World Jewish News

Russia's state prosecutor has ordered an examination of Shulhan Arukh, a code of Jewish halakhic law compiled in the 16th c

Russia's state prosecutor has ordered an examination of Shulhan Arukh, a code of Jewish halakhic law compiled in the 16th century, to ascertain whether it constitutes racist incitement and anti-Russian material, the Israeli newspaper "Ha'aretz" reports. The prosecutor ordered the probe against a Jewish umbrella organization in Russia for distributing a Russian translation of Shulhan Arukh. Last Thursday, attorneys from the Russian state prosecutor's office questioned Rabbi Zinovy Kogan, chairman of the Congress of Jewish Organizations, one of the two large Jewish umbrella organizations in Russia. Kogan was asked to explain the contents of Shulhan Arukh, especially regarding its treatment of non-Jews. Experts say that this is the first time since Stalin's regime that Russian officials have described holy Jewish scriptures as prohibited incitement. The affair has been covered widely by the Russian media, eliciting sharp reactions from Jewish groups in Russia.

Источник: wjc.org.il