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89-612: 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

178-774: A 45-unit low-rent apartment complex, 2,100 people, and 450 families, with an average of 7 to 8 children per family. During the late 1970s, the Town of Ramapo denied New Square's attempt to annex land. Six years later, in March 1982, New Square gained the legal right to annex 95 acres (380,000 m ) of land. New Square's population increased 77.5% between 1990 and 2000. In 2005, the village contained approximately 7,830 residents; 1,350 families, with 5.8 persons per family. Robert Zeliger of Rockland Magazine described New Square in 2007 as "a densely packed haven where Hasidic residents live largely by their own customs and laws". In November 2008,

267-526: A code but does not know the reason for the ruling; such a one walks like a blind person. Samuel Eidels (known as the "Maharsha", 1555–1631), criticized those who rule directly from the Shulchan Aruch without being fully conversant with the Talmudic source(s) of the ruling: "In these generations, those who rule from the Shulchan Aruch without knowing the reasoning and Talmudic basis ... are among

356-515: A family was $ 12,208. Males had a median income of $ 21,696, versus $ 29,375 for females. The per capita income for the village was $ 5,237. About 67.0% of families and 72.5% of the population were below the poverty line , including 77.3% of those under age 18 and 14.7% of those age 65 or over. 2007 and 2008 reports from the State of New York stated that 89.8% of the village consisted of low-income and moderate-income residents. As of 2018 , New Square

445-408: A household in the village was $ 21,172, and the median income for a family was $ 21,758. Males had a median income of $ 35,871, versus $ 21,389 for females. The per capita income for the village was $ 6,585. About 58.0% of families and 58.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 60.9% of those under age 18 and 36.2% of those age 65 or over. A 2007 report stated that each year, one half of

534-648: A lack of fire protection in buildings in New Square. On March 29, 2007, Ramapo town officials met fire district officials and fire department chiefs. On April 4 of that year, the fire district announced that New Square would remain in the fire district. Christopher St. Lawrence, the Town of Ramapo supervisor, said that the town is considering a "public safety loan program" to help New Square residents install life safety devices such as smoke alarms and sprinkler systems. In 1989, New Square funded their own health clinic, called Refuah Health Center . The New Square Cemetery

623-422: A new water tower serving New Square and the hamlet of Hillcrest opened, increasing residents' water pressure. As of the census of 2000, there were 4,624 people, 820 households, and 786 families residing in the village. The population density was 12,811.8 inhabitants per square mile (4,946.7/km ). There were 838 housing units, at an average density of 2,321.9 per square mile (896.5/km ). The racial make-up of

712-629: A non-existent Jewish school and enrolled thousands of students, to receive US$ 30 million in education grants, subsidies, and loans from the U.S. federal government. Some of the money were used to enrich themselves, but also to benefit the community institutions. The fraud scheme in New Square was tied into larger schemes in other ultra-Orthodox communities in Brooklyn and across the country. The men were convicted in 1999. In October of that year, all four men received prison sentences ranging from 30 months to 78 months. Two other suspects who were indicted left

801-639: A population of 9,679. Its inhabitants are predominantly members of the Skverer Hasidic movement who seek to maintain a Hasidic lifestyle disconnected from the secular world. It is the poorest town (measured by median income) in New York, and the eighth poorest in the United States. It also has the highest poverty rate, at 64.4%. New Square is named after the Ukrainian town Skvyra , where

890-418: A reason to) annul the words of these geniuses. Jonathan Eybeschutz (d. 1764) wrote that the great breadth of the work would make it impossible to constantly come to the correct conclusion if not for the "spirit of God". Therefore, says Eybeschutz, one can not rely on a view not presented by the Shulchan Aruch . Yehuda Heller Kahana (d. 1819) said that the reason one can not rely on a view not formulated in

