Arbaʿa ṭurim

work by Jacob ben Asher

Also known as: “Tur”

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June 18, 2026

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Arba'a Turim, meaning "Four Rows," is a seminal work of Jewish law codified by Jacob ben Asher. Published in its entirety in 1475, it systematically organized Jewish legal tradition into four distinct sections: Oraḥ ḥayyim (laws of prayer and ritual), Yore de'a (laws of what is permitted or forbidden, including dietary laws), Even ha-'ezer (laws of family relations like marriage and divorce), and Ḥoshen mishpaṭ (civil and criminal law).1

Jacob ben Asher, who lived from approximately 1269 to 1340, created this code by drawing heavily on his father Asher ben Jehiel's work and other post-Talmudic authorities, rather than solely on the Talmud itself. The Arba'a Turim became a standard reference for Jewish legal decisions until the 16th century and is also known as the Tur.1

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Joseph ben Ephraim Karo
…Bet Yosef on the codification Arbaʿa ṭurim (1475; “Four Rows”) of Jacob ben Asher. Following Asher’s topical arrangement, Karo brought together the legal decisions of three leading representative Talmudists: Moses Maimonides, Isaac Alfasi, and Asher ben Jehiel. When he found disagreement among the three, Karo took the majority opinion as…
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…Bet Yosef on the codification Arbaʿa ṭurim (1475; “Four Rows”) of Jacob ben Asher. Following Asher’s topical arrangement, Karo brought together the legal decisions of three leading representative Talmudists: Moses Maimonides, Isaac Alfasi, and Asher ben Jehiel. When he found disagreement among the three, Karo took the majority opinion as…
Read More

Jacob ben Asher
…best known for his code Arbaʿa ṭurim (“Four Rows”; first published in its entirety in 1475 and also known as Ṭur), which systematically divided all Jewish law into four “rows,” or classes, a new arrangement that became classic. He is therefore called Baʿal ha-Ṭurim (“Master of the Rows”). His four…
Read More
…best known for his code Arbaʿa ṭurim (“Four Rows”; first published in its entirety in 1475 and also known as Ṭur), which systematically divided all Jewish law into four “rows,” or classes, a new arrangement that became classic. He is therefore called Baʿal ha-Ṭurim (“Master of the Rows”). His four…
Read More