Rabbinic Aristocracy or Nepotism Rabbi | Rabbi Shai Finkelstein | July 1 2025

Okay. Hello everyone. Hello everyone. Okay. So first we'd like to uh say that the show is sponsored. Um Sylvia David by their families. Okay. So we started a week two weeks ago because of the war. Three weeks ago. Wow. All right. Um about uh rabinicic nepotism. So I don't think I need to do too much of a summary. I think you all remembered Mosher Rabenu in four different sources uh is looking for a job for his children. Sometimes we asked the question of why would he think that they should get the job. A by the way also one question that I didn't ask two weeks ago was to who? He has two children. who should get it. So you say maybe the maybe both of them somehow. So that's an interesting thing by itself. But we asked we spoke a little bit about the assumption like why would you assume that one of them should be the leader? That was the question number one. Second question is what was the answer? What was the answer that they are that he received and you know with some of the answers he probably was more convinced and with some of them he was a little less. Okay. So, take a look at uh page two. in the middle of page two. Okay. which means when it comes to when it comes to priesthood it goes bey there is nepotism it's really not called nepotism it's called inheritance not only in terms of a monetary inheritance but also what a position inheritance which means the kanim will be kanim because their father was a cohen okay so now the gar says to both something interesting So when passed away, we all know little bit about please bring my children in. Bring them to my room. I would like to talk to them. So his children entered the room. So now he told them um it's I think it's outside. So he said to them first is I'm warning you to respect your mom after I die. You should respect your mom. Now why would he say that? Isn't that like obvious? So I I know everyone knows stories that people didn't do it. Uh but I think there is something interesting. There are two interesting things here. What? So a the lesson might be that the first concern of a dying husband is that the kids will take care of his wife. That's a okay which means his their mother. Okay. Very good. B and I think it's interesting. No, no. Is your mom? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Your mom because she's not anymore after he dies. She has no husband, so she's not his wife. But the idea is I think there's even more than that. He's rebi he's rai and she is his wife when he is gone she's what and nothing sorry her entire thing is being reb's wife we don't know anything about her really nothing we know about Rabaka's wife we know about Raan Gablier's wife we know about Rabi Mayor's wife for sure we know about Ra's wife Ra Nman's but we don't know anything about Rabbi's Rabbi's wife and after she will will lose her husband she's going to lose her status and don't forget if one of his kids will continue in his footsteps it will means what that his wife will be the first lady and she h by the way this issue when you look at the history when you look at kings in the middle ages Okay, one of the major concerns of the queens was what after the husband dies, how do they try to continue to keep and to safeguard somehow their position? So some of it they would love to have a weak king that they can uh manipulate or a little child to be the king. So they it will give them another 10 15 years to what to uh to manipulate and to control because if not some of them would lose everything they have which is very interesting which is by the way just as a as a good educational thing that a wife even if she's married to a very famous person she needs to be on her own right okay not only to be okay um so that's uh we learned it also by the way from Sarah she was not only Abraham's wife she was by herself. Okay. So that's the second thing and so that is then meaning a candle should be kindled in its place where it is now meaning do not change a thing in my room. That's pretty interesting. Let's call it interesting. surprising. I would think that Rebi knows he's not coming back like tomorrow. If he dies, he dies. He's not coming back to his room. Uh we will see that he did come back almost every of Shabbat. Uh but leave that alone because really everything I said until now, that's not the topic of my sh my topic starts here. Ysef Shimoni. So Ysef and Shimon, not his children. They served me while I was alive and they will serve me um after I'll die which means they will be one of the people who carry my bed and will take care of me and everything. Now what about his children? Shimon, that's a sage. He's a scholar. He's going to be the president and he will be Yeah. He will be the the chairman. Okay. So, we got it all now. Barama definitely it's not his son how do I know is not right so we have Shimon and Gamil are's children and he says Shimon will be a sage will be the president and will be the chairman what does it mean even though that my son Shimon is a smart person [Music] will be the president which means what? What is the president? The president it may be a very prestigious uh position but it's more political. You need to represent the Jewish people in the eyes of the Romans and you need to basically you are the leader of the community. Not necessarily because you are necessarily smart the smartest, not that you are not smart, but you need to have different capabilities and different qualities. So Ley says, "Do you need to to