In Jewish law, a ''Posek'' ( he, פוסק , pl. ''poskim'', ) is a legal scholar who determines the position of ''

halakha ''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical commandm ...

'', the

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

religious law Religious law includes ethical and moral codes taught by religious traditions. Different religious systems hold sacred law in a greater or lesser degree of importance to their belief systems, with some being explicitly antinomian whereas others ...

s derived from the

written Writing is a medium of human communication which involves the representation of a language through a system of physically inscribed, mechanically transferred, or digitally represented symbols. Writing systems do not themselves constitute h ...

and

Oral Torah According to Rabbinic Judaism, the Oral Torah or Oral Law ( he, , Tōrā šebbəʿal-pe}) are those purported laws, statutes, and legal interpretations that were not recorded in the Five Books of Moses, the Written Torah ( he, , Tōrā šebbīḵ� ...

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 the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses on M ...

. * 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; a Jewish spiritual guide; or a rabbi. For example, Pirkei Avot (1:6) states that: The term ''rav'' is also Hebrew for ''rabbi''. (For a more nuan ...

in their community (in Hasidic communities, sometimes the

rebbe A Rebbe ( yi, רבי, translit=rebe) or Admor ( he, אדמו״ר) 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 Spiritua ...

) 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; see the article on

Conservative Judaism

Conservative Judaism Conservative Judaism, known as Masorti Judaism outside North America, is a Jewish religious movement which regards the authority of ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions as coming primarily from its people and community through the generatio ...

approaches the idea of posek, and Halakha 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; see Conservative Halakha. Although there are some "poskim" in the Conservative movement - e.g. Rabbis Louis Ginzberg,

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 Pr ...

Joel Roth Joel Roth is a prominent American rabbi in the Rabbinical Assembly, which is the rabbinical body of Conservative Judaism. He is a former member and chair of the assembly's ''Committee on Jewish Law and Standards'' (CJLS) which deals with question ...

, 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 C ...

- 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, a ...

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. With ...

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

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 own community, regardless of the responsa of the Law Committe

Progressive Judaism

Both Reform Judaism, Reform and

Reconstructionist Judaism Reconstructionist Judaism is a Jewish movement that views Judaism as a progressively evolving civilization rather than a religion, based on concepts developed by Mordecai Kaplan (1881–1983). The movement originated as a semi-organized stream wi ...

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 – 1990) was a prominent Reform rabbi, posek, and scholar. Rabbi Freehof served as president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and the World Union for Progressive Judaism. Beginning in 1955, ...

, and his successor Rabbi

Walter Jacob Walter Jacob (born 1930) is an American Reform rabbi who was born in Augsburg, Germany, and immigrated to the United States in 1940. He received his B.A. from Drury College (Springfield, Missouri, 1950) and ordination and an M.H.L. from Hebrew ...

, 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. I ...

. 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

Pre-20th century

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 cent ...

(1561–1640), ''Bach'' * David HaLevi Segal (1586–1667), ''Turei Zahav'' *

Sabbatai ha-Kohen Shabbatai ben Meir HaKohen ( he, שבתי בן מאיר הכהן; 1621–1662) was a noted 17th century talmudist and halakhist. He became known as the ''Shakh'' ( he, ש"ך), which is an abbreviation of his most important work, ''Siftei Kohen'' ...

(1621–1662), ''Shach'' *

Avraham Gombiner Abraham Abele Gombiner () (c. 1635 – 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 ...

(c.1633–c.1683), ''Magen Avraham'' *

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 (1720–1797), ''Gra'' *

Shneur Zalman of Liadi Shneur Zalman of Liadi ( he, שניאור זלמן מליאדי, September 4, 1745 – December 15, 1812 O.S. / 18 Elul 5505 – 24 Tevet 5573) was an influential Lithuanian Jewish rabbi and the founder and first Rebbe of Chabad, a branch of ...

(1745–1812), '' Shulchan Aruch HaRav'' *

Avraham Danzig Avraham Danzig (ben Yehiel Michael, 1748—1820; אברהם דנציג) was a rabbi, ''posek'' (legal decisor) and codifier, best known as the author of the works of Jewish law called '' Chayei Adam'' and ''Chochmat Adam''. He is sometimes referred ...

