Daily Devotion: The Steps Of A Rabbi by J.E. Smith

Bible Reading: Luke 2:42-50 KJV 

Key Verse:  "And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers."
- Luke 2:47 KJV

The word rabbi (or ravi) means "respected teacher" when roughly translated to English, but it is a rich, Hebrew concept that means much more. In modern times, a Rabbi is seen as the leader of a Jewish synagogue. The aspiration of every Hebrew boy was to be a Rabbi. Training began as soon as the young boy was old enough to understand. There were at least three stages that must be passed before man could become a Rabbi:

Stage One

Every Hebrew boy had to memorize Leviticus. At the age of six he would be tested. If the young boy failed to memorize Leviticus, he would be forever assigned to take up the profession of his father. He would be illiterate and his schooling would be over. 

Stage Two

Even if the boy passed stage one there was no guarantee of going further in his training. To continue on, he had to be selected as one of the best of the best. Those selected would be enrolled in "Bet Safar" or "The School of the Torah." 

From age 6 through 12, he would be taught the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) by the Rabbis. At age 12 in order to graduate to the next level, he would have to be selected as the best of the best. He would have to demonstrate to the rabbis an understanding of the Torah. Not only did he have to memorize the Torah, but he had to have a working knowledge of what they meant. He did this by asking the rabbis the right questions to keep the discussion about God going.

Where was Jesus at age 12? He was at his graduation exam astounding the teachers. The rabbis were amazed at his knowledge. He was asking them questions that they did not know the answers to, furthermore, they were overwhelmed at His understanding! But this should surprise no one since He is the living Word of God (John 1:1, 14).

Stage Three

Why was Jesus not heard from between the ages of 12 and 30? All Jewish people back then would have known exactly why, because he was attending rabbinical school, where only the best of the best made the cut. There were four levels of Bet Talmud. If the student completed the first four, he was qualified as a rabbi. At age 30 Jesus passed the last test to be qualified as a Rabbi. Very few rabbis passed the fifth test. Those that did were very special, and set apart. In the next devotional we will learn about this special test and if Jesus passed the test.

Conclusion

The terms Rabbi, Master or Teacher in Jesus' time were loosely interchangeable (see John 1:38 and Matthew 24:8). Indeed, Jesus was a formerly trained Rabbi. Multiple times in the Bible he was addressed as Rabbi, Master or Teacher by: His disciples (Mark 9:5), Pharisees (John 3:1-2), Common people (John 6:24-25), Torah teachers (Matthew 8:19), Herodians (Luke 3:12) and Sadduces (Matthew 22:23-32). Select others include: John 1:49, John 3:2, John 4:31, John 9:2, John 11:8, John 20:16, Mark 9:5, Mark 11:21, and more.

Sources:

- Portions of the above is from Dwain Miller's excellent book Jesus the Rabbi: Unlocking the Hebraic Teaching of Yeshua

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