The legal discourse in respect of the status of deserted Jewish wives-Agunot in light of Halachic-Jewish Law Responsa of Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Toledano

Abstract

Abstract This article addresses The legal discourse in respect of the status of deserted Jewish Wives-Agunot in light of Halachic-Jewish Law Responsa of Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Toledano [Jewish legal] work Hayam Hagadol (Cairo, 1931) and Bat Ami (Tel Aviv 1947), which belongs to the category of Rabbinic Responsa. From these sources we learn of the legal discourse and his halachic approach in matters related to legal status of deserted Jewish wives (“Agunot”). From his responsa we learn of his use of the legal discourse, how he combined fully spelled out words and acronyms in Hebrew, the main language of his writings. He also used Aramaic, and foreign words written in Hebrew letters, as well as technical terms. We learn of his approach after he had meticulously studied halachic problems and issues, and combined halacha with historical events that impacted on the Jews over the centuries. Using these he issued halachic rulings. He used common sense, and did not rule out modern inputs, but rather addressed them and reached a halachic decision in order to provide his petitioners an adequate response. This article examines whether he was a strict rabbinic adjudicator or tended towards leniency.