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Jewish culture has evolved and changed continuously. Two factors have provided the needed impetus for its modifications. One factor is the wealth of philosophical and legal differences of opinion among the Jews themselves, which have supplied an abundant source of internal combustion. The other factor was the Jews’ encounter with their host cultures and societies, which both challenged and influenced the Jewish spiritual world, whether knowingly or unknowingly.
The heart and core of Jewish culture lies in the halakha, whose aim is to govern human behavior in everyday life. Notwithstanding its commitment to the accepted norms of the past, the halakha evolved in accord with the changing reality in each generation.