979-763: A similar work entitled Arukh HaShulchan He'Atid ( Laying the Table of the Future ), a parallel work to Arukh HaShulchan summarizing and analyzing the laws that will apply in Messianic times. Some of the laws discussed, such as those relating to agriculture and farming, apply today for those living in the Land of Israel . Shulchan Aruch The Shulchan Aruch ( Hebrew : שֻׁלְחָן עָרוּך [ʃulˈħan ʕaˈrux] , literally: "Set Table"), sometimes dubbed in English as

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1068-590: Is Yiddish . Young people typically marry around 18 to 20 years of age. Girls finish high school at around age 17, and then marry. Custom dictates that women who marry men from other Hasidic communities leave New Square. Some women who left New Square settled in the Borough Park community in Brooklyn and the Monsey community in Ramapo, where the community is not as tightly knit. Men who marry women from outside of

1157-525: Is a strong expectation that residents of New Square will conform to community norms; for example, by worshiping at the community's synagogue and conforming to the Hasidic lifestyle. Generally, conformity by those who do not comply voluntarily is enforced by the powers of the kehillah , a council appointed by the rebbe, whose members control most community institutions. Those who have not conformed voluntarily have faced vigilante justice, as exemplified by

1246-489: Is also a daily study program known as the Halacha Yomit . New Square, New York New Square ( Yiddish : שיכון סקווירא , romanized :  Shikun Skvir ) is an all-Hasidic village in the town of Ramapo , Rockland County , New York , United States. It is located north of Hillcrest , east of Viola , south of New Hempstead , and west of New City . As of the 2020 United States census , it had

1335-403: Is by far the poorest town in New York, with a median annual household income of $ 21,773, which is nearly $ 5,000 below that of Kiryas Joel, the next poorest town in the state, and only about a third of the median income across the state as a whole. Not only is it the poorest town in New York state, but New Square also has the highest poverty and SNAP (food stamps) recipiency rates of any town in

1424-463: Is considered authoritative by many adherents of Orthodox Judaism , especially among those typically associated with Ashkenazic yeshivas . The Ben Ish Chai , Kaf Ha'Chaim , and much more recently, the Yalkut Yosef are similar works by Sephardic Rabbis for their communities. Sections of the Shulchan Aruch are studied in many Jewish schools throughout the world on a daily basis. There

1513-714: Is located on Bais Hachaim Way. The village has a Hatzalah ambulance service branch, part of the Rockland County chapter, and has a public safety department that patrols the village. New Square is within the 97th Assembly District in the New York State Assembly , which is represented by John W. McGowan . New Square is within Senate District 38 in the New York State Senate , which is represented by William Weber Jr. There

1602-401: Is no issue here concerning the prohibition against having two courts in the same city ['lo tithgodedu'’], since every congregation should practice according to its original custom ... Similarly, many later halachic authorities predicated the acceptance of the authority of the Shulchan Aruch on the lack of an existing and widely accepted custom to the contrary. Eventually though, the rulings of

1691-675: The Arba'ah Turim , Darkhei Moshe, at about the same time as Yosef Karo. Karo finished his work "Bet Yosef" first, and it was first presented to the Rema as a gift from one of his students. Upon receiving the gift, the Rema could not understand how he had spent so many years unaware of Karo's efforts. After looking through the Bet Yosef, the Rema realized that Karo had mainly relied upon Sephardic poskim . In place of Karo's three standard authorities, Isserles cites "the later authorities" (chiefly based on

1780-545: 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

1869-489: 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

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1958-621: The Beit Yosef , Karo read opinions in books he hadn't seen before, which he then included in the Shulchan Aruch . In his famous methodological work Yad Malachi , Malachi ben Jacob HaKohen cites a later halachic authority (Shmuel Abuhab) who reports rumors that the Shulchan Aruch was a summary of Karo's earlier rulings in Beit Yosef which he then gave to certain of his students to edit and compile. He concludes that this would then account for those seemingly self-contradictory instances in

2047-580: The Beit Yosef . The format of this work parallels that adopted by Jacob ben Asher in his Arba'ah Turim , but more concisely; without citing sources. Shulchan Aruch has been "the code" of Rabbinical Judaism for all ritual and legal questions that arose after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem ; see Halakha § Orthodox Judaism and Yeshiva § Jewish law re its contemporary function and status. The author himself had no very high opinion of

