Ethan Tucker’s four favorite halachic works (and one favorite mitzvah)

I took advantage of my interview with Rabbi Tucker to ask a couple of off-the-wall questions that didn’t fit into the final article.

Q: What are your favorite halachic works?

A: Yosef Karo’s Beit Yosef. It is amazing in its ability to gather everything together. And the modern day analogue, the collected writings of Ovadia Yosef, is simply amazing. I love both of them in being able to see in them the full picture of what goes on halachicly.

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The Aruch HaShulchan is also a masterful attempt at synthesis. That’s another one of my favorites.

Finally, a very obscure one I was introduced to by Rabbi Ovadia’s writings, Erech Lechem by Rab Jacob Castrow. He went and made little glosses on the Shulchan Aruch, often kind of corecting for what he thought was the Rama’s overstepping in certain areas.

Q: What’s your favorite mitzvah?

A: I’ d have to say Shabbat. The weekly chance to re-enact sanctity in life is something I’ve always appreciated. It seems an even more important gift as the world moves so much faster.