Understanding Jewish Law

Understanding Jewish Law:

• Provides critically important contextual information for any course or seminar in Jewish law;
• Identifies Jewish law fundamental assumptions, including an individual's responsibilities to and for others;
• Presents a clear, concise overview not only of Jewish law's institutions, but also of the hierarchies of its literary and human authorities;
• Differentiates between Jewish law's biblical and non-biblical precepts, explaining their distinct practical and theoretical consequences;
• Focuses on the processes through which Jewish law unfolds and the roles played by individual autonomy;
• Compares and analyzes the interrelationships between Jewish and secular law in several key areas, including legal ethics, bankruptcy law, and alternative dispute resolution;
• Through nine appendices, offers a wealth of material designed to enable students to comprehend Jewish law literature and to engage in Jewish law research. Among many other things, these appendices: (1) Prepare students for the various ways in which Hebrew and Biblical Aramaic words are transliterated; (2) Direct students to a treasury of essential resources, including English translations of primary Jewish law literature that are available, many of which for free on the internet; (3) Describe pertinent English journals, databases and books.