Community, Family, and Social Norms in Early Modern Ashkenaz: Using the Pinkas of the Metz Beit Din as an Historical Source

In addition to its primary focus on the resolution of civil disputes in eastern France, the Pinkas (register) of the rabbinic court of Metz is an important source for the history of early modern Ashkenaz, especially in the areas of social norms and family life. This paper will examine evidence drawn from the Metz Pinkas and will compare it to contemporary Jewish and non-Jewish sources.