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In Judaism, Semicha is the transmission of rabbinic authority in the form of an authorization to give advice or judgment in Jewish law. It is often referred to as rabbinic ordination. A second and distinct meaning of "semicha" is the offering of a sacrifice in the Temple.
According to the Hebrew Bible, Moses ordained Joshua through semicha. (Numbers 27:22, 23; Deut. 34:9). Moses also ordained the 70 elders (ibid 11:16?17, 24?25). The elders later ordained their successors in this way. Their successors in turn ordained others. According to Maimonides in his Mishneh Torah this chain of hands-on semichah continued until the time of the Second Temple in Jerusalem (first century CE). After the destruction of the Second Temple and the scattering of much of the Jewish people, the direct chain from Moses onward was broken.
For some time, rabbis in the era of the Mishnah (until 200 CE) and the two Talmuds continued to ordain their successors through the semicha ceremony, but eventually the rabbis began to confer the title "rabbi" without a hands-on semicha; instead they used an oral or written formula. This is sometimes known as neo-semicha.
In the Mishnaic era it became the law that only someone who had semicha could give religious and legal decisions (Talmud Sanhedrin 5b.)
Before 135 CE, only Jewish sages in Palestine had semicha, and thus were called "rabbi". The sages of the Babylonian Jewish community had a similar religious education, but without the semicha ceremony they were called ?rav?. As such, these early Babylonian Jewish sages deferred to the Palestinian Jewish sages.
The situation changed as a result of the failed revolution by Bar Kokhba in 132?135 C.E. The Romans put down the revolt, and the emperor Hadrian withdrew all support for the Sanhedrin, the supreme legislative and religious body of the Jewish people. According to the Mishna, Hadrian banned the granting of semicha; anyone who gave or accepted semicha was given the death penalty. Further, the Mishna states that if semicha is given, the very city in which the ceremony took place would be demolished (Sanhedrin 14a.)
According to most Jewish writers on this topic, sometime during the fourth century CE, during the time of Hillel II, the original semichah, with all the powers originally granted, ceased to exist.
A minority of Jewish writers maintain that a form of the original semicha continued to be practiced in small numbers as late as the eleventh century CE.
The Geonim, early medieval Jewish sages of Babylon, did not possess semicha, yet were formally known as "rabbis" and were entrusted with authority to make legal and religious decisions. Rabbinic ordination was not passed through the laying on of hands, but through a written certificate.
Sometime after the Black death struck Europe, the Jewish community was influenced by the formal issuing of diplomas conferred by European Christian universities. In the areas today known as France and Germany, Ashkenazic Jews began using the term "semicha" again, this time using it to refer to a formal diploma conferred by a teacher on his pupil. This practice was at first frowned upon by Sephardic Jews, who viewed the practice as presumptuous and arrogant, and an imitation of gentile customs; eventually however this practice was adopted by the Sephardic Jewish community as well.
Maimonides, in his Mishneh Torah, rules that "if all the Palestinian sages would unanimously agree to appoint and ordain judges, then these new ordinants would possess the full authority of the original ordained judges" (Hilchoth Sanhedrin 4:11). His code of law was accepted as normative by the majority of Jewish scholars since that time, though this section was mainly viewed as theoretical, especially because he concludes that "the matter needs deciding".
In 1538 Rabbi Jacob Berab of Safed, Israel, attempted to restore the traditional form of Semicha. His goal was to unify the scattered Jewish communities through the re-establishment of a new Sanhedrin. At his prompting, 25 rabbis from the land of Israel convened; they ordained Jacob Berab as their chief rabbi. Berab then conferred semicha through a laying on of he hands to four rabbis, including Joseph Caro, who was later to become the author of the Shulkhan Arukh, widely viewed as the most important code of Jewish law from the 1600s onwards. Joseph Caro in turn ordained Moses Alshekh; Alshekh in turn ordained Hayyim Vital.
Berab made an error by not first obtaining the approval of the chief rabbis in Jerusalem; when berab later asked them to accept his authority, they rejected his request and protested his attempt to re-start traditional semicha. Levi ibn Habib, the chief rabbi in Jerusalem, wrote a treatise refuting the legality of Berab?s actions (Kunteres ha-Semikhah). Rabbi David ibn Zimra (Radvaz) of Egypt was consulted, but . With the passing of Berab in 1542 the renewed form of semicha gradually ground to a halt.
In 1948, with the establishment of the modern State of Israel, the idea of restoring the traditional form of Semicha and reestablishing a new Sanhedrin became popular among some within the religious Zionist community. Rabbi Judah Leib Maimon, Israel's first minister of religious affairs, promoted this idea. A small number of religious Zionist rabbis in the Rabbinical Council of America voiced support for this idea; some rabbis within Conservative Judaism entertained the idea as a potentially positive development. However, most secular Jews, most Haredim, and most non-Orthodox Jews did approve of this goal. Israel Chief Ashkenazi rabbi at the time, Isaac Herzog, was hesitant to support this goal, and the idea eventually died away.
Although presently most functioning rabbis hold semicha, this was until quite recently not automatic. Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan, also known as the Chafetz Chayim, was trained and recognized as a rabbi, but did not hold semicha until he had to apply for a passport. He realized that unless he applied for semicha, he could not technically enter rabbi as an occupation without lying. He was to receive his semicha by telegraph from Rabbi Chayim Ozer Grodzinsky of Wilna, an unusual arrangement - especially in the early 20th century!
Traditionally, a man obtains semicha (rabbinic ordination) after the completion of an arduous learning program in the codes of Jewish law and responsa.