2136-737: The Code of Jewish Law , is the most widely consulted of the various legal codes in Judaism. It was authored in Safed , Ottoman Syria (today in Israel ) by Joseph Karo in 1563 and published in Venice two years later. Together with its commentaries, it is the most widely accepted compilation of halakha or Jewish law ever written. The halachic rulings in the Shulchan Aruch generally follow Sephardic law and customs , whereas Ashkenazi Jews generally follow

2225-514: The Ketzoth ha-Choshen and Avnei Millu'im , Netivoth ha-Mishpat , the Vilna Gaon , Rabbi Yechezkel Landau ( Dagul Mervavah ), Rabbis Akiva Eger , Moses Sofer , and Chaim Joseph David Azulai ( Birkei Yosef ) whose works are widely recognized and cited extensively in later halachic literature. In particular, Mishnah Berurah (which summarizes and decides amongst the later authorities) on

2314-567: The New Square arson attack and other incidents. The rebbe has denounced this practice, saying, "The use of force and violence to make a point or settle an argument violates Skver's most fundamental principles." Yeshiva Avir Yakov, a private school with its own locations and separate boys' and girls' schooling, is the sole primary and secondary school in the community. It is statistically counted as Avir Yaakov Boys School (Yeshiva Avir Yakov Boys' School) and Avir Yaakov Girls School. Although

2403-551: The Rosh 55:9). The controversy itself may explain why the Shulchan Aruch became an authoritative code, despite significant opposition, and even against the will of its author, while Maimonides ' (1135–1204) Mishneh Torah rulings were not necessarily accepted as binding among the Franco-German Jews, perhaps owing to the criticism and influence of Abraham ibn Daud (known as the "Ravad", 1110–1180). The answer may lie in

2492-499: The Shulchan Aruch became the accepted standard not only in Europe and the diaspora, but even in the land of Israel where they had previously followed other authorities. Following its initial appearance, many rabbis criticised the appearance of this latest code of Jewish law, echoing similar criticisms of previous codes of law . Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel (known as "Maharal", 1520–1609) wrote: To decide halakhic questions from

2581-417: The Shulchan Aruch has been printed with Isserles' annotations in small Rashi print —and indicated by a preceding "הגה"—interspersed with Karo's text. Surrounding this are the primary commentators for the section: On the margins are various other commentaries and cross references; see below . As commentaries on the work proliferated more sophisticated printing styles became required, similar to those of

2670-426: The Shulchan Aruch , as almost all his words lack accompanying explanations, particularly (when writing about) monetary law. Besides this, we see that many legal doubts arise daily, and are mostly the subject of scholarly debate, necessitating vast wisdom and proficiency to arrive at a sufficiently sourced ruling. The strongest criticism against all such codes of Jewish law is the contention that they inherently violate

2759-734: The Shulchan Aruch . Karo initially intended to rely on his own judgment regarding differences of opinion between the various authorities, especially where he could support his own view based on the Talmud. But he wrote that he abandoned this idea because: "Who has the courage to rear his head aloft among mountains, the heights of God ?" Hence Karo adopted the Halakhot of Rabbi Isaac Alfasi (the Rif ), Maimonides (the Rambam ), and Asher ben Jehiel (the Rosh ) as his standards, accepting as authoritative

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2848-483: The Shulchan Jewry. A large body of commentaries have appeared on the Shulchan Aruch , beginning soon after its publication. The first major gloss, Hagahot by Moses Isserles , was published shortly after the Shulchan Aruch appeared. Isserles' student, Yehoshua Falk HaKohen published Sefer Me'irath Enayim (on Choshen Mishpat , abbreviated as Sema ) several decades after the main work. Important works by

2937-494: The Skverer Hasidic group originated. The founders intended to name the settlement New Skvir , but a typist's error anglicized the name. New Square was established in 1954, when the Zemach David Corporation, representing Skverer Grand Rabbi Yakov Yosef Twersky , purchased a 130-acre (0.53 km ) dairy farm near Spring Valley, New York , in the town of Ramapo . At that time, most Skverer members lived in