(1748–1820), ''

Chayei Adam Chayei Adam (חיי אדם "The Life of Man") 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 ...

'' *

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 9, 1789 – March 17, 1866) also known as the Tzemach Tzedek (Hebrew: "Righteous Sprout" or "Righteous Scion") was an Orthodox rebbe, leading 19th-century posek, and the third rebbe (spiritual leader) of t ...

(1789–1866), ''Tzemach Tzedek'' *

Shlomo Ganzfried Shlomo Ganzfried (or ''Salomon ben Joseph Ganzfried''; 1804 in Ungvár – 30 July 1886 in Ungvár) was an Orthodox rabbi and posek best known as the author of the work of Halakha (Jewish law), the ''Kitzur Shulchan Aruch'' (Hebrew: קיצ ...

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

Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor or Isaac Elhanan Spector ( he, יצחק אלחנן ספקטור; 1817 - March 6, 1896) was a Jews of Russia, Russian rabbi, ''posek'' and Talmudist of the 19th century. Early life Spektor was born in Ros', Belarus, Ros ...

(1817–1896)

Orthodox

Yechiel Michel Epstein Yechiel Michel ha-Levi Epstein ( he, יחיאל מיכל הלוי אפשטיין) (24 January 1829 – 25 March 1908), often called "the ''Aruch haShulchan''" after his magnum opus, Aruch HaShulchan, was a Rabbi and ''Posek'' (authority in Jew ...

(1829–1907), ''

Aruch HaShulchan ''Arukh HaShulchan'' (Hebrew: עָרוּךְ הַשֻּׁלְחָן r, arguably, עָרֹךְ הַשֻּׁלְחָן; see ''Title'' below is a work of halacha written by Yechiel Michel Epstein (1829–1908). The work attempts to be a clear, orga ...

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

Yisrael Meir Kagan Rabbi Yisrael Meir ha-Kohen Kagan (January 26, 1838 – September 15, 1933), known popularly as the Chofetz Chaim, after his book on lashon hara, who was also well known for the Mishna Berurah, his book on ritual law, was an influential Lith ...

(1838–1933), '' Mishnah Berurah'', ''

Chafetz Chaim The '' Sefer'' ''Chafetz Chaim'' (or ''Chofetz Chaim'' or ''Hafetz Hayim'') ( he, חָפֵץ חַיִּים, trans. "Desirer of Life") is a book by Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan, who is also called "the Chofetz Chaim" after it. The book deals wi ...

'' *

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 Chust, Hungary and progenitor of the Pupa Hasidic dynasty through his son Yaakov Yechezkiya. He was also the author of ...

(1853–1910), ''Arugath HaBosem'' *

Chaim Ozer Grodzinski Chaim Ozer Grodzinski ( he, חיים עוזר גראדזענסקי; 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 19 ...

(1863–1940), ''Achiezer'' *

Abraham Isaac Kook Abraham Isaac Kook (; 7 September 1865 – 1 September 1935), known as Rav Kook, and also known by the acronym HaRaAYaH (), was an Orthodox rabbi, and the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of British Mandatory Palestine. He is considered to be one ...

(1865–1935) * Eliezer David Greenwald (1867–1928), ''Keren L'Dovid'' *

Yaakov Chaim Sofer Yaakov Chaim Sofer (1870–1939) (Hebrew: יעקב חיים סופר) was a Sephardi rabbi, Kabbalist, Talmudist and ''posek''. He is the author of ''Kaf Hachaim'', a work of halakha that he came to be known by. Biography Sofer was born in Bagh ...

(1870–1939), ''Kaf HaChaim'' *

Avraham Duber Kahana Shapiro Rabbi Avraham Dov-Ber Kahana Shapiro (also spelled Shapira) (1870 – February 27, 1943) was the last Chief Rabbi of Lithuania and the author of the three-volume work entitled ''Devar Avraham''. Biography He was born in 1870 to Rabbi Shlomo Zalm ...

(1870–1943) *

Yonasan Steif Rabbi Yonasan Steif ( yi, יונתן שטייף‎; August 12, 1877 – August 25, 1958) was a senior dayan of Budapest, Hungary, before the Second World War, a man whom Rabbis Moshe Feinstein and Joel Teitelbaum referred to as the ''gadol ha ...

