Throughout, he infuses his work with commentaries on Jewish law which, in and of themselves, make fascinating reading. The Mishneh Torah is a reflection of Sephardic laws and customs of its time. The Shulkhan Arukh was compiled by the Sephardic rabbi Joseph Karo in the middle of the 14th century. The Shulkhan Arukh was published with both scholars' rulings, Karo's listed first, and Isserles' dissents and additions listed afterward. Although Jewish law is based on the Torah and Talmud, and codified in a number of law codes, it is fundamentally case law, and answers to specific situations not covered in the general law were traditionally decided by legal authorities knowledgeable in all of the above.
Issues explored by teshuvot are as diverse as people themselves.
Throughout history, She-elot U'Teshuvot have functioned to help Jews deal with the exigencies of life in a manner that is consistent with Jewish values and tradition. Many today deal with the implications of modern technological advances on our lives. In the Reform movement, responsa are published by the Central Conference of Reform Rabbis. Some are now available on-line through the World Wide Web . The teshuvot of the Reform Movement are advisory, rather than obligatory in a legal sense.