3026-604: The Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. New Square's founders had felt that the Hasidic community in Williamsburg was being "threatened by assimilation", as The New York Times later described it. Construction began in 1956, and the first four families moved to New Square in December 1956. In 1958, the settlement had 68 houses. The development of New Square was obstructed by Ramapo's zoning regulations, which forbade

3115-476: The minhag as an object of great importance, and not to be omitted in a codex. This point, especially, induced Isserles to write his glosses to the Shulchan Aruch , that the customs ( minhagim ) of the Ashkenazim might be recognized, and not be set aside through Karo's reputation. Karo wrote the Shulchan Aruch in his old age, for the benefit of those who did not possess the education necessary to understand

3204-642: The 'destroyers of the world' and should be protested." Another prominent critic of the Shulchan Aruch was Joel Sirkis (1561–1640), rabbi and author of a commentary to the Arba'ah Turim entitled the "New House" ( בית חדש , commonly abbreviated as the Bach ב״ח ), and Meir Lublin , author of the commentary on the Bach entitled the Shut HaBach ( שו״ת הב״ח ): It is impossible to rule (in most cases) based on

3293-415: The New Square shopping center as cashiers and clerks. Some of the women, after having children, work as bookkeepers in their homes. Young men work as teachers, bus drivers, deliverymen, and store clerks. Some work as computer programmers, or as craftsmen and entrepreneurs in the diamond industry. Many study in the kollel , a yeshiva for married men, and receive stipends to support their families. In 1970,

3382-526: The Orach Chaim section of Shulchan Aruch has achieved widespread acceptance. It is frequently even studied as a stand-alone commentary, since it is assumed to discuss all or most of the views of the major commentaries on the topics that it covers. Kaf Ha'Chaim is a similar Sephardic work. See further below re these type of works. Several commentaries are printed on each page. Be'er ha-Golah , by Rabbi Moshe Rivkash, provides cross-references to

3471-541: 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

3560-737: The School of Shammai [he may do so, but] according to their leniencies and their stringencies': The RaMBaM, is the greatest of all the Torah authorities, and all the communities of the Land of Israel and the Arab-controlled lands and the West [North Africa] practice according to his word, and accepted him upon themselves as their Chief Rabbi. Whoever practices according to him with his leniencies and his stringencies, why coerce them to budge from him? And all

3649-504: The Sephardic and Ashkenazic customs differ. These glosses are sometimes referred to as the mappah , literally, the 'tablecloth,' to the Shulchan Aruch's 'Set Table.' Almost all published editions of the Shulchan Aruch include this gloss. The importance of the minhag ("prevailing local custom") is also a point of dispute between Karo and Isserles: while Karo held fast to original authorities and material reasons, Isserles considered

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3738-478: The Talmud, other law codes , commentaries, and responsa , and thereby indicates the various sources for Halachic decisions. Beiur HaGra , by the Vilna Gaon as mentioned, traces the underlying machloket (deliberation), including how it eventually plays out, and evaluates this practice in light of the various opinions of rishonim here. In the late 18th century, there were several attempts to recompile

3827-420: The Talmud. Additionally, many recent publishers have reformatted this work with the intent to make it more accessible to the reader. The Shulchan Aruch is largely based on an earlier work by Karo, titled Beit Yosef . Although the Shulchan Aruch is largely a codification of the rulings of the Beit Yosef , it includes various rulings that are not mentioned at all in the Beit Yosef , because after completing

3916-505: The United States. The indictment drew sharp criticism in New Square. A statement by village representatives accused authorities of having a vendetta against New Square residents, and acting "in a manner remindful of the Holocaust ," during the investigations. Hillary Clinton met with New Square-area Hasidic leaders as part of her Senate campaign. Michael Duffy and Karen Tumulty of Time Magazine said that "as far as anyone knows, that

