About LAW

Hebrew Name

הֲלָכָה

English Name

LAW

Phonetic Spelling

HA-LA-CHAH

Silhouette,Of,A,Young,Woman,Walking,On,Dead,Sea,Salt

What does LAW mean?

The Hebrew word halacha derives from the word holech, “to walk,” and is most commonly used to refer to the Jewish tradition’s large body of commandments and laws.

וְהִזְהַרְתָּ֣ה אֶתְהֶ֔ם אֶת־הַחֻקִּ֖ים וְאֶת־הַתּוֹרֹ֑ת וְהוֹדַעְתָּ֣ לָהֶ֗ם אֶת־הַדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ יֵ֣לְכוּ בָ֔הּ וְאֶת־הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַעֲשֽׂוּן׃
and enjoin upon them the laws and the teachings, and make known to them the way they are to go and the practices they are to follow.
v'-hi-z'-har-TAH et-HEM et-ha-KHU-kim v'-et-ha-TO-rot v'-ho-DA-tah LA-HEM et-ha-DE-rekh ye-le-KHU vah v'-et-ha-ma-a-SEH a-SHER ya-a-SUN
Exodus 18:20

עָמַ֣ד ׀ וַיְמֹ֣דֶד אֶ֗רֶץ רָאָה֙ וַיַּתֵּ֣ר גּוֹיִ֔ם וַיִּתְפֹּֽצְצוּ֙ הַרְרֵי־עַ֔ד שַׁח֖וּ גִּבְע֣וֹת עוֹלָ֑ם הֲלִיכ֥וֹת עוֹלָ֖ם לֽוֹ׃
When He stands, He makes the earth shake; When He glances, He makes nations tremble. The age-old mountains are shattered, The primeval hills sink low. His are the ancient routes:
a-MAD va-y'-MO-ded E-retz ra-AH va-y'-TEr go-YIM va-yit-PO-tze-TZU har-rei-AD sha-KHU giv-OT o-LAM ha-li-KHOT o-LAM lo
Habakkuk 3:6

Description about LAW

The Hebrew word halacha derives from the word holech, “to walk,” and is most commonly used to refer to the Jewish tradition’s large body of commandments and laws. This linguistic connection reflects the purpose of Jewish law: to teach us how to “walk” in God’s ways through this world. A teaching from the Talmud illustrates this idea. “One who studies Halachot (Torah laws) every day is assured of a place in the World to Come. The verse in Habakkuk says: ‘The ways of the world (Halichot) are His’ (Habakkuk 3:6). The Rabbis explain: Do not read ‘Halichot,’ meaning ‘ways of the world,’ but rather “Halachot,” meaning the ‘laws of the Torah.’” “The ways of the world” are the mundane, everyday things we do throughout each day of our lives, from the time we wake up in the morning until we go to sleep at night, like getting dressed in the morning, eating breakfast and commuting to work. The Sages teach us that the laws of the Torah that direct our everyday lives are meant to align these mundane parts of our lives with God’s ways. They provide us with constant opportunities to bring God-consciousness into our daily lives and infuse holiness into the mundane. This is what Jethro was referring to when he said to his son-in-law Moses, “Enjoin upon them the laws and the teachings, and make known to them the way they are to go and the practices they are to follow” (Exodus 18:20). The laws of the Bible show us the path on which we should walk and, as a result, help us to follow the ways of God, uplifting and sanctifying our lives with great purpose and meaning.

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