Rav
Jewish teacher or personal spiritual guide
title: "Rav" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["orthodox-rabbinic-roles-and-titles"] description: "Jewish teacher or personal spiritual guide" topic_path: "general/orthodox-rabbinic-roles-and-titles" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rav" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Jewish teacher or personal spiritual guide ::
::callout[type=note] the Hebrew word ::
Rav (or Rab, Modern Hebrew: ) is the Hebrew generic term for a person who teaches Torah or is a Jewish spiritual guide or a rabbi. For example, Pirkei Avot (in the Talmud) states (1:6) that:
The term rav is also Hebrew for rabbi. (For a more nuanced discussion, see semicha.) The term is frequently used by Orthodox Jews to refer to their own rabbi.
Overview
In the Talmud, the title Rav generally precedes the names of Babylonian Amoraim; Rabbi generally precedes the names of ordained scholars in the Land of Israel whether Tannaim or Amoraim.
In the Talmud, Rav or Rab (used alone) is a common name for the amora named Abba Arikha.
{{anchor|Rav HaTza'ir}}{{visible anchor|Rav HaTzair}}
The title Rav HaTzair (or Rav HaTza'ir) refers to an assistant rabbi.{{cite web |title=The Power of Many |work=Hamodia |url=https://hamodia.com/features/the-power-of-many |quote=the Rav Hatza'ir, .. son of the current Rav}}{{cite web |date=April 25, 2013 |title=Edgware residents unite against free school bid |url=https://images.shulcloud.com/411/uploads/Jewish-Tribune---250413.pdf |quote=Boruch Halberstam, Rav Hatzair of Kiryat Sanz ... last week.}} Tzair means young, in Hebrew, and the prefix Ha means "the"; therefore, the combination can be used to mean the younger of a pair: Rav HaTzair, in context, can refer to the younger of a pair of rabbis,{{cite web |website=hamodia.com |date=May 1, 2016 |title=Harav Chaim Yeshayah Koenig, zt"l, Yokke Rav |url=https://hamodia.com/2016/05/01/harav-chaim-yeshayah-koenig-ztl-yokke-rav |quote=served as Rav hatza'ir under his father's supervision}} or Junior Rav.{{cite web |url=https://www.myheritage.com/person-1500073_349837311_349837311/yehoshua-ruv-of-bobov-%D7%90%D7%91%D7%93%D7%A7-%D7%91%D7%90%D7%91%D7%95%D7%91-%D7%A9%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%98%D7%90-contender-abd-bobov |title=Contender ABD Bobov |quote=... his younger brother ... the Rav Hatzair (Junior Rav)}}
References
References
- Berkson "1:6 Yehoshua ben Perahiah and Nittai of Arbel received from them. Yehoshua ben Perahiah said: Choose for yourself a mentor; acquire for yourself a friend; and judge every person in a favorable light."
- The Talmud: what it is and what it says:Jacob Neusner
- Adin Steinsaltz, ''The Talmud: The Steinsaltz Edition; A Reference Guide'' (New York: Random House, 1989), p. 139.
- (September 19, 2003). "Rav, Rebbe, Rabbi".
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