Halakhah

American  

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

Or Halakah,

noun

plural

Halakhahs,

plural

Halakhoth, Halakhot, Halakhos

1. (often lowercase) the entire body of Jewish law and tradition comprising the laws of the Bible, the oral law as transcribed in the legal portion of the Talmud, and subsequent legal codes amending or modifying traditional precepts to conform to contemporary conditions.

2. a law or tradition established by the Halakhah.

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Other Word Forms

• Halakhic adjective

Etymology

Origin of Halakhah

First recorded in 1855–60, Halakhah is from the Hebrew word hălākhāh, literally, way

Example Sentences

Halakhah mandates that abortion is necessary if the woman’s life is in danger.

From Washington Post • Aug. 6, 2019

Buber virtually reduced Halakhah to individual inclination, arguing that its prescriptions were useful only to a Jew who found them personally fulfilling.

From Time Magazine Archive

She must not only preserve the ritual of celebrations but also see to it that her husband studies Halakhah, the body of Jewish religious law.

From Time Magazine Archive

"How does Judaism accommodate people in a state where 90% of its citizens do not accept Halakhah?" he says.

From Time Magazine Archive

The application of this oral law is called Halakhah, the rules by which a man’s daily “walk” is regulated.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 2 "Hearing" to "Helmond" by Various