (1818–1898), also known as the Maharil Diskin, was a leading rabbi, Talmudist, and Biblical commentator. He served as a rabbi in Łomża, Mezritch, Kovno, Shklov, Brisk, and, finally, Jerusalem, after moving ...

(1818-1898), ''Maharil Diskin''

Orthodox

Yechiel Michel Epstein Yechiel Michel ha-Levi Epstein () (24 January 1829 – 25 March 1908), often called "the ''Aruch haShulchan''" after his magnum opus, '' Aruch HaShulchan'', was a Rabbi and ''posek'' (authority in Jewish law) in Lithuania. Biography Yechiel Mi ...

(1829–1907), ''

Aruch HaShulchan ''Arukh HaShulchan'' (Hebrew: עָרוּךְ הַשֻּׁלְחָן #Title.html" ;"title="r, arguably, עָרֹךְ הַשֻּׁלְחָן; see #Title">§ Title below is a work of halacha written by Yechiel Michel Epstein (1829–1908). The work ...

'' * Yoseph Chaim of Bagdad (1832–1909), ''Ben Ish Chai'', ''Rav Pealim'' *

Yisrael Meir Kagan Yisrael Meir ha-Kohen Kagan (February 6, 1838 – September 15, 1933) was an influential Lithuanian Jewish rabbi, Halakhist, posek, and ethicist whose works continue to be widely influential in Orthodox Jewish life. He was known popularly as t ...

(1838–1933), ''

Mishnah Berurah The ''Mishnah Berurah'' ( "Clear Teaching") is a work of ''halakha'' (Jewish law) by Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan (Poland, 1838–1933, also known as ''Chofetz Chaim''). It is a commentary on ''Orach Chayim'', the first section of the ''Shulchan Aru ...

'', '' Chafetz Chaim'' *

Moshe Greenwald Moshe Greenwald (1853–1910), also spelled Grunwald, a rabbi in Hungary at the end of the 19th century. He was the rabbi of Khust, Chust, Hungary and progenitor of the Pupa (Hasidic dynasty), Pupa Hasidic dynasty through his son Yaakov Yechezkiy ...

(1853–1910), ''Arugath HaBosem'' *

Chaim Ozer Grodzinski Chaim Ozer Grodzinski (; August 24, 1863 – August 9, 1940) was a '' Av beis din'' (rabbinical chief justice), ''posek'' (halakhic authority), and Talmudic scholar in Vilnius, Lithuania in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for over 55 years. ...

(1863–1940), ''Achiezer'' *

Abraham Isaac Kook Abraham Isaac HaCohen Kook (; 7 September 1865 – 1 September 1935), known as HaRav Kook, and also known by the Hebrew-language acronym Hara'ayah (), was an Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox rabbi, and the first Ashkenazi Jews, Ashkenazi Chief Rabbina ...

(1865–1935) *

Eliezer David Greenwald Rabbi Eliezer David Greenwald (1867 – 1928) was a rabbi and head of a yeshiva in the cities of Tzehlim (today Deutschkreutz in Austria), Oberwischau (Upper Vishuvah) and Satu Mare, Satmar in Transylvania. He is known for his book Keren L'David. ...

(1867–1928), ''Keren L'Dovid'' *

Yaakov Chaim Sofer Yaakov Chaim Sofer (; 1870-1939) was a Sephardic rabbi, kabbalist, talmudist and poseq. He is the author of ''Kaf Hakhaim'', a work of halakha. Biography Sofer was born in Baghdad, Ottoman Iraq. He studied the Torah under Abdallah Somekh an ...

(1870–1939), ''Kaf HaChaim'' * Avraham Duber Kahana Shapiro (1870–1943) * Yonasan Steif, (1877–1958) * Avraham Yeshayahu Karelitz (1878–1953), ''Chazon Ish'' *

Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg (1884–1966) was an Ashkenazi Orthodox rabbi, posek ("decisor" of Jewish law) and rosh yeshiva. He is best known as the author of the work of responsa ''Seridei Eish''. Biography Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg was born in Cie ...

