The Differences in the Roles and Responsibilities of the Rabbi Compared to Priests and Ministers

The Differences in the Roles and Responsibilities of the Rabbi Compared to Priests and Ministers

By Lemuel Baker, Ph.D

Similar to modern Priests and Ministers, contemporary Rabbis are responsible for religious education, leading worship, pastoral guidance, and ceremonial acts that commemorate spiritual achievement. However, the authority of a Rabbi is based strictly upon learning, not a function of position or religious hierarchy. We will discuss the differences in the roles and responsibilities of the Rabbi compared to Priests and Ministers. We will examine the process of how each achieves their respective position and how each is viewed with regard to the notion of intermediary between humans and God.

Contents:

1 Differences in roles and responsibilities of the Rabbi, Priests and Ministers

1.1 How are the respective positions achieved?

1.2 How is each position viewed in regards to an intermediary between God and man?

The most significant tasks the Priest or Kohain Gadol a direct descendant of Abraham was the implementation of the Yom Kippur service. The original purpose for a Jewish Priest was to be set apart unto God all the days of his life and afterwards to stand between a Holy God and sinful man as an intermediary as well as to offer specific sacrifices on behalf of the sinful populous. A Priest may also be a Rabbi but a Rabbi who was not a designated Priest could not perform the duties of a Priest. The Priest had the task of offering sacrifice as specified by God so that HaShem would issue forgiveness and atonement for the children of Israel.

There was an agreement between God and all the Jewish people during the inception of Yom Kippur that only the Priest could enter the Holy of Holies but even he if he were not sanctified could die. Thus the Priest especially in the Catholic Church is ordained only by a Bishop who invokes these virtues by the laying on of hands to be holy as well as to be endowed, receive Charismata or spiritual gifting to enable the Priest to interceded for the parishioners as well as to make sacrifice for them. Today Priest do not kill animals but they administer the 7 sacraments to the church which if done under Christ’s authority bring blessing to the church.

It should be made clear that a Rabbi is not a Priest in the Jewish sense or the Christian sense of the term. In Christianity a Priest is an ordained person called by God to live a set apart life style and at ordination given authority to perform sacraments on behalf of the people. The Rabbi has no authority or to perform sacraments nor is it intended to be so.

A Rabbi is primarily a teacher a person highly educated in the Halakah (Jewish Law) to instruct the community at large, to answer questions and to settle disputes regarding the Talmud or Oral Law. Today when a Rabbi completes his course of study he is certified with a document called a Semikhah which says he now has the training required to make decisions concerning the Oral law.

Since the destruction of the second Jewish temple around 70 AD the role of the Priest diminished and the role of the rabbi increased. Rabbis took over the spiritual leadership of the community and even were forced to adopt or to take on spiritual roles of the Priest.

During the inception of the Catholic Church when Constantine institutionalized the Catholic Church the role of the Priesthood in the Christian Church began to rise and to mirror the pattern of the original theme of the Jewish Priesthood.

In contemporary society the Rabbi especially in the Messianic Congregations functions similarly to Protestant Ministers meeting the needs of the community, leading worship services, counseling and dealing with administrative matters. In the Catholic Church as well as in the Anglican and Presbyterian Churches the Priest also has a function similar to that of a Rabbi but, much more focus is given to the sacraments and to the efficacy of the sacraments administered as well as to the efficacy of prayer.

It is significant to note a critical difference between Rabbis and Christian Ministers and that is the status of Rabbi does not give the Rabbi any special ecclesiastical authority to conduct religious services. Any Jew sufficiently educated in the Written and Oral Laws and Shulchan Aruch may lead a valid religious service. This practice is common in communities who do not have a Rabbi. On the other hand to lead a valid church service in the Christian Church and to invoke the authority of Christ as well to administer the 7 sacraments one must be ordained and licensed to perform such sacraments. The Christian Church functions under the authority of the Priesthood with Jesus Christ being the High Priest over his flock, who delegates authority to individuals, see Ephesians 4:10-11.

In the formation of the Priesthood during the time of Moses the Prophet, there were three lineages of Priesthood formed.

1. The Kohein: were direct descendants of Aaron the brother of Moses and the first Priest.

1. Levis: who were the tribe designated to the Priesthood by God.

1. Tzaddik:called the righteous one and considered a Grand Rabbi. The significance of the Tzaddik was his ability to bring the substance of the mystery of God to the people. He is someone who God honored through manifesting mysterious power for the edification of the people and to prevent misfortune in their lives.Mosesoperated in this manner so didJoshua, Elijah, Elisha and Daniel.

