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Halakhah

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions | 1997 | | Copyright

Halakhah (Heb., from halak, ‘he went’). A particular law or the whole Jewish legal system. The halakhah is traditionally believed to go back in its entirety to Moses. The halakhah is composed of the written law (the six hundred and thirteen commandments of the Pentateuch), the statements handed down by tradition (such as the words of the prophets and the hagiographa (Writings), the oral law (which includes interpretations of the written law), the sayings of the scribes, and established religious custom. Written law is Torah she-bi-khetav, oral law is Torah she-beʾal peh (‘… by mouth’).

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JOHN BOWKER. "Halakhah." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN BOWKER. "Halakhah." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Halakhah.html

JOHN BOWKER. "Halakhah." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Halakhah.html

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