Menachem Elon

Justice Menachem Elon has had a long and distinguished career as a legal scholar. He is a retired professor of Jewish Law at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and a prolific author on Jewish Law. In 1977 Justice Elon was appointed to the Supreme Court of Israel and served as its Deputy President from 1988 until 1993. He lives in Jerusalem.


Articles by Menachem Elon

Commentaries on Alfasi

Alfasi's groundbreaking legal code invited criticism, defense, and supplementation.

Rabbi Isaac Alfasi: Rif

A legal code for the Jews of medieval North Africa and Spain.

Moshe (Moses) Isserles: Rema

Rema's glosses emended and enhanced the Shulchan Aruch.

Caro’s Codificatory Approach

The disparate opinions in Caro's Bet Yosef and the bottom line decisions in his Shulhan Arukh combined to create the halakhic code par excellence.

Commentaries on the Mishneh Torah

The Mishneh Torah sparked the creation of extensive and voluminous commentary.

Critical Reactions to Mishneh Torah

Maimonides' two main critics, Rabad and Asheri, argued that multiplicity of opinions is a positive and vital force in Jewish law.

Goals of the Mishneh Torah

In order to make his code categorical and prescriptive, Maimonides deliberately omitted sources and did not reference his predecessors.

Halakhot Pesukot, Halakhot Gedolot

Major books of halakhot from the geonic period.

Sefer ha-She’iltot

The first halakhic code.

Geonic Responsa

The earliest exchange of halachic questions and answers.