say that? It's pretty obvious. What is pretty obvious that Shimon should be the sage and should be the president." He says to him says to him, "It definitely you need it." And he also he was little uh I guess he was insulted. Shimon. So he says to Ley, Ley was sole. He was limping. He was limping because of two main reasons. Uh when he bowed down to Rav, he did it in a way that basically hurt his back and also because he spoke harshly against God. So Levy was punished. So basically Shimon says to Levy, obviously my father had to say that you and and you are limping. It's like it's insulting. You would not expect that from someone but um it is what it is. So the says my why Ley was so uh said that you don't need it. Now we are going to really start the discussion which means the question was it says Yam's father gave him the kingdom because he was what the firstborn which means who should rebi give the position of being the president Shimon Shimon was the but he gave it to whom to gam which means you can give it to someone is someone who can basically walk in your shoes. But why do you give it to Gaml? Answer. So the Gar says that's true. Gaml was not as smart as Rebi, but he appointed him to be the president like taking on his position. Why? Because he had which means he was God-fearing person or was sinfearing person. Now this is an interesting thing. First and foremost, what do we see? Let's go one by one. First, Rebi thought that he can inherit the sorry that he can give as an inheritance his position to his children. No one objected to it. Okay. Then who is the one who can be appointed to be my successor? Answer, he needs to be. He needs to replace his father to some extent. In what way? So we have and then we have is always good but is seems to be that it's even more than okay. Why do you need to have as a president manipulated and bribed? Exactly. So you can be very smart but when you see money you might be less smart. So therefore you need to have now what do we learn from here and we will see the Rambam in a minute that basically you A you have the right to give your position to your children. A B the child does not need to be as smart as you, but he needs to have the the right qualities for the position that you give him. Now, the Gumar does not discuss how exactly Shimon felt about it or how even Gamlier felt about it. Can you imagine you going to your child and you say, "Come here. You are really smart. I'm so proud of you but I can't give you my position because you are not god-fearing person that's second child I like you very much you are so not as your brother you are not that smart but you are a god-fearing person it almost sounds like you know inim how is she good personality right she's is very kind. She will even go to the well to give water to your camels. But you still need to have right. So the idea is is that how Rabbi told Gaml, you know, my son, you you have work to do. You know, you can be smarter or maybe not, but you're a god-fearing person and therefore I am going to appoint you to be what? To be the president. By the way, just as a side note. Yeah. He says that that's what Yeah, that's what Rebi thought. Yeah, that's what Rebi thought. Because I would imagine that the drama is that Shimon comes to his father says, "Aba, before you die, can I ask you one question? Why how come that I am not the president?" What Rebi will tell him? I would assume the truth. Okay. It can be being a sage or it can be political wisdom. But if it was only political wisdom, I think the would say that Shimon was and was something like that in a way that the talks. Yes. One does not have a negative person maybe this but you're not this but if I'm smart enough if I'm Shimon I probably would understand it. Yes. that he didn't groom them for their positions just like Ed. It might be okay meaning it might be by the way I'll take you in just a second. It might be that sometimes you know great leaders don't do what they supposed to do while they're alive and only when they die they start giving those titles and positions. Yes. And sometimes it doesn't go to one person. You know what's the joke? How many Jews needs to change a light bulb? You know, so the idea is that sometimes it needs but look also with Musher Rabenu after Mushe died. So Yeshua already took over, but Yeshua couldn't do anything without going to Elazar. So there was some kind of a duality in leadership. Okay. Still Yeshua was the one, but he had an assistant. Okay. And Moshe didn't have anyone. Okay. So, take a look at the Rambam. The Rambam says like that in [Music] end of page two. When the king dies or the dies or any one else who was appointed to some kind of a position, even the head of uh the garbage collection. Okay, everyone. So his son or someone else who is worthy to inherit him, he will get it. So if you are the first born, you obviously have the what? The first right of refusal and then the second one and the third one. And then he says, The child needs to what to replace his father with wisdom which by the way goes back to your question about wisdom. We all know if the father let's say was in that position for 20 25 years wisdom can be also experience can be the way to handle people and things like that and maybe the child might be he can score on the SAT much higher than his father but he doesn't know how to deal with people so means many many things so I agree so he needs to replace his father with let's call it wisdom or just we'll call it okay with fear. So fear is definitely you