 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Semikhah" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(November 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Part ofa series on |
| Judaism |
|---|
   |
Semikhah[a] (Hebrew:סְמִיכָה) is the traditionalJewish name forrabbinicordination.
The originalsemikhah was the formal"transmission of authority" fromMoses through the generations. This form ofsemikhah ceased between 360 and 425 CE. Since thensemikhah has continued in a less formal way. Throughout history there have been several attempts to reestablish the classicalsemikhah.
The title of "rabbi" has "proliferated greatly over the last century".[1]Nowadayssemikha is also granted for a limited form of ordination, focused on the application of Halakha in specific settings as opposed to underlying Talmudic knowledge. OutsideOrthodox Judaism, in fact, the curriculum may emphasize "the other functions of a modern rabbi such as preaching, counselling, and pastoral work".[2]
In recent times, relatedly, some institutions grant ordination for the role ofhazzan (cantor), extending the "investiture" granted there from the 1950s. Less commonly, since the 1990s,[citation needed] ordination is granted for the role of lay leader – sometimes titleddarshan. Ordination may then also be specifically termedסמיכה לרבנות ('rabbinical ordination'),סמיכה לחזנות ('cantorial ordination'), orהסמכת מגיד ('maggidic ordination').
The wordsemikhah derives from a Hebrew root סמכ (smk) that means to "rely on", in the sense of "lean on", or "to be authorized"; the literal meaning ofsemikhah is "leaning [of the hands]".Semikhah may refer to the "conferring" of the ordination, or as a noun, to the certification itself, where the plural isSemakhot (orSemachot); one with ordination may then be referred to as aMusmach.A precedent Biblical usage[3] isNumbers8:10, describing the preparation of theLevites for service.
A rabbi is also sometimes referred to as aMoreh Hora'ah (מורה הוראה) "one who teaches [Halakhic] decisions", while the ordination itself is calledHeter Hora'ah (היתר הוראה) "permission to make Halakhic decisions", certifying that the holder has the facility[4]to apply his "thorough knowledge of theTalmud"[5] to the facts of a givenhalakhic question, and (implicitly) certifies also that the candidate is suitable to function as a community rabbi.[6]These terms derive fromLeviticus10:11, where the requirement is specified[7] thathalakhic decisions are to be made only by a qualified authority.
In concept,semikhah represents a "bond"[9] dating back to the time ofMoses andJoshua. It is held that God taught theTorah to Moses onMount Sinai in 1312 BCE and that since that time, the knowledge of the Torah has been passed from generation to generation by the conferment ofsemikhah, rabbinic ordination, or the unbroken transmission of authority dating back to that time. This unbroken chain of Torah teaching is thus said to have continued for over 3300 years and continues to this day.[10][11]
The ancient formula forsemikhah was"Yoreh Yoreh. Yadin Yadin". ("May he decide? He may decide! May he judge? He may judge!"); and in the early days of rabbinical Judaism any ordained teacher could ordain his students.[citation needed]Classicalsemikhah was granted by a court of three judges[12] and it later required the participation of at least one who had attained this status, himself. According toMaimonides the other two need not besemukhim.[13]
Today,[5][1]semikha is generally through an institution, ayeshiva or specializedkollel, but is often granted by an individual.The testing here[14][15][16][17]confirms one's ability to decide ("pasken") a question inhalakha (Jewish law).[5] The examination has a dual concern: firstly it confirms knowledge of the law as presented inShulchan Aruch, thestandard code of law (with more recent applications from relevantteshuvot, or responsa); secondly, it also confirms an understanding of the underlyingprinciples, by testing the relevant Talmudicsugyas, together with their development by theRishonim andAcharonim, especially theArba'ah Turim; seeYeshiva § Jewish law.
The Talmud lists three classes ofsemikhah issued:[18]Yoreh Yoreh,Yadin Yadin, andYatir Bechorot Yatir; while the first two are still issued, the last is not.Additional forms ofsemikhah issued in modern times are discussed below.
