hebrew-legal-research
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:
- Start with the primary legislation (the "chok" or "pkuda")
- Note relevant amendments (tikunim) and their dates
- Reference key court rulings (psikot din) if relevant
- Explain in plain language first, then provide Hebrew legal terms
- 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.
More from skills-il/security-compliance
israeli-privacy-shield
Israeli Privacy Protection Law compliance guidance including Amendment 13 (effective August 14, 2025), database registration, consent requirements, data security, cross-border transfers, breach notification, privacy protection officer appointment, and AI governance. Use when user asks about Israeli privacy law, "haganat pratiut", "tikun 13", data protection in Israel, GDPR compliance for Israeli companies, privacy policy requirements, or database registration. Covers the Privacy Protection Law 1981, Amendment 13, and 2017 Security Regulations. Do NOT use for EU GDPR-only questions without Israeli context.
3israeli-appsec-scanner
Security scanning guidance for Israeli web applications covering OWASP Top 10, Israeli Privacy Protection Authority (PPA) compliance, dependency vulnerability scanning, secrets detection, and secure coding patterns for Hebrew/RTL apps. Use when user asks to "scan for vulnerabilities", "check security compliance", "audit Israeli app security", "bodek aviskhut" (Hebrew transliteration), or needs help with PPA compliance, secrets detection, or Hebrew input sanitization. Provides actionable checklists, automated scanning scripts, and Israeli-specific security guidance. Do NOT use for network penetration testing, physical security audits, or non-application-layer security concerns.
2israeli-ecommerce-compliance
Audit and ensure Israeli e-commerce legal compliance — Consumer Protection Law, return policies, price display, accessibility, and cookie consent. Use when user asks about "online store compliance Israel", "Chok Hagnat HaTzarchan", "consumer protection Israel", "return policy Israel", "IS 5568 ecommerce", "cookie consent Israel", or "חוק הגנת הצרכן". Covers cooling-off period validation, price display requirements, Hebrew terms of service generation, accessibility compliance (IS 5568), and business disclosure verification. Do NOT use for food-specific compliance (use israeli-food-business-compliance) or privacy/GDPR (use israeli-privacy-shield).
2israeli-cybersecurity-ops
Coordinate Israeli-built cybersecurity tools for security operations including threat triage, vulnerability management, compliance checking, and incident response. Use when user mentions security operations, "SOC", vulnerability scanning, threat triage, compliance assessment, or asks to coordinate Wiz, Snyk, Check Point, CyberArk, SentinelOne, Armis, Torq, or Pentera tools. Embeds Israeli security best practices including INCD guidelines and Israeli Privacy Protection Law compliance. Do NOT use for offensive security testing or creating exploits.
2israeli-cyber-regulations
Israeli cybersecurity regulatory framework guidance covering INCD (Ma'arach HaSyber) national directives, Bank of Israel Directive 361 (cyber for financial institutions), Directive 357 (payment security), ISA requirements for TASE-listed companies, and sector-specific rules for fintech and healthtech. Use when user asks about "cyber regulation Israel", "horaot Bank Israel 361", "INCD compliance", "Ma'arach HaSyber", "ISA cyber requirements", "sector cyber rules Israel", or "רגולציית סייבר". Covers regulatory mapping, gap analysis, compliance checklists, and audit preparation for Israeli cyber frameworks. Do NOT use for privacy law compliance (use israeli-privacy-compliance instead).
2israeli-shelter-guide
Guide to finding and preparing shelters in Israel, including mamad (apartment safe room), mamak (floor safe room), maman (institutional safe room), and miklat (public shelter). Use when a user needs to find the nearest shelter, prepare a safe room according to Home Front Command guidelines, understand time-to-shelter by region, set up workplace emergency procedures, or learn the Israeli shelter system as a new immigrant. Covers building regulations since 1992, municipal shelter databases, shelter preparation checklists, accessibility for people with disabilities, stairwell protocols for buildings without mamad, and what to do if caught outdoors. Helps users protect themselves and their families during rocket alerts, especially those unfamiliar with the system. Do NOT use for building alert integrations (use pikud-haoref-alerts), for safety protocol instructions per alert type (use pikud-haoref-safety-protocols), or for non-Israeli emergency shelter systems.
1