The Jewish Bet Din Court Explained

By Barbara Wright


Judaism is a religion largely practiced in Israel, the United States of America, Canada, some parts of Europe, Brazil, South Africa and other countries that have a significant population of Jews. At the heart of Judaism, there is the Torah. This has a set of laws. The Jewish Bet Din occupies an important place in the Torah and in Judaism in general. It is a religious court. Thus, it deals with interpreting the religious laws that are found in the Torah. In Israel, there is the freedom of religion as well as other freedoms such as freedom of movement. Thus, one can believe anything.

The Bet Din just like any other court has a structure. There are senior officials of the court and there are the junior officials. A person can start on the lower levels and slowly climb up the ranks. To become an official of the court, one needs to be a person who has a very high level of integrity.

The chief of court is like the chief justice of the typical court out there. He is the person who is charged with making the final decision on all cases. He needs to be a rabbi who is well respected in Israel or in the country in question. He must have a rabbi certificate and a deep knowledge of Torah.

The Bet Din is an ancient court that has been around for thousands of years. For as long as the Israeli people have existed, this court has always been in existence. Even when Israelis went to exile in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the rest of planet earth, this court was still alive and active in Israeli society of that time.

In ancient times, this court was all powerful. It had a say on every judicial matter. That was the period just after Israelis settled in the Promised Land. The court was established so that justice could prevail in society and everybody could live in peace and harmony. Actually, religious courts and the other courts must strive to exercise justice.

The status of the court kept changing. At times, it was quite powerful. In other times, it was merely symbolic. Changes occurred as a result of changes in the history of the world. When the Romans conquered most parts of the world, most local based courts lost their power as a result of the establishment of the Roman legal system.

When the state of Israel was re-established in the 20th century, most aspects of Jewish history were restored. That includes the Hebrew language that had largely disappeared over the centuries. The Bet Din court was also restored but not as an independent entity but as a part of Israeli judiciary. However, its officials are top Israeli religious figures.

The Bet Din does not exist independently. It complements others courts such as the Supreme Court and the High Court. It serves as an alternative avenue for settling civil disputes in Israel as well as in other countries that have a high population of Israelis. A civil matter such as a divorce case does not have to go to court.




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