Letters/Discussion Forums
Myriad reasons why Reform can’t be called ‘rabbis’
Regarding Monica Solomons’ letter that Reform ministers should also be called rabbi, thanks for the appetite suppressant.
Eli Knight
Calling Reform leaders who Isaac Reznik politely refers to as ministers by the title “rabbi”, would simply be impossible, because obtaining smicha requires inter alia learning the Talmud, Rishonim such as Rashi and Rambam and Shulachan Aruch, as well as later authors such as Reb Moshe Feinstein and the Chazzon Ish.
The learning is especially focused on the fields of Shabbat, kashrut and family purity. Reform denies this entire teaching – both the subject and the concepts – and advances its own teachings based on convenience, ease and “modern thinking”. They even deny the written Torah such as the very clear verse not to light a fire on Shabbos.
If by some chance they do actually know some oral Torah, they will then run into a problem that they acknowledge that there is no escape from Gehinnom, commonly translated as hell, because the oral Torah writes that anyone who causes a Jew to sin will receive the harshest punishment in the afterlife.
A Catch 22 situation.
Riviera, Johannesburg