-
Aug 29, 1100
Tur
Also known as Arba’ah Turim.It is written by Rabbi Jacob ben Asher. In Toledo, Spain. He mostly followed Rambam. He mostly covered the Jewish reliogious laws, and not criminal laws. He brings a lot of laws from the Torah, Talmud, and deals a lot with Jewish exile.It is divided into 4 main topics:Orach Chayim (laws of prayer in synagougue), Yoreh De’ah (Shcitah and Kashrut), Eveb Ha’ezer (laws of marriage/divorce), Choshen Mishpat (laws on financial). -
Aug 29, 1180
Mishneh Torah
Rambam wrote it. It was intended to create a summary on the entire Jewish law. It was composed after the style of the Mishnah. It is divided into 14 sections. It explains the rulings without any discussions. The book reorganizes and reforms the laws in a clear and understandable system, which is put into the book. So, it is understandable for everyone. -
Sep 6, 1349
Beit Yosef
It is a book written by Rabbi Yosef Caro. It is composed of a long, and detailed commentary on the Arba'ah Turim. It is a very famous and popular book. -
Period: Feb 22, 1520 to May 11, 1572
Rav Moshe Isserlis
He was an Ashkenazic rabbi, Takmudic, and Posek.He wrote the commentary “The Mappah” (the tablecloth), which is located in the Shulchan Aruch (by Joseph Caro). He wrote a project called “Darckei Moshe,” where he studied the ruling of Tur and compared it to other halachic authorities. He also wrote Torat ha-Chatath, which is mainly on Kashrut (dietary laws); Torat ha-Olah nad Mechir Yayin, is based on the Book of Esther (and both books are philosophical); and Teshivot Ream, which is a book of ha -
Aug 29, 1565
Shulchan Aruch
Written by Rabbi Joseph Caro. Divided into same 4 topics as the Tur. It is one of the most accurate books of law in Judaism. It was authored in Safed. This book was made with the intentions to answer daily questions for a person that didn’t have time to ask a rabbi or consult in a Talmud. He joint on the writing of the book with Rabbi Moshe Isserlis for an Ashkenazic opionion on all of his Sephardic laws. -
Period: to
Taz
His actuall name is Rabbi David Halevi. He developed that name from his main work, Turei Zahav (Rows of gold), a commentary in the Shulchan Aruch. He was born in Ludmir, Volhynia. His chief Torah teacher was his older brother, Isaac. He has a family filled with scholars: his father Samuel was the son of a famous scholar, Rabbi Isaac Betzalels. His Turei Zahav was published after his death by Shabbethai Bassin Dyhernfutrth in 1692. It was published together with the Magen Avraham, which was by A -
Period: to
Magen Avraham
His name is Abraham Abele Gombiner (1635-1682). Born in Gombin, Poland. He was a major rabbi and Talmudist of Kalish, Poland during the 17th century. He is known for his Magen Avraham commentaries on the Orach Chayim commentary in the Shulchan Aruch. He began writing it in 1665 and ended in 1671. -
Period: to
The Vilna Gaon
His full name is Elijah ben Shlomo Zalman Kremer. He was born on April 23, 1720 and died on October 9, 1797. He was born and died in Vilnus, Lithuania. He was a kabalist, halachist, and Talmudist. He was one of the most influencial rabbis of the middle-ages. Eventhough he is counted as one of the Acharonim, he is known by many authorities to be part of the Rishonim. He is very unique because when he was only twenty years old, rabbis were already asking him difficult halachic problems (for legal -
Aruch Hashulchan
Published in 5644-5653 (1884–1893) in many small volumes
It is written by Yechiel Michel Epstein. It is a rewording of the shulchan aruch with a clear and organized summary of each chapter in the shulchan aruch. He explains his halachot with special emphasis on Tlamud yerushalmi and Rambam. -
Kitzur Shulchan Aruch
It was written by Rabbi Shlomo Ganzfried. It is a summary of the Shulchan Aruch with references to later commentaries. It is written for people that don’t want to study from the original Shulchan Aruch. It is written with easy to understand Hebrew. It explains what is permitted and forbidden without any uncertainty. He mainly based his decisions on 3 Poskim (halachic authorities): Rabbi Yaakov Lorberbaum, Rabbi Shneur Zalman, and Rabbi Abraham Danzig. Where there was a disagreement, he adopted t -
Period: to
Shach
His full name is Elazar Menachem Man Shach. He was born on January 1, 1899 in Vabalninkas, Lithuania. He then died on November 2, 2001 at an incredible 102 years old. He settled in Bnei Brak, Israel. He founded the Degel HaTorah political party that represented the Lithuanian Ashkenazic Jews in the Israeli Knesset. He was the head of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah and the chairman of chinuch Atzmai and Va’ad HaYeshivot. During his life, he was recognized by everyone as the Gadol Ha-Dor. He was a s -
Mishnah Berurah
It is a work of halachot that was written by Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan, also known as the famous Chofetz Chaim. The Mishnah Berurah is a commentary on Orach Chayim, the first section of the Shulchan Aruch (which deals with laws of prayer, synagogue, Shabbat and holidays, and summarizing the opinions of the Acharonim).