Updated: 2021.02.14 

הֲלָכָה

Tōr•âhꞋ shë-bi-khᵊtâvꞋ ∪ Tōr•âhꞋ shë-bᵊ-al-pëhꞋ = Tōr•âhꞋ

The import of Ha•lâkh•âhꞋ cannot be grasped apart from the Har Sin•aiꞋ definition of Tōr•âhꞋ more than a millennium (≈1376 years) before the first rabbi was conceived in the wake of ha-Shi•qūtzꞋ Mᵊshō•meimꞋ Hellenization by An•tiꞋ•ŏkh•ŏs ŏ Ëp•i•phan•eisꞋ & Y^әhō•shuꞋa Bën-Shim•ōnꞋ Jr. Bën-Tzâ•dōq′ ha-Kō•hein′ in BCE 167.

This also differs dramatically from supersessory (i.e. Hellenist Christian, Muslim and large swathes of modern rabbinic) perceptions.

Since the codification of Tōr•âhꞋ at Har Sin•aiꞋ, Tōr•âhꞋ shë-bᵊ-al-pëhꞋ (Oral Law)—has always been paired with Tōr•âhꞋ shë-bi-khᵊtâvꞋ in the Har Sin•aiꞋ definition of Tōr•âhꞋ. (Tōr•âhꞋ shë-bᵊ-al-pëhꞋ is documented as preceding Tōr•âhꞋ shë-bi-khᵊtâvꞋ from the earliest times. Before Mōsh•ëhꞋ first codified Tōr•âhꞋ at Har Sin•aiꞋ, there was only Oral Law, which had evolved semi-independently in each of the twelve tribes, creating conflicting tribal versions, which, in turn, caused schisms between the tribes.

Two Biblical Components

Tōr•âhꞋ shë-bᵊ-al-pëhꞋ comprises two Biblical components, extensively ordained and required by Tōr•âhꞋ shë-bi-khᵊtâvꞋ (in over 450 passages, see Atonement In the Biblical 'New Covenant' Live-Link^T  (ABNC)):

1. mi•shᵊpâtꞋ and
2. khōq.

Since the time of Mōsh•ëhꞋ, mi•shᵊpâtꞋ and khōq have always comprised Tōr•âhꞋ shë-bᵊ-al-pëhꞋ, defining the legitimate guidelines for interpreting and implementing Tōr•âhꞋ shë-bi-khᵊtâvꞋ.

Sᵊmikh•âhꞋ

Each of these two components of Tōr•âhꞋ shë-bᵊ-al-pëhꞋ can only issue from the sole legitimate authority: a Beit Din having an unbroken succession of sᵊmikh•ōtꞋ from Mōsh•ëhꞋ.

Consequent To Countless Severances Of Sᵊmikh•âhꞋ Since Mōsh•ëhꞋ

Evaluating Har Sin•aiꞋ (Not Displacement Mythology) Interpretations Today

However, this chain was first broken (of subsequent countless breaks and missing links since) only 80 years after his death, c BCE , with the death of his protégé, Yᵊho•shuꞋa Bin-Nun, around 50 years later, leaving no successor.

The subsequent reform to "pōsᵊq•imꞋ", therefore, is limited to:

1. the degree to which any modern person can demonstrate knowledge of Tōr•âhꞋ shë-bi-khᵊtâvꞋ (as contrasted with today's rabbinic focus on the milennia-later reform essentially displacing Tōr•âhꞋ shë-bi-khᵊtâvꞋ with supplementary discussions, namely, Ta•lᵊmūdꞋ—in contravention of Dᵊvâr•imꞋ 13.1) coupled with

2. their mastery (or lack thereof) of mathematically-precise logic in deriving authentic interpretations faithful to the original intent.

Their resulting "pᵊsâq•imꞋ", therefore, carry only what authority this combination of factors affords them.