, (1877–1958) *

Avraham Yeshayahu Karelitz Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz (7 November 1878 – 24 October 1953), also known as the Chazon Ish () after his magnum opus, was a Belarusian-born Orthodox rabbi who later became one of the leaders of Haredi Judaism in Israel, where he spent his ...

(1878–1953), ''Chazon Ish'' *

Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg Rabbi Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg (1884–1966) was an Orthodox rabbi, posek ("decisor" of Jewish law) and rosh yeshiva. He is best known as the author of the work of responsa ''Seridei Eish''. Weinberg was considered a genius in his time - with m ...

(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 ( he, אליעזר סילבר; 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 he ...

(1882–1968) *

Yehezkel Abramsky Yehezkel Abramsky ( he, יחזקאל אברמסקי) (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 ...

(1886–1976) *

Yoel Teitelbaum Joel Teitelbaum ( yi, יואל טייטלבוים, translit=Yoyl Teytlboym, ; 13 January 1887 – 19 August 1979) was the founder and first Grand Rebbe of the Satmar dynasty. A major figure in the post-war renaissance of Hasidism, he espoused a ...

(1887–1979), ''

Vayoel Moshe ''Vayoel Moshe'' ( he, ויואל משה) is a Hebrew book written by Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, founder of the Satmar Hasidic movement, in 1961. In it, Teitelbaum argues that Zionism is incompatible with Judaism. As Teitelbaum explains in the int ...

'', ''Divrei Yoel'' *

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

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

Zvi Yehuda Kook Zvi Yehuda Kook ( he, צבי יהודה קוק, 23 April 1891 – 9 March 1982) was a prominent ultranationalist Orthodox rabbi. He was the son of Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak Hacohen Kook, the first Ashkenazi chief rabbi of British Mandatory Pal ...

(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 b ...

(1891–1986) *

Aharon Kotler Aharon Kotler (1892–1962) was an Orthodox Jewish rabbi and a prominent leader of Orthodox Judaism in Lithuania and the United States; the latter being where he founded Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood Township, New Jersey. Early life Kotler w ...

(1892–1962) *

Moshe Feinstein Moshe Feinstein ( he, משה פײַנשטיין; Lithuanian pronunciation: ''Moshe Faynshteyn''; en, Moses Feinstein; March 3, 1895 – March 23, 1986) was an American Orthodox rabbi, scholar, and ''posek'' (authority on ''halakha''—J ...

(1895–1986), ''

Igrot Moshe ''Igros Moshe'' ( he, אגרות משה, , Epistles of Moses; Israeli/ Sephardic pronunciation: ''Igrot Moshe'') is a nine-volume series of '' halakhic'' responsa by Rabbi Moshe Feinstein. The first seven volumes were published during Rabbi Fein ...

'' *

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, but his Halakha, halakhic i ...

(1902–1989), ''Minchas Yitzchak'' *

Yosef Greenwald Yosef Greenwald ( he, יוסף גרינוואלד 1903 – Brooklyn 1984) was the second Rebbe of the Pupa Hasidic dynasty, and the charismatic leader of all the Pupa Hasidim. Prior to World War II, he was a rabbi and rosh yeshiva in Pápa, Hun ...

(1903–1984), ''Vayaan Yosef'' *

Joseph B. Soloveitchik Joseph Ber Soloveitchik ( he, יוסף דב הלוי סולובייצ׳יק ''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 ...

(1903–1993) *

Yitzchok Hutner Yitzchak (Isaac) Hutner ( he, יצחק הוטנר; 1906–1980) was an American Orthodox rabbi and rosh yeshiva (dean). Originally from Warsaw, Hutner first studied the Torah in Slabodka. He then traveled to Mandatory Palestine where he became ...

(1906–1980) *

Chanoch Dov Padwa Rabbi Chanoch Dov Padwa (17 August 1908 – 16 August 2000) was a world-renowned Orthodox Jewish posek, Talmudist and rabbinic leader. Early years Chanoch Dov Padwa was born on 17 August 1908 (20 Av 5668 in the Hebrew calendar) in Busk, a smal ...

