''Arba'ah Turim'' (), often called simply the ''Tur'', is an important
Halakhic code composed by
Yaakov ben Asher (
Cologne
Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
, 1270 –
Toledo, Spain
Toledo ( ; ) is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality of Spain, the capital of the province of Toledo and the ''de jure'' seat of the government and parliament of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castilla� ...
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
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 ...
), 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 ''
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 ...
'', 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''.
See also
*
Mishneh Torah
*
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 ...
*
Mishnah Berurah
*
Shulchan Aruch HaRav
*
Kitzur Shulchan Aruch
*
Aruch HaShulchan
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