Rabbi

Rabbi, in Judaism, means a religious ‘teacher’, or more literally, ‘great one’. The word Rabbi is derived from the Hebrew root word רַב, rav, which in biblical Hebrew means ‘great’ or ‘distinguished (in knowledge)’. Sephardic and Yemenite Jews pronounce this word רִבִּי ribbī; the modern Israeli pronunciation רַבִּי rabbī is derived from a recent (18th century) innovation in Ashkenazic prayer books, although this vocalization is also found in some ancient sources. Other varieties of pronunciation are rəvī, rubbī,[citation needed] and, in Yiddish, rebbə.

The word comes from the Semitic root R-B-B, and is cognate to Arabic ربّ rabb, meaning "lord" (generally used when talking about God, but also about temporal lords as well).

Historical overview

The governments of the kingdoms of Israel and the Judah were based on a system of the kings, prophets, and the priesthood, and also on the legal authority of a council of advisers or judges known as the Sanhedrin. Members of the Sanhedrin were supposed to represent an uninterrupted line from the 70 elders appointed by Moses. They were more usually referred to as judges (dayanim) rather than rabbis, but it is from this institution that the rabbinic office evolved. The history of the Sanhedrin is sketchy and it apparently did not function with any constitutional authority. There may have been times when it did not function at all, since it is mentioned only occasionally in the biblical texts. In the Second Temple period, from the end of the Babylonian Exile until 70 C.E., the Sanhedrin had authority to interpret religious law, and sometimes civil law as well, depending on the royal or other administration under which it operated.

The basic form of the rabbi developed in the Pharisaic and Talmudic era. Around the beginning of the common era, historical sages such as Hillel and Shammai were Sanhedrin leaders whose opinions were recorded for posterity, although it may be an anachronism to refer to such figures as "rabbis."

With the destruction of the two Temples in Jerusalem, the focus of scholarly and spiritual leadership within the Jewish people shifted to the sages of the leaders of the Sanhedrin. On the local level, the synagogue replaced the Temple of Jerusalem as the primary focus of spiritual energy. This assembly was composed by the earliest "rabbis" as we know them for the last two thousand years, in large part because they began the formulation and explication of what became known as Judaism's "Oral Law (Torah SheBe'al Peh). This was eventually encoded and codified within the Mishnah and Talmud and subsequent rabbinical scholarship, producing what is known as "Rabbinical Judaism."

Sages as rabbis

The rabbi is not an occupation found in the Torah (i.e. the Pentateuch) as such; the first time this word is mentioned is in the Mishnah, commonly thought to be codified around 200 C.E., by Rabbi Judah Hanasi). However, Christian sources indicate that Jesus of Nazareth was called Rabbai by his followers. Even if this title was given to him only at the time the Gospels were written in the late first century CE, this would indicate that the title was in use in Jewish-Christian and probably normative Jewish communities at least a century earlier than the Mishnaic period.

In Jewish sources, the title "rabbi" was first used for Rabban Gamaliel the elder, Rabban Simeon his son, and Rabban Johanan ben Zakkai, all of whom were patriarchs or presidents of the Sanhedrin. Whether the title was used informally on a wider basis during this time is not known for certain. In any case, after the suppression of the Patriarchate and Sanhedrin by Theodosius II in 425, there was no more formal ordination in the strict sense. However, a recognized scholar could be called Rab or Hacham. The transmission of learning from master to disciple remained of tremendous importance, but there was no formal rabbinic qualification as such.

In the medieval period, Maimonides held that every congregation was obliged to appoint a preacher and scholar to admonish the community and teach Torah, and the social institution he described is the germ of the modern congregational rabbinate. In the fifteenth century in Central Europe, the custom grew up of licensing scholars with a diploma entitling them to be called Mori (my teacher). This diploma that is referred to as semicha (ordination) at the present day.

Becoming a rabbi

Traditionally, a man obtains semicha (rabbinic ordination) after the completion of an arduous learning program in the codes of Jewish law and responsa. Most Orthodox rabbis hold this qualification, qualifying them primarily as teachers of the authentic Jewish tradition. They are sometimes called a moreh hora'ah ("a teacher of rulings"). A more advanced form of semicha is Yadin yadin ("he shall judge"). This enables the recipient to adjudicate cases of monetary law, among other responsibilities. He is addressed as a dayan ("judge"). Few rabbis earn this ordination. Although not strictly necessary, many Orthodox rabbis hold that a beth din (court of Jewish law) should be made up of dayanim.

