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Arba'ah Turim (Hebrew:אַרְבָּעָה טוּרִים), often called simply theTur, is an importantHalakhic code composed byYaakov ben Asher (Cologne, 1270 –Toledo, Spain c. 1340, also referred to asBa'al Ha-Turim). The four-part structure of theTur and its division into chapters (simanim) were adopted by the later codeShulchan Aruch. This was the first book to be printed in Southeast Europe and the Near East.[1]
The title of the work inHebrew means "four rows", in allusion to the jewels on theHigh Priest's breastplate. Each of the four divisions of the work is a "Tur", so a particular passage may be cited as "Tur Orach Chayim, siman 22", meaning "Orach Chayim division, chapter 22". This was later misunderstood as meaning "Tur, Orach Chayim, chapter 22" (to distinguish it from the corresponding passage in theShulchan Aruch), so that "Tur" came to be used as the title of the whole work.[2]
TheArba'ah Turim, as the name implies, consists of four divisions ("Turim"); these are further organised by topic and section (siman, pl.simanim).[3]
In theArba'ah Turim, Ya'akov ben Asher traces thepractical Jewish law from theTorah text and the dicta of theTalmud through theRishonim. He used the code ofIsaac Alfasi as his starting point; these views are then compared to those ofMaimonides, as well as to theAshkenazi traditions contained in theTosafist literature. Unlike Maimonides'Mishneh Torah, theTur is not limited tonormative positions, but compares the various opinions on any disputed point. (In most instances of debate, Ya'akov ben Asher follows the opinion of his fatherAsher ben Jehiel, known as the "Rosh".)Arba'ah Turim also differs from theMishneh Torah, in that, unlike Maimonides' work, it deals only with areas of Jewish law that are applicable in theJewishexile.
The best-known commentary on theArba'ah Turim is theBeit Yosef by rabbiJoseph ben Ephraim Karo: this goes beyond the normal functions of a commentary, in that it attempts to review all the relevant authorities and come to a final decision on every point, so as to constitute a comprehensive resource on Jewish law. Other commentaries areBayit Chadash by rabbiJoel Sirkis,Darkhei Moshe byMoses Isserles,Beit Yisrael (Perishah u-Derishah) by rabbiJoshua Falk, as well as works by a number of otherAcharonim. These often defend the views of the Tur against the Beit Yosef.
TheTur continues to play an important role in Halakha.
Students of theShulchan Aruch, particularly inOrthodoxSemikhah programs, typically study theTur and theBeit Yosef concurrently with theShulchan Aruch itself: in some editions the two works are printed together, to allow comparison of correspondingsimanim.
Arba'ah Turim was among the earliest Hebrew legal texts to be printed. In 1493, the brothers David and Samuel Nahmias—Portuguese Jewish exiles—established one of the first Hebrew printing presses in the Ottoman Empire, located in Istanbul.[4] Their pioneering efforts focused on addressing the scarcity of classical rabbinical and halakhic literature in the region. That same year, they printed Arba'ah Turim, marking it as one of the first Hebrew books produced in Southeast Europe and the Near East.
Notably, the printers included a line in the colophon expressing loyalty to the ruling power: “God save Sultan Bayezid, Amen.”[5] This reflects both the political realities of Jewish life under Ottoman rule and the gratitude of exiled Iberian Jews for the refuge offered by Sultan Bayezid II following the expulsion from Spain in 1492.
This early edition contributed significantly to the dissemination of Jewish legal scholarship and laid the groundwork for future halakhic codifications, including theShulchan Aruch.
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