A Concise Guide to Halakha

by Adin Steinsaltz

Overview

The Erez Series, A Concise Guide to Halakha is a brief, modern presentation of practical halakha (Jewish law). Although it does not presume to be a book of authoritative halakhic rulings, it nevertheless offers a survey of halakha as it is practiced today. Accordingly, it was written not as a commentary on other books but as an independent work, written in a modern style, in a language we hope will be clear and straightforward for every reader. Since we have striven to make the book current, we have dealt as much as possible with contemporary problems, while also attempting to include at least a summary of the various customs practiced by the different ethnic communities inside and outside of contemporary Israel. Due to the great scope of Jewish law, one small volume could not possibly cover all the important issues, and certainly it could not touch upon all the details and nuances that pertain to the subjects at hand. For this reason, the book is not a substitute either for halakhic works that are defined as such or for those specific problems and questions that should be presented to scholars and rabbis with whom one can speak in person. Features: • Blessings and prayers in Hebrew, English, and transliteration • Step-by-step instructions • Clarifying illustrations • Ashkenazic and Sephardic traditions • Glossary of Hebrew terms • Full integration with other Concise Guide volumes The Erez Series is comprised of the Concise Guides to the full gamut of Jewish thought, from the Torah to modern halakha (Jewish law) and Mahshava (Jewish philosophy). The late Rabbi Adin Even Israel Steinsaltz zt”l was one of the leading thinkers of the modern age and the most prolific author of Jewish thought and commentary since the middle ages. The Erez Series distills the essence of 4 of the principal schools of the Jewish tradition Torah, the Sages (Hazal), Halakha, and Mahshava as a tool for review or introduction to the world of Jewish thought.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781613291955
Publisher:	The Toby Press, LLC
Publication date:	04/01/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	61 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz is a teacher, philosopher, social critic, and spiritual mentor who has been hailed by Time Magazine as a “once-in-a-millennium scholar.” 

Table of Contents

Life Cycle

Birth of a Son 3

Birth of a Daughter 29

First Haircut 34

Bar and Bat Mitzva 36

Birthdays 44

Weddings 47

The Week after the Wedding 69

Acquiring a Grave, Inheritances, and Wills 73

From Death to the Funeral 77

The Funeral and Burial 85

Mourning Periods 105

Visiting the Grave 119

Yearly Cycle

Rosh HaShana 129

The Ten Days of Repentance 154

Yom Kippur 167

Sukkot 176

Sukkot: The Mitzvot of the Festival 188

Sukkot: The Festival 196

Hoshana Rabba 217

Shemini Atzeret and Simhat Torah 221

Rosh Hodesh 237

The Request for Rain 242

Hanukka 244

The Tenth of Tevet 253

Tu BeShvat 255

The Month of Adar 257

Purim 262

The Month of Nisan 270

Passover: Preparations for the Festival 274

Passover: The Day before the Seder 284

Passover: Seder Night 298

Passover: The Festival Itself 311

The Counting of the Omer 331

Lag BaOmer 337

Sivan and Shavuot 340

"Between the Straits" 359

Tisha BeAv 365

The Month of Elul 373

Shabbat and Festivals

Structure of Shabbat 379

Muktze 414

Food Preparation on Shabbat 418

Housework on Shabbat 430

Bathing and Hygiene on Shabbat 434

Fire and Electricity on Shabbat 437

Medical Treatment on Shabbat 439

Children on Shabbat 444

Restrictions on Speech on Shabbat 451

Appearance of Transgression 454

Instructing Others 456

Eiruv 460

The Unique Aspects of Festivals 464

Intermediate Days of the Festival 471

Eiruv Tavshilin 474

Daily Routine

Beginning the Day 479

The Daily Prayers 483

Kaddish 500

Torah Study 509

Blessings and Meals 513

Various Topics

Mezuza 539

Kashrut 545

Family Purity 574

Ritual Fringes 580

Tefillin 589

Interpersonal Mitzvot 597

Charity 615

Interest 619

Glossary 625