Question:
Hi
I recently got a set of Tur Shulchan Aruch and I wanted to learn in a bit on the side but I’m not sure how to approach it? Do I start with Tur and then Bais Yosef (and other meforshim on the tur) or maybe I should do Tur then jump straight to Shulchan Aruch and then do meforshim on Shulchan Aruch and them come back to meforshaim on the Tur. my goal is to actually learn the Halacha and not get confused by so many shittos
Thanx so much
Answer:
You should have much hatzlocha in your endeavor to start a new part of torah!
The are many levels of learning halacha, the same way there are many levels of learning gemora. What is generally done, is to learn the Tur, Darcei Moshe and Beis Yosef, because the Beis Yosef brings the sugya, with the gemoras, and the Rishonim, and gives you the foundation of the topic, and it is also the foundation for the psak of the Shulchan Aruch and the Sefardic minhag. The Beis Yosef and Darcei Moshe are the basis for the Ashkenazi minhag. (If you can see the gemoras on which the Beis Yosef is basing himself upon, that is even better because then you will see the foundation from its roots. You can usually tell which gemoras are applicable from the one’s that the Beis Yosef quotes.) Then you go to the Shulchan Aruch, which is learned with the Magen Avraham and Taz (for Orach Chaim, for Yorah Deah it is the Taz and Shach), and then the Mishna Berura. It is also good to see the Pischei Teshuva, and R’ Akiva Eiger, however if you are just starting out you don’t want to overload yourself with too many facts. I once heard a very wise piece of advice from a big posek, that when learning halacha, make sure not to learn too many shittos and technicalities to the point that you are confused. Therefore, the first time you learn a topic, keep it simple, then the next time you learn it, and the first level is already clear to you, then you can go to more details, and more meforshim, etc. After you have absorbed the next level, and those are clear to you, then the next time you learn it you can take it to the next level.
May Hashem send you much siyata dishmaya