ManyYoreh Yoreh programs, for example the Chief Rabbinate's andRIETS, include testing inAvelut (Laws of mourning;Yoreh Deah) and/orJewish marital law (Even Ha'ezer section). Traditionally – and on the other hand –Yoreh Yoreh coveredkashrut only,[19][1] and this is still often the case.[20]Although apparently limited,[21]the basis here is that, as mentioned,semikha is in fact a confirmation of the ability - and right - of the holder topasken in general,[4] and that, as required, the rabbi can correctly apply his Talmudic andHalakhic knowledge to other areas (and where necessary refer complex cases to aposek, a more qualified authority; seeResponsa § In Judaism). Similar, a semicha focusing on the laws ofShabbat is sometimes granted. Often,niddah will require a separate specialized certification, as –given their intricate and sensitive nature – an element ofshimush, or "apprenticeship",[22] pertains particularly to thesehalakhot. (In factshimush more generally, is (implicitly) required before one serves as a Rabbi.[23]) It is not uncommon for a rabbi to hold several certificates, with eachsemikha covering a specific area ofhalakha.Certification, with similar testing, is also required to qualify as ashochet,mohel,sofer, ormenakker; these inhere a major practical element and thus require significantshimush.
As outlined, additional forms ofsemikhah are issued in modern times[1] with their content departing from the above, to an extent reflecting[24][2] the contemporary Rabbinic role. SeeYeshiva § Curriculum for further outline.
An Orthodoxsemikha, "Rav U'Manhig", "(pulpit) Rabbi and (community) leader",[25] essentially testifies that the recipient has sufficient Torah knowledge to serve in a position of leadership[6] (as "rabbi" essentially means "teacher", not necessarily "halakhic authority"). The testing here coversOrach Chaim extensively, usually with limited emphasis on the underlying Talmudicsugyas. See the related discussion re "semicha-testing programs" and "online semicha" atList of rabbinical schools § Orthodox.
Pluralistic and non-denominational movements grant an ordination titled "Rav U-moreh/morah BeYisrael", "Rabbi and Teacher in Israel". The curriculum here, as above, may emphasize "the other functions of a modern rabbi such as preaching, counselling, and pastoral work",[2] as opposed toHalakha; further, often in these institutions less emphasis is placed on Talmud and Jewish law, "but rather on sociology, cultural studies, and modern Jewish philosophy".[26] SeeList of rabbinical schools § Non-denominational.
In contrast to these, theChief Rabbinate of Israel confers the further advancedsemikhah of "Rav Ir", "[Chief] Rabbi of a City". This covers additional relevant topics from all sections of Shulchan Aruch - such asgerut - and, as forDayanut, hasYoreh Yoreh as a prerequisite; seeChief Rabbinate of Israel § Semikhah.
The ceremony where ordination is conferred is known asHag HaSemikha, the festival of ordination. Today, in most branches of Judaism, there is no laying on of hands; ordination is conferred as an academic degree with a diploma, signed by the officiating rabbis and often hand-written on parchment.Receiving ordination has been a festive occasion accompanied by celebration since Talmudic times. According to the Talmud, when the rabbis ordainedRabbi Zeira, they sang a bridal song in his honor: "Even though she painted not her eyes withantimony, neither darkened her cheeks withrouge, norplaited her hair, she is still a graceful doe [of exceptional beauty]!"[27] the analogy and implication being: just as a bride is inherently beautiful, so for ordination, one's Torah knowledge must be immediately apparent.[28] They also sang at the ordination ofRabbi Ammi andRabbi Assi: "Just like these, just like these, ordain for us!"; epitomizing, as they did, the ideal candidate for ordination.[8] This wording - כל מן דין סמוכו לנא - as per the certificate displayed, is still often included onsemikhah diplomas.
In the prevailing sense, "smicha" generally refers to theordination of a rabbi within all modernJewish religious movements fromReform toOrthodox.[29]
This "Smicha lerabbanut" signifies the transmission of rabbinic authority to give advice or judgment inJewish law, thus overlapping to some extent with the classical usage, per#Concept above; see alsoRabbi § Orthodox and Modern Orthodox Judaism.In this context,"Rav Muvhak" is sometimes used to refer to a student's primary teacher.