4005-479: The United States. Some 70.0% of New Square residents live in poverty, and 77.1% of area households rely on SNAP benefits to afford food. In comparison, 15.1% of Americans live below the poverty line, and 13.0% of households nationwide receive SNAP benefits. According to the United States Census Bureau , the village has a total area of 0.4 square mile (0.9 km ), all land. In 1963,

4094-531: The above-mentioned works in his Chayei Adam and Chochmath Adam . Similar works are Ba'er Heitev and Sha'arei Teshuvah / Pitchei Teshuvah (usually published as commentaries in most editions of the Shulchan Aruch ), as well as Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (by Rabbi Shlomo Ganzfried of Hungary). Danzig's and Ganzfried's works do not follow the structure of the Shulchan Aruch , but given their single-voiced approach, are considered easier to follow for those with less background in halacha . The Mishna Berura ,

4183-477: The arbitrary selection of the three authorities upon whose opinions Karo based his work. After realizing this, the Rema shortened his work on the Tur , entitled Darkhei Moshe, to focus only on rulings which differ from Bet Yosef . The halachic rulings in the Shulchan Aruch generally follow the Sephardic custom. The Rema added his glosses and published them as a commentary on the Shulchan Aruch , specifying whenever

4272-453: The author's introduction is found. Many volumes were reprinted posthumously by his daughter. Images of the first edition have been reprinted dozens of times to this day. These reprints usually appear in eight volumes, which mostly reflect the division of volumes in the Vilna edition of the Shulchan Arukh (with the exception of Yoreh Deah ). The page numbering in the reprints still reflects

4361-513: The beginning of the sixteenth century. Karo had already been opposed by several Sephardic contemporaries, Yom Tov Tzahalon , who designated the Shulchan Aruch as a book for "children and ignoramuses", and Jacob Castro, whose work Erekh ha-Shulchan consists of critical glosses to the Shulchan Aruch . Moses Isserles and Maharshal were Karo's first important adversaries in Eastern Europe. Further in response to those who wished to force

4450-532: The binding Jewish legal code. The later major halachic authorities defer to both Karo and Isserles and cite their work as the baseline from which further halachic rulings evolve. The 17th-century scholar Joshua Höschel ben Joseph wrote, [F]rom their wells do we drink and should a question arise (on their work), not for this shall we come to annul their words, rather we must study further as much as we can, and if we are unable to resolve (our question) then we will ascribe it to our own lack of knowledge and not (as

4539-407: The codes without knowing the source of the ruling was not the intent of these authors. Had they known that their works would lead to the abandonment of Talmud , they would not have written them. It is better for one to decide on the basis of the Talmud even though he might err, for a scholar must depend solely on his understanding. As such, he is beloved of God, and preferable to the one who rules from

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4628-579: The community are encouraged to leave New Square. This is due to a shortage of space; thus, new housing is granted to couples of which both members are from the community. In 2005, the community's rabbinical court ruled that women should not drive cars. In a 2003 article, Lisa W. Foderaro of The New York Times described New Square as "extremely insular", and said that the community's residents do not own televisions or radios. Young women, prior to entering marriage, and before they have children, work as teachers, secretaries, and bookkeepers, or they work in

4717-567: The consensus of Alfasi and Maimonides. Karo very often decides disputed cases without necessarily considering the age and importance of the authority in question, expressing simply his own views. He follows Maimonides' example, as seen in Mishneh Torah , rather than that of Jacob ben Asher, who seldom decides between ancient authorities. Several reasons induced Karo to connect his work with the "Tur" , instead of Maimonides' code. The "Rema" ( Moses Isserles ) started writing his commentary on

4806-411: The construction of multi-family houses and the use of basements for shops and stores. Multiple families sharing single-family houses said that they belonged to extended families, and businesses in private homes had to be secret. In 1959, the community asked for a building permit to expand its synagogue , located in the basement of a Cape Cod-style house . The Ramapo town attorney requested condemnation of

