I'm beginning to establish some threads here to show the similarities between Catholicism and Judaism. I'm not attempting to proselytize, just exploring commonality in our faith.
Orthodox Christianity believes in what we call Apostolic Succession. Very breifly, it is the practice by which understanding from scripture and tradition is passed down from generation to generation. The protoge learns at the feet of his mentor and the understanding of faith is passed on.
My understanding is that Judaism has a similar practice which is called "Semicha".
Are there any Orthodox Jews in this forum that could provide a bit of an explanation for all of us regarding traditions (both oral ans scriptural) of this practice?
Shalom,
Bill
Short and Simply said, Smicha is an ordination (sorry if English is not correct) of a Rabbi by another rabbi('s). All text of Mishna is learned and much more, caracter trades, years of contact have past by...
But a Rabbi doesn't have a status of a Priest, althought within traditions of East European traditions it could come close to that kind of culture. Rabbi's not only learn from generation from generation... (every Jew suppose to do that), they are the one to ask advise or opinions. Later if a rabbi might be choosen as a Judge (if he's outstanding), he even might Judge within religious mathers simply said.
The reason East European Orthodoxy with their kind of Yeshiva's and Head of the Yeshiva tradition looks partly close to a monestry for Jews where not allowed in Poland-Lithuania to learn anymore with only their local rabbi, or synagogue. The state wanted to control the schoolsystem. Besides that Jews where hardly allowed to do other kind of Jobs. So the big institutions where partly organized like the monestries, same structure of teachings, schedules, boys more seperate etc.etc.
Greetings
I'm beginning to establish some threads here to show the similarities between Catholicism and Judaism. I'm not attempting to proselytize, just exploring commonality in our faith.
Orthodox Christianity believes in what we call Apostolic Succession. Very breifly, it is the practice by which understanding from scripture and tradition is passed down from generation to generation. The protoge learns at the feet of his mentor and the understanding of faith is passed on.
My understanding is that Judaism has a similar practice which is called "Semicha".
Are there any Orthodox Jews in this forum that could provide a bit of an explanation for all of us regarding traditions (both oral ans scriptural) of this practice?
Shalom,
Bill
The original Semicha was where a student learned at the feet of his Rabbi
the whole of the Written and Oral Torah and represented an unbroken line of tradition from Moses. He gave Semicha to Joshua who gave it to the Elders, and so on through the generations. At some point after the closure of the Mishna and the exile into Babylon Semicha fell into disuse.
Nowadays Semicha (called Rabbinic Ordination) is granted by a Rabbi to someone who has learned a particular aspect of Jewish Law (usually the dietary laws - Kashrus) and it gives that person the right to call himself Rabbi and to rule on questions of Jewish Law covered by his Semicha.
I actually have two Semichas, one in the laws of mourning and one in the dietary laws. I am not a pulpit Rabbi (I'm a lawyer, actually) and so am not called Rabbi except within religious circles.
I do not think there is any similarity with Apostolic Succession as Rabbis are teachers only; any ritual functions can be carried out by non-Rabbis just as well.
In regard to 2,000 years ago, the master rabbi was also able to discern over all types of Jewish Law. He was able to discern in all matters pertaining to the Hebrew life outside the Temple, and worked within the framework of the system. By this, I mean, he was not unfamiliar or incapable of all matters of a priest; in fact, he taught the framework of all things to others. The Master Rabbi was capable of performing the functions and rituals of a Kohen, but that was a different era than now 2,000 years ago.
If the situation called for presenting oneself to the Kohen at the Temple, and offering a set sacrifice, he so directed. If the matter called for bringing your suit before a judicial process, and he was not part of your judicial hierarchy, he so directed you to follow your hieracrchy. What many forget, is Yeshua /Jesus was an ordained Semicha rabbi who was a Master Rabbi, able to put the lawyers and scribes and priests (and Sanhedrin outside their own court) in their place by admonishment or rebuke on the Laws of Moses. They had a clout that was above impeachment short of a death penalty violation.
There does not appear to be any like office to which we can in our present day compare that office that Yeshua and his colleague/contemporary,the master rabbi of Eretz Israel (Nicodemus in John 3), held. The status of Yeshua/Jesus in the Gospel narrative places Him on that high of a Mosaic plane in his day, easily equal in authority to Hillel who preceded him (as controversial as that sounds).
