The Sanhedrin and the Rabbis

Why do your halacha emails say "a qualified Rabbi must be consulted? If the word "qualified" weren't included in the statement, it could be interpreted as including consultation with non-Orthodox clergy.

What is a Rabbi? A Rabbi is a person who has studied Torah extensively and is qualified to make decisions about Torah-related questions.

What is the origin of the title “Rabbi”? The title “Rabbi” wasn’t used until Talmudic times (first century BCE), when it was applied to ordained Torah scholars. The use of the title to refer to the spiritual leader of a…

How are Rabbis ordained? Traditionally, a Rabbi is ordained by his teacher(s). The first example of this was Moses ordaining Joshua (Num.27:16-23). Nowadays, Rabbis are usually ordained by Rabbinical schools (Yeshivos), whose faculty are of course Rabbis. Most Rabbis have…

Are scholars exempt from community service? The Talmud (Shab.114a) says that only full-time scholars who have no other occupation are exempt from community obligations. The Talmud (Bava Basra 8a) derives the exemption of scholars from taxes from several verses. The…

What is a Bais Din? A Bais Din ("House of Law"; also transliterated "Bet Din" or "Beth Din") is a Rabbinical court that deals with cases involving Jewish law.

Doesn’t Ex. 23:2 say that one SHOULDN’T follow a majority? The plain interpretation of Ex.23:2 is that one shoudn’t follow a majority to do evil or to pervert (le-hatos) the law. The Talmud’s explanation of the verse (Sanhedrin 2a) is…