(1908–2000), ''Cheishev Ho'Ephod'' * Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (1910–1995), ''Minchat Shlomo'' *

Yosef Shalom Eliashiv Yosef Shalom Elyashiv ( he, יוסף שלום אלישיב; 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 lead ...

(1910–2012) *

Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg ( he, חיים פנחס שיינברג;‎ 1 October 1910 – 20 March 2012) was a Polish-born, American-raised, Israeli Haredi rabbi and rosh yeshiva who, from 1965, made his home in the Kiryat Mattersdorf neighborho ...

(1910–2012) * Pinhas Hirschprung (1912–1998) * Shmuel Wosner (1913–2015), ''Shevet HaLevi'' *

Aharon Leib Shteinman Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman ( he, אהרן יהודה לייב שטינמן), 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 201 ...

(c. 1913–2017) *

Ephraim Oshry Ephraim Oshry (1914–2003), 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, Lithuania. He stu ...

(1914–2003) *

Avraham Shapira Avraham Shapira ( he, אברהם אלקנה כהנא שפירא; 20 May 1914, 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 ...

(c. 1914–2007) *

Eliezer Waldenberg Eliezer Yehuda Waldenberg ( he, הרב אליעזר יהודה וולדנברג; 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 ...

(1917–2006), ''Tzitz Eliezer'' *

Shlomo Goren Shlomo Goren ( he, שלמה גורן; February 3, 1917 – October 29, 1994), was a Polish-born Israeli Orthodox Religious Zionist rabbi and Talmudic scholar who was considered a foremost authority on Jewish law (Halakha). Goren founded and ser ...

(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 highly ...

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

Ovadia Yosef Ovadia Yosef ( he, , Ovadya Yosef, ; September 24, 1920 – October 7, 2013) was an Iraqi-born Talmudic scholar, a posek, the Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel from 1973 to 1983, and a founder and long-time spiritual leader of Israel's ultra-Orthod ...

(1920–2013), ''Yabbia Omer'' *

Baruch Ben Haim Baruch Ben Haim ( he, ברוך בן חיים, November 18, 1921 – June 2, 2005) was a Sephardi Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, ...

(1921–2005) *

Fishel Hershkowitz Ephraim Fishel Hershkowitz ( he, אפרים פישל הערשקאוויטש) (2 October 1922 – 27 May 2017), the Hallein, Haleiner Rav, was an American Hasidic rabbi, the senior Klausenburg (Hasidic dynasty), Klausenburger ''Beth din#Officers of ...

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

Williamsburg, Brooklyn Williamsburg is a Neighborhoods in Brooklyn, neighborhood in the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn, bordered by Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Greenpoint to the north; Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, Bedford–Stuyvesant to the s ...

, New York *

Hayim David HaLevi Hayim David HaLevi (24 January 1924 – 10 March 1998) (), was Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv-Yafo. Biography Hayim David HaLevi was born in Jerusalem. He studied under Rabbi Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel at the Porat Yosef Yeshiva. When R. Uziel wa ...

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

Menashe Klein Menashe Klein (1924–2011) (Hebrew: ר' מנשה קליין), 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, ...

(1924–2011),

Ungvar Uzhhorod ( uk, У́жгород, , ; ) is a city and municipality on the river Uzh in western Ukraine, at the border with Slovakia and near the border with Hungary. The city is approximately equidistant from the Baltic, the Adriatic and the ...

er Rav; '' Mishneh Halachos'' *

Gedalia Dov Schwartz Gedalia Dov Schwartz (January 24, 1925 — December 9, 2020) was an eminent 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 Yona Rei ...

(1925-2020),

av beit din The ''av beit din'' ( ''ʾabh bêth dîn'', "chief of the court" or "chief justice"), also spelled ''av beis din'' or ''abh beth din'' and abbreviated ABD (), was the second-highest-ranking member of the Sanhedrin during the Second Temple period, ...

Beth Din of America The Beth Din of America is a Beth Din (Court of Jewish Law) which serves Jews throughout the United States of America as a forum for arbitrating disputes through the din torah process, obtaining Jewish divorces, and confirming Jewish personal status ...

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 ( he, נסים קרליץ; 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 ...

