Let My People Know

"A Jewish community could carry on its whole spiritual and religious life without the services of a rabbi"


“The role of a rabbi is not essentially a sacramental, purely religious one.

Unlike the Catholic priest, who serves by virtue of holy orders (and actually holds in his hand the sole authority to perform the sacraments), the Jewish rabbi has no essential function that can­not be performed by someone else.

In theory at least, a Jewish com­munity could carry on its whole spiritual and religious life without the services of a rabbi, who, being learned in the Torah and Jewish law, has merely to help the members of the community when a religious problem arises.”

–Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz


From
The Strife of the Spirit by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz