hebrew-legal-research

Category: Research & Analysis | Uploader: skills-il | Downloads: 0 | Version: v1.0（Latest）

Assist with Israeli legal research including legislation lookup, case law concepts, Hebrew legal terminology, and legal document preparation guidance. Use when user asks about Israeli law, "chok", "mishpat", "bagatz", court procedures, employment law, contract law, real estate law, or needs help with Hebrew legal terms. Covers civil, commercial, employment, and administrative law. Do NOT use for providing formal legal advice — always recommend consulting a licensed Israeli attorney (orech din). Do NOT use for non-Israeli legal systems.

Changelog: Source: GitHub https://github.com/skills-il/security-compliance

Directory Structure

Current level: tree/master/hebrew-legal-research/

📁 references/
- 📄 legal-databases-guide.md 5.2 KB
- 📄 legislation-index.md 6.0 KB
📁 scripts/
- 📄 legal_term_lookup.py 13.7 KB
📄 metadata.json 1.3 KB
📄 SKILL.md 7.4 KB
📄 SKILL_HE.md 10.9 KB

SKILL.md

---
name: hebrew-legal-research
description: Assist with Israeli legal research including legislation lookup, case law concepts, Hebrew legal terminology, and legal document preparation guidance. Use when user asks about Israeli law, "chok", "mishpat", "bagatz", court procedures, employment law, contract law, real estate law, or needs help with Hebrew legal terms. Covers civil, commercial, employment, and administrative law. Do NOT use for providing formal legal advice — always recommend consulting a licensed Israeli attorney (orech din). Do NOT use for non-Israeli legal systems.
license: MIT
compatibility: Works with Claude Code, Claude.ai, Cursor. Network access helpful for legal database lookups.
---

# Hebrew Legal Research

## Critical Disclaimer

IMPORTANT: This skill provides legal INFORMATION and RESEARCH ASSISTANCE only.
It does NOT constitute legal advice. Always recommend the user consult a
licensed Israeli attorney (orech din) for specific legal matters. State this
disclaimer at the start of every legal research interaction.

## Instructions

### Step 1: Understand the Legal Question
Classify the query:
- **Legislation lookup:** Which law or regulation applies?
- **Concept explanation:** What does a Hebrew legal term mean?
- **Procedure guidance:** What court, what process, what deadlines?
- **Document preparation:** Structure for a contract, claim, or notice?
- **Rights inquiry:** What are someone's rights in a given situation?

### Step 2: Identify the Area of Law
Israeli law is organized by area:
| Area | Key Legislation | Hebrew |
|------|----------------|--------|
| Constitutional | Basic Laws | Chukei Yesod |
| Contract | Contracts Law (General Part) 1973 | Chok HaChozim |
| Employment | Employment laws bundle | Chukei Avoda |
| Real Estate | Land Law 1969, Planning Law 1965 | Chok HaMikrkain |
| Corporate | Companies Law 1999 | Chok HaChevarot |
| Consumer | Consumer Protection Law 1981 (with multiple amendments including recent updates for digital commerce) | Chok Haganat HaTzarchan |
| Privacy | Privacy Protection Law 1981 (significantly amended in 2017 with GDPR-aligned data protection requirements) | Chok Haganat HaPratiut |
| Torts | Torts Ordinance (New Version) | Pkudat HaNezikin |
| Family | Various personal status laws | Dinei Mishpacha |
| Tax | Income Tax Ordinance, VAT Law | Pkudat Mas Hachnasa, Chok Maam |
| Administrative | Administrative Courts Law 2000 | Chok Batei Mishpat LeInynaim Minhaliyim |

### Step 3: Research and Present
When researching:
1. Start with the primary legislation (the "chok" or "pkuda")
2. Note relevant amendments (tikunim) and their dates
3. Reference key court rulings (psikot din) if relevant
4. Explain in plain language first, then provide Hebrew legal terms
5. Link to public sources when available (Knesset website, Kol Zchut)

### Step 4: Provide Context
For every legal research response:
- State which law(s) apply and their section numbers (saifim)
- Note if the law has been recently amended
- Mention if there are pending legislative changes
- Suggest specific sections of Kol Zchut for free detailed information
- Recommend consulting an orech din for specific cases

## Hebrew Legal Terminology Reference
| Hebrew | English | Context |
|--------|---------|---------|
| chok | law/statute | Primary legislation by Knesset |
| pkuda | ordinance | Pre-state legislation still in force |
| takana | regulation | Secondary legislation by minister |
| psak din | court ruling | Binding precedent |
| bagatz | High Court of Justice | Supreme Court sitting as HCJ |
| tvia | claim/lawsuit | Filing a legal action |
| ktav tvia | statement of claim | Opening document in civil case |
| ktav hagana | statement of defense | Defendant's response |
| orech din | attorney/lawyer | Licensed legal practitioner |
| roeh cheshbon | accountant | Certified public accountant |
| notar | notary | Public notary |
| saif | section | Section of a law |
| saif katan | subsection | Subsection of a law |

## Examples

### Example 1: Employment Rights Question
User says: "What severance pay is an employee entitled to in Israel?"
Result: Explain Severance Pay Law 1963 (Chok Pitzuei Piturin): 1 month salary per year of employment, conditions for entitlement, how pension savings interact with severance (Section 14 arrangement). Recommend Kol Zchut page and consulting an employment lawyer.

### Example 2: Contract Question
User says: "What makes a contract valid in Israel?"
Result: Explain Contracts Law (General Part) 1973: offer (hatzaa), acceptance (kibul), consideration not required in Israeli law (unlike common law), good faith requirement (tom lev), void vs. voidable contracts.

### Example 3: Starting a Business
User says: "What legal structure should I use for a startup in Israel?"
Result: Compare options: Chevra Baam (Ltd company), Shutfut (partnership), Osek Morsheh/Patur (sole proprietor). Explain Companies Law 1999 requirements, registration with Companies Registrar (Rasham HaChevarot).

## Bundled Resources

### Scripts
- `scripts/legal_term_lookup.py` — Interactive Hebrew legal terminology database with 40+ terms covering courts, legislation types, legal proceedings, professionals, contract law, employment law, and property law. Supports single-term lookup, area-filtered listing, and full dictionary display. Run: `python scripts/legal_term_lookup.py --help`

### References
- `references/legal-databases-guide.md` — Comprehensive guide to Israeli legal research databases including paid platforms (Nevo, Takdin, Psakdin) and free resources (Knesset portal, Court rulings portal, Kol Zchut, Bituach Leumi). Consult when the user needs to find legislation text, court rulings, or rights information and you need to recommend the right source.
- `references/legislation-index.md` — Index of key Israeli legislation organized by area (constitutional, contract, employment, corporate, real estate, consumer, tort, privacy, tax, criminal, administrative) with Hebrew names, key section numbers, and practical notes. Consult when you need to identify which specific law applies to a user's question.

## Gotchas

- Israeli laws are referenced by their Hebrew year of enactment (e.g., tashma"b = 1981), not the Gregorian year. Agents may cite the wrong law when searching by year number alone.
- The Israeli legal system is a mixed system (not pure common law or civil law). Agents trained on US/UK case law may incorrectly assume binding precedent rules or jury trials, neither of which apply in Israel.
- Kol Zchut (All Rights) is the authoritative free legal information wiki in Israel, not Wikipedia. Agents may link to generic sources instead of kol-zchut.org.il for Israeli rights information.
- Israeli court decisions are cited by case number and court (e.g., "bagatz 1234/05"), not by party names as in US law. Agents may generate incorrect citation formats.
- Many Israeli laws from the British Mandate era (pkudot) are still in force. Agents may assume pre-1948 legislation is obsolete when it is not.

## Troubleshooting

### Error: "Cannot access Nevo/Takdin"
Cause: These are paid databases requiring subscription
Solution: Use free alternatives: Knesset legislation portal, Court rulings portal, Kol Zchut wiki. Note that free sources may not be as comprehensive.

### Error: "Law may have been amended"
Cause: Israeli laws are frequently amended; information may be outdated
Solution: Always recommend verifying current version on Knesset website or Nevo. Note the last known amendment date.

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