Ethics and moral conduct

The Torah — love of God in Deuteronomy 6: 4, love of neighbour in Leviticus 19: 18, and the Golden Rule.

All the mitzvot are either ritual or ethical; the guide notes a good mixture of both in the Ten Commandments, Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5.

All ethical mitzvot are binding in all traditions. Only the ritual mitzvot are disputed, and only where they no longer serve their original purpose.

On Jewish teaching God is forgiving, but cannot forgive a person on behalf of another if that person has not tried to make amends.

Repentance, literally a turning — a change of direction rather than regret. It is formalised in the prayers of penitence before and during the High Holy Days.

Through halakhah — rabbinical debate based on interpretation of the Torah's legal material — continued in law codes and responsa, in Orthodoxy always going back to first principles.

The biblical principle behind "an eye for an eye" developed through rabbinic discussion into a law of compensation — the text developed rather than applied literally.

It is the part of the Talmud dealing with ethics and moral values, including narrative material on exemplary figures — so character is taught by story as well as conduct by rule.

A wife who remains anchored because her husband will not grant a get. Jewish divorce proceeds by a contract granted by the husband, and a get is required before an Orthodox Jew may remarry in a synagogue.

Reform and Liberal Judaism, through different approaches to evolving laws, find a way round the difficulty; Orthodox authorities seek remedies within the halakhah. The disagreement is about method, not about whether it is a hardship.

The importance of Jewish marriage and keeping a Jewish home; Orthodoxy is intolerant of marrying out of the faith; and there is a need for Jewish children to perpetuate the religion.

That the commandment is "Thou shalt not commit murder" — so the ethical question becomes which killing counts as murder.

It leads to respectful death rituals, and there are variations on views about abortion and contraception in the different traditions.

As vital for kashrut, and as promoting rather than violating animal rights. The guide adds that the Hebrew Bible is sensitive to both animals and nature — the sabbatical year for the land is its example.

Zionism is Jews who support the Jewish homeland in Israel, with variations both there and in the worldwide Jewish community about how best to be faithful to Judaism and yet promote peace and justice for all.

As a question about Jewish ethical reasoning: report the range of Jewish views and the sources they argue from, and do not supply a political verdict, which is not what is asked.