need to have it. God-fearing person, you need it even more than so therefore he says it's not only with king, it's not only with priesthood which is in the but every appointment you received it for you and for your descendants. Now let's stop here and let's try to analyze it negatively and positively. The negative is you basically create nepotism and you create a mafia mish mafia. Okay, let's see if I am a I don't know uh I'm a doctor. Okay, and my son is a doctor and my grandson is a doctor and you are a doctor and your son is a doctor and your grandson is a doctor and anyone else who would like to be a doctor can get in. Oh, it will be very difficult for him. So what's good in that? At the same time, especially if we talk about king or a governor or things like that, there is stability. Exactly. And especially if let's say the the father and the son somehow walk together or their ears over overlapped. Most of the times the father will take his son to walk not on a you know you know like they do in in the elementary school you know you know that you take your child to to your work how do you call it yeah it's like work yeah something like that to see what they do the they the the adults do not talking about that also if for example if you're talking about let's say even the rabinicic rabinicic dynasty you grew up in a raic house so so you No, it can scar you for life or it can enrich you for life. Right? So in a way you know now the problem is that sometimes when you know what worked 30 years ago does not necessarily work. Now give me an example of someone who totally lost it. Right? Grew up in his grandfather's house as a king. his father's house made a king and then instead of what of listening to the old people he listened to the young people and he lost it. Now I know Hashem wanted to whatever but the idea is is that you can sometimes be raised by someone and learn the profession and you can totally be a total failure. So we do see advantages and disadvantages. Now I will say one more thing also in the general society. The idea of giving the position and the titles to the children was something very common. If you are a lord not the lord yeah if you are a lord a knight or whatever a lord I think it's your family received some kind of a prestigious title. Okay. And nobility. Thank you. Right. And and and by the way, it was so ingrained that they thought it's divine. I don't know if you read anything about nobility in history, they thought that God chose them. So there is need to be there's a king, there is the nobility and then there is the the rest of them. Look, we also had it in Judaism to some extent. We had theim the and then the it reached the point in the time of the tanim that it was terrible between scholars and people who were not scholars to the extent that they will not allow them to touch them because if an amar will touch a rebi he will what he will contaminate him that's terrible think about it move on It's mama. I can't hear you. Can you repeat? I need to hear that first in order to repeat. Oh. Oh, okay. I know. You're saying that something like that existed in the beta mikdash that someone with sto cannot enter the beta mikdash and touch a coin. That that's what right. So the thing is that's I can understand in beta mikdash that's a house of god it's a holy place tame cannot get in and if a tame gets in so he contaminate himself or maybe will contamate contamate contam contaminate someone else okay that I can understand I'm talking about just regular people in the marketplace I'm a and someone is I will not let him even talk to me so he will not spit on me that was No is a is a an elite group that will eat and will do all sorts of things. Okay. So that's what the Rambam says in then there is another says the following. So when you appoint the king so you anoint him with oil. took the little jar of oil and he anointed um both really Sha and David and then he uh gave him a kiss and he gave him to drink from it. And after you anoint the king, it's forever histo. [Music] Whoav is by the way you know that the first example is a bad example. Sha was a king and his son was not. Okay. So some people would say ah because he was not from but that's not what the Rambam says. The Rambam it seems to be that says that every king that is being anointed his children will what? Will inherit it. But you will see another Rambam says no only from Shvatuda. Really? That's true. Only from you will be anointed forever. If you are not from it's almost like for reelection. Yes. How does that work? Um but yeah, but he he was only a king in potential not the real king. That's also what BVAV's wife told him. She says to him that's according to meaning you are not known as a king yet because don't forget it was in a very private way. Even had to lie to some extent to go to visit David. Okay. So um so if the king died young and he had a child who is really a minor yet so you keep for him the kingdom until this little child will grow up. Um was 7 years old and the older son is obviously takes precedent over the youngest son. So all the appointments are basically can go so he needs to replace him with wisdom and fear and if he was only a god-fearing person but he was not yet that smart even though he's not that smart like his father so you basically put him there to take over his father you teach him if Someone is not that smart, you teach him. So here it's more about just knowledge. But if you are not a god-fearing person, even if though you you scored 800 on the SAT, you