A COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW OF LADINO HALAKHIC LITERATURE: FROM CLASSICAL JEWISH LAW TO MODERN PRACTICE

This article offers a comprehensive overview of halakhic literature written in Judeo-Spanish (Ladino) from the early sixteenth century through the twentieth century. Drawing on approximately thirty-six identified halakhic works and related compilations, it proposes a typology of Ladino halakhic books, divided into five main categories: general compendia, thematic treatises, works with innovative forms, halakhic sections embedded in non-halakhic texts, and Hebrew liturgical books containing Ladino instructions. By tracing their linguistic and typographical evolution—from early Hebrew-letter editions to twentieth-century publications in Latin characters—the study highlights the role these works played in transmitting Jewish law to a broader Sephardic audience. The article underscores the importance of this corpus in maintaining religious observance, shaping vernacular expressions of Halakhah, and reflecting the dynamic interaction between rabbinic tradition and everyday Sephardic life.