The qualifications, duties, and authority of a rabbi varies according to the type of Judaism which the rabbi practices.

Orthodox Judaism

Orthodox rabbinical students work to gain knowledge in Talmud, the early and late medieval commentators and Jewish law. They study sections of the Shulchan Arukh (codified Jewish law) and its main commentaries that pertain to daily life questions such as the laws of keeping kosher, Shabbat, marriage and divorce, and the laws of sexual and family purity. Orthodox rabbis typically study at dedicated religious schools known as yeshivas. Modern Orthodox rabbinical students such as at New York's Yeshiva University study some elements of modern theology or philosophy, as well as the classical rabbinic works on such subjects.

The entrance requirements for an Orthodox yeshiva include a strong background within Jewish law, liturgy, Talmudic study, and attendant languages (e.g., Hebrew, Aramaic and in some cases Yiddish). Since rabbinical studies typically flow from other yeshiva studies, those who seek a semicha are typically not required to have completed a university education. There are some exceptions to this rule, including Yeshiva University, which requires all rabbinical students to complete an undergraduate degree before entering the program and a Masters or equivalent before ordination.

Hasidic Judaism

While some Hasidic yeshivas grant official semicha ("ordination") to students wishing to become rabbis, most of the students within these yeshivas engage in Torah or Talmud studies without the goal of becoming rabbis. The curriculum for obtaining semicha ("ordination") as rabbis for Hasidic scholars is the same as described above. Women do not, and cannot, become "rabbis" in Orthodox Judaism, whether of the Hasidic variety or otherwise.

Within the Hasidic world, the positions of spiritual leadership are dynastically transmitted within established families, usually from fathers to sons, while a small number of students obtain official ordination to become dayanim ("judges") on religious courts, poskim ("decisors" of Jewish law), as well as teachers in the Hasidic schools. Within the world of Hasidic Judaism, the English word and title of "Rabbi" is sometimes derided, because the title of "Rabbi" has is reserved only for great sages. Hasidim will therefore prefer using Hebrew names for rabbinic titles based on older traditions. Often the plain Reb form is used, which is a shortened form of rebbe a respectful title that can be applied applied to any married Jewish male.

Conservative and Masorti Judaism

Conservative Judaism holds that one may obtain rabbinic ordination after the completion of a rigorous program in the codes of Jewish law and responsa in keeping with Jewish tradition. It specifies the study of: the Hebrew Bible, the Mishna and Talmud, the Midrashic literature, Jewish ethics and lore, the codes of Jewish law, the literature of Conservative Jewish tradition, and modern Jewish works on theology and philosophy.

Conservative Judaism has less stringent study requirements for Talmudic studies compared to Orthodoxy but adds additional requirements for rabbinic ordination: pastoral care and psychology, the historical development of Judaism, and academic biblical criticism.

Entrance requirements to a Conservative rabbinical study include a strong background within Jewish law and liturgy, knowledge of Hebrew, familiarity with rabbinic literature, Talmud, and the completion of an undergraduate university degree. Rabbinical students usually earn a secular degree (e.g., Master of Hebrew Letters) upon graduation. Ordination is granted at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles, the Rabbinical School of the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, the Schechter Institute for Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, the Jewish Theological Seminary of Budapest and the Seminario Rabinico Latinoamericano in Buenos Aires (Argentina).

Conservative seminaries are now ordaining female rabbis and training female cantors. There are still traditional conservative congregations, however, that resist this movement.

Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism

Reconstructionist Judaism and Reform Judaism have different requirements for ordination. Reform and Reconstructionist rabbis learn less Talmud, Codes and halakhic responsa than in Orthodox or Conservative seminaries; they may study more in other areas such as sociology, cultural studies, modern Jewish philosophy, and pastoral care.

The Reform and Reconstructionist rabbinical seminaries require students to first earn a bachelor's degree before entering the rabbinate as well as have a basic knowledge of Hebrew.[1] Studies are mandated in pastoral care and psychology, the historical development of Judaism; and academic biblical criticism. In addition, practical rabbinic experience, such as working at a small congregation as a student rabbi one weekend or month or interning at a larger synagogue as a student rabbi is required.

In Reform Judaism, both men and women may be rabbis, in keeping with the Reform movement's strict tradition of gender equality.

The seminary of Reform Judaism is the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. It has campuses in Cincinnati, New York City, Los Angeles, and in Jerusalem. In the United Kingdom the Reform and Liberal movements maintain Leo Baeck College for the training of rabbis.

