Semicha

:See related article about rabbis (who may or may not have formal semicha ("ordination").)

Semicha in the times of the Hebrew Bible

According to the Hebrew Bible, Moses ordained Joshua through semicha. ({{bibleverse||Num|27:22-23|HE}}, {{bibleverse||Deut|34:9|HE}}). Moses also ordained the 70 elders ({{bibleverse||Deut|11:16-25|HE}}). The elders later ordained their successors in this way. Their successors in turn ordained others. According to Maimonides in his Mishneh Torah this chain of hands-on semicha continued until the time of the Second Temple in Jerusalem (first century CE). After the Destruction of the Second Temple and the scattering of much of the Jewish people, the direct chain from Moses onward was broken.

Related Topics:
Hebrew Bible - Moses - Joshua - Maimonides - Second Temple - Destruction of the Second Temple

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Traditionally Moses is also assumed to be the "first rabbi" of the Children of Israel. Until the present time he is still known to most Jews as Moshe Rabbeinu ("Moses our Teacher"). Moses was also a prophet and is considered to be the greatest of all the Hebrew Bible's prophets. Moses passed his leadership on to Joshua as commanded by God in the Book of Numbers where the subject of semicha ("laying " or "ordination") is first mentioned in the Torah:

Related Topics:
Children of Israel - Prophet - Hebrew Bible - Book of Numbers

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Book of Numbers: "Moses spoke to God, saying, 'Let the Omnipotent God of all living souls appoint a man over the community. Let him come and go before them, and let him bring them forth and lead them. Let God's community not be like sheep that have no shepherd.' God said to Moses, 'Take Joshua son of Nun, a man of spirit, and lay your hands on him'. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before the entire community, and let them see you commission him. Invest him with some of your splendor so that the entire Israelite community will obey him. Let him stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall seek the decision of the Urim before God on his behalf. By this word, along with all the Israelites and the entire community shall he come and go.' Moses did as God had ordered him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and before the entire community. He then laid his hands on him and commissioned him as God had commanded Moses." ({{bibleverse||Num|27:15-23|HE}})
• Book of Deuteronomy: "Joshua son of Nun was filled with a spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him. The Israelites therefore listened to him, doing as God had commanded Moses." (Deuteronomy 34:9)

According to the commentary of Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan: Some say that this "laying of hands" actually denoted ordination (Talmud Sanhedrin 13b). According to others, Moses actually laid his hands on Joshua, but in later generations, it was not required for ordination (Yad, Sanhedrin 4:1,2). http://bible.ort.org/books/pentd2.asp?ACTION=displaypage&BOOK=4&CHAPTER=27#C3454

Related Topics:
Aryeh Kaplan - Talmud

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~