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Arba'ah Turim (ארבעה טורים, Hebrew: "Four rows"), also abbreviated as Tur, is an important work of Jewish law, composed by Rabbi Yaakov ben Asher ("Ba'al ha-Turim") of Spain (1270-ca 1340). In it, the author traces practical Jewish law from the Torah text and the dicta of the Talmud through the Rishonim. Ben Asher used the code of Rabbi Isaac Alfasi as his starting point, and these views are compared to those of Maimonides, as well as to the French and German (Ashkenazi) traditions that were contained in the Tosafist literature.
The Arba'ah Turim (literally: four rows, as on the High Priest's breastplate):
- Orach Chayim - laws of prayer and synagogue, Sabbath, holidays
- Yorei De'ah - laws of shechita, kashrut
- Even ha-Ezer - laws of marriage, divorce
- Choshen Mishpat - laws of finance, financial responsibility, damages (personal and financial), interest
In contradistinction to Maimonides Mishneh Torah, Tur only deals with the areas of Jewish law that are applicable in exile; the work also differs in that it is not limited to normative positions, but compares the various opinions on any disputed point. In most instances, Rabbi Jacob follows the opinion of his father Rabbi Asher ben Jehiel (the "Rosh").
Commentaries on Arba'ah Turim include Beth Joseph by Rabbi Joseph Caro, Beth Chadash by Rabbi Yoel Sirkis, Darkhei Moshe by Moses Isserles, and a number of other Acharonim. The influential work of halacha, Shulkhan Arukh is a condensation of Beth Joseph and follows the basic structure of the Arba'ah Turim, including its division in four sections and chapters.
The Tur continues to play an important role in Halakha. The organisation of the Shulkhan Arukh follows that of the Tur: subtopics are organised by sections (simanim) and laws (se'ifim) - this structure down to the siman is retained in the Shulkhan Arukh. Students of the Shulkan Aruch, particularly in Orthodox Semicha programmes, will study the Tur and the Beth Joseph in concert with the Shulkhan Arukh itself.
References
- Arba'ah Turim (http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/TalmudMap/Tur.html), Prof. Eliezer Segal
- What is the Tur? (http://www.faqs.org/faqs/judaism/FAQ/03-Torah-Halacha/section-39.html), faqs.org
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