Semichah - Rabbinic Approval of a Judge

Please be aware that for the purpose of this document, "Semichah" refers to ordination of a rabbi or judge.

How many judges are needed to confer this approval: Sanhedrin 2a; 3b; 13b

Local Semichah authority, in Israel and Bavel: Sanhedrin 5a

Requiring Approval to check for a First-Born Animal's Blemish: Yoma 78a; Sanhedrin 5a-b

A student requires approval from his master before he may declare law: Sanhedrin 5b

Requiring one's master's approval before ruling in the master's area: Sanhedrin 5b

The three tiers of permission - Declaration of law, Adjudication of cases, and Examination of first-born animals for blemishes: Sanhedrin 5a-b

Partial Semichah: Sanhedrin 5b

Semichah with a time limit: Sanhedrin 5b

Political considerations in giving license to adjudicate: Sanhedrin 5a-b

Concern that a candidate may be too skilled, so that granting him license to rule may cause others to err in misunderstanding his rulings: Sanhedrin 5b

A student being known as his father's son, without mention of his own name, before his ordination: Taanit 3a


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