Judaism is a religion which explains the whole way of life. It is one of the oldest religions of the world that has its advocates in different areas of the world. Just like any other religion, Judaism also has its own principles, laws, and regulations that must be followed by every Jew. There are laws for almost everything we do in life like what to eat, what not to eat, how to pray, how to sleep, when to wake up, what to wear, what not to wear, how to do business, how to communicate with others, who to marry, who not to marry, etc. Jewish laws are also referred to as Halakhah, a word that has been derived from Hebrew. It is believed that people who practice the Halakhah in the right manner are able to increase their spirituality to a great extent which as a result leads to a more peaceful, healthier and happier life than before.
Halakhah involves 613 mitzvot (commandments) that are unchangeable as they were given to Jews by God in the Torah. Below are some of the most important Jewish laws.
Gezeirah:
Gezeirah is a law that has been developed by rabbis in order to stop people from unintentionally violating a commandment mentioned in the Torah. This needs to be kept in mind that a practicing Jew will find no significant difference between commandments mentioned in the Torah and a law mentioned in Gezeirah. The only difference is that, under rare conditions, a gezeriah can be altered by a rabbi.
Takkanah
Takkanah is a law which differs from community to community. It is possible that a certain community adheres to certain takkanah while others may adhere to a different one. These laws are not derived from commandments mentioned in the Torah.
Minhag
Minhag is a custom with the same status as a law which has been developed for commendable religious reasons. Minhag signifies the customary means of carrying out some religious duties. Just like the above-mentioned laws like gezeriah and takkanah, these customs are an important part of Halakhah. Minhag guides the actions of people under different circumstances. Sometimes when people are unsure of how to should act, they may take help from Minhag.