''Arba'ah Turim'' (), often called simply the ''Tur'', is an important Halakhic code composed by Yaakov ben Asher (

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, 1270 –

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c. 1340, also referred to as ''Ba'al Ha-Turim''). The four-part structure of the ''Tur'' and its division into chapters (''simanim'') were adopted by the later code ''

Shulchan Aruch The ''Shulhan Arukh'' ( ),, often called "the Code of Jewish Law", is the most widely consulted of the various legal codes in Rabbinic Judaism. It was authored in the city of Safed in what is now Israel by Joseph Karo in 1563 and published in ...

''. This was the first book to be printed in Southeast Europe and the Near East.

Meaning of the name

The title of the work in

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

means "four rows", in allusion to the jewels on the High Priest's breastplate. Each of the four divisions of the work is a "Tur", so a particular passage may be cited as "Tur Orach Chayim, siman 22", meaning "Orach Chayim division, chapter 22". This was later misunderstood as meaning "Tur, Orach Chayim, chapter 22" (to distinguish it from the corresponding passage in the

), so that "Tur" came to be used as the title of the whole work.

Arrangement and contents

The ''Arba'ah Turim'', as the name implies, consists of four divisions ("Turim"); these are further organised by topic and section (''siman'', pl. ''simanim'').The Shulchan Aruch contains a further division by paragraph (''sa'if'', pl. ''se'ifim''), which is incorporated into some editions of the Arba'ah Turim to enable point-by-point comparison. :The four Turim are as follows: :*

Orach Chayim ''Orach Chayim'' ("manner/way of life") is a section of Rabbi Jacob ben Asher's compilation of Halakha (Jewish law), '' Arba'ah Turim''. This section addresses aspects of Jewish law pertinent to the Hebrew calendar (be it the daily, weekly, mo ...

- laws of prayer and

synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

Sabbath In Abrahamic religions, the Sabbath () or Shabbat (from Hebrew ) is a day set aside for rest and worship. According to the Book of Exodus, the Sabbath is a day of rest on the seventh day, Ten Commandments, commanded by God to be kept as a Holid ...

, holidays :* Yoreh De'ah - miscellaneous ritualistic laws, such as shechita and

kashrut (also or , ) is a set of Food and drink prohibitions, dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to halakha, Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed ko ...

:* Even Ha'ezer - laws of

marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

, divorce :* Choshen Mishpat - laws of finance, financial responsibility, damages (personal and financial) and legal procedure In the ''Arba'ah Turim'', Ya'akov ben Asher traces the practical Jewish law from the

Torah The Torah ( , "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The Torah is also known as the Pentateuch () ...

text and the dicta of the

Talmud The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...

through the '' Rishonim''. He used the code of Isaac Alfasi as his starting point; these views are then compared to those of

Maimonides Moses ben Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (, ) and also referred to by the Hebrew acronym Rambam (), was a Sephardic rabbi and Jewish philosophy, philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah schola ...

, as well as to the

Ashkenazi Ashkenazi Jews ( ; also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim) form a distinct subgroup of the Jewish diaspora, that Ethnogenesis, emerged in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium Common era, CE. They traditionally spe ...

traditions contained in the Tosafist literature. Unlike Maimonides' '' Mishneh Torah'', the ''Tur'' is not limited to normative positions, but compares the various opinions on any disputed point. (In most instances of debate, Ya'akov ben Asher follows the opinion of his father Asher ben Jehiel, known as the "Rosh".) ''Arba'ah Turim'' also differs from the ''Mishneh Torah'', in that, unlike Maimonides' work, it deals only with areas of Jewish law that are applicable in the

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

ish

exile Exile or banishment is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons ...

Later developments

The best-known commentary on the ''Arba'ah Turim'' is the '' Beit Yosef'' by rabbi Joseph ben Ephraim Karo: this goes beyond the normal functions of a commentary, in that it attempts to review all the relevant authorities and come to a final decision on every point, so as to constitute a comprehensive resource on Jewish law. Other commentaries are ''Bayit Chadash'' by rabbi Joel Sirkis, ''Darkhei Moshe'' by Moses Isserles, ''Beit Yisrael (Perishah u-Derishah)'' by rabbi Joshua Falk, as well as works by a number of other '' Acharonim''. These often defend the views of the Tur against the Beit Yosef. The ''Tur'' continues to play an important role in Halakha. * Joseph Caro's ''

'', the fundamental work 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 ...

'', is a condensation of his ''Beit Yosef'' and follows the basic structure of the ''Arba'ah Turim'', including its division into four sections and chapters - ''Tur's'' structure down to the ''siman'' is retained in the ''Shulchan Aruch''. * The views in the other commentaries are often relevant in ascertaining or explaining the Ashkenazi version of Jewish law, as codified by Moses Isserles in his ''Mappah''. Students of the ''Shulchan Aruch'', particularly in Orthodox Semikhah programs, typically study the ''Tur'' and the ''Beit Yosef'' concurrently with the ''Shulchan Aruch'' itself: in some editions the two works are printed together, to allow comparison of corresponding ''simanim''.

References

External links

Arba'ah Turim
Prof. Eliezer Segal * *''Tur'' text in clear Hebrew print
TurShulchanArukh – AlHaTorah.org
{{Authority control Jewish medieval literature Rabbinic legal texts and responsa Hebrew-language religious books Hebrew words and phrases in Jewish law Sifrei Kodesh

Meaning of the name

Arrangement and contents

Later developments

See also

References

External links