My Rabbi Is a Jew

1826: My rabbi is a model of piety and scholarship. He knows all of Talmud Bavli and Yerushalmi by heart, and is a recognized halachic authority.

1926: My rabbi is an observant Jew, davens and studies regularly, and gives excellent sermons in flawless English.

2026: My rabbi may not be a world-renowned scholar, but he does know Shema Yisrael by heart.

That entry for 2026 might be an exaggeration, but as we will see below, not by much. Certainly, we are today blessed with an abundance of authentic rabbinic leadership that is learned, inspiring, and wise. But there is another side to this coin, shown by a recent survey of newly minted (non-Orthodox) rabbis. In a word, there are rabbis and there are rabbis.

Not long ago, the raging debate was on the subject of “Who is a Jew?” Today we have progressed, and now the question is, “Who is a rabbi?” And well might we ask….

What does “rabbi” mean? It once meant that one is a teacher, is knowledgeable of Torah and halachah, inspires and elevates his flock, is immersed in Torah study and spiritual growth, answers religious and halachic questions.

Although we are still blessed with such leadership today, in certain circles it is none of the above. Some view it as a profession among professions. Once it was a calling, a mission and a G-d-directed life. Today, one can be a lawyer or accountant without any religious obligations — or a rabbi without any religious obligations. In fact, he doesn’t even have to be halachically Jewish, as we will see below.