Sunday, February 24, 2019

Responsibilities Of A Jewish Bet Din

By Brenda Howard


When it comes to converting to Judaism, it can often be a lengthy process, especially when converting from Christianity. In addition, all conversions must be approved by a Jewish Bet din. In ancient times, a Bet din was the primary building block of the Biblical law of Israel. Also known as the house of judgment, a Bet din is now defined as a rabbinical court for those whom practice Orthodox Judaism.

Bet dins are a court of law in the Jewish tradition which have the legal powers required to oversee religious matters. Whereas, Din Torah is a matter of litigation in local communities and Israel in which a Diaspora provides judgments based on various levels of authority.

Original courts were inspired by Jethro and Moses, the first men to be provided with such powers, then later affirmed by God whom gave a direct command to the Jews to establish officers and judges inside community gates. Whereas, the Torah also recommends that a ruler delegate powers of judgment to lower level courts.

In ancient times, there were three types of courts. These included a grand central court with 71 members and two smaller courts of 23 members each with one having hierarchy over the other. While all towns with a population of 120 to 230 residents, had to have a court of 23 under the jurisdiction of the tribal court.

In Judaism, the Talmud and Mishnah distinguish the difference between criminal, ritual or money matters and impose regulations for each. As with other courts, cases involving criminal activity often have far more stringent limitations than others. While this is the case, Bet dins ruled in all types of cases.

Since the suspension of Semicha in ancient practice, all Bet dins which existed in Medieval or modern times are in theory a court overseen by laymen acting as arbitrators. In most cases, these individuals are provided greater powers than others and are often composed of rabbis whom are experienced when it comes the rules and regulations set by the Bet din. When an individual desires to attend a training institute, especially in Israel to acquire qualification as a religious judge, the individual is considered superior to those of normal rabbinical qualifications.

While an Orthodox Bet din requires a minimum of three men whom are knowledgeable in Jewish Law, these individuals can often be difficult to locate. As such, the law now provides that even one Orthodox Jewish man can establish a Bet din. In addition, as each community is required to establish a dedicated Bet din, communities can choose how many judges to place on the court.

Individuals selected to make up a Bet din need to be capable of instructing others with regards to Jewish law pertaining to the case at hand. While this is the case, rabbis do not necessarily have to have expertise in all areas of law, just that pertaining to an ongoing case or cases. For example, when reviewing and approving a conversion, the rabbi would only need to understand the laws necessary to complete the process.




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