(1878–1966), ''Seridei Eish'' *

Yosef Eliyahu Henkin Rabbi Yosef Eliyahu Henkin (1881–1973) was a prominent Orthodox rabbi in the United States. Biography He was born in 1881 in Klimavichy, Belarus, then in the Russian Empire, and studied at the Slutzker Yeshiva under Rabbi Isser Zalman Mel ...

(1881–1973) *

Eliezer Silver Eliezer Silver (; February 15, 1882Social Security Death Index - February 7, 1968 ) was the President of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the U.S. and Canada and among American Jewry's foremost religious leaders. He helped save many thousands of ...

(1882–1968) *

Yehezkel Abramsky Yehezkel Abramsky (; 7 February 1886 – 19 September 1976), also affectionately referred to as Reb Chatzkel Abramsky, was a prominent and influential Lithuanian Jewish Orthodox rabbi and scholar, born and raised in the Russian Empire, who later ...

(1886–1976) *

Yoel Teitelbaum Joel Teitelbaum (, ; 13 January 1887 – 19 August 1979) was the founder and first Grand Rebbe of the Satmar dynasty. The Satmar Rebbe is also known as the Krula Rav. A major figure in the post-war renaissance of Hasidism, he espoused a stric ...

(1887–1979), ''

Vayoel Moshe ''Vayoel Moshe'' () is a Hebrew book written in 1961 by Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, founder of the Satmar Hasidic movement. In it, Teitelbaum argues that Zionism is incompatible with Judaism. As Teitelbaum explains in the introduction, the book's t ...

'', ''Divrei Yoel'' *

Avraham Chaim Naeh Avraham Chaim Naeh (; 3 May 1890 – 21 July 1954) was a Lubavitcher Hasid and major ''posek'' (halachic authority) active during the first half of twentieth century. He is most famous for his works ''Ketzos ha-Shulchan'', ''Piskei HaSiddur'', '' ...

(1890–1954) ''Ketzos HaShulchan'', ''Shiurei Mikveh'', ''Shiurei Torah'' *

Zvi Yehuda Kook Zvi Yehuda Kook (, 23 April 1891 – 9 March 1982) was an ultranationalist Orthodox rabbi. He was the son of Abraham Isaac Kook, the first Ashkenazi chief rabbi of British Mandatory Palestine. Both father and son are credited with developing K ...

(1891–1982) *

Yaakov Kamenetsky Yaakov Kamenetsky (February 28, 1891 – March 10, 1986), was a prominent rabbi, rosh yeshiva, ''posek'' and Talmudist in the post-World War II American Jewish community. Biography Yaakov Kamenetsky was born at a folwark called Kalyskovka owned ...

(1891–1986) *

Aharon Kotler Aharon Kotler (February 2, 1892 – November 29, 1962) was a Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) rabbi and a prominent leader of Orthodox Judaism in Lithuania and in the United States, where he founded Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood Township, New Jersey. ...

(1892–1962) *

Moshe Feinstein Moshe Feinstein (; Lithuanian pronunciation: ''Moishe Fainshtein''; ; March 3, 1895 – March 23, 1986) was a Russian-born American Orthodox Jewish rabbi, scholar, and ''posek'' (authority on ''halakha''—Jewish law). He has been called ...

(1895–1986), '' Igrot Moshe'' *

Yitzchok Yaakov Weiss Rabbi Yitzchok Yaakov Weiss (; 15 February 1902 – 14 June 1989), commonly known as the Minchas Yitzchak after the responsa he authored, was the rabbi of the Edah HaChareidis in Jerusalem at the time of his death, as well as a posek (decider on p ...

(1902–1989), ''Minchas Yitzchak'' *

Yosef Greenwald Yosef Greenwald (; 1903 – Brooklyn 1984) was the second Rebbe of the Pupa Hasidic dynasty. Before World War II he was a rabbi and rosh yeshiva in Pápa, Hungary. Greenwald was the son of Yaakov Yechezkiah Greenwald of Pupa and the grandson o ...