Smicha lehazzanut, ordination as acantor, similarly signifies the transmission of authoritative knowledge about Jewish musical andliturgical traditions. This is granted within some denominations.[citation needed]
Although presently most functioningsynagogue (i.e. "pulpit") rabbis holdsemikhah, this was until quite recently not always required, and in fact manyHaredi rabbis may possibly not be required to hold a "formal"semikhah even though they may occupy important rabbinical and leadership positions. The reasons being that what is prized in the communities they serve and lead is most of all a supreme mastery of theTalmud with a vast knowledge of the commentaries of theRishonim andAcharonim andResponsa, added to knowledge of theShulchan Aruch andHalakha ("Jewish Law"). In the UK, a communal minister who does not havesemikhah has the title "Reverend" rather than "rabbi".[citation needed]
ManyHasidicrebbes andRosh yeshivas of major Orthodox yeshivas are not required to "prove" to their flocks that they do or do not hold formalsemikhah because their reputations as Torah-scholars and sages is unquestioned and esteemed based on the recommendations of trusted sages, and the experiences and interactions that many knowledgeable Torah-observant Jews have with them, which thus gives practical testimony based on experience that these great rabbis are indeed worthy to be called as such.[citation needed]
For example, according to some reports RabbiYisrael Meir Kagan (known as theChafetz Chayim) did not officially receivesemikhah until late in life, when a formal rabbinic qualification was necessary for him to call himself "rabbi" on an immigration application.[30] Most currentposkim, however, do havesemikhah.
Just as a debate exists about who is a Jew, there is little consensus as to who is a rabbi. The Reform movement in a Responsum[citation needed] states that for their Temples, pulpit rabbis need to attend and complete their academic program at the Reform movement's rabbinic schools. But they further state that this does not negate other sects of Judaism from accepting the time-honoredsemikhah of one-on-one. Nor do they deal with the issue of rabbis who are not pulpit rabbis but teach, study, and do research. They do say that the need for three rabbis is unneeded as the two additional rabbis are just witnesses and cannot attest to the new rabbi's knowledge.[citation needed]
Many cantorial institutions in theUnited States currently grantsmicha lehazzanut to their students. Some have historically used the terminvestiture to describe the conferral of cantorial authority onto their graduates.[29]
The terminvestiture was originally intended to make a distinction between the ordination of rabbis and that of cantors. However, in response to the increased responsibility of the cantor in contemporary American synagogues, some institutions such asHebrew Union College (Reform) have recently begun to use the term "ordination" instead of "investiture".[29] Other institutions that ordain cantors includeHebrew College (pluralistic),[31] theAcademy for Jewish Religion (pluralistic),[32] andAleph (Renewal).[33]
As of 2021, theJewish Theological Seminary (Conservative) will begin ordaining its cantors.[34]
Beginning in the mid to late 1990s, the Reform, Renewal and Conservative [Non-Authentic] Jewish movements have ordained lay leaders to positions such as spiritual director,darshan (chaplain), andpastor.[35]Lay leaders within Judaism serve both in formal spaces like synagogues, independentminyan, in Jewish and non-Jewish organizations, hospitals and community centers.
Several yeshivas and other academies now train and certify lay leaders, such asDarshan Yeshiva,ALEPH Pastor Program,[36] theUnion for Reform Judaism,[37]andAJRCA's chaplaincy school.[38]
Classicalsemikhah refers to a specific type of ordination that, according to traditional Jewish teaching, traces a line of authority back toMoses, theGreat Assembly, and theSanhedrin. The line of classicalsemikhah is generally believed to have died out in the 4th or 5th century CE, but it is widely held that a line of Torah conferment remains unbroken.[10][11]
According to theHebrew Bible,Moses was the greatest prophet,[39] and the one individual who received theTorah from God.[40] Traditionally, Moses is also assumed to be the "first rabbi" of theIsraelites. He is still known to most Jews asMoshe Rabbeinu ("Moses our rabbi").