These individuals who were first of a pure conscience, constantly intimate with HaShem, were able to Mobilize the spiritual virtues of a personal active HaShem used in creation of the earth or eretz in Hebrew, used in the parting of the Red Sea and the Jordon River, used in raising a boy from the dead and used to preserve Daniel’s friends in a literal furnace of fire.

Today Orthodox Jewish men over forty years of age who desire to be set aside to pray for the sick and to minister through Kabala learn the workings of HaShem as is called miracles.The Apostle James may have been referencing the Tzaddik Priestly status of Elijah when he wrote “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man (or Tzaddik) availeth much.” Recorded in James 5:16. James who was versed in the Torah and the Tanach was probably using the Tzaddik priesthood type as he referenced specifically Elijah.James or Rav Jacov was indicating that Elijah operated after the order of a Tzaddik type of priest. The definition of a Tzaddik is “a righteous one.”

Shemwho was a righteous descendant of Noah who had three sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth also walked in the Tzaddik Priestly Office as indicated in both the Old and New Testaments. Shem is referenced asMelchi-Zadeckin the Old Testament as he received tithes from Abraham as well as blessed Abraham.The Hebrew word for King or Chief is the word “melchi/melki and the word for “righteous one” is Tzaddik. Thus Shem was the chief prophet of his day, the leader of the prophetic or religious school. He was also the City King or Mayor of the AncientCity of Salem an ancient name for Jerusalem.Shem exhibited the grace of a Tzaddik by blessing Abraham with the grace or the empowerment to prosper with no sorrow added to the blessing. So Shem imparted the supernatural grace to Abraham to produce wealth, righteous living and peace with man and with God.See Genesis 14:17-24 in B’ reshit as well as Hebrews 6:20 and 7:1 as references to Melchzedek.

The Catholic Church today especially still expects that mystery and wonder of Christ in their worship as they implement prayer. Protestantism as well believes as the ordained leader administers the sacraments that the mystery of Christ will be evident in the lives of the congregants by way of conversions, healings, financial prosperity and wholeness of soul.

Among the Clergy who prescribe to the Priesthood format there are variations that should be noted. In the Eastern Orthodox Church a Priest is also called a Presbyter or Elder. In the Roman Catholic Church a Priest cannot marry as part of his vows. The most liturgical and of most significance to the Roman Catholic Priesthood is the judging of sin and praying with laity in the sacrament of Repentance (Confession) and the celebration of Holy Communion.

In the Anglican Church both men and women may be ordained and may marry. In many branches of the ProtestantChurch the term Priest is not used but instead the word Pastor or Minister is used in its place. Quakerism does not limit the priestly role to any one individual but instead advocates that all believers are “priests unto God” and that all believers possess a priesthood ministerial role to all in the denomination. Furthermore they do not practice special sacraments that require priestly mediation.

How does each group achieve their respective positions

The critical difference with the Rabbi and the Priest today is the Rabbi attains his position through education and certification to the end of being able to answer questions pertaining to Jewish Law and customs while the Christian Priest attains his position by both education and the extra ingredient called ordination whereby the endowment or Charismata from God is imparted to the person to enable him to administer the mysteries of God in the Church.

In the Progressive sects of Judaism Rabbis are given a license to instruct through semichah and the progressive Jewish sects call the process ordination but the primary focus is not to administer sacraments but an official certification to teach, to interpret the Oral law and to make decisions based on Halakah. Today however Rabbis are given permission to perform weddings by state laws that govern the clergy.

How is each position viewed in regards to being an intermediary between God and man

Because each Jew has a personal relationship with God that does not require an intermediary Judaism does not place any significance on a Rabbi to be an intermediary between God and man. Because Rabbis handle and interpret Judaism’s sacred texts they are perceived to be Holy men and perception is often a reality. The truth however are most rabbis will admit that any of the congregants have the same or possibly more of a connection with God especially those who are devout and who take God seriously.

Summary

Because of the original mission and purpose of Priests in the Old Testament which was to implement an acceptable sacrifice on behalf of man before God as well as to keep themselves pure and holy as a lifestyle in order to be acceptable to God at all times to the end of maintaining qualification to administer sacrifices. Today the Priest, Pastor or Minister follows the very same pattern whereby training is not the means to an end as with the Rabbi but supernatural endowment and grace is essential to their administering the sacraments of God and to be vessels that experience the full efficacy of prayer when offered on behalf of human beings.