The rabbinical college for Reconstructionist Judaism is called The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and is located in Wyncote, Pennsylvania, just outside Philadelphia.

The role of the rabbi in the last 200 years

In 19th century Germany and the United States, the duties of the rabbi became increasingly influenced by the duties of the Protestant Christian Minister, hence the title "pulpit rabbis." Sermons, pastoral counseling, representing the community to the outside, all increased in importance. Non-Orthodox rabbis, on a day-to-day business basis, now spend more time on these traditionally non-rabbinic functions than they do teaching, or answering questions on Jewish law and philosophy. Within the Modern Orthodox community, rabbis still mainly deal with teaching and questions of Jewish law, but are increasingly dealing with these same pastoral functions. Orthodox Judaism's National Council of Young Israel and Modern Orthodox Judaism's Rabbinical Council of America have set up supplemental pastoral training programs for their rabbis.

Traditionally, rabbis have never been an intermediary between God and man. This idea was traditionally considered outside the bounds of Jewish theology. Unlike spiritual leaders in many other faiths, they are not considered to be imbued with special powers or abilities. In fact, all rituals in Judaism can be performed by any Jew of age.

In an ironic twist, the secular system in most states requires that a Jewish wedding be performed by an ordained rabbi in order to be legally recognised, even though there is no such requirement in Jewish law. In other words, the secular system treats Rabbis as the Jewish equivalent to Catholic Priests or Protestant Ministers, although they are not religious equivalents.

What is a rabbi?

Historically and until the present, recognition of a rabbi relates to a community's perception of the rabbi's competence to interpret Jewish law and act as a teacher on central matters within Judaism. More broadly speaking, it is also an issue of being a worthy successor to a sacred legacy.

As a result, there have always been greater or lesser disputes about the legitimacy and authority of rabbis. Historical examples include Samaritans and Karaites.

Acceptance of rabbinic credentials involves both issues of practicality and principle.

As a practical matter, communities and individuals typically tend to follow the authority of the rabbi they have chosen as their leader (called by some as the mara d'atra) on issues of Jewish law. They may recognize that other rabbis have the same authority elsewhere, but for decisions and opinions important to them they will work through their own rabbi.

The same pattern is true within broader communities, ranging from Hasidic communities to rabbinical or congregational organizations: there will be a formal or de facto structure of rabbinic authority that is responsible for the members of the community.

The divisions between the various religious branches within Judaism may have their most pronounced manifestation on whether rabbis from one movement recognizes the legitimacy and/or authority of rabbis in another.

As a general rule within Orthodoxy and among some in the Conservative movement, rabbis are reluctant to accept the authority of other rabbis whose Halakhic standards are not as strict as their own. In some cases, this leads to an outright rejection of even the legitimacy of other rabbis; in others, the more lenient rabbi may be recognized as a spiritual leader of a particular community but may not be accepted as a credible authority on Jewish law.

• Orthodox rabbinical establishment rejects the validity of Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist rabbis on the grounds that their movement's teachings are in violation of traditional Jewish tenets. Some Modern Orthodox rabbis are respectful toward non-Orthodox rabbis and focus on commonalities even as they disagree on interpretation of some areas of Halakha (with Conservative rabbis) or the authority of Halakha (with Reform and Reconstructionist rabbis).

• Conservative rabbis accept the legitimacy of Orthodox rabbis, though they are often critical of Orthodox positions. And although they would rarely look to Reform or Reconstructionist rabbis for Halakhic decisions, they accept the legitimacy of these rabbis' religious leadership.

• Reform and Reconstructionist rabbis, on the premise that all the main movements are legitimate expressions of Judaism, will accept the legitimacy of other rabbis' leadership, though will not accept their views on Jewish law, since Reform and Reconstructionism reject Halakha as being conclusive Jewish law.

These debates cause great problems for recognition of Jewish marriages, conversions, and other life decisions that are touched by Jewish law. Orthodox rabbis do not recognize marriages and conversions by non-Orthodox rabbis. While most Conservative rabbis recognize Reform and Reconstructionist marriages and conversions, there are some who do not. Finally, the North American Reform and Reconstructionst movemements recognize patrilineality as a valid claim towards Judaism, whereas Conservative and Orthodox maintain the position expressed in the Talmud and Codes that one can be a Jew only through matrilineality (born of a Jewish mother) or through conversion to Judaism.

Rabbinic seminaries unrelated to the major Jewish denominations

There are several possibilities for receiving rabbinic ordination in addition to seminaries maintained by the large Jewish denominations. These include seminaries maintained by smaller denominational movements, and nondenominational (also called "transdenominational" or "postdenominational") Jewish seminaries.