Moses, before his death, ordainedJoshua as his successor by resting his hands on Joshua:
Moses spoke toיהוה, saying, "Let יהוה, Source of the breath of all flesh, appoint someone over the community who shall go out before them and come in before them, and who shall take them out and bring them in, so that יהוה’s community may not be like sheep that have no shepherd." And יהוה answered Moses, "Single out Joshua son of Nun, an inspired man, and lay your hand upon him. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before the whole community, and commission him in their sight. Invest him with some of your authority, so that the whole Israelite community may obey. But he shall present himself to Eleazar the priest, who shall on his behalf seek the decision of the Urim before יהוה. By such instruction they shall go out and by such instruction they shall come in, he and all the Israelite [militia], and the whole community." Moses did as יהוה commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and before the whole community. He laid his hands upon him and commissioned him—as יהוה had spoken through Moses.[41]
This procedure caused the "spirit" in Moses to enter Joshua as well: "Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands upon him; and the Israelites heeded him, doing as יהוה had commanded Moses."[42] Similarly, when Moses found the task of leadership too difficult, God caused the "spirit" in Moses to enter seventy additional elders (though no resting of hands is mentioned here).[43]
According to later tradition, the elders ordained their successors in the same way, and their successors ordained others. This chain of hands-onsemichah continued through the time of theSecond Temple to an undetermined time.[44]
Despite the name, the classicalsemikhah did not require a literal laying on of hands; the operative part of the ceremony consisted of a court of three, at least one of whom himself hadsemikhah, conferring the authority on the recipient.[45] Both the givers and the recipient had to be in the Land of Israel, but they did not have to be in the same place.[46] In the Mishnaic era it became the law that only someone who hadsemikhah could give religious and legal decisions.[18]
The titleribbi (or "rabbi") was reserved for those withsemikhah. The sages of the Babylonian Jewish community had a similar religious education, but without thesemikhah ceremony they were calledrav. The Talmud also relates that one can obtain the title of rabbi by those to whom he teaches or counsels.
After the failedBar Kokhba revolt in 132–135 CE, the Romans put down the revolt, and the emperorHadrian tried to put a permanent end to the Sanhedrin. According to the Talmud, Hadrian decreed that anyone who gave or acceptedsemikhah would be killed, any city in which the ceremony took place would be razed, and all crops within a mile of the ceremony's site would be destroyed. The line of succession was saved byJudah ben Bava, who took five students of the recently martyredRabbi Akiva to a mountain pass far from any settlement or farm, and ordained all five students. When the Romans attacked them, Judah ben Bava blocked the pass with his body, allowing the others to escape, and became one of Judaism's ten Rabbinic Martyrs himself by being speared 300 times. The five new rabbis –Rabbi Meir, Shimon,Judah bar Ilai,Jose ben Halafta andEleazar ben Shammua – escaped and became the next generation of Torah leadership.[47]
The exact date the originalsemikhah succession ended is not certain. Many medieval authorities believed that this occurred during the reign of Hillel II, around the year 360 CE.[48] However,Theodosius I forbade the Sanhedrin to assemble and declared ordination illegal. (Roman law prescribed capital punishment for any rabbi who received ordination and complete destruction of the town where the ordination occurred).[49] It seems to have continued until at least 425, whenTheodosius II executedGamaliel VI and suppressed thePatriarchate and Sanhedrin.[citation needed]
The original line of succession seems to have died out in the 4th or 5th centuries. TheGeonim, early medieval Jewish sages of Babylon, did not possesssemikhah, and did not use the title "rabbi". They were formally known as "rav" and were entrusted with authority to make legal and religious decisions.[citation needed]
Some believe that classicalsemikhah may have even survived until the 12th century when semuchim from Lebanon and Syria were traveling to Israel in order to pass on semicha to their students.[50] Others, such asYisroel ben Shmuel of Shklov (1770–1839), believedsemikhah may not have been broken at all but that it continued outside of the land of Israel.[citation needed]
Since the end of classical ordination, other forms of ordination have developed which use much of the same terminology, but have a lesser significance in Jewish law (seeRabbi#Middle Ages).
Maimonides ruled that "if all the sages In Israel would unanimously agree to appoint and ordain judges, then these new ordinants would possess the full authority of the original ordained judges".[51] Based on this ruling, in 1538Jacob Berab attempted to reestablishsemikhah inSafed. This attempt attracted some prominent supporters, includingJoseph Karo (author of theShulchan Aruch), who himself receivedsemikhah from Berab, and then gavesemikhah to others. However, other rabbis ruled that Berab'ssemikhah was invalid. In any case, Berab's chain ofsemikhah died out again after several generations.[citation needed]
Berab's attempt was the model for several other attempts to revivesemikhah and reestablish the Sanhedrin, includingone attempt in Israel in 2004.
