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Semikhah
Semikhah (Hebrew: סְמִיכָה) is the traditional term for rabbinic ordination in Judaism.
The original semikhah was the formal "transmission of authority" from Moses through the generations. This form of semikhah ceased between 360 and 425 CE. Since then, semikhah has continued in a less formal way; throughout Jewish history, there have been several attempts to reestablish the classical semikhah.
The title of "rabbi" has "proliferated greatly over the last century". Nowadays, semikhah is also granted for a comparatively limited form of ordination, bestowing the authority to apply Halakha in specific Jewish settings rather than across the Jewish people writ large. In non-Orthodox Jewish religious movements, rabbinical education often emphasizes the modern roles of rabbis, such as preaching, teaching, counseling, and pastoral work.
In recent times, relatedly, some institutions grant ordination for the role of hazzan (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 titled darshan. Ordination may then also be specifically termed סמיכה לרבנות ('rabbinical ordination'), סמיכה לחזנות ('cantorial ordination'), or הסמכת מגיד ('maggidic ordination').
The word semikhah 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 of semikhah 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 is Semakhot (or Semachot); one with ordination may then be referred to as a Musmach. A precedent Biblical usage is Numbers 8:10, describing the preparation of the Levites for service.
A rabbi is also sometimes referred to as a Moreh Hora'ah (מורה הוראה) "one who teaches [Halakhic] decisions", while the ordination itself is called Heter Hora'ah (היתר הוראה) "permission to make Halakhic decisions", certifying that the holder has the facility to apply his "thorough knowledge of the Talmud" to the facts of a given halakhic question, and (implicitly) certifies also that the candidate is suitable to function as a community rabbi. These terms derive from Leviticus 10:11, where the requirement is specified that halakhic decisions are to be made only by a qualified authority.
In concept, semikhah represents a "bond" dating back to the time of Moses and Joshua. It is held that God taught the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai in 1312 BCE and that since that time, the knowledge of the Torah has been passed from generation to generation by the conferment of semikhah, 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.
The ancient formula for semikhah 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] Classical semikhah was granted by a court of three judges and it later required the participation of at least one who had attained this status himself. According to Maimonides the other two need not be semukhim.
Semikhah
Semikhah (Hebrew: סְמִיכָה) is the traditional term for rabbinic ordination in Judaism.
The original semikhah was the formal "transmission of authority" from Moses through the generations. This form of semikhah ceased between 360 and 425 CE. Since then, semikhah has continued in a less formal way; throughout Jewish history, there have been several attempts to reestablish the classical semikhah.
The title of "rabbi" has "proliferated greatly over the last century". Nowadays, semikhah is also granted for a comparatively limited form of ordination, bestowing the authority to apply Halakha in specific Jewish settings rather than across the Jewish people writ large. In non-Orthodox Jewish religious movements, rabbinical education often emphasizes the modern roles of rabbis, such as preaching, teaching, counseling, and pastoral work.
In recent times, relatedly, some institutions grant ordination for the role of hazzan (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 titled darshan. Ordination may then also be specifically termed סמיכה לרבנות ('rabbinical ordination'), סמיכה לחזנות ('cantorial ordination'), or הסמכת מגיד ('maggidic ordination').
The word semikhah 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 of semikhah 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 is Semakhot (or Semachot); one with ordination may then be referred to as a Musmach. A precedent Biblical usage is Numbers 8:10, describing the preparation of the Levites for service.
A rabbi is also sometimes referred to as a Moreh Hora'ah (מורה הוראה) "one who teaches [Halakhic] decisions", while the ordination itself is called Heter Hora'ah (היתר הוראה) "permission to make Halakhic decisions", certifying that the holder has the facility to apply his "thorough knowledge of the Talmud" to the facts of a given halakhic question, and (implicitly) certifies also that the candidate is suitable to function as a community rabbi. These terms derive from Leviticus 10:11, where the requirement is specified that halakhic decisions are to be made only by a qualified authority.
In concept, semikhah represents a "bond" dating back to the time of Moses and Joshua. It is held that God taught the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai in 1312 BCE and that since that time, the knowledge of the Torah has been passed from generation to generation by the conferment of semikhah, 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.
The ancient formula for semikhah 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] Classical semikhah was granted by a court of three judges and it later required the participation of at least one who had attained this status himself. According to Maimonides the other two need not be semukhim.