The Arukh HaShulchan (“The Table is Set”) is a comprehensive halakhic digest following the order of the Shulchan Arukh, first published in 1884. It traces the origins of laws and customs to their source and discusses the views of legal authorities who wrote after the Shulchan Arukh. It is known for its lenient rulings and is considered an authoritative work; some later authorities give the work preference because its author, Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein, was the rabbi of a congregation and therefore was able to combine abstract considerations with a practical understanding of human needs.