(1903–1984), ''Vayaan Yosef'' *

Joseph B. Soloveitchik Joseph Ber Soloveitchik ( ''Yosef Dov ha-Levi Soloveychik''; February 27, 1903 – April 9, 1993) was a major American Orthodox rabbi, Talmudist, and modern Jewish philosopher. He was a scion of the Lithuanian Jewish Soloveitchik rabbinic ...

(1903–1993) *

Yitzchok Hutner Yitzchak Hutner (; 1906November 28, 1980), also known as Isaac Hutner, was an American Orthodox rabbi and rosh yeshiva (dean). Originally from Warsaw, Hutner was the long-time dean of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin in Brooklyn, New York, an older i ...

(1906–1980) *

Chanoch Dov Padwa Chanoch Dov Padwa (; 17 August 1908 – 16 August 2000) was a rabbinic leader, Orthodox Jewish posek and Talmudist. Early years Chanoch Dov Padwa was born on 17 August 1908 (20 Av 5668 in the Hebrew calendar) in Busk, a small town in Galici ...

(1908–2000), ''Cheishev Ho'Ephod'' *

Shlomo Zalman Auerbach Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (; July 20, 1910 – February 20, 1995) was an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, posek, and rosh yeshiva of the Kol Torah yeshiva in Jerusalem. The Jerusalem neighborhood Ramat Shlomo is named after Auerbach. Biography Auerbach was ...

(1910–1995), ''Minchat Shlomo'' *

Yosef Shalom Eliashiv Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (; 10 April 1910 – 18 July 2012) was a Haredi rabbi and ''posek'' (arbiter of Jewish law) who lived in Jerusalem. Until his death at the age of 102, Rav Elyashiv was the paramount leader of both Israel and the Diaspora ...

(1910–2012) * Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg (1910–2012) * Pinhas Hirschprung (1912–1998) *

Shmuel Wosner Shmuel HaLevi Wosner (, ; 4 September 1913 – 3 April 2015) was a prominent Ashkenazi rabbi and posek ("decisor of Jewish law") living in Bnei Brak, Israel. He was known as the ''Shevet HaLevi'' after his major work. Biography Wosner was ...

(1913–2015), ''Shevet HaLevi'' *

Aharon Leib Shteinman Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman (), also Shtainman or Steinman (November 3, 1914 – December 12, 2017), was a Haredi rabbi in Bnei Brak, Israel. Following the death of Yosef Shalom Elyashiv in 2012, he was widely regarded as the Gadol HaDor ...

(1913–2017) *

Ephraim Oshry Ephraim Oshry (1914–September 28, 2003), was an Orthodox rabbi, posek, and author of ''The Annihilation of Lithuanian Jewry''. He was one of the few European rabbis to survive the Holocaust. Early life Ephraim Oshry was born in Kupiškis, Li ...

(1914–2003) *

Avraham Shapira Avraham Shapira (; , Jerusalem – 27 September 2007) was a prominent rabbi in the Religious Zionist world. Shapira had been the head of the Rabbinical court of Jerusalem, and both a member and the head of the Supreme Rabbinic Court. He se ...

(1914–2007) *

Eliezer Waldenberg Eliezer Yehuda Waldenberg (; December 10, 1915 – November 21, 2006) was a rabbi, posek, and dayan in Jerusalem. He is known as a leading authority on medicine and Jewish law and referred to as the Tzitz Eliezer after his 21-volume halachic tre ...

(1917–2006), ''Tzitz Eliezer'' *

Shlomo Goren Shlomo Goren (; 3 February 1918 – 29 October 1994), was a Polish-born Israeli rabbi and Talmud#Scholarship, Talmudic scholar. An Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox Jew and Religious Zionism, Religious Zionist, he was considered a foremost Posek, rabbin ...

