Halacha
/həˈlɑːxə/noun
The collective body of Jewish religious law and legal tradition.
Did you know?Halacha derives from the Hebrew verb meaning “to walk,” turning law into a metaphorical path of conduct rather than merely a list of rules.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
הָלַךְ (hālak)
“To go, walk, or proceed”
Second Temple Period
Hebrew
הֲלִיכָה (halikhah)
“Walking, going, or a manner of proceeding”
Rabbinic Hebrew
Hebrew
הֲלָכָה (halakhah)
“A rule or established legal practice; literally, a way of proceeding”
Late Antiquity
Aramaic/Hebrew
halakhah
“The developing Jewish legal tradition governing religious and everyday conduct”
19th–20th Century
English
halacha / halakhah
“An English loanword for Jewish religious law and its legal tradition”