are not going to get the appointment. Interesting. Exactly. You can teach someone indeed. And the punishment is that his son will not continue his legacy. Yeah, that's exactly what it is. But look at that. It's amazing educational message. You would think if you ask, you know what? It's an interesting exercise. You go to a a for-profit company and you say, "The CEO died. Who should we appoint? Someone who is really really smart but not that moral or someone who is very moral but not that smart. What do you think they would say? They don't care about the moral. Nobody else. It depends, right? Everyone is immoral. Who cares? I care only about the bottom line, right? Or some people would say, "No, Mito, what are you doing?" Right? So, it's very interesting. It's a great exercise. I mean, we can, but it's much easier. That's what they say here. It's much easier to teach wisdom rather than morality. But that's what I'm saying. This is such an an incredible educational lesson here. What is important for me says the Rambam based on the is what? If you don't have you have nothing. Yes. up to the people to decide whether this person has Okay. So maybe I will rephrase the question. Who is the one to decide? To decide like what do you have like a test how much chamim you have? Like you take the person you put like $500,000 you know next to him and see if he puts his hand there and then if he's not so you raise it to a million like what exactly are you doing now? I can have somewhat of a test you know through the years I see if he answer questions whatever. How do you measure? Yes. If that's the case, why were there so many kings that were not okay? Oh, they didn't know the rumble. Yes. No, the the request for a king needs to be a some kind of a dual effort of the people would say the people would say I would like to have a king and then that will choose for But that was only twice. Shaul and David. The rest of them were not exact. I mean God loved and he gave him a name. But after that there is definitely no um gave him some kind of an appointment. Yeah. Okay. So basically what do we have here? So a again the educational message of if you don't have you can be the smartest guy ever but you're not going to do you're not going to make the right decisions and then he says but then he says so you don't appoint him to anything if he doesn't have now again how do you measure I really I don't know I'm not trying to uh I just don't know were the kings of the Not always. Not always. And then he says, so basically the right of being a king belongs to David and his descendants excluding females. Females. Women. It says only So that's with that God has a special promise for him that his kingdom will never cease to exist. Okay. So based on the Rambam, it seems to be that that's the you should appoint your children for your positions. There what? How many queens would we have in Jewish history? There was and so these two were not appointed. They just appointed themselves after their husbands died. That's true. Okay. So now let's see this We all know the story. I'll just give a short introduction that Raban Gaml, not Raban Gamil, the son of Rebi before him. Raban Gaml had a little bit of a tenuous, I will call it tenuous situation between him and Raboshua. And um it came to a point that Raan Gaml had enough and he pushed out of the midash. The Talmid didn't like this and they didn't like the way that Raang behave. Now before I go any further, I need to give you a little bit of a timeline and some kind of an introduction. The Talmudic figures that are dealing here, we're dealing here with is Raan Raboshua, Rabaka and Raimai. So it's different generations. What do we know about Rabi Joshua? Rabio was a town lead. Remember Zakai from Yav. So he was the one that two of his students was Rabzer and Rabi Joshua. were the two to take him out from and bring him to the Roman Caesar, Roman Empire, whatever, Roman emperor. And then he asked for Yav. So they were his like greatest almaidim and Rabi Yeshua was a great sage and according to what Zakai says on a yolk we all know him or we all know the Talmud talks about him in a in talking about the idea of what that he was uh not a great scholar until the age of 40 then he became a tremendous scholar um had had midot and everything but we don't really know about uh his parents. He didn't he did not come from a a rabbinic dynasty. Then was Rabishimon Bay that we don't know too much about his family but we do know that he was a town of a town of Ryaka and uh we know a lot about Rabishimon sat in the cave with his son and all of so just little bit now who was raglang was a tana and there are many don't we need to always to define this raiml Okay. And I guess only was Yehuda. Okay. Not a GL or a Shimon. Okay. So he was he was the head of the Sanadrin. And then his son's name was one was Shimon and one was Gamil. Okay. That's what we saw before. So now the says like that. Okay. So the sits in the midrash and you remember the story was told that making a against him for the third time he says get out. Not get out sorry stand stand on your feet while I'm talking. That's also totally a disrespect to Raboshua and he's older probably so uh it's hard for him to stand up all day long. So the says you know what enough and we will remove. Now this is an interesting thing when you think about it from a political religious perspective. You have the Talmid who definitely has the feel from the rabbis. They stand up for one rabbi against another one. So on one hand