R' Yoel Sirkis (Bach)
R' Yoel Sirkis (1561-1640) was a prominent Ashkenazi halakhic authority and one of the most influential early Acharonim. He is best known for authoring the Bach (Bayit Chadash), a comprehensive commentary on the Tur that became a foundational work in Ashkenazi Jewish law. His rulings and methodological innovations significantly shaped the development of halakha in the early modern period.
Works & Contributions (5)
- Bach (Ba'al Chalak / Beit Chadash), cited in Mishnah Berurah 74:16 and Magen Avraham 74:7
- Levush (cited in Magen Avraham and Aruch HaShulchan)
- Synthesized Ashkenazi and Sephardic halakhic traditions
- Provided detailed analysis of rabbinic sources and their practical applications
Origin
Poland (Cracow/Kraków)
1561–1640 CE (5321–5400)
Historical Context
Lineage
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Decisional Profile
Opinions recorded by category
Topic Coverage
Each square represents a topic. Darker squares indicate more opinions recorded in that topic.
Shabbat
Daily Life
Prayer
Blessings
Tzitzit & Tefillin
Pesach
Rosh Hashanah
Yom Kippur
Sukkot
Hanukkah
Purim
Holidays
Fasts & Mourning
Most often agrees with
Most often disagrees with
Rulings (71)
Is the Ashkenazi custom of reciting piyutim to be maintained even given the Mechaber's prohibition?
Piyutim should be recited and the established minhag maintained.
Should one remain standing in place after taking the three steps back, or may one return to one's original position immediately?
There is no difference between an individual praying alone and one praying with the congregation. In…
What is the proper practice regarding when a lone individual should return to their original place after taking the three steps backward?
There is no difference between an individual praying alone and one in a congregation. In both cases,…
Should the congregation bow during Modim DeRabbanan, and if so, how much?
During Modim said with the prayer leader, one should only nod the head slightly (yanen'a rosho me'at…
May one person be called up to read from two different Torah scrolls in the same service?
Even if another reader intervened, the same person should not read from both scrolls, because onlook…
May learning continue between aliyot if it might stretch into the next reading?
One who is lenient to learn between aliyot is not criticized
Is it permitted to hold the wooden rollers (atzei chayyim) of a Sefer Torah with bare hands?
Even the atzei chayyim may not be held with bare hands without a cloth, since the Tosefta lists atta…
Is it permitted to take stones from an old synagogue to use in building a new one?
If the old synagogue stands in the middle of the new building's construction and there is no concern…
May proceeds from selling one sacred object be used to purchase a sacred object of equal (rather than greater) holiness?
There is no dispute about the l'chatchila prohibition; all agree it is forbidden initially. The disp…
What is the minimum size of a garment required to be obligated in tzitzit?
If an adult regularly (keva) wears the garment in public, it is obligated in tzitzit even if it does…
Does an adult's embarrassment to wear a garment in public exempt it from tzitzit even if it covers a child's head and majority of body?
If an adult is embarrassed to go out in the garment even occasionally, it is exempt from tzitzit eve…
Does regular (keva) adult wearing of a garment in public obligate it in tzitzit even if it is smaller than the child-coverage measure?
If an adult regularly (keva) wears the garment in public, it is obligated in tzitzit even if it does…
May one give bread to a servant or other person unless one knows they have washed their hands (netilat yadayim)?
The prohibition concerns only handwashing—because the person must wash before taking the bread—but n…
Do foods eaten after the meal but before Birkat HaMazon (the post-meal period) require blessings?
The post-meal status only applied in Talmudic times when small tables were physically removed before…
Should the mezamen add 'u-v'tuvo chayinu' (and by His goodness we live) in his opening formula 'Nevarekh she-akhalnu mi-shelo'?
The custom of adding 'u-v'tuvo chayinu' to the leader's opening call is questionable — it is not fou…