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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.
2. Levis: who were the tribe designated to the Priesthood by God.
3. 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. Moses operated in this manner so
did Joshua, 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.”
Shem who 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
as Melchi-Zadeck in 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 Ancient City 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 Protestant Church 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.