What is Halacha?

Q: What is halacha?  I have heard mush about it but do not understand what it is.

A: In short, Jewish law is halacha.  It is Hebrew and literally means, “the way.”

Since the birth of Christianity, the church has built incredible soaring edifices throughout the world.  They testify to the power, influence and importance of that faith.  The church found an expression through the media of art and architecture.

Judaism, on the other hand, has pushed the boundaries of intellectual inquiry as a form of its artistic expression.  One scholar of modernity said, “Prayer is how we speak to God.  Study is how God speaks to us.”  That idea coupled with our living in diaspora for so many centuries has made the study hall the most prominent feature – other than prayer - for outward expression.

What has been handed down to u is an intricate tapestry with known for its elaborate picture but seldom understood.  Each thread of the tapestry must be woven in harmony with the entire picture so that it forms one cohesive fabric and picture.  Every single thread that is woven into this ever-widening picture is called halacha.  Just as the weaver must choose the correct color to blend in with the entire picture, so too the halachist must carefully select the proper method of interpretation, the methodology as well as the result, to be compatible with the entirety of Jewish Law.

When we gaze from a distance at the framework we are dazzled by its sheer bulk.  After all, this picture has been in development since Mt. Sinai!  The enormity of this literature is breathtaking.  As the millennia have come and gone, the halacha continues to be molded by each successive generation interpreting it in the light of their time but never tearing down what has already been added by prior generations.  With time, the halachic tapestry becomes more intricate and expands as the needs of the time dictate.  To this day, scholars continue to study and expand the girth of this remarkable guide to life.