🏥 Caring for people
Rabbis visit the sick, which is the mitzvah of bikkur cholim. They counsel people who have worries about family, work, faith or grief, and they comfort mourners.
Judaism: Origins and Their Impact on the Community » The Rabbi and the Beth Din
What you'll learn this session
Study time: 30 minutes
Edexcel spec: Paper 2 Judaism (4RS1/2E), 1.3
- What a rabbi is and what a rabbi does in worship, in the community and in keeping tradition alive
- What the Beth Din is and how it uses Jewish law
- How Orthodox, Masorti and Progressive (Reform and Liberal) Jews see these leaders
- Why rabbis and the Beth Din matter to Jews today
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Unlock This CourseThe rabbi: a teacher, not a priest
The word rabbi means "my teacher". A rabbi is a scholar of Jewish law who has studied for many years, including the Torah, the Talmud and Halakhah, and has then been officially appointed as a rabbi (this is called being ordained). A rabbi is not a priest. In Judaism nobody stands between a person and the Almighty, and prayer does not need a special person to carry it out. Rabbis are valued because they know the tradition and can explain it.
Key terms:
- Rabbi (recap from Euthanasia and Relieving Suffering: Jewish Views): a teacher and scholar of Jewish law who guides a community. The word means "my teacher".
- Cantor (chazan): a person trained to lead the singing and chanting in a service.
- Beth Din (recap from Divorce and Remarriage in Judaism: The Get): a Jewish court. The words mean "house of judgement". It is made up of three rabbis.
- Chief Rabbi: a rabbi who is the senior spokesperson for a group of synagogues.
The rabbi in worship
Many people expect a rabbi to be the only person who can lead a service. This is not so. A service can be led by any adult who knows the prayers. In many synagogues a cantor leads the singing, and members of the community take turns to read from the Torah.
The rabbi's main part in worship is teaching and preaching. On Shabbat the rabbi usually gives a talk, called a sermon, which explains the weekly Torah portion and links it to everyday life. The rabbi also helps people to understand the prayers and the festivals.
The rabbi and the community
💍 Life events
Rabbis conduct weddings and funerals. They prepare young people for Bar and Bat Mitzvah, teaching them to read from the Torah and to understand what it means to take on the mitzvot.
A rabbi also represents the community to the wider world. A rabbi may speak for the synagogue to local councils, hospitals and other faith leaders, and may work with Jewish charities such as those you met in the lesson Tzedakah: Judaism on Rich and Poor. For members, the rabbi is often the first person they turn to in a crisis.
The rabbi and Jewish tradition
Rabbis help to keep Jewish tradition alive by teaching people of all ages, from children's classes to adult study groups. They also answer questions about Halakhah, the body of Jewish law. A Jew who is unsure what the law says about food, Shabbat or a medical decision can ask a rabbi. The rabbi looks at the Talmud, the Codes and earlier Responsa (all met in the lesson Mishnah, Talmud and Halakhah: The Oral Tradition) and gives a ruling. In this way a rabbi connects old teachings to new situations.
Remember the three areas
When you write about a rabbi, give an example from each area: worship (a sermon), community (a wedding or visiting the sick) and tradition (answering a question of Halakhah). This shows the examiner you know the full range of the role.
The Beth Din
A Beth Din is a Jewish court of three rabbis. It does not deal with crimes, which belong to the courts of the country. It deals with matters where Jewish law is used. Its importance is that it gives clear, trusted decisions, so Jews do not have to guess how the law applies. Its influence comes from the fact that many Jews accept its rulings. These are its main jobs:
- Divorce: a Beth Din oversees the writing and giving of a get, the Jewish divorce document, as you met in the lesson Divorce and Remarriage in Judaism: The Get.
- Conversion: a Beth Din decides whether a person who wishes to become Jewish has learned enough and is sincere, and then accepts them into the faith.
- Kosher certification: a Beth Din can check that a restaurant, caterer or food producer follows the kosher laws and give it a certificate, so customers can trust it.
- Settling disputes: people who disagree, for example in a business matter, can agree to bring the case to a Beth Din and to accept its ruling, instead of going to a civil court.
Through these decisions the Beth Din determines how Jewish law is used and put into practice in real situations.
Different understandings in different traditions
📚 Orthodox
Orthodox Jews believe that Halakhah is binding, so rabbis and the Beth Din have great authority. Orthodox rabbis are men. Women do not become rabbis, although they have many other roles in the community.
🌱 Masorti
Masorti Jews respect Halakhah and believe it can develop with the times. Masorti communities have women rabbis, and the Masorti movement has its own Beth Din.
💡 Reform and Liberal
Progressive (Reform and Liberal) Jews see Halakhah as a guide, so a rabbi advises rather than commands. Both movements have women rabbis and each has its own Beth Din.
The movements do not always accept each other's decisions. For example, an Orthodox Beth Din may not accept a conversion carried out by a Progressive one. This is why some Jews feel the Beth Din matters a great deal and others feel it matters less.
The Chief Rabbi is the senior spokesperson for one group of mainly Orthodox synagogues and often speaks for them in public life. However, the Chief Rabbi represents only some communities. Progressive communities, and some other groups, have their own leaders and do not see the Chief Rabbi as their own.
Why they matter today. Rabbis give guidance and support at the key moments of life, and the Beth Din helps Jews to know how the law applies to modern life. Most Jews value these leaders, but they disagree about how much authority they should have.
Common mistakes
Do not say a rabbi is a priest, or that only a rabbi can lead a service. Do not say all rabbis are men, because Masorti, Reform and Liberal communities have women rabbis. Do not say there is one Beth Din for all Jews, because each movement has its own. Do not say the Chief Rabbi speaks for every Jew.
Exam-style question
(a) Outline two ways in which a rabbi supports the Jewish community. [4 marks]
(b) Explain why the Beth Din is important for Jews. [6 marks]
(c) "The rabbi is the most important person in a Jewish community." Discuss this statement, considering the arguments for and against. In your answer you should include reference to teachings, other points of view and your own opinion. [10 marks]
Model answer
(a) One way is by visiting the sick (1), which is the mitzvah of bikkur cholim, offering comfort when people are ill (1). Another way is by preparing young people for Bar or Bat Mitzvah (1), teaching them to read the Torah and take on the mitzvot (1).
(b) The Beth Din is important because it decides how Jewish law is used in real situations (1). For example, it oversees a get, the Jewish divorce document, so that a divorce is carried out correctly under Jewish law (1). It also decides conversions, checking that a person is sincere and has learned enough (1), and it can give a kosher certificate so that Jews can trust the food they buy (1). Because many Jews accept its decisions, it helps the community to follow the law in the same way (1). The three rabbis together give a ruling with more weight than one person's opinion (1).
(c) Plan. For: the rabbi teaches, answers questions of Halakhah using the Talmud and Responsa, supports people at weddings, funerals and in illness, and represents the community. Against: any adult can lead a service; Judaism has no priests, so the whole community shares the mitzvot; members, volunteers and cantors do much of the work; major legal decisions are made by the Beth Din, three rabbis together. Other views: Orthodox Jews give rabbis great authority because Halakhah is binding, while Progressive Jews treat the law as a guide and stress each person's choice. Possible conclusion: the rabbi is very important as a teacher and guide, but Judaism depends on the whole community, so the rabbi is one of the most important people rather than the most important.
Exam tip
In a 10-mark question, include a view from a different Jewish tradition (for example Orthodox against Progressive) and finish with a reasoned conclusion. Do not just list the jobs a rabbi does.