What does "Rav" mean literally?

Light1234 ↓

Thu, May 30 2024, 3:13 pm

Hi all - I'm a BT of ten years and clearly I have missed something...

If a learned person is called "Rav so and so," does this mean he received smicha?
So every Rav has received Smicha for sure?

Or is Smicha only for Poskim?

Also, what does Smicha actually entail (generally)? Is it like a course like becoming a lawyer?

pinkpeonies

Thu, May 30 2024, 3:18 pm

Generally if someone is called a rav, they have received smicha.
You can receive smicha in any of the 4 pillars of the shulchan aruch, or in more than one

It entails learning that part of shulchan aruch (for example choshen mishpat) in great depth and fully mastering it. There are fahers and many times they will write a kuntros or sefer

That’s different than a person who is learning in kollel or a rebbi in yeshiva who can be referred to as rabbi.

Smicha was originally given from Moshe rabeinu and passed down the chain of the mesorah

It is debated whether it was lost or not, but I believe it was the arizal and the chachamim if tzfas in the 16th century who reinstated it, and that is the semicha that a rav receives today

simcha12plus

Thu, May 30 2024, 3:23 pm

there are people who did some studying and did a first level semicha who are called rabbis, which in hebrew is called rav. in europe there are distinctions between a rabbi and a posek. in the usa they are both called rabbis in english and in hebrew they are both referred to as rav.

and then there are rabbis who are rabbanim who can determine halacha. these rabbis have done much more extensive studying of a topic.

to be a dayan, and have the certification required to be part of a beis din requires much more studying. it involves apprenticeship. it involves years of practice and experience.

some Poskim spend many years becoming proficient in specific topics. they becone leading Poskim on that topic (fertility, Taharas Hamishpacha, finance and business, maaser, kashrus etc)

all trustworthy rabbanim spend many hours researching and studying all the time. rabbis look up your shailah in numerous seforim before giving a psak.

b.chadash

Thu, May 30 2024, 9:52 pm

Light1234 wrote:

Thank you so much for your help!

I think we need a bit more context.
In certain places, Rav is used very loosely. Almost like Mr.
In Lakewood, every avreich is addressed as Rabbi. In Hebrew they would say Rav so and so.

Reality

Thu, May 30 2024, 11:02 pm

pinkpeonies wrote:

The semicha that Rabbanim receive today is not connected to the real semicha that was reintroduced in the middle ages. As far as I remember, that was a failed attempt.

Semicha today means passing a series of extremely hard tests most commonly in Yoreh Deah.

abrainbow

Thu, May 30 2024, 11:08 pm

b.chadash wrote:

I think we need a bit more context.
In certain places, Rav is used very loosely. Almost like Mr.
In Lakewood, every avreich is addressed as Rabbi. In Hebrew they would say Rav so and so.

It's not an english/hebrew term.
People use Rabbi as a term of respect sometimes (like addressing chashuv people)
You would never use the term Rav for someone that doesn't have smicha.
It's a cultural thing
And I can usually tell what type of affiliation someone has on this site if they use rabbi/rabbis in that context...

AlwaysGrateful

Fri, May 31 2024, 7:38 am

b.chadash wrote:

I think we need a bit more context.
In certain places, Rav is used very loosely. Almost like Mr.
In Lakewood, every avreich is addressed as Rabbi. In Hebrew they would say Rav so and so.

I think you might be referring to "Reb." That's used like Mr. in some circles, but with a little added respect for the person you're speaking to. (Like the phrase "Reb Yid" -- they'll say "Good Shabbos, Reb Yitzchok, we haven't seen you here recently...")

I think "Rav" in those usually refers to the rav of a shul. And Rabbi can be used for anyone who has smicha or is learning in kollel or holding any religious position at all...and yes, sometimes people will use it instead of Mr. but I think it's mostly if they're not sure about whether the person they're addressing has smicha.

Shuly

Fri, May 31 2024, 7:50 am

In chareidi Israel, all men are called Rav First Name as a sign of respect. Someone who has smicha is HaRav Last Name.

For example, Rav Avi is learning in HaRav Friedman's kollel.

The Rabbanut smicha tests are extremely difficult written tests and that's what most men who got smicha in Israel (whether they are chareidi, DL, Mizrachi etc.) had to pass in order to get smicha. Most chareidi Rabbanim will require their students to pass the Rabbanut test for Niddah before allowing them pasken niddah shailos.