(1918–1994) *

Chaim Kreiswirth Rabbi Chaim Kreiswirth (1918–2001) was an Orthodox rabbi who served as the longtime Chief Rabbi of Congregation Machzikei Hadass Antwerp, Belgium. He was the founder and rosh yeshiva of the Mercaz HaTorah yeshiva in Jerusalem, and was a hi ...

(1918–2001) * Yaakov Yitzhak Neumann (1920–2007), ''Ogiro Be'Oholcho'' *

Ovadia Yosef Ovadia Yosef (, ; September 24, 1920 – October 7, 2013) also known as Maran (Hebrew language, Hebrew: מרן) "Our Master", was an History of the Jews in Iraq#Otoman rule, Iraqi-born Talmudic scholar, hakham, posek, and the Sephardi Jews, Sephar ...

(1920–2013), ''Yabbia Omer'' *

Baruch Ben Haim Baruch Ben Haim (; November 18, 1921 – June 2, 2005) was a Sephardi Hakham who served as Chief Rabbi of the Syrian Jewish community in Brooklyn, New York for 55 years. He taught at Magen David Yeshiva and established the Shaare Zion Torah Ce ...

(1921–2005) *

Fishel Hershkowitz Ephraim Fishel Hershkowitz () (2 October 1922 – 27 May 2017), the Haleiner Rav, was an American Hasidic rabbi, the senior Klausenburger '' dayan'' in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York. He was a respected elder in the American Orthodox communit ...

(1922–2017), Klausenburger '' dayan'' in

Williamsburg, Brooklyn Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordered by Greenpoint to the north; Bedford–Stuyvesant to the south; Bushwick and East Williamsburg to the east; and the East River to the west. It was an independe ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

* Hayim David HaLevi (1924–1998), Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv, author of the set of halakha ''Mekor Hayim'' *

Menashe Klein Menashe Klein (; 1924–2011), also known as the Ungvarer Rav (Yiddish: אונגווארער רב), was a Hasidic Rebbe and posek (arbiter of Jewish law). He authored 18 volumes of responsa, spanning over 50 years, entitled ''Mishneh Halachos''. A ...

(1924–2011), Ungvarer Rav; '' Mishneh Halachos'' *

Gedalia Dov Schwartz Gedalia Dov Schwartz (January 24, 1925 — December 9, 2020) was an eminent American Orthodox rabbi, scholar, and posek (halakhic authority) who lived in Chicago, Illinois. From 1991 to 2013, when he gave his position as Av Beth Din to Rabbi ...

(1925–2020),

av beit din The ''av beit din'' (), abbreviated ( ''avad''), was the second-highest-ranking member of the Sanhedrin during the Second Temple period and served as an assistant to the nasi. The av beit din was known as the "Master of the Court;" he was consid ...

Beth Din of America The Beth Din of America is an Orthodox '' beth din'' (court of Jewish law) serving Jews throughout the United States of America as a forum for arbitrating disputes through the ''din torah'' process, obtaining Jewish divorces, family law, and confi ...

and the

Chicago Rabbinical Council The Chicago Rabbinical Council (or cRc) is the largest regional Orthodox rabbinical organization in America, located in Chicago, Illinois. The cRc is a non-profit offering a wide variety of Jewish services, including kosher product supervision an ...

Nissim Karelitz Shmaryahu Yosef Nissim Karelitz (; July 19, 1926 – October 21, 2019) was an Orthodox Jewish rabbi and posek who served as the chairman of the '' beis din tzedek'' (rabbinical court) of Bnei Brak. Biography Karelitz was born in 1926 in Kosa ...

(1926–2019) *

Nahum Rabinovitch Nachum Eliezer Rabinovitch (; 30 April 1928 – 6 May 2020), born Norman Louis Rabinovitch, was a Canadian-Israeli Religious Zionist rabbi and ''posek''. He headed the London School of Jewish Studies from 1971 to 1982, and the ''hesder yeshiva' ...