4895-715: The earlier statements, since all matters that are not clarified in the Babylonian Talmud may be questioned and restated by any person, and even the statements of the Geonim may be differed from him ... just as the statements of the Amoraim differed from the earlier ones. On the contrary, we regard the statements of later scholars to be more authoritative because they knew the reasoning of the earlier scholars as well as their own, and took it into consideration in making their decision ( Piskei Ha'Rosh , Sanhedrin 4:6, responsa of

4984-464: The entire New Square community, claiming that it threatened sewage lines. In response, the community requested incorporation as a village, but Ramapo town officials refused to allow it. In 1961, a New York state court ruled in favor of New Square, and the village was incorporated in July of that year. After incorporating, New Square set its own zoning and building codes, legalizing the existing houses, and

5073-469: The fact that the criticism by ibn Daud undermined confidence in Maimonides' work, while Isserles (who corresponded with Karo) does not simply criticize, but supplements Karo's work extensively. The result was that Ashkenazim accepted the Shulchan Aruch , assuming that together with Isserles' glosses it was a reliable authority. This then became broadly accepted among Jewish communities around the world as

5162-570: The fire district met with Town of Ramapo supervisors, and proposed removing New Square from its fire district, after a February 7, 2007, fire that destroyed two buildings in New Square. Further hazards stem from the fact that the town has only one main access road (Washington Avenue), and the failure of some residents to yield to emergency vehicles, or to the crowd of people on the streets surrounding an incident. There also have been isolated cases of residents tampering with fire equipment while responders are on scene. The fire department felt concern about

5251-628: The halachic rulings of Moses Isserles , whose glosses to the Shulchan Aruch note where the Sephardic and Ashkenazi customs differ. These glosses are widely referred to as the mappah (literally: the "tablecloth") to the Shulchan Aruch's "Set Table". Almost all published editions of the Shulchan Aruch include this gloss, and the term "Shulchan Aruch" has come to denote both Karo's work as well as Isserles', with Karo usually referred to as "the Mekhaber " ( Hebrew : הַמְחַבֵּר , "author") and Isserles as "the Rema" (an acronym of Moshe Isserles). Due to

5340-552: The increased availability of the printing press , the 16th century was an era of legal codification in Poland , the Ottoman Empire and other countries. Previously unwritten laws and customs were being compiled and recorded; the Shulchan Aruch was one of these. In the century after it was published by Karo (whose vision was a unified Judaism under the Sephardic traditions) it became the code of law for Ashkenazim, together with

5429-446: The later authorities ( acharonim ) include but are not limited to: While these major commentaries enjoy widespread acceptance, some early editions of the Shulchan Aruch were self-published (primarily in the late 17th and early 18th centuries) with commentaries by various rabbis, although these commentaries never achieved significant recognition. A wealth of later works include commentary and exposition by such halachic authorities as

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5518-458: The later commentaries of Moses Isserles and the 17th century Polish rabbis. The Shulhan Arukh (and its forerunner, the Beit Yosef ) follow the same structure as Arba'ah Turim by Jacob ben Asher . There are four volumes, each subdivided into many chapters and paragraphs: In the aside page, Karo's and Isserles' combined text is in the center of the page, top; since the 17th century,

5607-458: 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

5696-571: The liens disappeared. Lots were sold, and new houses were built. The basement businesses could trade openly, and new businesses were founded, including a watch assembly plant and a cap manufacturer. Three knitting mills and a used car lot opened, but most men continued to go to work in New York City. A Kollel was opened in 1963. In 1968, Grand Rabbi Yakov Yosef Twersky died; he was succeeded as Grand Rabbi by his son David Twersky . In New Square's first mayoral election in 1961, Mates Friesel

5785-503: The main work of halakha by Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan (the " Chafetz Chaim ") is a collation of the opinions of later authorities on the Orach Chayim section of the Shulchan Aruch . Aruch HaShulchan , by Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein , is a more analytical work attempting the same task from a different angle, and covering all sections of the Shulchan Aruch . The former, though narrower in scope, enjoys much wider popularity and