(1926-2019) *

Nahum Rabinovitch Nachum Eliezer Rabinovitch ( he, נַחוּם אֱלִיעֶזֶר רָבִּינוֹבִיץּ׳; 30 April 1928 – 6 May 2020), born Norman Louis Rabinovitch, was a Canadian-Israeli Religious Zionist rabbi and ''posek''. He headed the London S ...

, (1928-2020) rosh yeshiva of

Yeshivat Birkat Moshe Yeshivat Birkat Moshe is a hesder yeshiva located in the Mitzpeh Nevo neighborhood of Ma'ale Adumim in the West Bank. It was founded in 1977 by Rabbis Haim Sabato and Yitzchak Sheilat, then two young rabbis from Yeshivat HaKotel, in Jerusalem. Fo ...

Chaim Kanievsky Shmaryahu Yosef Chaim Kanievsky ( he, שמריהו יוסף חיים קַניֶבסקִי; 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 ...

(1928-2022) *

Mordechai Eliyahu Mordechai Tzemach Eliyahu ( he, מרדכי צמח אליהו, March 3, 1929 – June 7, 2010, on the Hebrew calendar: 21 Adar I, 5689 - 25 Siwan, 5770),

(1929–2010) *

Dovid Feinstein Rabbi Dovid Feinstein ( he, דוד פיינשטיין; 1929 – November 6, 2020) was a Torah scholar and ''halachic'' authority, considered by many as the leading halachic authority in the United States in the 21st century. He served as the ...

(1929-2020) *

Ephraim Greenblatt Ephraim Greenblatt (1932–2014) was a rabbi and ''Halakha, halachic'' authority in the United States, and at the end of his life in Jerusalem. He was famous for his many halachic answers and is considered a leading disciple of Moshe Feinstein. Bio ...

(1932-2014), ''Rivivos Efraim'' *

Zalman Nechemia Goldberg Zalman Nechemia Goldberg ( he, זלמן נחמיה גולדברג; January 28, 1931 – August 20, 2020) was a rabbi, posek, and rosh yeshiva in Israel. The scion of a Lithuanian Jewish family, Goldberg was also a son-in-law of Shlomo Zalman Auer ...

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

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

, editor-in-chief of the

Encyclopedia Talmudit The ''Encyclopedia Talmudit'' ( he, אנציקלופדיה תלמודית ''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 ...

Aharon Lichtenstein Aharon Lichtenstein (May 23, 1933 – April 20, 2015) was a noted Orthodox rabbi and rosh yeshiva. He was an authority in Jewish law (''Halakha''). Biography Aharon Lichtenstein was born to Rabbi Dr. Yechiel Lichtenstein and Bluma née Schwartz ...

(1933–2015),

rosh yeshiva Rosh yeshiva ( he, ראש ישיבה, pl. he, ראשי ישיבה, '; 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, primar ...

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 Gush Etzion. It is considered one of the leading institutions of advanced Tor ...

Meir Brandsdorfer Rabbi Meir Brandsdorfer ( he, מאיר ברנדסדורפר; 7 September 1934 – 13 May 2009) was a member of the Rabbinical Court of the Edah HaChareidis, the Haredi Ashkenazi community in Jerusalem, and was in charge of their Kashrut operation ...

(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 Jewish 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 autho ...

(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 Agud ...

(1938–2016) *

Yehuda Henkin Rabbi Yehuda Herzl Henkin (1945 – 23 December 2020), author of the responsa ''Benei Vanim'', was a modern orthodox posek. Early life and education Yehuda Henkin was born in Pennsylvania in 1945 and raised in New Haven, Connecticut. His fat ...

(1945-2020)

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

(1892–1990), ''Reform Jewish Practice and its Rabbinic Background'' * Isaac Klein (1905–1979), ''A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice'' * Jacob Agus (1911–1986), ''Dialogue and Tradition''

Living poskim

* Shmuel Kamenetsky (1924- ), rosh yeshiva,

Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia The Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia ( he, פילאדעלפיע ישיבה) is a Haredi Litvish yeshiva in the Overbrook neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its heads of school are Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky, Rabbi Shimon Yehudah Svei an ...

Haim Drukman Haim Meir Drukman ( he, חיים דרוקמן), born 15 November 1932) is an Israeli Orthodox Rabbi and former politician. He serves as Rosh Yeshiva of Ohr Etzion Yeshiva, and head of the Center for Bnei Akiva Yeshivot. Biography Drukman w ...

