Halacha

20 Jun 2006

[f., pl. “Halachot”]; Actually, this word is used in two senses: one is as a singular, meaning a single Jewish Law; for example, that one has to recite a “berachah,” a blessing, before one eats an apple. The second sense is as a collective noun, referring to “all of Jewish Law.” For example, a Rabbi should be an expert in all of “Halacha.”

The word derives from the Hebrew “shoresh,” or root, “lech,” “to go.” The reason is that it describes a “path to follow,” or a “way on which to go,” in life.