The Jewish Legal Heritage Society

Description of Current Research Projects

Jewish Law for Israel (‘Chok L’Yisrael)

A systematic and up to date presentation of Jewish Law as a basis for legislation and judicial decision arranged according to the laws of the State of Israel.

The purpose of this series is to revive Jewish Law as a vital legal system accessible to anyone active in the legal realm: judges, lawyers, legislators, researchers and students. 

By presenting Jewish Law’s stand on current legal issues, the volumes of ‘Chok L’Yisrael’  will advance the incorporation of Jewish Law in Israel’s judicial system.

This commentary is written by experts, laid out in a clear and convenient fashion enabling today’s legalist to apply Jewish Law when confronting modern legal questions. 

To date, 6 volumes have been published in the series:

Guarantee
Torts
Unjust Enrichment
Restoration of Lost Property
Bailment
Hire and Loan

The following projects are in varying stages of research (each project’s cost is stated).

Agency             ($60,000)

Gift                   ($60,000)

Trusts               ($50,000)

Partnership       ($50,000)

 

Regulations on Luxury Spending

Jewish communities, from time immemorial, have controlled the important issues in public life through regulations (takkanot).  Community leaders sought to mandate, through regulation, norms of luxury spending; primarily on clothing and jewelry, celebrative events, and gifts.  These limitations became necessary for a variety of reasons, including internal community considerations, such as reduction of tension between socio-economic classes.

Alongside the values reflected by these regulations, such as honoring human dignity by protecting the financially less fortunate from embarrassment, this legislative phenomenon can also shed light on the methods of self-government in the Jewish communities, the authority of the community leaders and its limits.

The cost of this project is $70,000.