Halacha

American  

[hah-law-khuh, hah-lah-khah, hah-law-khaw] / hɑˈlɔ xə, hɑ lɑˈxɑ, ˌhɑ lɔˈxɔ /

noun

(often lowercase)

plural

Halachas,

plural

Halachoth, Halachot, Halachos

1. Halakhah.

---

Halacha British  

/ hɑlɑˈxɑː, hɑˈloxə /

noun

1. 1. Jewish religious law

   2. a ruling on some specific matter

2. 1. that part of the Talmud which is concerned with legal matters as distinct from homiletics

   2. Jewish legal literature in general

---

Etymology

Origin of Halacha

from Hebrew hǎlākhāh way

Example Sentences

In 1960 the Interior Ministry, dominated by Orthodox Jews, ru'ed that the Halacha would determine whether an immigrant could enter Israel under the 1950 Law of Return, which makes any Jew automatically eligible for citizenship.

From Time Magazine Archive

Halachah, Halakah, Halacha, ha-lak′�, n. an amplification of points not explicitly set forth in the Mosaic law, deduced from it by analogy, and arranged in the collection of legal precepts designated Halachoth.—adj.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various

The best translations—single treatises have been put into modern languages—fail to convey an adequate idea of the discussions and method that evolved the Halacha.

From Jewish Literature and Other Essays by Karpeles, Gustav

The schools of Shammai and Hillel were at variance three years, the one party contending and saying, 'The Halacha is according to us;' and the other, 'The Halacha is according to us.'

From Hebraic Literature; Translations from the Talmud, Midrashim and Kabbala by Various

These two species of Jewish literature, the Agada and the Midrashim, have a far greater absolute value than the Halacha.

From Jewish History : an essay in the philosophy of history by Dubnow, S. M. (Simon Markovich)