If you are familiar with Jewish culture, you will also be familiar with the term Rabbi. In fact the chances of you coming across a piece of research without the mention or a reference to any Jewish Rabbi in particular, might be difficult. Given this there has been a lot of speculation in the world outside Judaism about what a Rabbi actually is and what is the nature of his duties within the religion. The notion of 'high priest' or similar has also been applied here. Let us find out if this notion is true. We shall also have a closer look at a Rabbi's duties of office.
Never a priest
A Jewish Rabbi is far from a priest and even farther from a high priest. Most people outside the Jewish faith seem to believe (out of no fault of Jews) that a Rabbi is some sort of a priest.
In Judaism a priest or a kohein has to be of the line of Aaron, in other words a descendant. A kohein is the only person who is authorized to perform sacrifices and rituals in connection with the Temple. One must also remember that it is possible for a kohein to be a Jewish Rabbi, but a Rabbi cannot be a kohein.
Who is a Rabbi?
Now that we have stated that a Jewish Rabbi cannot and is not a 'high priest', let us define a Rabbi. Very simply put a Jewish Rabbi is a teacher. He is a person who is well educated in the ways of the Jewish Law - the Halakhah. Therefore he is only qualified to instruct, but to resolve and guide where the Halakhah is concerned. This however does not make him a religious figure. In order for a person to assume the Rabbi's office he must compete a mandatory study course after which a written document called the semikhah is handed over to him confirming his accreditations.
How is a Jewish Rabbi elected?
In Judaism, a Rabbi is not really elected by his congregation. Instead it is a case of a teacher assuming an office because his scholars wished it so and out of the respect that is paid to him. This teacher or learned man can be any follower of the faith who knows enough about Jewish laws. In Judaism no person is under any obligation to consult a particular person for any particular thing. It is up to him or her to pick someone they are confident about and someone who knows the laws. This is how Rabbis first came into being. However in the 16th century, congregations actually started the practice of electing their Jewish Rabbi.
The office of the Rabbi
Now that we have established the fact that a Jewish Rabbi is not qualified to perform or administer any sacred ritual in connection with the temple as he is not a priest, we need to figure out what it is that he does exactly. A Jewish Rabbi is one who is meant to be a spiritual leader - one who knows enough to lead a service or sort out a dispute or misunderstanding with regards to the law. However it needs to be noted that a Jew as qualified and well versed with the law is just as authorized to do all the things that a Rabbi does.