5874-522: The major halakhic opinions into a simpler, more accessible form. Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi wrote a "Shulchan Aruch" at the behest of the Hasidic leader, Rabbi Dovber of Mezeritch . To distinguish this work from Karo's, it is generally referred to as Shulchan Aruch HaRav . Rabbi Abraham Danzig was the first in the Lithuanian Jewish community to attempt a summary of the opinions in

5963-432: The meeting; she said that she did not participate in it and did not discuss the meeting with her husband. On January 20, 2001, President Clinton commuted the sentences of the men; Berger's sentence became two years, and the other men each had 30 months. Federal prosecutors investigated the pardons to see if they were made in exchange for political support. A 2001 ABC News article stated that some people wondered whether

6052-522: The men out of clemency. In 2002 the prosecutors closed the investigation with no action. Due to population growth and a housing shortage in New Square, the Skver Hasidim had plans to expand to a new 400-acre (1.6 km ) village named Kiryas Square in the hamlet of Spring Glen, New York . The property, the former Homowack Resort , was purchased by the Skver community in 2006. Dedication of

6141-461: The more so if also their fathers and forefathers practiced accordingly: for their children are not to turn right or left from the RaMBaM of blessed memory. And even if communities that practice according to the Rosh or other authorities like him became the majority, they cannot coerce the minority of congregations practicing according to the RaMBaM of blessed memory, to practice like they do. And there

6230-520: The opinion of two of the three, except in cases where most of the ancient authorities were against them or in cases where there was already an accepted custom contrary to his ruling. The net result of these last exceptions is that in a number of cases Karo rules in favour of the Catalan school of Nahmanides and Shlomo ibn Aderet ("the Rashba"), thus indirectly reflecting Ashkenazi opinions, even against

6319-487: The pardons occurred as a kind of favor because the Village of New Square had voted overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinton for her first senate term (1359 out of 1369 votes – in contrast to two other Hasidic communities nearby who voted overwhelmingly Republican ) – or if the pardons occurred as part of a quid pro quo swap for votes. Hillary Clinton said that she was not involved in the pardons, and that her husband pardoned

6408-517: The principle that halakha must be decided according to the later sages; this principle is commonly known as hilkheta ke-vatra'ei ("the halakha follows the later ones"). A modern commentator, Menachem Elon explains: This rule dates from the Geonic period. It laid down the law and states that "until the time of Rabbis Abbaye and Rava (4th century) the Halakha was to be decided according to

6497-544: 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

6586-631: The rulings of the Shulchan Aruch upon those communities following Rambam , Karo wrote: Who is he whose heart conspires to approach forcing congregations who practice according to the RaMBaM of blessed memory, to go by any one of the early or latter-day Torah authorities?! ... Is it not a case of a fortiori , that regarding the School of Shammai —that the halakhah does not go according to them—they [the Talmudic Sages] said 'if [one practices] like

6675-584: The same volume. Another, longer section of Yoreh Deah , which consists of 60 sections on laws connected to idolatry (123-182), is still lost. The first completely new edition of Arukh HaShulchan appeared in 5766 (2006), by "Oz Vehadar" publishers in New Square, New York . This edition adds comparisons to rulings by the Mishnah Berurah in Orach Chaim . It originally did not contain the laws of oaths ( Yoreh Deah 203-239) previously published by Fishbane, but they were subsequently added. Epstein also wrote

6764-411: The settlement had 85 families and a total of 620 inhabitants. By 1967, this increased to 126 families and 812 total residents. The community celebrated ten marriages in 1967. In 1970, the village had 1,156 inhabitants, with 57% of the population under the age of 18. The village had around one hundred births each year from 1971 to 1986. By that year, the village had 140 one-, two-, and three-family houses,

6853-492: The site was in August 2007. The New York State Department of Health cited the property which was used as a summer camp for girls for "numerous, persistent, and serious violations", including inoperable fire alarms, pervasive mold, and water running over electrical boxes. The health department issued a mandatory order of evacuation. In addition to problems with the health department, some local residents have also voiced opposition to

