The Jewish Eye
Kitzur Shulchan Aruch - Code of Jewish Law: Volume 4
Reviewed by Herbert White - September 13, 2010
The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (the Code of Jewish Law) was written in 1864 by Rabbi Shlomo Ganzfried, and since then it has become the standard work on Halachah in every Jewish home and school, and has served as the foundation for countless Halachic rulings ever since. Following in the tradition of the Artscroll Chumash and following the format of Artscroll's Schottenstein Edition of the Talmud, Artscroll has undertaken the task of presenting a definitive edition of the Kitzur for a new generation. This new edition is based upon Rabbi Ganzfried's 1884 Lemberg edition.
This new edition is to be published in five volumes, four of which are currently available with the fifth scheduled for publication in June of 2011. The text features the text of the Kitzur, in Hebrew, accompanied by an in-depth, annotated English translation of the text. In addition, the English/Hebrew text of the Kitzur is enhanced by the inclusion of detailed commentaries.
When Rabbi Ganzfried wrote the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, he did so in an attempt to compose an elucidative text on Jewish Law that could be used by scholars and laymen alike. However, the Kitzur is not the only formative volume on Halachic rulings that are regularly consulted. To aid readers in their study and application of Halachah, the rulings of the Mishnah Berurah and Igros Moshe have also been included. Also included is Rabbi Ganzfried's original editorial glosses (in unvolwelized Hebrew) as well as a series of informative and practical appendices.
This new Kleinman Edition of the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch has been divided into five volumes. The fourth volume in this series, upon which this review is based, covers simanim (chapters) 98-144. As such, this volume is concerned primarily with the laws surrounding the holidays. Some of the chapters in this volume are:
- The Laws of Yom Tov
- The Laws of Bircas Kohanim
- The Laws of Chol HaMoed
- The Laws of Rejoicing on the Festivals
- The Laws of the Wheat and Flour for the Matzos
- Laws of Erev Pesach and Laws of Baking the Matzos [on that day]
- The Laws of Communal Fasts
- The Laws of Tishah B'Av
- The Laws of Rosh HaShanah
- The Laws of Yom Kippur
- The Laws of Succah
- The Laws of Reading the Megillah
- The Laws of Chanukah
- Laws of Honoring One's Father and Mother
- and many more...
In short, this new edition of the Kitzur is an essential Halachic guide that should be in every Jewish home and school and which will benefit both scholars and students of every level and age.
The five volumes in The Kleinman Edition of the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch - Code of Jewish Law are:
Related Reviews:
- Laws of the Three Weeks, Tishah B'Av and other Fasts, by Rabbi Simcha Bunim Cohen.
This volume serves as a comprehensive halachic guide, in English, to The Seventeenth of Tamuz, The Three Weeks, The Nine Days, Tishah B'Av, Tzom Gedaliah, and Asarah B'Teves. It also includes a detailed overview of the history and religious significance of the Three Weeks and associated fasts.
- Disability in Jewish Law, by Tzvi C. Marx
Based on traditional halakhic precepts, this book looks at the rights and obligations of the disabled under Jewish Law, and the obligations of the Jewish community toward the disabled.
Questions or Comments? Send an email to:
Copyright © The Jewish Eye 2010 - All Rights Reserved
