Halakhah

or Ha·la·kah, Ha·la·chah, Ha·la·cha

[ hah-law-khuh; Sephardic Hebrew hah-lah-khah; Ashkenazic Hebrew hah-law-khaw ]

noun

, plural Ha·la·khahs, Hebrew Ha·la·khoth, Ha·la·khot, Ha·la·khos [hah-lah-, khawt, hah-law-, khohs]

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.

Other Words From

• Ha·la·khic [h, uh, -, lah, -, kh, ik, -, lak, -ik], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Halakhah¹

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

Example Sentences

If competing courts interpret halakhah differently, all the better.

From The Daily Beast

As a Jew committed to halakhah, I admit I do not understand this calculus.

From The Daily Beast

Traditional teaching was, however, not confined to halakhah.

From Project Gutenberg

The halakhah was by no means inferior in prestige to the written Law.

From Project Gutenberg