Q&A: Recommendations for Meta-Halakhah
Recommendations for Meta-Halakhah
Question
Hello, I’d be interested in studying a bit of Jewish law from the literature of the medieval authorities (Rishonim) and later authorities (Acharonim) (authority, enactments, and the like). Which book would you recommend that I study?
Answer
I didn’t understand. What exactly do you want to study, and what do you mean by the literature of the medieval authorities (Rishonim) and later authorities (Acharonim)? As opposed to what?
Discussion on Answer
I’m not familiar with much, other than Maimonides, Laws of Rebels, and the commentaries on it. There’s also a bit in the pamphlet Divrei Sofrim by Rabbi Elchanan Wasserman.
If I remember correctly, doesn’t the Rabbi also mention Derashot Beit Yishai and also the Principles in Maimonides?
Beit Yishai doesn’t really deal with this. But you can look in the homilies section, siman 15.
In the Principles there isn’t a direct discussion. We discussed this around the first two principles.
I’m writing from my phone, and I made a few mistakes. I meant that I’m interested in studying “meta-halakhah” (about the authority of the Talmud, enactments, and the like). I want to study from the original sources and not from summaries by contemporary authors. Could you recommend something?