Peninei Halachah

“I do not know of a better compendium of Jewish Law than Peninei Halakha by Harav Eliezer Melamed shlita. The clarity and organization of the legal requirements of Judaism makes the study of Jewish Law most pleasurable for any interested student. I recommend it with all my heart.” (HaRav Shlomo Riskin)

“Peninei Halachah” is a series of books on Jewish Law (halachah) by Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, Rosh Yeshiva and Rabbi of the community Har Bracha.The series “Peninei Halachah” is a unique and comprehensive creation of books on halachah. The series passes on the tradition of generations of halachic decisions in a refreshing, Israel-spirited fashion – “aged and choice wine in a new and beautiful vessel”. Befitting the generation of the “Ingathering of the Exiles” and the beginning of the Redemption, the books are written in a clear and modernized language, clarifying the halachot with their spiritual meanings, and relating to the customs of the various ethnic groups. The halachot are explained starting from the general rules down to the minor details, with an emphasis on relevant issues which have arisen in the modern era. Thus, the books help to strengthen the obsevance of halachah amongst the Jewish nation to serve as a bridge between the Heavenly morals and everyday life, and to add love for the Torah amongst those who study halachah.

Until now, twelve books have been published in the series. Over 400,000 books from the series “Peninei Halachah” are studied in thousands of homes and educational institutions in Israel.

The series is currently being translated into English, French, Russian and Spanish.

So far, three Books have been translated into English: Tefilah, Pesach and Zemanim.

Tefilah – the foundations of the laws of prayer, the preparations before prayer, the three prayers themselves, the Amidah, the Shema prayer before sleep, the appropriate place for prayer and the minyan, the differing versions of prayer, and more.

Pesach – the meaning of the holiday, the rules of the prohibition of hametz, the checking for and destroying of hametz, annulment, elimination, and destruction of hametz, mixtures of hametz, topics dealing with kashrut of different foods on Pesach, legumes (“kitniyot”), preparing utensils and the kitchen, the laws and customs of Erev Pesach, the laws of matzah, and the laws of the ‘Seder’ night.

Z’manim – the laws of Rosh Chodesh, the counting of the Omer, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Yom Yerushalayim, Lag B’Omer, Channukah, the month of Adar and Purim, the Three Weeks and the Fasts over the Destruction of the Temple – the 10th of Tevet, the 17th of Tamuz, Tisha b’Av, and the Fast of Gedaliah.