The Shulhan Arukh and the End of an Era in Jewish Law

Rabbi Mintz on Jewish History - Glimpses into the religious Lives of Early Modern European Jewry

Rabbi Joseph Caro and Rabbi Moshe Isserles brought an end to the ear of codification in Jewish history. This lecture will explore the journey of each of these great rabbinic scholars through their lengthy commentaries on the Tur to their concise codes in the Shulhan Arukh. Why did both Rabbis Caro and Isserles choose to later their styles from the lengthy code to the more simplified one? What is the major difference between their approaches to halakhah? Why was the Shulhan Arukh with the notes of the Rama accepted as the authoritative code of Jewish law?