, (1928–2020) rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Birkat Moshe *

Chaim Kanievsky Shemaryahu Yosef Chaim Kanievsky (; January 8, 1928 – March 18, 2022) was an Israeli Haredi rabbi and ''posek''. He was a leading authority in Haredi Jewish society on legal and ethical practice. Known as the '' Gadol HaDor'' ("greatest of his ...

(1928–2022) *

Mordechai Eliyahu Mordechai Tzemach Eliyahu (; March 3, 1929 – June 7, 2010, on the Hebrew calendar: 21 Adar I, 5689 - 25 Sivan, 5770),

(1929–2010) *

Dovid Feinstein Dovid Feinstein (; 1929 – November 6, 2020) was an American rabbi and ''halachic'' authority. He served as the rosh yeshiva (dean) of the Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem yeshiva elementary and high school and kollel, inheriting the position afte ...

(1929–2020) * Ephraim Greenblatt (1932–2014), ''Rivivos Efraim'' *

Zalman Nechemia Goldberg Zalman Nechemia Goldberg (; 28 January 1931 – 20 August 2020) was an Ashkenazi rabbi, posek (decider on points of religious law), and rosh yeshiva (dean) in Israel. He was a son-in-law of Shlomo Zalman Auerbach. Goldberg was an authority on h ...

(1932–2020), av beit din, rosh yeshiva of

Machon Lev The Jerusalem College of Technology - Lev Academic Center (JCT; ) is a private college in Israel, recognized by the Council for Higher Education, which specializes in providing high-level science and technology education to the Jewish community. ...

, editor-in-chief of the

Encyclopedia Talmudit The ''Encyclopedia Talmudit'' ( ''entsiyklopediah talmudiyt'') is a Hebrew language encyclopedia that aims to summarize the halakhic topics of the Talmud in alphabetical order. It began in 1942 and is still an active project as of 2023, with 5 ...

Aharon Lichtenstein Aharon Lichtenstein (; May 23, 1933 – April 20, 2015) was an Orthodox rabbi, Israel Prize laureate and rosh yeshiva who was an authority in Jewish law (''Halakha''). Biography Aharon Lichtenstein was born to Yechiel Lichtenstein and Bluma née ...

(1933–2015),

rosh yeshiva Rosh yeshiva or Rosh Hayeshiva (, plural, pl. , '; Anglicized pl. ''rosh yeshivas'') is the title given to the dean of a yeshiva, a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and th ...

Yeshivat Har Etzion Yeshivat Har Etzion (YHE; ), commonly known in English as "Gush" and in Hebrew as "Yeshivat HaGush", is a Hesder yeshiva located in Alon Shvut, an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. It is considered one of the leading institutions of advanced T ...

* Meir Brandsdorfer (1934–2009), ''Kaneh Bosem'' * Yechezkel Roth (1936–2021) Karlsburger Rav, author of ''Emek HaTeshuvah'' *

Shimon Eider Shimon D. Eider (December 2, 1938 - September 28, 2007) was an Orthodox rabbi and a posek (decisor of Jewish law). R. Eider, a graduate of Yeshiva University High School for Boys, was a pioneer in the field of Jewish law in English. He authored se ...

(1938–2007) *

Yisroel Belsky Chaim Yisroel HaLevi Belsky (August 22, 1938 – January 28, 2016) was an American rabbi and posek of Orthodox and Haredi Judaism. He was one of the roshei yeshiva (deans) at Yeshiva Torah Vodaas, and rabbi of the summer camp network run by Agudat ...

(1938–2016) *

Yehuda Henkin Rabbi Yehuda Herzl Henkin (; 1945 – 23 December 2020), author of the responsa ''Benei Banim'', was a Religious Zionist and Modern Orthodox posek. Early life and education Yehuda Henkin was born in Pennsylvania in 1945 and raised in New Haven ...

(1945–2020) *

Haim Drukman Haim Drukman (; 15 November 1932 – 25 December 2022) was an Israeli Orthodox rabbi and politician. The most senior spiritual leader of the Religious Zionist community at the time of his death, he served as rosh yeshiva (dean) of Yeshivat O ...

