Jewish Law

Introduction

This entry explores the history, literature and process of Jewish law. Together with the sources and structure of Jewish law, the entry examines the dynamics of the legal system by looking at such areas as: biblical interpretation in civil and ritual law, capital punishment, self-incrimination, the duty of confidentiality, abortion, the interaction of Jewish law with other legal systems, and the application of Jewish law in the Israeli legal system.

Legal Materials

Menachem Elon’s four-volume Jewish Law: History, Sources, Principles (Jewish Publication Society) provides a good overview of Jewish law. Other useful treatises include An Introduction to the History and Sources of Jewish Law (Oxford University Press) and Jewish Law and Legal Theory (New York University Press).

The “Jewish Law” section of Religious Legal Systems: A Brief Guide to Research and Its Role in Comparative Law by Marylin Johnson Raisch discusses the basic sources of Jewish law and links to online resources. See also, David Hollander’s “Jewish Law for the Law Librarian,” 98(2) Law Library Journal 219 (Spring 2006).

Jewish law. Halakah

• Even ha-?ezer law (General)
• H . oshen mishpat. law (General)
• Mishpat Ivri
• Bibliography
• Monographic series
• Legal Education . Study and teaching
• General works
• The concept of Jewish law
• Sources of Jewish law (Mishpat Ivri)
• Methodology of law development
• Influence of other legal systems on Jewish law
• Law reform and policies. Criticism
• Concepts applying to several branches of the law, A-Z
• Private law
• Conflict of laws. Plurality of laws conflict
• Assistance in emergencies
• Persons
• Domestic relations. Family law
• Guardian and ward. Apotropos
• Inheritance and succession
• Gifts. Charitable gifts. Donations
• Dinei mamonot
• Social laws and legislation
• Courts and procedure
• Public law. The state and the Jewish community. Kehillah
• Constitutional law. Constitutional principles of the Jewish community
• Administrative law and process of communal agencies
• Civil service. Employees of communal agencies
• Police and public safety
• Public property. Communal property. Restraints on private property
• Public health
• Medical legislation
• Birth control. Family planning
• Environmental law
• Cultural affairs
• Economic law
• Transportation and communication
• Professions
• Public finance
• Measures in time of war, national emergency, or economic crisis
• Criminal law and procedure
• Community defense. Military law

Online Legal Resources: Jewish Law Sites

• American Jewish Congress Commission on Law and Social Action
• American Jewish Historical Society
• Anti-Defamation League
  • ADL Legislative Action Center
  • ADL Publications – Includes online publications covering topics including Anti-Semitism, Church-State/Discrimination, Extremists, Hate Crimes, Hate on the Internet, Holocaust Denial, International, Israel, LaRouche, Left Wing Political Cult, Militia, Nation of Islam, and Skinheads
• Babylonian Talmud – includes codes of law
• Basic Law of Israel from the International Constitutional Law Network
• DePaul University School of Law Decalogue Society
• Halacha on the Web
• Halacha B’rura and Birur Halacha Institute
• Halakhah: Jewish Law
• Hebrew Law from Washington State University
• Israeli Governmet Documents
• Israeli Law from the Internet Law Library
• Israel Law Review
• Jewish Communication Network
• Jewish Law: Examining Halacha, Jewish Issues and Secular Law
• Jewish Law – Halachic Forms – Halachic Living Will, Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreement Forms, etc.
• Jewish Law – Law & Policy
• Jewish Law – Legal Briefs
• Judaism 101
• Literature of the Holocaust from the University of Pennsylvania
• National Jewish Law Students Association
• Simon Wiesenthal Center
  • Simon Wiesenthal Center Library and Archives
• Syracuse University Jewish Law Students Association
• Torah on the Information Superhighway
• United Jewish Communities
• University of Michigan Law School Jewish Law Students Union
• Virtual Jerusalem
• World Jewish Congress

Note: We linked the resources to archive.org in an effort to decrease the number of broken links cited.

The Legal History of jewish law

This section provides an overview of jewish law

Resources

See Also

• Israel
• Legal Traditions
• Historical Laws
• History of Law

Further Reading

• jewish law in the Oxford International Encyclopedia of Legal History (Oxford University Press)
• The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Political and Legal History (Oxford University Press)
• jewish law in the Dictionary of Concepts in History, by Harry Ritter
• A Short History of Western Legal Theory, by John Kelly

Mentioned in these Entries

Administrative law, Education, Human Rights resources, Law Journals ranking worldwide, Library of Congress Classification Class K.