Jewish law is traditionally understood as a combination of Divine commandments and rabbinic legislation, forming a complete system that guides religious, ethical, and daily life. These laws come primarily from:

• The Written Torah (first five books of the Hebrew Bible)
• The Oral Torah (later written as the Mishnah and Talmud)
• Rabbinic rulings and centuries of commentary

The 613 commandments (mitzvot) traditionally divide into positive (“do this”) and negative (“do not do this”) laws.

Below is the simplified structure.

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1. Ritual / Religious Law

A. Sabbath (Shabbat)

• No work (melacha), which includes:
  • No kindling or extinguishing fire
  • No writing/erasing
  • No carrying in public domain (in Orthodox tradition)
  • No cooking
• Ritual observances:
  • Lighting candles
  • Kiddush (sanctification blessing)
  • Meals and rest

B. Kosher Dietary Laws (Kashrut)

• Permitted animals:
  • Land animals must have split hooves and chew cud
  • Fish must have fins and scales
• Forbidden:
  • Pork, shellfish, most insects, scavenger birds
• No mixing meat and dairy
• Special slaughter laws (shechita)

C. Festivals and Holy Days

• Passover: No leaven
• Rosh Hashanah: New year rituals
• Yom Kippur: Fasting, no work
• Sukkot, Shavuot, Purim, Hanukkah, etc.

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2. Moral / Ethical Law

These govern behavior and interpersonal obligations.

A. Justice and Fairness

• Honest weights and measures
• Fair business dealings
• No bribery

B. Treatment of Others

• Do not gossip (lashon hara)
• Do not embarrass others publicly
• Obligation to help the poor
• Obligation to rescue someone in danger

C. Sexual and Family Laws

• Marriage and divorce
• Laws of modesty (vary by tradition)
• Prohibition of adultery, incest, etc.

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3. Laws of Prayer and Temple Ritual

• Daily prayer (3 times a day in Orthodox practice)
• Wearing tefillin
• Mezuzah on doorposts
• Historically: sacrifices and Temple service
  (ceased after the destruction of the Second Temple)

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4. Laws of Purity (Taharah)

These involve states of ritual purity.

• Family purity laws (niddah)
• Immersion in a mikveh
• Avoiding corpse impurity (relevant mainly to priests)

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5. Civil and Judicial Law

Many of these overlap with ethical rules but form a legal framework.

A. Courts

• Jewish courts (Beit Din)
• Rules of testimony (e.g., two witnesses required for capital cases)
• Standards of evidence

B. Financial Law

• Loans and interest (no interest between Jews in traditional law)
• Contracts
• Property boundaries and damages

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6. Rabbinic Laws

These are not found explicitly in the Torah but were instituted later.

Examples:

• Eruv (permits carrying on Shabbat)
• Chanukah candles
• Blessings before food
• Washing hands before bread

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7. Identity and Community

• Circumcision (Brit Milah)
• Conversion laws
• Rules for burial and mourning
• Prohibitions against idol worship

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In Summary

Jewish law covers:

• Ritual life (Sabbath, kosher, prayer)
• Ethical conduct (justice, kindness, honesty)
• Community structure (marriage, courts, leadership)
• Spiritual discipline (purity laws)
• Cultural identity (festivals, covenantal signs)