• The Union for Traditional Judaism (UTJ), an offshoot of the left-wing of Orthodoxy ^{[citation needed]} and the right-wing of Conservative Judaism, has a seminary in New Jersey; the seminary is accepted by all non-Orthodox rabbis as a valid, traditional rabbinical seminary. Orthodox Jews are divided on the legitimacy of this seminary. However, it bridges Conservative and Orthodox Judaism, and some Modern Orthodox synagogues have hired UTJ rabbis.

• The Jewish Renewal movement has an ordination program, ALEPH, but no central campus. Most Orthodox Jews consider these ordinations invalid, maintaining that they are not consistent with halacha, or Jewish law. In general, the Reform and Reconstructionist denominations of Judaism recognize this program as valid, because they do not consider Jewish law binding, even on matters of exclusively Jewish significance.

• The Academy for Jewish Religion, in New York City, since 1956, and the unrelated Academy for Jewish Religion-California, in Los Angeles, since 2000, have been rabbinic (and cantorial) seminaries unaffiliated with any denomination or movement. Hebrew College, near Boston, includes a similarly unaffiliated rabbinic school, opened in the Fall of 2003. These seminaries are accepted by all non-Orthodox rabbis as valid rabbinical seminaries. Orthodox Jews are divided on the legitimacy of these seminaries; most consider their ordinations invalid because they do not consider halacha to be binding.

• Shema Yisrael Torah Network is an organization that assists Jews from all over the world to learn Halacha from the most basic levels up until rabbinical smicha exams that are performed by the Chief Rabbinical office in Jerusalem, Israel

• Humanistic Judaism has a rabbinic program, the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism (IISHJ), that is based in suburban Detroit. The IISHJ, a joint project of the Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations and the Society for Humanistic Judaism, trains rabbis through a series of intensive summer seminars combined with supervised field work with a congregation and an academic Master's Degree in Judaic Studies from an accredited university or college. In Israel students can train for the rabbinate at Tmura, the Institute for Training Secular Humanistic Rabbis. Secular and Humanistic Judaism emphasizes cultural Jewish identity and human needs, experience and action in place of divine intervention. This approach, while at odds with traditional forms of Judaism, is very meaningful for the half of the global Jewish population that identifies as cultural and secular Jews. And while some secular Jews prefer lay leadership, many welcome the opportunity for rabbinic leadership in this movement.

Women and the rabbinical credential

Jewish tradition and law does not presume that women have more or less of an aptitude or moral standing required of rabbis. However, it has been the longstanding practice that only men become rabbis. This practice is continued to this day within the Orthodox community. Within the non-Orthodox organizations, including the Reform, Reconstructionist, and Conservative movements, women are routinely granted semicha on an equal basis with men. Since 1972, when Sally Priesand was ordained in the Reform movement, the Hebrew Union College has ordained 464 women rabbis (as of 2006).[2]

The issue of allowing women to become rabbis is not under active debate within the Orthodox community, though there is widespread agreement that women may often be consulted on matters of Jewish religious law. There have been reports that a small number of Orthodox yeshivas may have unofficially granted semicha to women, but the prevailing consensus among Orthodox leaders and a small number of Conservative communities is that it is not appropriate for women to become rabbis.

The idea that women could eventually be ordained as rabbis has sparked widespread opposition among the Orthodox rabbinate. Rabbi Norman Lamm, one of the leaders of Modern Orthodoxy and Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva University's Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, totally opposes giving semicha to women. "It shakes the boundaries of tradition, and I would never allow it." (Helmreich, 1997) Writing in an article in the Jewish Observer, Moshe Y'chiail Friedman states that Orthodox Judaism prohibits women from being given semicha and serving as rabbis. He holds that the trend towards this goal is driven by sociology, and not halakha ("Jewish law".)

