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

Some faith leaders believe it still counts as killing, given that it ends a form of life, Fischer said, but halakhah insists there can be extenuating circumstances in which killing is permissible.

From Washington Post

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

From Washington Post

By performing abortions for all women who meet the clinic’s standards, Imershein, who is Reform, is taking a “very permissive” position that some more conservative Jews may see as immoral, said Elli Fischer, an Orthodox rabbi and halakhah historian.

From Washington Post

What Jewish law, known as “halakhah,” says is more complicated, failing to conform to either the perspectives of those who fight to end abortion access or those who promote it.

From Washington Post

Both sharia and halakhah include laws for communal as well as personal life.

From Washington Post