Two Subsets Of Tōr•âhꞋ shë-bᵊ-al-pëhꞋ

With Concomitant Grades Of Ha•lâkh•âhꞋ Authority

1. הֲלָכָה דְּאוֹרַיתָא — mi•shᵊpâtꞋ or khōq derived by mathematically-precise logic directly from Tōr•âhꞋ shë-bi-khᵊtâvꞋ.

2. הֲלָכָה דְּרַבָּנָן — mi•shᵊpâtꞋ or khōq both [a] necessitated for implementation and [b] derived by formal logic indirectly from Tōr•âhꞋ shë-bikh•tâvꞋ; i.e., from post-Sin•aiꞋ Tōr•âhꞋ shë-bᵊ-al-pëhꞋ and, therefore, of lesser—rabbinic rather than Tōr•âhꞋ shë-bi-khᵊtâvꞋ—authority relative to הֲלָכָה דְּאוֹרַיתָא.

Discrete Logical Analysis of:

Sources (in order of consulting):

Understand each of the following according to the original language of the earliest extant mss., strictly within the confines of discrete logic (including science), which is according to the Order of י‑‑ה, echoed and reflected in Laws He Authored governing His universe.

1. Tōr•âhꞋ shë-bi-khᵊtâvꞋ (Ta•na"khꞋ I•vᵊr•itꞋ)

2. Post-Sin•aiꞋ Tōr•âhꞋ shë-bᵊ-al-pëhꞋ

   • Parts of 4Q MMT not specific to ko•han•imꞋ.

   • 1^st century CE – Pre-dating Ta•lᵊmudꞋ by nearly four centuries, The Nᵊtzârim Reconstruction of Hebrew Matitᵊyâhu (NHM, in English) (pre-135 CE) recorded the halakhic interpretations of the most famous tal•midꞋ of RibꞋi Hi•leilꞋ, and the most famous and only world-changing RibꞋi in all of history, who himself predated virtually all of the Sages of the Ta•lᵊmudꞋ – see, inter alia, NHM note 7.1.1

   • Friend's wedding Khup•âhꞋ, officiated by Rav Qapakh (1998)

     2^nd-5^th century CE – Clarifications, if needed, from both Ta•lᵊmudꞋs – Yᵊru•shal•miꞋ takes precedence

   • 2^nd-5^th century CE – Mi•shᵊn•eihꞋ Tōr•âhꞋ of Ram•ba"mꞋ , with Tei•mân•iꞋ commentary by רב יוֹסֵף קָאפֵח, זַצַ"ל.

   • Check Tei•mân•iꞋ differences from Ram•ba"mꞋ – Tei•mân•imꞋ Dar-Da•imꞋ Ha•lâkh•âhꞋ takes precedence.

   • Obtain the opinion of one or more moderate (not Ultra-Orthodox or Kha•reid•iꞋ) Orthodox rabbi(s), preferably locally when viable (since some questions, like dress, may vary slightly according to local custom / tradition), else online, to confirm your finding – or alert you that you missed something(s).

   • Most likely, questions still unanswered describe areas requiring tolerance of diversity. Only questions that still appear to defy logic and science after researching the above, or are not answered in the sources above, or concerning scientific and technical advances, or national, political and other changes in the world since Ram•ba"mꞋ: consult the Nᵊtzâr•imꞋ Beit Din – accompanied by your written compendium of all of the above relative to the question, with proper citations – since Ha•lâkh•âhꞋ must be determined compatible with the above and it shouldn't be necessary to waste time figuring out what citations you may have used when they should be included with the inquiry to demonstrate the inquirer has done his or her utmost to learn the pertinent Ha•lâkh•âhꞋ and not become totally dependent on any human(s) – see Yi•rᵊmᵊyâhꞋu 31.30-33.

To get even the most elementary handle on historical RibꞋi Yᵊho•shuꞋa's relationship to Ha•lâkh•âhꞋ requires completing our Khav•rut•aꞋ.

© 1996-present by Paqid Yirmeyahu Ben-David,
Google+ registered author & publisher