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Aruch HaShulchan

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Aruch HaShulchan

Arukh HaShulchan (Hebrew: עָרוּךְ הַשֻּׁלְחָן [or, arguably, עָרֹךְ הַשֻּׁלְחָן; see § Title below]) is a work of halacha written by Yechiel Michel Epstein (1829–1908). The work attempts to be a clear, organized summary of the sources for each chapter of the Shulchan Arukh and its commentaries, with special emphasis on the positions of the Jerusalem Talmud and Maimonides.

The title "Arukh HaShulchan" ("the table is set") is a clear allusion to the Shulchan Arukh ("the set table") on which it draws, and to Arokh ha-Shulchan from Isaiah 21:5. Samuel Kalman Mirsky argued that the title should be pronounced Arokh as in Isaiah, but Eitam Henkin argued that it should be pronounced Arukh to clarify the allusion to the Shulchan Arukh, and pointed to its original title page, which includes the Russian transliteration Арух-Гашулхонъ.

In Arukh HaShulchan, Epstein cites the source of each law as found in the Talmud and Maimonides, and states the legal decision as found in the Shulchan Arukh with the glosses of Isserles. When he deems it necessary, Epstein also mentions the views of other Rishonim (early, pre-1550 authorities), and especially Acharonim (later authorities), occasionally disagreeing with the latter.

The work follows the structure of the Tur and the Shulchan Arukh: A division into four large parts, subdivided into parallel chapters (simanim) that match in all three works. These are further subdivided into paragraphs (se'ifim), but the latter does not match in the three works (the Tur has no official se'ifim at all, and the se'ifim of the Shulchan Arukh do not match that of the Arukh HaShulchan).

Epstein tends to take a lenient view (le-kula) but decidedly without compromising in any form on the power and rule of Jewish law. When the established custom conflicts with theoretical halacha, Epstein tends to side with local custom, to a greater extent than is the case in works such as the Mishnah Berurah.

Moshe Feinstein once said that the decisions of the Arukh HaShulchan—who was a full-time rabbi—take precedence over many poseks who were not active rabbis. A rabbi takes into consideration more than just the abstract and black-and-white concepts of the law when rendering a legal opinion.

The Arukh HaShulchan is often quoted alongside the Mishnah Berurah, a work partially composed earlier by Yisrael Meir Kagan. The Arukh Hashulchan was composed and printed serially starting with Choshen Mishpat (prior to the printing of the Mishna Berurah) and the section on Orach Chayim published afterwards. Indeed, the Arukh HaShulchan refers in a number of places to the Mishnah Berurah. Due to the latter's popularity in the Haredi world, the Mishnah Berurah is often considered authoritative over Arukh HaShulchan by Haredi Jews. However, many people (including Yosef Eliyahu Henkin and Yehuda Pearl) have famously held that the Arukh HaShulchan is more authoritative, since its author was the rabbi of a community, and since it was printed after the Mishnah Berurah. Also, Arukh HaShulchan has a much wider scope than the Mishnah Berurah.

The work was originally published during the author's lifetime in numerous small volumes that appeared from 5644–5653 (1884–1893), beginning with Choshen Mishpat, at the beginning of which the author's introduction is found. Many volumes were reprinted posthumously by his daughter.

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