(1932–2022)

Conservative and Reform

Jacob Zallel Lauterbach Jacob Zallel Lauterbach (1873–1942) was an American Judaica scholar and author who served on the faculty of Hebrew Union College and composed responsa for the Reform movement in America. He specialized in Midrashic and Talmudical literature, ...

(1873–1942) *

(1873–1953), ''The Responsa of Professor Louis Ginzberg'' *

(1892–1990), ''Reform Jewish Practice and its Rabbinic Background'' *

Isaac Klein Isaac Klein (September 5, 1905 – January 23, 1979) was a prominent rabbi and halakhic authority within Conservative Judaism. Personal life, education, and career Klein was born in the small village of Várpalánka, today part of Mukachevo, in ...

(1905–1979), ''A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice'' * Jacob Agus (1911–1986), ''Dialogue and Tradition''

Living poskim

Shmuel Kamenetsky Shmuel Kamenetsky (born November 12, 1924) is an American Haredi rabbi. He is the co-founder and rosh yeshiva (dean) of the Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia. He is also a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah (Council of Torah Sages). Early ...

(1924- ), rosh yeshiva,

Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia The Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia () is a Haredi Litvish yeshiva in the Overbrook neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its heads of school are Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky, Rabbi Shimon Yehudah Svei and Rabbi Sholom Kaminetsky. Histo ...

* Yitzchak Abadi (1933- ) *

Dov Lior Dov Lior (; born 30 October 1933) is an Israeli Orthodox rabbi and political figure part of a far-right, nationalist movement for an ethnic and religious state. He served as the Chief Rabbi of Kiryat Arba, a Jewish settlement near the West Ban ...

(1933- ) *

Avigdor Nebenzahl Avigdor Nebenzahl (; born 1935) is an Israeli Orthodox rabbi and posek. He is the senior rosh yeshiva at Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh, a faculty member at Yeshivat HaKotel, and rabbi of the Ramban Synagogue. Nebenzahl, previously, served as rabbi of t ...

(1935- ) *

Yaakov Ariel Yaakov Ariel () is the former chief rabbi of the city of Ramat Gan, Israel, and one of the leading rabbis of the religious Zionist movement. Ariel had served as the rosh yeshiva of the yeshiva in the abandoned Israeli settlement of Yamit in the ...

(1937- ) * Zephaniah Drori (1937- ) *

Zalman Baruch Melamed Zalman Baruch Melamed (; born 1937) is an Israeli Orthodox rabbi and the rosh yeshiva of the Beit El yeshiva in Beit El. He founded the Arutz Sheva radio station and served as neighborhood rabbi in Beit El until 2013. Background Zalman Baruch ...

(1937- ) *

Yisrael Ariel Rabbi Yisrael Ariel (; born Yisrael Stieglitz 15 August 1939) was the chief rabbi of the evacuated Israeli settlement of Yamit in the Sinai Peninsula during the years when the Sinai was controlled by Israel, and the founder of the Temple Instit ...

(1939- ) *

Eliyahu Ben Haim Eliyahu Ben Chaim (born August 4, 1940) is a Sephardi Jews, Sephardi rabbi, Talmudic scholar, and Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox Halakha, halachist. He is the Beth din#Officers of a beth din, Av Beit Din (head of the rabbinical court) of Mekor Haim ...

(1940- ) *

Ephraim Padwa Rabbi Ephraim Padwa (born 1940), or Moshe Chaim Ephraim Padawa

(1940-) rabbi of

Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations The Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations is an umbrella organisation of Haredi Jewish communities in London, and has an estimated membership of over 6,000. It was founded in 1926, with the stated mission "to protect traditional Judaism", and ha ...

Hershel Schachter Hershel Schachter (born ) is an American Orthodox rabbi, posek, and rosh yeshiva at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS), part of Yeshiva University in New York City. Schachter is a halakhic advisor to the Orthodox Union and ...

