Part of my daily learning seder includes halacha. I’ve learned different sefarim over the years, most often classics like Mishna Berura or Shmirat Shabbat Ke’Hilchata. But more recently, my favourites have been the books of Rav Tzvi Rimon (having just finished his volume about Sefirat HaOmer and laws around the bracha for newly flowering trees in spring). Rav Rimon lives in the Gush, and has become one of the leading poskim in the Dati Leumi community. He is an incredible talmid chacham, with at least a dozen sefarim, and many more teshuvot and articles about halacha. He has a particular interest in the mitzvot of Eretz Israel, but is prolific in all areas of halacha, including an incredible pair of volumes on hilchot Shabbat and a second pair about the hagadah and laws of Pesach.
What makes his books unique is their structure and clarity. He builds each sugiah from the ground up, beginning with the relevant pesukim, and then building to the gemarot, Rishonim, and Achronim. He then creates exceptional clarity by clustering groups of concepts together, helping the reader understand each set of ideas, and how they emerge from the sources. He then builds out these principles by looking at the different ways they are used by Achronim in modern day psak. At the end of each chapter, he helps the reader with review by presenting all the ideas in the form of a graphic organizer, color coded by each different position, and their consequences in practical halacha. It’s such a fabulous form of review and clarity, for visual learners especially. His language isn’t complex, which makes him all the more accessible to any reader with decent Hebrew.
So, if you’re looking to start a halacha seder, or just learn a fabulous halacha sefer, anything by Rav Rimon is a great place to start.
Just Because I Liked It:
- In the past I’ve struggled with Brene Brown, but have found myself increasingly liking her work of late. I found this interview on Adam Grant’s podcast, about what vulnerability is, and isn’t, really fascinating.
- Yes, I’ve been on a bit of an Adam Grant thing of late. I also enjoyed these conversations between him and Malcolm Gladwell. It really doesn’t matter what they talk about – it’s always interesting!
- This review of two books about the American Satmar communities of Williamsburg and Kiryas Yoel was so interesting, even as I wondered whether the authors, as outsiders, really did understand their subjects. Regardless, it was an eye-opening exploration.