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.

Currently, rabbinical courts are provided the power to oversee a number of issues related to the religion. For, a matter of litigation or Din Torah in Israel and Jewish communities around the world are judged by a Diaspora of differing authority levels.

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 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 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.

Later, all modern Bet dins and those which existed in Medieval times were for all practical purposes arbitrators made up of a group of laymen. In most cases, these individuals had more power than others as experienced rabbis often made up the court. Whereas, individuals whom attend a training program or institute, often in Israel can now attain qualifications which allow the individual to become a religious judge, a position which holds the highest court appointed authority in the Jewish religion.

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.

When selecting these men, communities need to choose individuals which can instruct others in Jewish law. At the same time, rabbis serving as members of a Bet din do not need to have a complete understanding of all laws, just those which pertain to a specific case. For example, if sitting on the court for a conversion review, the rabbi would only need expertise in the area of the conversion process.




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