What many forget, is Yeshua /Jesus was an ordained Semicha rabbi who was a Master Rabbi, able to put the lawyers and scribes and priests (and Sanhedrin outside their own court) in their place by admonishment or rebuke on the Laws of Moses.
You have some proof to your words? And what's the difference between a Semicha Rabbi and a Master Rabbi (terms I have never heard that way before)?
Brianroy - thanks for the information.
I was unaware of the Master Rabbi. Are you saying that in addition to a Rabbinic succession through Semicha, there was also an ordained Rabbi who was the leader of the others?
....Orthodox Christianity believes in what we call Apostolic Succession.....
Nowhere in Scripture did Jesus, the apostles, or any other New Testament writer set forth the idea of “apostolic succession.”
For the sake of absolute clarity any particular Christian "faith" believed by its followers to be correct by comparison to other faiths considers its own faith as orthodox. Therefore, not every "orthodox" christian accepts 'appostolic succession' as biblical.
Apart from the Roman Church error of Peter/Papal succession, the Roman Catholics often point to Matthias being chosen to replace Judas as the 12th apostle in Acts chapter 1 as an example of apostolic succession. While Matthias did indeed “suceed” Judas as an apostle, this is in no sense an argument for continuing apostolic succession. Matthias being chosen to replace Judas is only an argument for the church replacing ungodly and unfaithful leaders (such as Judas), with godly and faithful leaders (such as Matthias). Nowhere in the New Testament are any of the twelve apostles recorded as passing on their apostolic authority to successors. Nowhere do any of the apostles predict that they will pass on their apostolic authority. No, Jesus ordained the apostles to build the foundation of the church (Ephesians 2:20). What is the foundation of the church that the apostles built? The New Testament – the record of the deeds and teachings of the apostles. The church does not need apostolic successors. The church needs the teachings of the apostles accurately recorded and preserved. And that is exactly what God has provided in His Word (Ephesians 1:13; Colossians 1:5; 2 Timothy 2:15; 4:2).
In short, apostolic succession is not biblical. The concept of apostolic succession is never found in Scripture. What is found in Scripture is that the true church will teach what the Scriptures teach and will compare all doctrines and practices to Scripture in order to determine what is true and right.
Alignment with Scriptural teaching, not apostolic succession, is the determining factor of the trueness of a church. What is mentioned in Scripture is the idea that the Word of God was to be the guide that the church was to follow (Acts 20:32). It is Scripture that was to be the infallible measuring stick for teaching and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17). It is the Scriptures that teachings are to be compared with (Acts 17:10-12). Apostolic authority was passed on through the writings of the apostles, not through apostolic succession.
David
The original Semicha was where a student learned at the feet of his Rabbi the whole of the Written and Oral Torah and represented an unbroken line of tradition from Moses. He gave Semicha to Joshua who gave it to the Elders, and so on through the generations. At some point after the closure of the Mishna and the exile into Babylon Semicha fell into disuse.
Nowadays Semicha (called Rabbinic Ordination) is granted by a Rabbi to someone who has learned a particular aspect of Jewish Law (usually the dietary laws - Kashrus) and it gives that person the right to call himself Rabbi and to rule on questions of Jewish Law covered by his Semicha.
I actually have two Semichas, one in the laws of mourning and one in the dietary laws. I am not a pulpit Rabbi (I'm a lawyer, actually) and so am not called Rabbi except within religious circles.
I do not think there is any similarity with Apostolic Succession as Rabbis are teachers only; any ritual functions can be carried out by non-Rabbis just as well.
HaRav Yisroel ben Avrohom, is the word somech a variation of the word semicha? I ask because I have a friend whose lineage came from the Iranian/Babylonian captive group who was taught orally and even at his advanced age, has a mind like a steel trap. He amazes me.
HaRav Yisroel ben Avrohom, is the word somech a variation of the word semicha? I ask because I have a friend whose lineage came from the Iranian/Babylonian captive group who was taught orally and even at his advanced age, has a mind like a steel trap. He amazes me.
Yes, they are from the same root.
Somech means to rely on or to place on and
semicha means reliance on or placing on, as in the placing of hands on the student by the Rabbi giving semicha (the original semicha, not the one nowadays).
Thank you, HaRav Yisroel.