(1932- ) * Yitzchak Abadi (1933- ) *

Dov Lior Dov Lior ( he, דב ליאור, born 30 October 1933) is an Israeli Orthodox rabbi who served as the Chief Rabbi of Hebron and Kiryat Arba in the southern West Bank until late 2014. He is the rosh yeshiva of the Kiryat Arba Hesder Yeshiva and h ...

(1933- ) * Avigdor Nebenzahl (1935- ) * Yaakov Ariel (1937- ) *

Zephaniah Drori , image = Zfania Drori 1983.JPG , caption = Rabbi Zephaniah Drori, 1983 , image_size = , title = Chief Rabbi of Kiryat Shmona , yeshivaposition = Rosh yeshiva , yeshiva = Kiryat Shmona Hesder Yeshiva , birth_name = , birth_date = , b ...

(1937- ) *

Zalman Baruch Melamed Zalman Baruch Melamed ( he, זלמן ברוך מלמד, 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 unti ...

(1937- ) *

Yisrael Ariel Rabbi Yisrael Ariel (, born Yisrael Stieglitz in 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 Institute (''Ma ...

(1939- ) *

Eliyahu Ben Haim Eliyahu Ben Chaim (born August 4, 1940) is a Sephardi rabbi, Talmudic scholar, and Orthodox halachist. He is the Av Beit Din (head of the rabbinical court) of Mekor Haim in Queens, New York, and a prominent leader of New York's Sephardi Jewish ...

(1940- ) *

Ephraim Padwa Rabbi Ephraim Padwa (born 1940) is a senior Haredi rabbi in London. He is rabbinical head of the Stamford Hill-based Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations, succeeding his father Chanoch Dov Padwa, who died in August 2000. Padwa is an internation ...

(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 Rabbi Hershel Schachter (born ) is an American Orthodox rabbi, posek (religious law authority) and rosh yeshiva (dean) at Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS), part of Yeshiva University (YU) in New York City. Schachter is an '' hal ...

(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 rabbi of Beit El, an Israeli settlement. He is consider ...

(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 ( he, יצחק יוסף, born January 16, 1952) is the Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel (known as the Rishon LeZion), the rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Hazon Ovadia, and the author of a set of books on ''halakha'' (Jewish law) called Yal ...

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

Yalkut Yosef Yalkut Yosef ( he, ילקוט יוסף, "Collation of Yosef") is an authoritative, contemporary work of Halakha, providing a detailed explanation of the Shulchan Aruch as based on the halachic rulings of the former Rishon LeTzion Rav Ovadia Yosef. ...

Yitzchak Berkovits Yitzchak Shmuel Halevi Berkovits ( he, יצחק שמואל הלוי ברקוביץ) 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 dir ...

(1953- ), rosh kollel The Jerusalem Kollel *

Osher Weiss Osher (Usher, Asher) Zelig Weiss (Hebrew: אשר וייס; born March 25, 1953) is a posek, the current rosh kollel of Machon Minchas Osher L’Torah V’Horaah and author of the Minchas Osher. He grew up in a Klausenberger family in Borough Par ...

(1953- ), Minchas Osher *

Eliezer Melamed Eliezer Melamed ( he, אליעזר מלמד, born 28 June 1961) is an Israeli Orthodox Zionist rabbi and the rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Har Bracha, rabbi of the community Har Bracha, and author of the book series ''Peninei Halakha''. Biography Eli ...

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

Pinchas Toledano Dr Pinchas Toledano (פנחס טולידאנו) is Hakham-Emeritus (Chief Rabbi) of Amsterdam and of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews of the Netherlands. He was also the official ''Av Beit Din'', head of the court, of the Netherlands '' Beit Din''. ...

hakham ''Hakham'' (or ''chakam(i), haham(i), hacham(i)''; he, חכם ', "wise") 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 ...

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 i ...

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 and ...

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 research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, incl ...

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

Orthodox Judaism

Conservative Judaism

Progressive Judaism

List of poskim and major works

Poskim of past years

Pre-20th century

Orthodox

Conservative and Reform

Living poskim

See also

References

Further reading

External links