Religious Law - Judaism

Judaism

The Torah is the basis of God's covenant law, not oral tradition. According to rabbinic tradition there are 613 mitzvot in the Torah. The mitzvot in the Torah (also called the Mosaic law after Moses) pertain to nearly every aspect of human life; some of these laws are directed only to men or to women, some only to the ancient priestly groups (the Kohanim and Leviyim, members of the tribe of Levi, some only to farmers within the Land of Israel. Some laws are only applicable when there is a Temple in Jerusalem (see Third Temple); after the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in the year 70 during the Great Jewish Revolt, Jewish Oral Law was developed through intensive and expansive interpretation of the written Torah, see School of Jamnia.

Halakha (Hebrew: הלכה‎; literally "walking"), the rabbinic Jewish way of life is based on a combined reading of the Torah, and the oral tradition, including the Mishnah, the halakhic Midrash, the Talmud, and its commentaries. The halakhah has developed gradually through a variety of legal and quasi-legal mechanisms, including judicial decisions, legislative enactments, and customary law. The literature of questions to rabbis, and their considered answers, are referred to as responsa. Over time, as practices develop, codes of Jewish law were written based on Talmudic literature and responsa. The most important code, the Shulchan Aruch, guides the religious practice of most Orthodox and some Conservative Jews.