American law and the American legal system are rights-based, whereas Jewish law and the halakhic system are duty-based. This distinction goes to the heart of the two legal systems; the basis on which each is founded, how they conceptualize human nature and the social order, and how they function. The American legal system is a human construction forged in a secular society. The halakhic system, while honed and clarified over the centuries by human decisors, is ultimately grounded in a text revealed by God. In consequence, the two legal systems approach problems quite differently. This is explained and illustrated in this volume by discussions of compelling social issues.