The Source of
“The Code of Jewish Law”

The Shulchan Aruch
(The Code of Jewish Law)

The Shulchan Aruch (Hebrew: שֻׁלְחָן עָרוּך [ʃulˈħan ʕaˈrux], literally: “Set Table”),[1] sometimes dubbed in English as the Code of Jewish Law, is the most widely consulted of the various legal codes in Judaism. It was authored in Safed (today in Israel) by Joseph Karo in 1563 and published in Venice two years later. Rabbi Yosef Karo’s Shulchan Aruch, or ‘Set Table,’ meticulously organizes Jewish law, serving as a spiritual guide since its 1565 publication. It harmonizes diverse traditions, offering a unified legal framework for Jewish life.

Together with its commentaries, it is the most widely accepted compilation of halakha or Jewish law ever written.
Due to 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. Responding to the need for accessible legal texts, Rabbi Solomon Ganzfried authored the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch in 19th-century Hungary. His work condenses Karo’s extensive laws, focusing on practical daily observance.

The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, meaning ‘Abridged Set Table,’ streamlines Jewish laws for laypeople. It highlights essential practices, making complex legal discussions more approachable and the observance of commandments more feasible.
Rabbi Yosef Karo authored the Shulchan Aruch in the 16th century, meticulously organizing Jewish laws to guide daily living, rituals, and ethics, unifying diverse Jewish traditions into a coherent legal system.

Rabbi Solomon Ganzfried later authored the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch in the 19th century, condensing Karo’s comprehensive work. He aimed to make Jewish law accessible, focusing on essential practices for easier observance by laypeople.