הֲלָכָה f. (הלך) 1) (cmp. מִנְהָג) practice, adopted opinion, rule.—ה׳ כ־ in practice, the opinion of … is the rule. Keth. 77ᵃ ה׳ כמותו; a. v. fr.—ה׳ למשה מסיני a usage dating from Moses as delivered from Sinai, i.e. a traditional law or a traditional interpretation of a written law. Kidd. 38ᵇ; a. fr. —2) in gen. traditional law, tradition, custom. Orl. III, 9 הערלה ה׳ the application of the laws of Orlah (v. עָרְלָה) outside of Palestine is traditional or a custom (הילכות מדינה, v. Kidd. 38ᵇ).—Y. Bets. II, 61ᵇ top לה׳ as a traditional opinion (of a teacher), opp. לעובדא as his own decision for practice. Y. Dem. III, 23ᶜ bot., sq. מה׳ according to a custom. Ker. 13ᵇ ‘which the Lord has spoken’ (Lev. X, 11) זו ה׳ that means traditional interpretations. Ib. III, 9 (15ᵇ) אם ה׳ נקבל אם לדין וכ׳ if it is a tradition, we must accept it, but if it is a logical inference, there may be an objection to it. —3) law, contrad. to אֲגָדָה. Ber. 31ᵃ מתוך דבר ה׳ from discussion about a law, opp. ה׳ פסוקה a decision arrived at after discussion. Ib. 47ᵇ המחדדין … בה׳ who whet each other’s wits in legal discussion. Snh. 82ᵃ נתעלמה ממנו ה׳ the law had escaped his memory. Ib. ראה … ונזכר ה׳ he saw an act and recalled the law; a. v. fr.—Pl. הֲלָכוֹת, constr. הִלְכוֹת, הִילְ׳. Kidd. l. c. הי׳ מדינה (v. R. S. to Orl. III, 9; ed. הלכתא מדינה, corr. acc.) the usages of the country (outside of Palestine). Y. Hor. III, end, 48ᶜ אילו ה׳ that means the collections of laws (Mishnah). Tem. 14ᵇ כותבי ה׳ those who reduce traditions (oral law) to writing. Snh. 67ᵇ הי׳ כשפים the laws concerning the punishment of witchcraft. Ib. הלְ׳ יצירה mystic practices. Sabb. 32ᵃ; Tosef. ib. II, 10; a. v. fr.—[הלכה in Talmud Y., heading of Mishnah, in Talm. Bab. מתני׳.]