אוֹר זָרֻעַ לַצַּדִּיק — וּלְיִשְׁרֵי לֵב שִׂמְחָה

Psalms 97:11 · "Light is sown for the righteous"

Beis Midrash of the Beit Yosef

Old City of Tzfat, Israel

Five hundred years ago, Rabbi Yosef Karo sat in the narrow stone streets of the Old City of Tzfat and composed the work that would define Jewish legal life for every generation to follow — the Beit Yosef and its distillation, the Shulchan Aruch. The Beis Midrash that bore his name has never ceased to radiate that same light.

Ohr Zarua is the living continuation of that tradition — a Beis Hora'ah and advanced Torah learning center operating within the sacred boundaries of Tzfat's Old City, ensuring that the flame kindled by the Beit Yosef burns without interruption for the Jewish world today and for generations ahead.

Torah Source & Halacha Search

Search our halachic knowledge base — covering Shabbat, Kashrut, Family Purity, Lifecycle Events, Business Ethics, and more.

Press Enter or click Search. Results appear instantly below.

Core Pillars

Three interlocking commitments that define Ohr Zarua's work.

Get Involved

Whether you are a prospective Avreich, a supporter, or someone with an urgent halachic question — these pathways are open to you.

Beis Hora'ah · Practical Halacha · Immediate Clarity

The Shaalos Desk — Direct Halachic Guidance, Online & Private

A Shaalah is not a request for an opinion. It is a request for a Psak — a clear, objective, binding halachic conclusion drawn from the full weight of Torah tradition. The Ohr Zarua Shaalos Desk exists for exactly this purpose: to provide real people navigating real circumstances with authoritative clarity, not approximation.

Whether you are looking to ask a rabbi online, need access to a halachic question database, or need to contact a Beis Hora'ah directly — Ohr Zarua is the address. Every inquiry is received in English or Hebrew, treated with total discretion, and answered at the level of depth the question demands.

Our Beis Hora'ah handles a wide range of practical Halacha — with particular depth in Taharas Mishpacha, Shabbat, Kashrut, Aveilus, Nidda, lifecycle questions, conversion, and the halachic dimensions of contemporary life challenges. Selected business-halacha questions may also be appropriate, especially where careful review, discretion, and follow-up are needed.

Taharas Mishpacha · Nidda · Confidential · Fully Private

Taharas Mishpacha — A Secure, Private Channel for Complete Clarity

The laws of Taharas Mishpacha sit at the intersection of the most intimate dimensions of a Jewish life and the most precise architecture of halachic law. They are not merely technical regulations — they are the operational blueprint of the husband-wife relationship, the rhythm of the Jewish home, and the sacred structure of physical and emotional union.

When a question arises in this domain — about Niddah status, Hefsek Tahara, Bedikot, Chafifah, Tevilah timing, a Kesem, or a situation that does not fit neatly into any category — it requires a posek who can hold both the legal precision and the human weight of the moment. That is what this channel is for.

Ohr Zarua carries particular expertise in family purity guidance. Rabbi Leibner responds with objective halachic conclusions — not approximations, not generalities — delivered with the discretion and care these inquiries demand. This is a direct lifeline, not a forum. Your question goes directly to the posek.

"There is no Shaalah too small and no circumstance too unusual. The posek's role is precisely to hold what the individual cannot hold alone — and return clarity."

Support Torah in Israel · Old City of Tzfat · Biblical Heritage · International Partners

Heritage Foundations — Where the Shulchan Aruch Was Born, and Where It Lives Today

In 1563, Rabbi Yosef Karo completed the Beit Yosef in Tzfat — the most comprehensive legal commentary in Jewish history — and then compressed its ruling conclusions into the Shulchan Aruch. Within decades, every Jewish community on earth had adopted it as the binding code of halachic life. No document since Sinai has shaped Jewish behavior more directly.

To support Torah learning in Israel from within the Old City of Tzfat is not a symbolic gesture. It is a structural act — maintaining the living institution from which that blueprint originated and ensuring it remains active for a world that still depends on it. The historical record of this place is inseparable from the ongoing spiritual service it provides today.

For international supporters — Christian Zionists, Friends of Israel, and all who recognize the biblical roots of Israel as more than archaeology — Ohr Zarua offers something rare: a living institution rooted in the precise location where the Shulchan Aruch was written, still producing the halachic scholars and decisions that define Jewish life worldwide.

Your partnership does not fund an abstract cause. It funds a specific act of transmission — scholars learning in Tzfat, questions being answered from Tzfat, and the light of the Beit Yosef continuing to radiate outward from its source. We welcome correspondence from organizations, congregations, foundations, and individuals who feel the weight of that mission.

Dedications & Sponsorships

Every day of learning within the Beit Yosef Beis Midrash can be dedicated in honor or memory of a loved one. A sponsorship binds your name to an act of sacred, lasting Torah study.

For custom dedications or multi-year commitments, write to rav@ohrzarua.org.

Support Ohr Zarua

Your contribution sustains the Avreichim, maintains the Beis Hora'ah, and ensures that the light of Torah continues to burn without interruption in the Old City of Tzfat — for the entire Jewish world. Every gift is a direct act of preservation.

Ohr Zarua is a project of Kollel Ness Daniel Inc. Donations are processed securely through Donorbox under that legal entity. Donors who need current receipt or deductibility details should write to rav@ohrzarua.org before giving.