Q&A: The Authority of the Shulchan Arukh
The Authority of the Shulchan Arukh
Question
There is a claim that the Shulchan Arukh was accepted by the Jewish communities, and therefore it is the determining halakhic authority, even when a different conclusion would emerge from its own underlying reasoning. Is that true? If so, why? And why is there a halakhic division between Ashkenazim and Sephardim? After all, if the Shulchan Arukh ruled regarding eating milk and fish that it is forbidden because of a concern for leprosy, what is the rationale for Sephardim who still uphold his ruling today?
Answer
I do not accept the authority of the Shulchan Arukh, so I’m not really the right address for this question. It carries halakhic weight, but not authority. Milk and fish are not dangerous, and everyone understands that, even if they do not admit it. And yet people continue to follow the rules of Jewish law even in a case involving danger rather than prohibition.
Discussion on Answer
That’s too broad a question.
Could you elaborate on your view—or point me to places where you’ve addressed it—regarding the principle of halakhic authority, and why the religious outlook is so deeply committed to the tradition of halakhic rulings?