Guidelines for Rabbis

While there are some programs that train young men to go out and become rabbis and community leaders, beyond just the semicha aspect of it, all too often rabbis have been hired to take over shuls and communities after spending many years learning Torah and achieving semicha. The job of a rabbi is so much more than just answering if the spoon needs to be kashered after being used with the wrong pot of food or if a pet dog can be walked on Shabbos and giving the local daf yomi shiur - the job of rabbi includes social work, marriage counseling, financial advice, medical advice and more. More often than not, a community rabbi is more of a therapist than a posek or maggid shiur. Yet so many rabbis are untrained in so many of the areas they have to deal with.

The Chief Rabbinate of Israel has issued, for the first time ever, an ethical code for rabbis. The objective of this ethical code is that rabbis should fulfill their duties in their roles as rabbis and community leaders while preserving the honor of the rabbinate, setting an example, being mekadesh shem shamayim.

Rabbis are instructed not to get involved in politics, avoid situations in which there would be a conflict of interest, and not to protect people who break the law.

Under the category of doing good is a list of ideas that are self-explanatory, such as honesty, working towards peaceful situations and solutions, dedication to the task, responsibility, humility, setting a personal example, and the like.

In more detail the guidelines then instruct not to use the Torah as a hatchet to dig with - not to abuse his role and power, to use his authority in a reasonable and responsible manner, not to get involved in issues he has no expertise and experience in but to involve relevant professionals when necessary. Not to have side hustles that might harm his appointed role as rabbi.. not to do things that might cause him to be suspect of inappropriate behavior, be extra cautious from conflict of interest situations such as hiring family members in kashrut organizations under their authority or certifying food establishments his relatives have standing in. Rabbis should not take financial remunerations for themselves or for their friends and relatives and their institutions that he is connected to.

Rabbis should use their resources efficiently and conservatively and only within the guidelines the resources were given. A rabbi should not misuse, abuse, information he obtained in his role as rabbi that is not public information, and the rabbi should keep confidentiality.
source: Ynet, Kipa

This is a big change in the industry. They should also have workshops, courses and other forms of guidance, especially for young rabbis just starting out.

The first line I wrote in the description of guidelines, "Rabbis are instructed not to get involved in politics, avoid situations in which there would be a conflict of interest, and not to protect people who break the law." is a list of a few things I don't see will ever be adhered to, as these are probably the most egregious of "violations" that are already most common in the field.

------------------------------------------------------
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel

------------------------------------------------------