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Wellsprings
talmudic methodfeatured in 40 works

Machloket (Halachic Disagreement Framework)

The Talmudic institution of halachic disagreement, with norms for recording dissenting opinions and for deciding between them ('the law is like the later authority').

Machloket is the institution of recorded disagreement that runs through the whole of Talmudic literature. Rather than suppress dissent, the tradition preserves competing opinions side by side and develops norms for deciding between them — such as following the majority or the later authority. The result is a legal culture in which the give-and-take itself, not only its conclusion, is treasured and transmitted.

How it traveled

  1. Jerusalem Talmud Yevamot
    Tiberias · 400
    explains
  2. Yevamot
    Sura (Babylonia) · 500
    explains
  3. Shabbat
    Sura (Babylonia) · 500
    explains
  4. Sanhedrin
    Sura (Babylonia) · 500
    explains
  5. Ketubot
    Sura (Babylonia) · 500
    explains
  6. Bava Batra
    Sura (Babylonia) · 500
    explains
  7. Pesachim
    Sura (Babylonia) · 500
    explains
  8. Kiddushin
    Sura (Babylonia) · 500
    explains
  9. Gittin
    Sura (Babylonia) · 500
    explains
  10. Sukkah
    Sura (Babylonia) · 500
    explains
  11. Sefer HaTerumah
    Worms (Rhineland) · 1190
    explains
  12. Yalkut Shimoni on Torah
    Tiberias · 1250
    explains
  13. Chiddushei Ramban on Yevamot
    Girona · 1265
    explains
  14. Meiri on Yevamot
    Perpignan · 1300
    explains
  15. Meiri on Nedarim
    Perpignan · 1300
    explains
  16. Meiri on Gittin
    Perpignan · 1300
    explains
  17. Sefer HaTashbetz
    Tunis · 1430
    explains
  18. Drisha
    Lviv (Lemberg) · 1605
    explains
  19. Bach
    Krakow (Cracow) · 1631
    explains
  20. Siftei Kohen on Shulchan Arukh, Choshen Mishpat
    Vilna (Vilnius) · 1646
    explains
  21. Siftei Kohen on Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh De'ah
    Vilna (Vilnius) · 1646
    explains
  22. Turei Zahav on Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim
    Lviv (Lemberg) · 1646
    explains
  23. Beit Shmuel
    Frankfurt am Main · 1689
    explains
  24. Eliyah Rabbah on Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim
    Prague · 1712
    explains
  25. Brit Moshe
    Amsterdam · 1721
    explains
  26. Sheilat Yaavetz
    Altona · 1728
    explains
  27. Penei Yehoshua on Gittin
    Frankfurt am Main · 1730
    explains
  28. Penei Yehoshua on Ketubot
    Frankfurt am Main · 1730
    explains
  29. Penei Yehoshua on Kiddushin
    Frankfurt am Main · 1730
    explains
  30. Beur HaGra on Shulchan Arukh, Even HaEzer
    Vilna (Vilnius) · 1780
    explains
  31. Beit Meir on Shulchan Arukh, Even HaEzer
    Frankfurt am Main · 1787
    explains
  32. Haamek Sheilah on Sheiltot d'Rav Achai Gaon
    Volozhin · 1861
    explains
  33. Arukh HaShulchan
    Novardok (Novogrudok) · 1884
    explains
  34. Kaf HaChayim on Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh De'ah
    Jerusalem · 1900
    explains
  35. Torah Temimah on Torah
    Pinsk · 1904
    explains
  36. Mishnah Berurah
    Radin · 1907
    explains
  37. Commentary on Sefer Hamitzvot of Rasag
    Lviv (Lemberg) · 1914
    explains
  38. Introductions to Tanaitic Literature
    Jerusalem · 1923
    explains
  39. Introductions to Amoraic Literature
    Jerusalem · 1950
    explains
  40. Shibbolei HaLeket
    Rome
    explains

Key passages(20)

REF ref-asher-weiss-minchas-asher

Minchas Asher · R. Asher Weiss (Minchas Asher)

Citation only · not on Sefaria
Very high
REF ref-chaim-pinchas-scheinberg-mishmeret-chaim

Mishmeret Chaim · Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg

Citation only · not on Sefaria
Very high
REF ref-hershel-schachter-nefesh-harav

Nefesh HaRav · R. Hershel Schachter (YU/RIETS)

