Beit Hora’ah
Provides authoritative halachic guidance to your questions by Rabbanim from a range of Torah communities.
Each inquiry is directed to the Beit Hora’ah branch closest to your city, where the Rabbanim will respond or, when necessary, refer the matter to the Central Beit Hora’ah for final determination.
How to Receive an Authoritative Halachic Ruling
When a person faces a minor medical concern, he relies on his family physician. When the matter is serious, he consults a specialist. And when it is more complex, he does not rely on a single expert, but seeks the opinion of several specialists. If their conclusions differ, they are convened for a joint discussion. This is standard practice in every hospital, where physicians conduct daily rounds, with several experts standing together and deliberating at the bedside of each patient. This is the path to a reliable medical decision.
Your halachic question deserves no less seriousness. As stated in the Shulchan Aruch, “The greater the number of judges, the more the judgment accords with the truth.” Such was the accepted practice in Jewish communities throughout the generations. When a Jew had a simple halachic question, he relied upon his family Rav. When the matter was weightier, he turned to a specialist Rav. And when it was more complex still, he did not suffice with a single authority, but consulted several expert Rabbanim. If their rulings diverged, they would convene together to deliberate.
Thus, in every Jewish community there existed a foundational institution, a Beit Din that also served as a Beit Hora’ah. In every complex case, the Rabbanim of the city would gather around one table and render a joint decision. This was the manner by which authoritative halachic rulings were reached.
This is the explicit directive of the Shulchan Aruch regarding the proper resolution of halachic questions. It emerges from the Torah’s commandments to appoint judges, to follow the majority, and to avoid factionalism.
The Rabbanim and members of the Jerusalem Movement are rebuilding these communal institutions, providing authoritative halachic guidance in accordance with the Torah and the tradition of our forefathers. They do not proclaim, “My Rav is the wisest,” nor do they seek the most convenient path to a ruling. They choose the path the Torah itself prescribes for arriving at a truly authoritative halachic decision.
You are invited to join the Movement and take part in its mission, with Rabbanim serving as teachers of Torah law and the community as those who seek its guidance.