Semikhah

Semikhah (Hebrew: סְמִיכָה) is the traditional term for rabbiinic ordination in Judaism.

The original semikhah was the formal "transmission of authority" from Moses through the generations. This form of semikhah ceased between 360 and 425 CE. Since then, semikhah has continued in a less formal way; throughout Jewish history, there have been several attempts to reestablish the classical semikhah.

The title of "rabbi" has "proliferated greatly over the last century". Nowadays, semikhah is also granted for a comparatively limited form of ordination, bestowing the authority to apply Halakha in specific Jewish settings rather than across the Jewish people writ large. In non-Orthodox Jewish religious movements, rabbinical education often emphasizes the modern roles of rabbis, such as preaching, teaching, counseling, and pastoral work.

In recent times, relatedly, some institutions grant ordination for the role of hazzan (cantor), extending the "investiture" granted there from the 1950s. Less commonly, since the 1990s, ordination is granted for the role of lay leader – sometimes titled darshan. Ordination may then also be specifically termed סמיכה לרבנות ('rabbinical ordination'), סמיכה לחזנות ('cantorial ordination'), or הסמכת מגיד ('maggidic ordination').