Citation only · not on Sefaria
Very high
REF ref-moshe-feinstein-igrot-moshe

Igrot Moshe · Moshe Feinstein

Citation only · not on Sefaria
Very high
REF ref-ovadia-yosef-yabia-omer

Yabia Omer · Ovadia Yosef

Citation only · not on Sefaria
Very high
REF ref-rabbi-aryeh-leib-malin-chiddushei-rabbi-aryeh-leib-malin

Chiddushei Rabbi Aryeh Leib Malin · Rabbi Aryeh Leib Malin

Citation only · not on Sefaria
Very high
REF ref-rabbi-dovid-lifshitz-shiurei-rabbi-dovid

Shiurei Rabbi Dovid · Rabbi Dovid Lifshitz

Citation only · not on Sefaria
Very high
REF ref-rabbi-dovid-povarsky-yeshuot-dovid

Yeshuot Dovid · Rabbi Dovid Povarsky

Citation only · not on Sefaria
Very high
REF ref-rabbi-shmuel-rozovsky-zichron-shmuel

Zichron Shmuel · Rabbi Shmuel Rozovsky

Citation only · not on Sefaria
Very high
REF ref-rabbi-yaakov-yisrael-kanievsky-kehillot-yaakov

Kehillot Yaakov · Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky

Citation only · not on Sefaria
Very high
REF ref-rabbi-yisrael-zev-gustman-kuntresei-shiurim

Kuntresei Shiurim · Rabbi Yisrael Zev Gustman

Citation only · not on Sefaria
Very high
REF ref-rav-elyashiv-kovetz-teshuvot

Kovetz Teshuvot · Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (senior Litvish posek)

Citation only · not on Sefaria
Very high
REF ref-rav-shach-avi-ezri

Avi Ezri · Elazar Menachem Man Shach (Ponevezh)

Citation only · not on Sefaria
Very high
REF ref-rav-shlomo-zalman-auerbach-minchat-shlomo

Minchat Shlomo · Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Minchat Shlomo)

Citation only · not on Sefaria
Very high
REF ref-shmuel-wosner-shevet-halevi

Shevet HaLevi · Shmuel Wosner

Citation only · not on Sefaria
Very high
REF ref-yekutiel-yehuda-halberstam-divrei-yatziv

Divrei Yatziv · R. Yekutiel Yehuda Halberstam (Divrei Yatziv)

Citation only · not on Sefaria
Very high
Mishnah Eduyot 5:1↗explains

Mishnah Eduyot · 190 CE

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Very high

רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, שִׁשָּׁה דְבָרִים מִקֻּלֵּי בֵית שַׁמַּאי וּמֵחֻמְרֵי בֵית הִלֵּל. דַּם נְבֵלוֹת, בֵּית שַׁמַּאי מְטַהֲרִין, וּבֵית הִלֵּל מְטַמְּאִין. בֵּיצַת הַנְּבֵלָה, אִם יֵשׁ כַּיּוֹצֵא

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Jerusalem Talmud Horayot.1 6:2↗explains

Jerusalem Talmud Horayot · 375 CE

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Very high

הלכה: הוֹרוּ בֵית דִּין וְעָשׂוּ כָל הַקָּהָל כול׳. מָאן תַּנָּא רוֹב. רִבִּי מֵאִיר. דְּתַנֵּי. הִיא מַחֲצִית כָּל הַשְּׁבָטִים הִיא מַחֲצִית כָּל שֵׁבֶט וָשֵׁבֶט וּבִלְבַד רוֹב. רִבִּי יוּדָה אוֹמֵר

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Jerusalem Talmud Megillah.1 4:13↗explains

Jerusalem Talmud Megillah · 375 CE

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Very high

שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר בָּא אָמַר. אֲתַא עוֹבִדָא קוֹמֵי רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן וְהוֹרֵי כְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי וַהֲוָה רִבִּי לָעְזָר מִצְטָעֵר וְאָמַר. שָׁבִקִין סְתָמָא וְעָבְדִין כִּיחִידָיָיא. אַשְׁכַּח תַּנֵּי לָהּ ר

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Sanhedrin 24:2:7↗explains

Sanhedrin · Anonymous (Stammaim, redactors of the Bavli) · 450 CE

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Very high

אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: מַחְלוֹקֶת לִפְנֵי גְּמַר דִּין, אֲבָל לְאַחַר גְּמַר דִּין – דִּבְרֵי הַכֹּל אֵין יָכוֹל לַחְזוֹר בּוֹ. וְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר: לְאַחַר גְּמַר דִּין מַחְלוֹקֶת.

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Modern teachers who discuss this idea

Modern and living teachers whose books take up Machloket (Halachic Disagreement Framework). These works are still in copyright, so we can’t show the text here — each links out to the book.