"Judaism sees itself as a path of praxis, and the Jews, or "Israel," as a human community that lives in accord with God's Torah as passed on, refined, and interpreted by an ongoing body of teachers and students."
-- Rabbi Arthur Green, Judaism's 10 Best Ideas, pg. 19
(א) משֶׁה קִבֵּל תּוֹרָה מִסִּינַי, וּמְסָרָהּ לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ, וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ לִזְקֵנִים, וּזְקֵנִים לִנְבִיאִים, וּנְבִיאִים מְסָרוּהָ לְאַנְשֵׁי כְנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה. הֵם אָמְרוּ שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים, הֱווּ מְתוּנִים בַּדִּין, וְהַעֲמִידוּ תַלְמִידִים הַרְבֵּה, וַעֲשׂוּ סְיָג לַתּוֹרָה:
(1) Moses received the Torah at Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua, Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets, and the prophets to the Men of the Great Assembly. They said three things: Be patient in [the administration of] justice, raise many disciples and make a fence round the Torah.
Definition #1:
Halakhah -- The normative praxis of Judaism.
(יב) וְעַתָּה֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מָ֚ה יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ שֹׁאֵ֖ל מֵעִמָּ֑ךְ כִּ֣י אִם־לְ֠יִרְאָה אֶת־יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ לָלֶ֤כֶת בְּכָל־דְּרָכָיו֙ וּלְאַהֲבָ֣ה אֹת֔וֹ וְלַֽעֲבֹד֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ֖ וּבְכָל־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃
(12) And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God demand of you? Only this: to revere the LORD your God, to walk in God's ways, to love God, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and soul.
(28) Be careful to heed all these commandments that I enjoin upon you; thus it will go well with you and with your descendants after you forever, for you will be doing what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God.
(ה) אַחֲרֵ֨י יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֛ם תֵּלֵ֖כוּ וְאֹת֣וֹ תִירָ֑אוּ וְאֶת־מִצְוֺתָ֤יו תִּשְׁמֹ֙רוּ֙ וּבְקֹל֣וֹ תִשְׁמָ֔עוּ וְאֹת֥וֹ תַעֲבֹ֖דוּ וּב֥וֹ תִדְבָּקֽוּן׃
(5) Follow after the LORD your God, and revere none but God; observe God's commandments alone, and heed only God's orders; worship none but God, and hold fast to God.
And Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Follow after the LORD your God...
...He explains: Rather, the meaning is that one should follow the attributes of the Holy One of Blessing. He provides several examples:
Just as God clothes the naked, as it is written: “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skin, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21), so too, should you clothe the naked.
Just as the Holy One of Blessing visits the sick, as it is written with regard to God’s appearing to Abraham following his circumcision: “And the Lord appeared unto him by the terebinths of Mamre” (Genesis 18:1), so too, should you visit the sick.
Just as the Holy One of Blessing consoles mourners, as it is written: “And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed Isaac his son” (Genesis 25:11), so too, should you console mourners.
Just as the Holy One of Blessing buried the dead, as it is written: “And he was buried in the valley in the land of Moab” (Deuteronomy 34:6), so too, should you bury the dead.
Definition #2:
Halakhah -- The collective body of Jewish religious thought as to how a Jew ought to behave.
Major Halakhic Codes:
- Mishneh Torah by Rabbi Moses ben Maimon (1135–1204)
- Arba'ah Turim (The Tur, lit. "The Four Columns") by Rabbi Jacob ben Asher (1270–1343)
- Shulchan Aruch of Rabbi Yosef Karo (1488–1575)