Where Is the Igros Moshe?

The Igros Moshe (אגרות משה, "Letters of Moses") is a landmark multi-volume work of halachic (Jewish legal) responsa authored by Rav Moshe Feinstein zt"l (1895–1986), one of the greatest halachic authorities (poskim) of the 20th century. It is found in print form and is widely available in both physical and digital formats.

Key Takeaways

The Igros Moshe is a collection of halachic responsa by Rav Moshe Feinstein, published across multiple volumes from 1959 onward.
It covers all four sections of the Shulchan Aruch: Orach Chaim, Yoreh De'ah, Even HaEzer, and Choshen Mishpat.
It is considered one of the most authoritative halachic works for Ashkenazic Jewry today.
It can be found in print, on Sefaria.org, on HebrewBooks.org, and in most yeshiva libraries.
Multiple responsa from this work appear in the retrieved sources above, touching on topics from Shabbat to medical ethics.

About the Author

Rav Moshe Feinstein was born in Uzda, Russia, and later became the Rosh Yeshiva of Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem on the Lower East Side of New York. He was widely regarded as the posek ha-dor (halachic decisor of the generation) for American Orthodox Jewry.

Structure of the Work

The Igros Moshe is organized by the four sections of the Shulchan Aruch:

| Section | Topics Covered | |---|---| | Orach Chaim (8 volumes) | Shabbat, holidays, prayer, daily life | | Yoreh De'ah (4 volumes) | Kashrut, niddah, conversion, medical ethics | | Even HaEzer (4 volumes) | Marriage, divorce, family law | | Choshen Mishpat (2 volumes) | Financial law, damages |

Where to Access It

In Print

Published by Moriah Publications and widely available through Jewish book publishers (e.g., Feldheim, ArtScroll distributors).
Found in virtually every beit midrash (study hall) and yeshiva library.

Online (Free)

📖 Sefaria.org — searchable English/Hebrew text
📖 HebrewBooks.org — full scanned PDF of original editions
📖 Otzar HaChochmah — comprehensive database (subscription-based)

Examples from the Retrieved Sources

The Igros Moshe appears multiple times in the sources provided above, demonstrating its breadth:

Medical ethics: Rav Feinstein discusses the determination of death using respiratory signs, citing [Yoma 85a] [Iggeros Moshe, Yoreh De'ah III:132]
Shabbat law: His ruling on liquid soap — "it is better not to use it on Shabbos" [Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 80:58, citing Igros Moshe]
Toothpaste: Forbidden on Shabbos [Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 80:58, citing Igros Moshe]
Childbirth room: Rav Feinstein wrote that he sees no prohibition in a husband being present, provided he does not look at the birth itself [Responsa Benei Banim I:33, citing Igros Moshe, Orach Chaim III:75]

If you're looking for a specific responsum in the Igros Moshe, just tell me the topic and I can help you locate the relevant volume and section!

Where is the igros moshe