6942-514: The smaller volumes of the original printing. A ninth volume was published in 1992 by Simcha Fishbane of Chicago, Illinois , who was given permission by the Israeli Bar-Ilan family, descendants of the author, to print 36 previously unpublished chapters on the laws of oaths ( Hilkhot Nedarim , Yoreh Deah 203-239). These chapters were found in manuscripts by the author's own hand, along with various sermons that were published together in

7031-584: The town is within the East Ramapo Central School District , all children of New Square attend the local private Jewish pre-K-12 schools. The zoned public schools are Summit Park Elementary (Kindergarten-grade 3), Kakiat Elementary School (grades 4–6), Pomona Middle School (grades 7–8), and Ramapo High School (grades 9–12). Four Hasidic men from New Square—Benjamin Berger, Jacob Elbaum, David Goldstein, and Kalmen Stern—created

7120-546: The views of the earlier scholars, but from that time onward, the halakhic opinions of post-talmudic scholars would prevail over the contrary opinions of a previous generation" (see Piskei Ha'Rosh , Bava Metzia 3:10, 4:21, Shabbat 23:1 and also the Rif writing at the end of Eruvin Ch.2.) If one does not find their statements correct and is able to maintain his own views with evidence that is acceptable to his contemporaries...he may contradict

7209-470: The village had the lowest per-capita income in New York State. In 1963, four persons received welfare due to illness. One dozen people received welfare in 1975. In 1992, the village administrator said that in 1975, about two thirds of the families received food stamps and Medicaid . According to the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the village was $ 12,162, and the median income for

7298-559: The village was 96.95% White , 1.64% African American , 0.89% Asian , and 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.41% of the population. 87.26% speak Yiddish at home, 7.68% English , and 4.11% Hebrew . There were 820 households, out of which 77.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 92.6% were married couples living together, 2.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 4.1% were non-families. 3.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.3% had someone living alone who

7387-565: The women between ages 18 and 25 gave birth. As of 1992, the Village of New Square has a mayor, a mayor's assistant, a board of trustees, a village clerk, and a justice of the peace. The mayor's assistant performs the bulk of administrative work. The justice of the peace mainly handles harassment cases perpetrated by outsiders within New Square. The Hillcrest Fire Department (also known as the Moleston Fire District) provides fire protection services to New Square. In March 2007,

7476-544: The work, remarking that he had written it chiefly for "young students". He never refers to it in his responsa , but always to the Beit Yosef . The Shulchan Aruch achieved its reputation and popularity not only against the wishes of the author, but, perhaps, through the very scholars who criticized it. Recognition or denial of Karo's authority lay entirely with the Polish Talmudists. German Jewish authorities had been forced to give way to Polish ones as early as

7565-479: The works of Yaakov Moelin , Israel Isserlein and Israel Bruna , together with the Franco-German Tosafists ) as criteria of opinion. While the Rosh on many occasions based his decision on these sources, Isserles gave them more prominence in developing practical legal rulings. By incorporating these other opinions, Isserles actually addressed some major criticisms regarding what many viewed as

7654-452: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 5.64, and the average family size was 5.81. In the village, the population was spread out, with 60.5% under the age of 18, 13.9% from 18 to 24, 15.9% from 25 to 44, 7.1% from 45 to 64, and 2.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 14 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.7 males. The median income for

7743-537: Was a campaign event only; no pardons were mentioned". Hillary Clinton attended another session with the men, who wanted to see the four Hasidic leaders released. After Hillary Clinton was voted in as a senator, during the morning of December 22, Twersky and an associate visited Bill Clinton in the White House Map Room in Washington, D.C., and asked him to pardon the four men. Hillary Clinton attended

7832-457: 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

7921-476: Was chosen unopposed. Friesel was re-elected every two years until his death in 2015, thereby becoming one of the longest-serving mayors in the United States. The population of New Square is made up exclusively of Hasidic Jews , mostly from the Skverer Hasidic movement, who wish to maintain a Hasidic lifestyle while keeping outside influences to a minimum. The predominant language spoken in New Square

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