Concept

Rabbi

Overview

A rabbi ( ; Hebrew: רַבִּי, romanized: rabbī, IPA: [ʁǝbːi]) is a Jewish preacher and religious leader in Judaism. A person becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi — known as Semikhah — following a course of study of Jewish history and texts, including the Tanakh, Midrash, Mishnah, Tosefta, Talmud, Halakha, and rabbinic commentaries thereon. The basic form of the rabbi developed between the Second Temple (167 BCE–73 CE)—being heavily influenced by the Pharisees—and Rabbinic periods (70–640 CE), when learned teachers—overlapping with the Tannaim, Amoraim, Savoraim, and early Geonim—assembled to codify Judaism's written and oral laws. The title "rabbi" was first used in the first century CE. In more recent centuries, the duties of a rabbi became increasingly influenced by the duties of the Protestant Christian minister, hence the title "pulpit rabbis." Further, in 19th-century Germany and the United States, rabbinical activities such as delivering sermons, pastoral counseling, and representing the community to the outside all increased in importance.

Within the various Jewish denominations, there are different requirements for rabbinic ordination, and differences in opinion regarding who is recognized as a rabbi. Non-Orthodox movements, including Conservative Judaism, Reform Judaism, Reconstructionist Judaism, and Jewish Renewal, have set their requirements for semikhah based on what they consider halakhic reasons (as in Conservative Judaism) and ethical reasons (as in Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism).

Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).

In the original texts

Passages from public-domain books where Rabbi is discussed.

1. Rabbi [Jehudah], the Holy, is of opinion that all the three visions are called maʻaseh mercabah, and nothing but the heads of the sections could be communicated to others. The exact words of the discussion are as follows:—Where does maʻaseh mercabhah end? Rabbi says, with the last va-ereh; Rabbi Yiẓḥak says it ends at the word ḥashmal (ver. 27).

   Moses Maimonides, The guide for the perplexed

   states what it is; names the idea

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2. This is it which is called the Old Covenant, or Testament; and containeth a Contract between God and Abraham; by which Abraham obligeth himself, and his posterity, in a peculiar manner to be subject to Gods positive Law; for to the Law Morall he was obliged before, as by an Oath of Allegiance. And though the name of King be not yet given to God, nor of Kingdome to Abraham and his seed; yet the thing is the same…

   Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan

   states what it is

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3. _In the temple of Cracow sat the great Rabbi N. praying with his disciples. Suddenly he emitted a cry and in response to his troubled disciples said: “The great Rabbi L. died just now in Lemberg.” The congregation thereupon went into mourning for the deceased.

   Sigmund Freud, Wit and its relation to the unconscious

   names the idea; opens on it

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4. “Give unto the Lord, ye mighty;” that is, ye kings, ye rulers, and ye wise and rich ones of the world, ye Pharisees and rabbi, acknowledge your wisdom, righteousness, and all your excellent political virtues, your works of the law, and all that is high and excellent before men, to be abomination in the sight of God; repent ye and believe the gospel, that ye may quit yourselves under that one King and Lord, Christ…

   Martin Luther, A manual of the book of Psalms

   opens on it; names the idea

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5. Conscientious conduct for the Hebrew centered in doing the will of God; for the Greek, in finding rational standards of good. For the Hebrew, righteousness was the typical theme; for the Greek, the ideal lay rather in measure and harmony. For the Greek, wisdom or insight was the chief virtue; for the Hebrew, the fear of the Lord was the beginning of wisdom. The social ideal of the Hebrews was the kingdom of God; of…

   John Dewey, Ethics

   states what it is

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Related ideas

• Jewish emancipation
• Rabbinic Judaism
• Jesus
• Gospel of Matthew
• Gospel of John
• History of the Jews in Germany
• Hebrew language
• Halakha
• Hasidic Judaism
• Ashkenazi Jews
• Sephardic Jews
• Judaism
• Jacob
• Chabad
• Sanhedrin
• Jewish philosophy
• Kabbalah
• Kingdom of Judah
• Gentile
• Middle Ages
• Maimonides
• Mishnah
• Moses
• New Testament

Place in the tradition

Part of Jewish philosophy.

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