Follow the Rabbis

Shavua Tov. An important theme of today's Parsha is the role of the Rabbis in each generation. We have the words, על פי התורה אשר יורוך, according to the Torah that they will teach you, is the Torah source that we must follow the teachings of the Rabbis.

We also learn that the Rabbis have permission to protect the laws of the Torah by creating safeguards and decrees as they see is necessary.

It is also important to see how Semicha, or rabbinic ordination, played an important role over the generations. When a Torah scholar was given Semicha, he was charged with spreading Torah and making sure that the general community would not stray from the path of Torah. Each place where Jews were exiled, created different challenges. The ordained rabbis had to know how to apply it to his community.

There is a wealth of information found in Jewish Responsa, as it gives us a glimpse into what those challenges were, and the wisdom of rabbinic

leaders in coping with those challenges.

While it's true that sometimes rabbis can get too extreme or lenient in how they carry out their task. But we are commanded to respect and listen to our rabbis and seek their guidance. The source is from today's Parsha.