The most general form of semicha is 'Yorei yorei' ("he shall teach"). Most Orthodox rabbis hold this qualification; they are sometimes called a moreh hora'ah ("a teacher of lessons").
A more advanced form of semicha is 'Yadin yadin' ("he shall judge"). This enables the recipient to adjudicate cases of monetary law, amongst other responsibilities. He is addressed as a dayan ("judge"). Although not strictly necessary, many Orthodox rabbis hold that a Beth din (court of Jewish law) should be made up of dayanim.
Traditionally, semicha requires an arduous learning program in the codes of Jewish law and responsa. Orthodox Judaism maintains these requirements. One does not need a bachelor's degree to enter most Orthodox rabbinical seminaries. Modern Orthodox rabbinical students study some elements of modern theology or philosophy, as well as the classical rabbinic works on such subjects.
Orthodox rabbinical students work to gain knowledge in Talmud, Rishonim and Acharonim (early and late medieval commentators) and Jewish law) They study sections of Shulkhan Arukh and its main commentaries that pertain to daily-life questions (such as on Kashruth and family purity).
Women are ineligible from becoming rabbis in Orthodoxy.
Conservative Judaism holds that one may obtain rabbinic ordination after the completion of an arduous learning program in the codes of Jewish law and responsa. It adds to these requirements by adding the study of: the Hebrew Bible, Mishnah and Talmud, the Midrash literature, Jewish ethics and lore, the codes of Jewish law, the responsa literature, both traditional and modern Jewish works on theology and philosophy.
Conservative Judaism has less stringent study requirements for Talmud and responsa study as compared to Orthodoxy. Conservative Judaism adds the following subjects as requirements for rabbinic ordination: one must first earn a bachelor's degree before entering rabbinical school. In addition studies are mandated in pastoral care and psychology, the historical development of Judaism; and academic biblical criticism.
Women are allowed to become rabbis and cantors in the Conservative movement.
Reconstructionist Judaism and Reform Judaism do not maintain the traditional requirements for study. In the four years of study it takes to become a Reform or Reconstructionist rabbi, they only learn the amount of Jewish law, Talmud, and responsa that Orthodox rabbis generally learn within their first year. Emphasis is placed not on Jewish law, but rather on sociology, cultural studies, and modern Jewish philosophy.
The Reform or Reconstructionist rabbinical seminaries hold that one must first earn a bachelor's degree before entering the rabbinate. In addition studies are mandated in pastoral care and psychology, the historical development of Judaism; and academic biblical criticism.
Both men and women may be rabbis or cantors.
Orthodox Judaism generally rejects the validity of non-Orthodox rabbis; some within Modern Orthodoxy are willing to accept that non-Orthodox rabbis have legitimacy (e.g. Norman Lamm), although to what extent is argued. All major branches of non-Orthodox forms of Judaism generally accept the legitimacy of each other's rabbis, as well as accept the legitimacy of Orthodox rabbis.
There are several possibilities for receiving rabbinic ordination in addition to seminaries maintained by the large Jewish denominations. These include seminaries maintained by smaller denominational movements, and nondenominational (also called transdenominational or postdenominational) Jewish seminaries.
A different meaning is the semicha before the offering of a sacrifice in the Temple. This involved pressing firmly on the head of the sacrificial animal, thereby symbolically "transmitting" sins onto the animal.
The regulations governing its observance were as follows: The owner of the sacrificial animal was required to lay both his hands with all his might between the horns of the animal just before it was killed. This was to be performed with bare hands. The sacrificer, in case he brought a sin-offering or an offering of atonement, confessed his sins, saying: "I have done thus and so, but have repented; may this sacrifice bring me forgiveness and be an atonement for me." In the case of a thanks-offering or a meal-offering at which sins were not confessed, the sacrificer recited hymns and prayers of thanksgiving during the act.
The symbolism of this custom has been variously explained. According to Philo ("De Victimis") the sacrificer intended his act to imply that "these hands have done no wrong, but have performed good and useful deeds." This, however, applies only to thank-offerings and meal-offerings, and not to sin-offerings or to offerings of atonement. Some rabbinical authorities, followed by some Church Fathers, interpreted "semikah" as meaning that the sacrificer, by laying his hands upon the victim, transferred his sins to it, and imposed upon it the punishment which his conduct had merited (Sforno on Leviticus i. 5; Levi beb Gershon on Leviticus i. 4).
Many scholars hold that these interpretations are not well founded; many hold that there is no evidence that the Israelites believed that sins were actually transferred to the sacrficial animal through the laying on of hands. In this view, the recitation of the liturgical formula, rather than the ritual act, is the determining factor. This explanation of semikah, moreover, does not apply in the case of meal-offerings and thank-offerings, for they had nothing to do with a transference of sins. Since semikah was prescribed for sin-offerings and for offerings of atonement, as well as for meal-offerings and thank-offerings, it must have had a meaning which applied to all these various sacrifices, and must therefore have had some connection with the basal concept of sacrifice. In this view, the hands were laid upon the victim's head as implying on the part of the sacrificer the words: "This is my property, which I dedicate to God."
Now that the Temple in Jerusalem is no longer extant, Jews find atonement for sin in other ways. A classical rabbinic work, Midrash Avot de Rabbi Natan, states:
The Babylonian Talmud teaches that "Rabbi Yochanan and Rabbi Eleazar both explain that as long as the Temple stood, the altar atoned for Israel, but now, one's table atones [when the poor are invited as guests]." (Tractate Berachot, 55a.)
The traditional liturgy of the High Holidays (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) states that prayer, repentance and tzedakah (charitable actions) are how one atones for sin.
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