Modern Orthodox trends in female leadership

On the other hand, several efforts are underway within Modern Orthodox communities to include qualified women in activities traditionally limited to rabbis:

• In the United States, Modern Orthodox rabbis Avi Weiss and Saul Berman created an advanced educational institute for women called Torat Miriam. They do not claim that the graduates of this institute are rabbis, but that the long term goal is to have women "work on a professional level in the synagogue," he said. (Helmreich, 1997)
• Rabbi Aryeh Strikovski (Mahanayim Yeshiva and Pardes Institute) worked in the 1990s with Rabbi Avraham Shapira (then a co-Chief rabbi of Israel) to initiate the program for training Orthodox women as halakhic Toanot ("advocates") in rabbinic courts. They have since trained nearly seventy women. Strikovski states that "The knowledge one requires to become a court advocate is more than a regular ordination, and now to pass certification is much more difficult than to get ordination." The use of Toanot is not restricted to any one segment of Orthodoxy; In Israel they have worked with Haredi and Modern Orthodox Jews.
• In Israel a growing number of Orthodox women are being trained as yoatzot halachah, who serve many in the Israeli Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) community.
• At Nishmat, the Jerusalem Center for Advanced Jewish Study for Women, Orthodox women may study the laws of family purity at the same level of detail that Orthodox males do. The purpose is for them to be able to act as halakhic advisors for other women, a role that traditionally was limited to male rabbis. This course of study is overseen by Rabbi Yaakov Varhaftig.
• Rahel Berkovits, an Orthodox Talmud teacher at Jerusalem's Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, states that as a result of such changes in Haredi and Modern Orthodox Judaism, "Orthodox women have founded and overseen prayer communities, argue cases in rabbinic courts, advise on halachic issues, and dominate in social work activities that are all very associated with the role a rabbi performs, even though these women do not have the official title of rabbi."

Becoming a rabbi: The ordination question

There is no formal requirement to have semicha in order to be called "rabbi" by one's students; it is not a title that one gives to oneself. Haredi Judaism and Hasidic Judaism hold that being tested and certified as a rabbi might be a requirement for certain employment opportunities, but in and of itself it is not the ultimate goal to which an individual need aspire. Rather, they encourage their students and disciples within the yeshivas they lead to study the Torah as an end in itself. Through probing the hidden beauty of the Torah students gain a deep and profound understanding of the divine wisdom it contains, enabling them to better serve God on the highest levels of spirituality. Students are also instructed in the study of mussar, or an equivalent, which teaches perfection of one's character, and constantly striving for greater heights. Students are expected to have a general knowledge of the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law), so that even when they go into business, or other fields, they will continue to utilize the Torah's teachings, and live their lives accordingly.

Titles

The Chief Rabbi's name is often followed by ABD, which stands for Av Beth Din.

Rav (Heb. רב) is the Hebrew word for rabbi. It is an age-old tradition that as a sign of great respect, some great rabbis are simply called "The Rav."

See also

• Beth din
• Clergy
• List of rabbis
• Mashgiach ruchani
• Posek
• Rosh yeshiva
• Rebbe
• Rabbinic literature
• Semicha
• Synagogue
• Yeshiva

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

General

• Rabbi, article in the Encyclopedia Judaica, Keter Publishing

Women in Orthodoxy

• Debra Nussbau, Cohen, Jewish tradition vs. the modern-day female, March 17, 2000, Jewish Telegraphic Agency
• Lauren Gelfond Feldinger, The Next Feminist Revolution, The Jerusalem Post, March 17, 2005
• Moshe Y'chiail Freidman, Women in the Rabbinate, Jewish Observer, 17:8, 1984, 28-29.
• Laurie Goodstein, Causing a Stir, 2 Synagogues Hire Women to Aid Rabbis, February 6, 1998, New York Times
• Jeff Helmreich, Orthodox women moving toward religious leadership, Friday June 6, 1997, Long Island Jewish World
• Marilyn Henry, Orthodox women crossing threshold into synagogue, Jerusalem Post Service, May 15, 1998
• Jonathan Mark, Women Take Giant Step In Orthodox Community: Prominent Manhattan shul hires ‘congregational intern’ for wide-ranging spiritual duties, The Jewish Week Dec. 19, 1997
• Emanuel Rackman, (Women as Rabbis) Suggestions for Alternatives, Judaism , Vol.33,No.1, 1990, p.66-69.

External links

• Academy for Jewish Religion of California (non-denominational seminary - Rabbinical, Cantorial, and Chaplaincy programs)
• Academy for Jewish Religion (non-denominational seminary)
• Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute for Religion (Reform seminary)
• Hebrew College - The Rabbinical School at Hebrew College (Transdenominational seminary)
• The Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies
• The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
• The Jewish Theological Seminary of America (Conservative seminary)
• Yeshiva University (Centrist-Modern Orthodox seminary)
• Yeshivat Chovevei Torah (Liberal-Modern Orthodox Seminary)
• Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance resource page on Women's leadership roles in Orthodox Judaism
• The International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism (IISHJ)
• Tmura, the Institute for Training Secular Humanistic Rabbis and Jewish Leadership in Israel

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