A great court of justice in wisdom and in the number of judges for our time
Shalom Rabbi, how does the Rabbi view the concept of a “great court in wisdom and minyan” today? Why do they say that we in our generation cannot be a greater court in wisdom and minyan than previous courts? After all, today we live in an era of immense Torah knowledge like never before in the history of the Jewish people. Is it possible to say that we are less wise than previous courts that did not have the accessibility that we have? Also, minyan, precisely in light of the gathering of the exiles, is it not easier now to be in a larger minyan?
Hello Eldad.
The problem today is not greatness, which of course can be debated. The problem is that there is no Jewish court because there are no Magistrates and no Sanhedrin. Therefore, every law in the Jewish court is great in wisdom and minyan is irrelevant to our day, even if we are many times greater than anything that came before us.
So what do you think about the renewal of ordination in our time, especially in light of Maimonides' words on the subject?
Thanks for your consideration
I don't know if it's possible to renew the ordination, especially since Maimonides also makes it conditional on the consent of the general sages of Israel, and that doesn't exist today. But even without ordination, if there is a higher institution, the authority will return to it. I pray that it won't be, of course, because the candidates for it these days don't really do that to me.
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