THE ORIGIN OF RABBI ETC
Rabbi (the Origins of)
HEBREW OF RABBI = (my teacher), (my master).
Rabbis have no special religious status.
They have a good basic general education.
They study the Talmud and the Mishna.
There are different divisions of Jewish religion which have different functions for their Rabbis.
A reformed Jewish group does not have Kosher function, and is not part of the Rabbis responsibility.
The Rabbis assist at all religious marriages. At most other ceremonies their presence is not required.
They generally do conduct religious services and assist at Bar Mitzvahs.
They are present at funerals and sometimes circumcisions.
Regarding divorce, a Rabbi's role will depend on whether he is appointed to a special court of Jewish law, which also applies to other subjects such as "Jewishness".
Occasionally they preach and are used for counselling and consoling.
They have total responsibility for the religious education of the young.
Depending on local circumstances modern Rabbis are involved in social and philanthropic works, and are expected to give support to any project sponsored by their congregations.
The term Rabbi was in general use by AD. 100.
Christ was called Rabbi occasionally (John 1:49 and 9:2) or Rabboni (John 20:16).
Presidents of the Sanhedrin were called Rabban which means "our master". Similarly the great codifier of the Mishna (C. AD. 200), Judah ha-Nasi, was called Rabbenu which means (our teacher).
Gradually salaried Rabbi-judges and un-salaried Rabbi-teachers (interpreters of the Mosaic Law) were performing routine services for their communities.
By the 12th century Rabbi-teachers were receiving salaries (as Rabbis generally do today), to free them from non-religious obligations.
Chief Rabbis became prominent in medieval Europe, but were not popular with the Jewish communities because they were appointed by civil Governments. Of the chief Rabbinates that survive today that in Israel has a Rabbinic council with 2 chief Rabbis, one representing the Sefaradic (Spanish) rite, the other the Ashkenazi (German).
There is no Rabbinate for Jewry as a whole.
GENERAL COMMENTS AND CONCLUSIONS:
The Levite priestly function came to prominence after Moses descended with The Tablets of Stone from Mount Sinai. As the children of the third son of Israel (Jacob) they had not apparently been involved in the worship of the golden calf and showed themselves to be on Jehovah's side (Ex. 32:26-29), and were instrumental in the slaughter of the Jewish idolaters at that moment in time. For their zeal in that matter was conferred on them the priesthood duties thereafter, and there is also a link with Levites and Aaron genetically. The Levite function continued in various forms and corruptions through the centuries, re-established by Ezra to the Zadokites after the exile, and right through to modern day practice around the world in Jewish Synagogue services. A Levite (Kohen) (this is either actual or theoretical lineage), has accepted functions in Synagogue procedure. (All of the above is precedent in the Old Testament and is now (and since Ezra) thoroughly formalised to protect the power of the priesthood especially during the ministry of Christ, and the continuing and growing error in the Talmud, Mishna, and Rabbi system etc.)
Zadok was a descendant of Aaron, he was priest at David's court and had charge of the Arc of the Covenant (2Sam. 15:24). He participated in the anointing of Solomon, David's successor. He and his descendants discharged the chief-priestly duties in Solomon's Temple until its destruction in BC. 587 (Bullinger's date BC. 477). Ezekiel restricts the priestly privileges to the Zadokite family on the grounds that they alone were innocent of apostasy under the monarchy (Ezk. 44:15). In the second Temple (under Ezra and Nehemiah) the Zadokites retained the high priesthood continually until BC. 171, when it was taken from them by Antiochus 4.
The Qumran community (of the Dead Sea Scroll fame), remained loyal to the Zadokite priesthood and looked forward to its restoration.
John the Baptist, Jesus and the Apostle Paul berated the Jewish Hierarchy of the day for adhering to the Pharisaic writings, instead of the Originals given to Moses, known as "Biblical Judaism". It is recorded and well known by the Jews, that the Pharisees in particular were "very flexible" in their interpretations of Torah, and this is confirmed by the Qumran Scrolls. Of the main 'schools', or Groups of the day, the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the Essens; the Pharisees became dominant, and at the time of the destruction of the Temple in AD. 70, only the "Judaism of the Pharisees", known as "Rabbinic Judaism" prevailed! This grew, and by AD. 300, all the Pharisaic Interpretations had been tabulated in the "Mishnah". This is the basis of "Modern Judaism".
This is why the Truths of the Messiah of Almighty God, as depicted and prophesied in the "Biblical Judaism" of the Old Testament (OT), are not accepted by the Jews who adhere to the current "Rabbinical Judaism" which is derived from the Pharisees.
If our thinking is correct regarding the restoration of the Temple procedures in the Millennial under the reign of Christ Messiah, it is probable that the Zadokite priesthood will be re-instigated at that time.
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