(1941- ), rosh yeshiva at

RIETS Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS ) is the rabbinical seminary of Yeshiva University (YU). It is located along Amsterdam Avenue in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. Named after Yitzchak Elchanan ...

Shlomo Aviner Shlomo Chaim Hacohen Aviner (; born 1943/5703 as ''Claude Langenauer'') is an Israeli Orthodox rabbi. He is the rosh yeshiva (dean) of Ateret Yerushalayim (formerly Ateret Cohanim) and the former rabbi of Beit El, an Israeli settlement. He is co ...

(1943- ) *

Mordechai Willig HaRav Mordechai Yitzchak HaLevi Willig (born April 25, 1947; 5th of Iyyar, 5707 on the Hebrew calendar) is an Orthodox rabbi and rosh yeshiva at Yeshiva University in Washington Heights, Manhattan. He is often known to his students as the Ramu ...

(1947- ), rosh yeshiva at

Yitzhak Yosef Yitzhak Yosef (; born ) is an Israeli Haredi rabbi. The former Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel, he also serves as the rosh yeshiva of in Jerusalem's Romema neighborhood. Since the end of his term as Chief Rabbi, he joined the rabbinic leade ...

(1952- ), Chief Sephardic Rabbi of the State of Israel, author of the set Yalkut Yosef *

Yitzchak Berkovits Yitzchak Shmuel Halevi Berkovits () is an American-born Orthodox Jewish rabbi, rosh yeshiva, rosh kollel, and posek (arbiter of Jewish law) in Israel. In 16 years as Menahel Ruchani (spiritual director) of Yeshivas Aish HaTorah and halakha (Jew ...

(1953- ), rosh kollel The Jerusalem Kollel * Osher Weiss (1953- ), Minchas Osher * Yitzchak Breitowitz (1954- ), Rav, Kehilas Ohr Somayach, Jerusalem *

Eliezer Melamed Eliezer Melamed (; born 28 June 1961) is an Israeli religious-Zionist rabbi, the rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Har Bracha, the rabbi of the settlement Har Bracha, and the author of '' Peninei Halakha'', a series of '' Halakhic'' works. Biography ...

(1961- ) * Simcha Bunim Cohen (1957- ), prolific author and pulpit rabbi in Lakewood, New Jersey * Yisroel Dovid Harfenes author of ''Yisroel Vehazmanim'', ''Mekadesh Yisroel'' and ''Nishmas Shabos'' * Pinchas Toledano,

hakham ''Hakham'' (or ''Chakam(i), Haham(i), Hacham(i), Hach''; ) is a term in Judaism meaning a wise or skillful man; it often refers to someone who is a great Torah scholar. It can also refer to any cultured and learned person: "He who says a wise th ...

of the

Spanish and Portuguese Jews Spanish and Portuguese Jews, also called Western Sephardim, Iberian Jews, or Peninsular Jews, are a distinctive sub-group of Sephardic Jews who are largely descended from Jews who lived as New Christians in the Iberian Peninsula during the fe ...

of the Netherlands *

Gavriel Zinner Rabbi Gavriel Zinner ( גבריאל ציננער; also Tzinner, Cinner, Tsinner) is an Orthodox Rabbi in Boro Park, New York City known for his series of books on Jewish law, ''Nitei Gavriel''. Biography Zinner studied at the Puppa yeshiva an ...

author of the ''Nitei Gavriel'' series on halakha

References

External links

An introduction to the system of Jewish Law
, aish.com
AskMoses.com
Live answers * , archived from the 200
original
at nishmat.net
Jewish Law Research Guide

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private university, private research university in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. , the university enrolled 19,852 students in two colleges and ten schools across over ...

Law Library
Jewish Law: Examining Halacha, Jewish Issues and Secular Law (online journal)
{{Orthodox Judaism Jewish law . Jewish religious occupations Orthodox rabbinic roles and titles Rabbis Region-specific legal occupations