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| Tehumin | |
|---|---|
| Title | Tehumin |
| Discipline | Halakha |
| Language | Hebrew |
| Publisher | Beit Midrash / Academic Press |
| Country | Israel |
| History | 1980–present |
Tehumin is an annual Hebrew-language scholarly journal focusing on Halakha and the interface between Jewish law and modern life. It addresses religious-legal questions arising in contexts such as Israel, Zionism, Kibbutz, IDF, and contemporary technologies, bringing together rabbinic responsa, essays, and studies by leading poskim and academics. The journal has shaped discourse among communities associated with Religious Zionism, Haredi Judaism, and yeshiva and university scholars, engaging issues from settlement policy to bioethics.
The title derives from a Hebrew root related to borders and localities; its name evokes classical texts such as the Mishnah and Talmud that discuss territorial laws like those in Bava Batra, Ketubot, and tractates addressing settlement and land use. The journal’s name echoes terminologies used in medieval works by figures such as Maimonides, Rambam, Rashi, and Rashba when treating laws of residence, sovereignty, and civic order. Editorial statements often reference canonical sources including the Shulchan Aruch, Tur, and responsa literature by the Geonim and Rishonim.
Founded in the late 20th century, the journal emerged amid debates involving institutions like Bar-Ilan University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and yeshivot such as Mercaz HaRav and Yeshivat Har Etzion. Early issues featured contributions from rabbis and scholars connected to figures including Zionist leaders and religious thinkers like Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook and later participants influenced by Rav Kook’s disciples. The publication coincided with political and social events including the aftermath of the Six-Day War (1967), the Yom Kippur War (1973), and the expansion of settlements after the Camp David Accords, shaping its agenda toward questions of land, security, and public policy. Over time, editorial boards included academics from Hebrew University, legal scholars from Tel Aviv University, and rabbinic authorities from communities across Israel.
Articles examine topics such as laws of Shabbat and national emergency, permissibility of medical interventions discussed with reference to rulings by authorities like Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, and Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach. The journal addresses ritual questions involving Kashrut, family law issues tied to Ketubah and conversion, and land-related laws concerning Eretz Yisrael and settlement, invoking sources from the Mishneh Torah, Arba'ah Turim, and commentaries by Rabbi Moshe Feinstein and Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv. It integrates themes from bioethics debates involving institutions such as the Israel Medical Association and academic centers like Hadassah Medical Center and legal frameworks in the Knesset.
Prominent contributors include rabbis and scholars associated with names like Rabbi Avraham Shapira, Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein, Rabbi Eliezer Waldenberg, and academics affiliated with Bar-Ilan University, Hebrew University, Technion, and Weizmann Institute of Science. Special issues have been dedicated to figures such as Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik and events like the establishment of communities in the West Bank after the Six-Day War (1967). Editions often compile responsa by contemporary poskim, comparative studies referencing legal theories from Roman law, British Mandate precedents, and analyses drawing on sociological research from institutes like the Israel Democracy Institute.
The journal has influenced rabbinic rulings and policy discussions within bodies such as rabbinical courts, municipal authorities in cities like Jerusalem and Beersheba, and organizations including the Religious Zionist movement and Amana. It has been cited in debates over military ethics involving the Israel Defense Forces, public health policy during crises involving institutions like the Ministry of Health (Israel), and settlement jurisprudence referenced in cases before the Supreme Court of Israel. Reception ranges from endorsement among activists and yeshiva educators to critique by some scholars associated with Haredi and secular academic circles.
Current issues engage emergent technologies and societal changes, connecting halakhic analysis to debates over genetics at institutions like the Weizmann Institute of Science and Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, cybernetics in the context of innovations from Start-Up Nation entrepreneurship, and public law concerns debated in the Knesset. Ongoing dialogues address marriage and conversion controversies involving the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, refugee and minority rights raised in discourse surrounding UN deliberations, and environmental stewardship in relation to projects managed by the Jewish National Fund and regional councils. The journal continues to serve as a forum linking rabbinic authority, academic research, and public institutions in addressing contemporary Jewish legal challenges.
Category:Hebrew-language journals Category:Jewish law Category:Israeli publications