BAMBINO no. 20
BAMBINO (BRIT-AM BIBLICAL ISRAEL NEWS ONLINE)
Contents:
1. Musical Psalms
2. Impressive Replica of Temple Made by Farmer in England
3. What is a Rabbi?

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1. Musical Psalms
Psalms Sung. Free Download.
Quite good.
Mordechai Bashari
http://www.myspace.com/mordechaibashari

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2. Impressive Replica of Temple Made by Farmer in England
World's finest replica of temple took me 30 years to build... and it's still not finished
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?Worlds_
finest_replica_of_temple_took_me_30_years_to_build
..._and_its_still_not_finished&in_article_id=560096&in_page_id=34

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3. What is a Rabbi?
Question:
A lot of people call themselves Rabbi.
Even Ephraimite and Hebraic Messianic type Christian ministers refer to themselves as "Rabbis".
What exactly does this mean?

Brit-Am Answer:
One has the terms "Rabbi", "Rav" and "Rebbe".
"Rabbi" in Hebrew is from the root "RaB" or "RaV" since the letter Beth (B) may also be pronounced as a "V" depending on where it comes in a sentence or word on other grammatical points.
 "RaB" or "RaV" literally means "Great One".
The term "Rabbi" may be applied as (a) A Mark of Respect; (b) An unofficial title; or (c) An Official Title.
This can be somewhat confusing but is worth knowing about.

(a) A Mark of Respect
A "Rabbi" is usually taken to be a teacher.
Learned Jews often refer to each other as "Rav" (meaning "Rabbi")  e.g. "Rav Yoseph" out of mutual respect but they will usually only refer to their head teacher as "The Rav".
Even secular old-fashioned Jews sometimes use this term for each other e.g. Menachem Begin used to describe his deputy and coalition partner Simcha Ehrlich as "Rav Simcha".
This practice however is not fashionable.
Reform "Rabbis" and Liberal "Rabbis" and Christian "Rabbis" are not really Rabbis as far as Orthodox Jews are concerned.

Here and there are those who refer to ourselves or others as "Rabbi" in order to give them a feeling of respect and honor. We discourage this and do not like it.
We consider it misleading, inaccurate,  and unnecessary.
It is also liable to give the impression to others that there is an assuming of titles that are not merited.

(b) An unofficial title.
Someone who officiates in a religious institute or religious task and is reasonably learned and God-fearing may be commonly referred to as "Rabbi" even though they have not really earned the title in a formal sense.

(c) An Official Title.
Moses appointed leaders over all the congregation:

[Exodus 18:25] AND MOSES CHOSE ABLE MEN OUT OF ALL ISRAEL, AND MADE THEM HEADS OVER THE PEOPLE, RULERS OF THOUSANDS, RULERS OF HUNDREDS, RULERS OF FIFTIES, AND RULERS OF TENS.                    

Later
Moses was told to take seventy elders and inaugurate them.
[Numbers 11:16] AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES, GATHER UNTO ME SEVENTY MEN OF THE ELDERS OF ISRAEL, WHOM THOU KNOWEST TO BE THE ELDERS OF THE PEOPLE, AND OFFICERS OVER THEM; AND BRING THEM UNTO THE TABERNACLE OF THE CONGREGATION, THAT THEY MAY STAND THERE  WITH THEE.                    
 
[Numbers 11:17] AND I WILL COME DOWN AND TALK WITH THEE THERE: AND I WILL TAKE OF THE  SPIRIT WHICH IS UPON THEE, AND WILL PUT IT UPON THEM; AND THEY SHALL BEAR THE BURDEN OF THE  PEOPLE WITH THEE, THAT THOU BEAR IT NOT THYSELF ALONE.                    
 
These seventy elders became the first Sanhedrin.
Membership in the Sanhedrin was inaugurated by an existing member ceremoniously placing his hands and supporting himself ("semicha") or leaning  on the new member.  This was similar to the way in which Moses had appointed Joshua as his successor [Numbers 27:18] .
Nowadays this is no longer done but the ordination of Rabbi is still referred to as "semicha".
Throughout the generations leading rabbis would testify to learned students as being proficient in the law and being able to decide legal matters in halacha (Tabbinical Law). The student would receive "semicha" and be recognized as a rabbi. Over time this process became regularized. In order to receive the title of Rabbi the student would have to know the law well in areas that were agreed upon throughout all communities.
In many cases regular courses of studies were set up with written and oral examinations. This is still the case.
It should be pointed out that many learned scholars in Rabbinical Studies do not become Rabbis but prefer to learn just for the sake of it.
Such scholars may also be referred to by others as "Rabbi" out of respect for their learning.

In  order to become an official Rabbi in the State of Israel a student (usually after several years of study and upon the recommendation of a known Rabbi who has been overseeing his progress) undergoes a course of about 4 years.
During this course he has to sit for regular examinations and pass all of them. The exams are long, detailed, and according to report quite difficult.
This course is recognized for bureaucratic reasons as the equivalent of that for a University Degree.
After completing the course successfully the candidate is officially a Rabbi.
He may now apply for an official position as the Rabbi of a community, school, or other of the numerous institutions in Israel to which Rabbis are often appointed.
A Rabbi who received his "semicha" outside of the state of Israel in most cases will also be required to take an examination in Israel before the "Rabbinoot" (Official Rabbinical Authority) in Israel will recognize his qualifications.

Apart from "Rabbi" we also have the term "Rebbe".
"Rebbe" originally is a Yiddish pronunciation of "Rabbi" but has come to mean a "super-Rabbi" or chief Rabbi of a Hassidic community. The "Rebbe"  is often consulted by his followers about
day-to-day matters including (in some cases) business matters and personal issues.

All of the above now applies in most Jewish communities.
In the past and maybe in some cases in the present there were some "Sephardic" (North African and eastern Jewish) communities where instead of "Rabbi" the title "Chacham" ("Hakam") meaning "wise man" was used.

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