Page 46 - HaMizrachi Yom HaAtzmaut 5782 USA

Peninei Halachah:

A Religious Zionist

Code of Jewish Law?
Rabbi Elli
Fischer

Rav Melamed’s English translator reflects on his achievements and
the recent controversies surrounding Peninei Halacha.

ver the past two decades choice is Peninei Halachah. [Ed. Note: a a bird’s eye view of the halachic
or so, Rabbi Eliezer passage from Peninei Halacha is studied corpus and proceeds to organize the
Melamed, the rav and rosh every day after Mincha at the World material in accordance with a broad,
Oyeshivah of Har Bracha Mizrachi headquarters.] There is even fixed structure – like the six orders
on Mount Gerizim, has authored a new series called Shoneh Halachot of the Mishnah, the fourteen books
nineteen volumes (and counting) of which facilitates the daily study of of Mishneh Torah, or the four major
Peninei Halachah, a practical guide to one paragraph from Peninei Halachah. sections of Arba’ah Turim, which is
the halachot of contemporary Jewish Three volumes have appeared thus far. adopted by Shulchan Aruch as well
life. They are written in clear language None of this means that Peninei – and from there to individual topics
and with theoretical and ideological Halachah is immune to criticism. On and subtopics, before finally arriving
introductions, into which the halachic the contrary, there has recently been at the level of the legal detail.
details are then assimilated. some harsh criticism – sometimes The advantage of a code is clear:
These qualities, among others, have bordering on personal attacks – it strives for internal consistency
endeared Peninei Halachah to a broad against Rav Melamed and his books, and comprehensiveness, and its
spectrum of the traditional and and specifically from within the organizational structure makes it easy
Religious Zionist community in Israel. Religious Zionist community. Some for users to find what they are looking
The volumes have been spotted on the of this criticism is specific to Rav for. In fact, it is precisely this feature
bookshelves of Prime Minister Naftali Melamed, but some parallels the that has historically engendered
Bennett and President Isaac Herzog, as opposition faced by some of our most opposition; codes make halachah so
well as in schools and shuls, seminaries prominent and accepted halachic accessible that lay users – the codes’
and yeshivot. They are the standard codes, including Rambam’s Mishneh primary audience – are empowered to
textbook for the study of halachah Torah and Rav Yosef Karo’s Shulchan rely on their own studies. This was a
in Religious Zionist high schools, and Aruch. significant element of the opposition
there is even a popular series of Peninei Let us contrast halachic codes with to Shulchan Aruch, and its echoes
Halachah for children, complete with another major type of halachic writing: reverberate even today, especially
illustrations. To date, about a million responsa, or she’elot u’teshuvot. These when areas of halachah that were
individual volumes of Peninei Halachah are a different genre whose writing can typically addressed on a case-by-case
have been sold – in addition to its reflect different ways of approaching basis become the subject of a new
availability as an app, on the website halachah. The codifier begins with code.
of Yeshivat Har Bracha, and on Sefaria.
In addition to Hebrew, volumes are
available in English, Spanish, French,
and Russian.
There are also plenty of signs that
Peninei Halachah is not just a reference,
textbook, or shelf-ornament, but a
phenomenon that has become part
of the religious routine of thousands.
Countless groups study Peninei
A member of Halachah via social media, especially
the Mizrachi WhatsApp. Many synagogues and
Speakers Bureau yeshivot have the custom to study a
mizrachi.org/ single halachah after Shacharit each
speakers morning; more and more, the text of

46 |