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Friday 22 February 2019

The Role Of A Jewish Bet Din

By Brenda Howard


When it comes to converting from a different religion to Judaism, it can often take a great deal of time. For, all conversions must be approved by a Jewish Bet din also known as a Jewish court of law. In ancient time, a Bet din was often considered the primary building block associated with the Biblical laws of Israel. While a Bet din was also once known as a house of judgment, it is now referred to as a rabbinical court.

Bet dins in the present are invested with the legal powers to oversee a number of matters related to the religion. Din Torah, or matter of litigation in Israel and Jewish communities in the Diaspora provides judgments which hold varying levels of authority.

Original Bet dins were inspired largely by Moses and Jethro, for these were the first two men to have such powers. Later, God provided a direct commandment to the Jews to appoint judges and officers which were to reside inside community gates. In addition, it is also recommended in the Torah that rulers delegate powers of judgment to lower courts.

In ancient Israel, there were three types of rabbinical courts. These included two smaller courts of 23 appointees, one having hierarchy over the other and one grand central court of 72 appointees. Whereas, communities with populations between 120 and 230 residents were required to have a Bet din of 23 appointees though final judgments were handed down by a local tribal court.

In the Jewish religion, the Mishnah and Talmud determine the difference between cases involving money matters, rituals or criminal acts. Like other courts, those involving criminal activity often have more stringent punishments than others. Regardless, Bet dins ruled in all these and other types of cases. Whereas, Bet dins still rule over all types of cases though are now much smaller and often focus on issues effecting the local community.

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.

Traditionally, a Bet din is made up of 3 more Orthodox men. As it can often be hard to find qualified individuals, the law has now been changed to one in which only one Orthodox male is required when establishing a Bet din. In addition, as each community requires a local Bet din, community members can now choose to assign what is generally between 1 and 23 members to the court.

Ultimately, when selecting the men to sit on the court, it is important that these individuals are capable of instructing others with regards to Jewish Law and the case at hand. Rabbis on the Bet din do not necessarily have to be an expert in all areas of the law, just the area in question. For example, those sitting for a conversion only need experience and expertise in the conversion process though not other aspects of Jewish law.




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