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Responsa (Latin: plural of responsum, "answers") comprise a body of written decisions and rulings given by legal scholars in response to questions addressed to them. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. JURIST is an online legal news service hosted by the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, written by founder Professor Bernard Hibbitts and a staff of more than

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In Judaism

Main article: History of Responsa

In rabbinic literature, the Responsa are known as She'elot u-Teshuvot (Hebrew: שאלות ותשובות "questions and answers") and comprise the body of written decisions and rulings given by poskim ("decisors of Jewish law"). History of responsa in Judaism spans a period of 1700 years Responsa constitute a special class of Rabbinic literature, differing in form, Rabbinic literature, in its broadest sense can mean the entire spectrum of Rabbinic writings throughout Jewish history Posek ( Hebrew פוסק po·ˈseq pl Poskim, פוסקים is the term in Jewish law for "decider"—a legal scholar who decides the

Judaism's responsa constitute a special class of rabbinic literature, to be distinguished from the commentaries (meforshim) - devoted to the exegesis of the Hebrew Bible, the Mishnah, the Talmud - and from the codes of law which delineate the rules for ordinary incidents of life. Rabbinic literature, in its broadest sense can mean the entire spectrum of Rabbinic writings throughout Jewish history Rabbinic literature, in its broadest sense can mean the entire spectrum of Rabbinic writings throughout Jewish history See also Old testament, Septuagint, Targum, Peshitta The Tanakh (תַּנַ"ךְ (taˈnax or; also Tenakh or Tenak is The Mishnah or Mishna (he משנה "repetition" from the verb shanah he שנה or "to study and review" is a major work of Rabbinic Judaism The Talmud ( Hebrew: he תַּלְמוּד is a record of Rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law

The responsa literature covers a period of 1,700 years - the mode, style and subject matter have changed as a function of the travels of the Jewish people and of the development of other halakhic literature, particularly the codes. See History of Responsa. History of responsa in Judaism spans a period of 1700 years Responsa constitute a special class of Rabbinic literature, differing in form,

Responsa play a particularly important role in Jewish law. Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law The questions forwarded are usually practical, and often concerned with new contingencies for which no provision has been made in the codes of law, and the responsa thus supplement the codes. Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law They therefore function as a source of law, almost as legal precedent, in that they are consulted by later decisors in their rulings; they are also, in turn, incorporated into subsequent codes. Stare decisis is a common law doctrine under which judges are obligated to follow the precedents established in prior decisions Posek ( Hebrew פוסק po·ˈseq pl Poskim, פוסקים is the term in Jewish law for "decider"—a legal scholar who decides the Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law See Posek; The sources and process of Halakha. Posek ( Hebrew פוסק po·ˈseq pl Poskim, פוסקים is the term in Jewish law for "decider"—a legal scholar who decides the Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law

In addition to requests for Halakhic rulings, many of the questions addressed were theoretical in character, particularly amongst the earlier responsa. Posek ( Hebrew פוסק po·ˈseq pl Poskim, פוסקים is the term in Jewish law for "decider"—a legal scholar who decides the The responsa accordingly contain rulings on ethics, business ethics, the philosophy of religion, astronomy, mathematics, history, geography, as well as interpretations of passages in the Bible, the Mishnah, the Talmud and the Midrash. Ethics is a major branch of Philosophy, encompassing right conduct and good life Business ethics is a form of Applied ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment Philosophy of religion is a branch of Philosophy that is concerned with the philosophical study of religion including arguments over the nature and existence of God religious Astronomy (from the Greek words astron (ἄστρον "star" and nomos (νόμος "law" is the scientific study Mathematics is the body of Knowledge and Academic discipline that studies such concepts as Quantity, Structure, Space and History is the study of the past particularly the written record Those who study history as a Profession are called Historians Etymology Geography (from Greek γεωγραφία - geografia) is the study of the Earth and its lands features inhabitants and phenomena Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin The Mishnah or Mishna (he משנה "repetition" from the verb shanah he שנה or "to study and review" is a major work of Rabbinic Judaism The Talmud ( Hebrew: he תַּלְמוּד is a record of Rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history Midrash ( Hebrew: מדרש plural midrashim, lit "to repeat" is a Hebrew term referring to the not exact but comparative ( homiletic Thus, while early Jewish literature has few historical works, many notes on the history of Judaism have been introduced into the responsa. Rabbinic literature, in its broadest sense can mean the entire spectrum of Rabbinic writings throughout Jewish history Jewish history is the History of the Jewish people, faith, and culture.

Responsa contain valuable information about the culture of the Jews and the people among whom they lived. Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic Information may also be gleaned about the moral and social relations of the times, occupations, the household, customs, expressions of joy and of sorrow, and recreations and even games. Minhag ( Hebrew: מנהג "custom" pl minhagim) is an accepted tradition or group of traditions in Judaism. Older responsa are also important for readings and emendations of the Mishnah and the Talmud. The Mishnah or Mishna (he משנה "repetition" from the verb shanah he שנה or "to study and review" is a major work of Rabbinic Judaism The Talmud ( Hebrew: he תַּלְמוּד is a record of Rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history

In Islam

A similar use of responsa (Ar. fatwā, pl. fatāwā) is found in Islam. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Here the mufti (from the same root as fatwā) is a member of the Islamic scholarly class ('ulamā', sg. This article is about an Islamic scholar Mufti can also refer to civilian dress. 'ālim) who form the Muslim religious establishment. In Islam, the term muftī is largely restricted to Sunnism, and has both a formal and informal use, the former for state-appointed officials who gave rulings on matters concerning the state or the public, the latter for individuals shaykh who respond to their followers or to others.

Nowadays, questions can be asked via the Internet, where numerous sites have sprung up offering legal rulings and advice.

In Shi'ism, fatwa is also used. There personal devotion to specific clergy is mandatory for believers. High-ranking members of the 'ulama' class achieve the status of marja' al-taqlīd (pl. marāji'), that is, 'the point to which imitation returns': in other words, they pronounce on religious matters, especially legal ones, and the rest of mankind are muqallid or imitators, who do nothing without the mandate of their specific marja'. There are very few marāji' at any time, though on a number of occasions since the 19th century, the title has come to rest on a single individual for the entire Shi'i world. There are larger numbers of Shi'i clergy with the rank of mujtahid, who are empowered to give independent opinions on religious matters. Traditionally, as in Judaism, the answers of marāji' and mujtahids are collected in a compilation called Risāla-yi su'āl va javāb (Pers. ) or 'Epistle of Questions and Answers).

There is generally greater latitude for Shi'i 'ulamā', insofar as the principle of independent reasoning (ijtihād, from the same root as mujtahid)) in matters of religious law remains valid in Shi'i jurisprudence, whereas it is deemed to have ended in Sunnism as far back as the 10th century (though it is now reckoned that this perception of the desuetude or 'closing of the door' of ijtihad did not always apply).

See also

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External links

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