heretohelp: In terms of civil law (other than domestic relations) they are very similar. It appears they copied much from us, and much that reflects commercial custom in the middle east at the time. Their criminal law is totally different (our criminal never amounted to much since the evidence rule was so strict – most crime was probably dealt with as a dine mamonos). They are a little less strict on ribis, and allow polygamous and temporary marriages (which would be banned in the US under the public policy exception). They have a little more variety with greater difference than our Sefardi-Ashkenazi or Hasidic-Yeshivish divides.
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