Rabbi

:See Semicha for article about "ordination" of rabbis.

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Rabbi (Classical Hebrew ?????? ribb?;; modern Ashkenazi and Israeli ?????? rabb?) in Judaism, means teacher, or more literally "great one". The word "Rabbi" is derived from the Hebrew root-word RaV, which in biblical Hebrew means "great" or "distinguished,". In the ancient Judean schools the sages were addressed as ?????? (Ribbi or Rebbi) ? in recent centuries being re-vocalized to Rabbi ("my master"). This term of respectful address gradually came to be used as a title, the pronominal suffix "i" ("my") losing its significance with the frequent use of the term.

Related Topics:
Classical Hebrew - Ashkenazi - Israeli - Judaism

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The role of rabbis within Jewish communities has been and continues to be multifaceted. In ancient times, Rabbi was a Hebrew term used as a title for those who were distinguished for learning, who were the authoritative teachers of the Law, or who were the appointed religious leaders of their community. Today rabbis are still responsible for teaching on matters of Jewish religion in general and law in particular; and are qualified to determine the applicability of Jewish law.

Related Topics:
Jewish religion - Law

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Rabbis often work as religious leaders. Synagogue rabbis typically speak on behalf of their communities on a wide range of issues, offer spiritual leadership for their congregation, and are usually involved in Jewish lifecycle events. Nevertheless, rabbis do not play any essential role in Jewish liturgy and ritual, and Jewish congregations can persist indefinitely without a rabbi assigned to them.

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Some religious leaders such as Hasidic rebbes and Talmudic rosh yeshivas may not even have a formal semicha. In any event, the title is a credential, not a particular job.

Related Topics:
Hasidic - Rebbe - Talmud - Rosh yeshivas - Semicha

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