Av Beit Din
Encyclopedia
Av Beit Din, Av Beis Din, or Abh Beyth Diyn . was the second-highest ranking member of the Sanhedrin
during the Second Commonwealth period. He presided over the Sanhedrin in the absence of the Nasi
, and was the chief of the Sanhedrin when it sat as a criminal court. He sat with seven other judges while hearing a case.
In modern times it is used as an honorific title for the presiding rabbi
of a beth din
(rabbinical court), who is typically the salaried rabbi
of the local Jewish community and usually a posek
("decisor" of Jewish law
.) It is also abbreviated as AB"D when it is appended after the name of the Chief Rabbi
of a national Jewish community.
Sanhedrin
The Sanhedrin was an assembly of twenty-three judges appointed in every city in the Biblical Land of Israel.The Great Sanhedrin was the supreme court of ancient Israel made of 71 members...
during the Second Commonwealth period. He presided over the Sanhedrin in the absence of the Nasi
Nasi
Nāśī’ is a Hebrew title meaning prince in Biblical Hebrew, Prince in Mishnaic Hebrew, or president in Modern Hebrew.-Genesis and Ancient Israel:...
, and was the chief of the Sanhedrin when it sat as a criminal court. He sat with seven other judges while hearing a case.
In modern times it is used as an honorific title for the presiding rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
of a beth din
Beth din
A beth din, bet din, beit din or beis din is a rabbinical court of Judaism. In ancient times, it was the building block of the legal system in the Biblical Land of Israel...
(rabbinical court), who is typically the salaried rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
of the local Jewish community and usually a posek
Posek
Posek is the term in Jewish law for "decider"—a legal scholar who decides the Halakha in cases of law where previous authorities are inconclusive or in those situations where no halakhic precedent exists....
("decisor" of Jewish law
Halakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
.) It is also abbreviated as AB"D when it is appended after the name of the Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...
of a national Jewish community.