miscalculation of aband pushed the envelope too much. B for me shows that there was still a sense of freedom and independent thinking. Meaning when I see a rebi being treated like that what do I do? I just I just I don't just go with the flow. I stand up and say what that's that's not right. See what you do. You are using your power that was bestowed upon you as the president for your own advantage. Let's remove him. So then before this is a rule that we all need to remember before you get rid of someone you need to know what what's coming next. Okay? Because sometimes the guy who comes next you will miss the guy who was there before. Exactly. So that's where it comes from. So the Gar says like this [Music] if we're going to add to what does that mean it will not be nice he was the one he was the cause I'm not blaming him but but he's the one it's like putting that in your eyes you know you bothered Now is going to take your position. It's too much. Maybe we should appoint the maybe he will punish him will punish. Why? And how that punishment will apply on does not have the merit of uh of his parents. Meaning his parents were not scholars. He was just a regular guy. meaning his parents and he became a scholar but has and therefore we shouldn't risk interesting first the idea that would like to take revenge and will try to punish whoever is going to be in his position that itself is a bit strange and B the fact that with all the Torah that has can punish him because he does not have like what do you want from I don't understand he was just born to that family but look what he did for himself so it seems to be that meaning the idea that you came from a lineage that was something that was imbued in the process of what of electing the next uh the next um leader. So, so we'll put he's smart. He's also wealthy. And he's 10th generation to Ezra. Sometimes when I read it, it doesn't say that his father was but he was 10th generation to Ezra. Whenever I read this, I say and I am the 20th generation to Abrauesh like I'm talking about what my father my grandfather said everyone has probably not. It's it's a pretty sad description of what's going on in in Israel when we know exactly second century because all the rabbis are the tan of the second century. Yes. Similar thing. Yeah. 10 10. Yeah. Yeah. But we're right and it's also it's like a little weird you can say why because his father was a rabbi and and his grandfather was a rabbi you know 10th generation to now it might include that each one since Ezra was a scholar but whatever okay he's smart because he's smart how do we know he's smart because if you ask him a question he knows how to solve it okay I would assume that many people in the bet midrash would be able to do it but maybe not he's wealthy because if he had dealings with Caesar he can go and he can also show that he you know he's wealthy he's like an equal to the Caesar and he's 10th generation to Ezra he has will not be able to to punish him. Meaning the has will not overcome the benz. Now this is a question that you didn't ask me and you should have rabbi. Let's say that the son can replace his father. However, three years later the son becomes what? Corrupt. Can we remove you? If you tell me that if God says that you can basically give your position as an inheritance to your children and your children's children, can I remove him and appoint someone else not from the family? Let's say we is let's say the the leadership of the kah let's say but can we do we have the ability to do it A and B can we appoint someone who is not from the family because then we are actively going against what let's say he has other children not that he let's if it was only one child whatever but let's say he does not have any other ch he does have children can we remove him and put someone So here it seems to be that they did right but I don't know what was the situation maybe Raban Gam did not have any children at that moment I don't know no idea but the idea is is that it seems to be that a you are capable of removing someone and here by the way was not immoral god forbid on unethical the only thing that he did was what he used this power in order to teach us a lesson and also to some extent tried try to minimize the okay what what's wrong with that yeah but there is a way to do it there is one way to minimize by saying okay please let me know your opinion and then I'll prove you wrong and then and then there is another way to say the opinion I'm not interested in your opinion and if you want to express your opinion you are not welcome to do it and then there is no yes you all what Um yes and no. When you read you see that not always the son became the king. A b if you go to the middle ages and everything then you see that most of the times positions and the positions would go to whom? To the children. Okay. By the way, just as a side note, you can see it also in the judicial system and in the medical system, it's almost like you are need to be grandfathered in. You don't have too many new names. Also in the academia, it's almost the same names, just different children. Um, so every, you know, every um, what do you call it? Every miko, every profession likes to keep it in the family. Yes. I can become a kind and make a bright. So the question was the question is let's say we can remove a rabbi here we can remove a king we can never remove a cohen so the idea is that there is a a huge distinction between what you get as a cohen and what you get as a king or a position first you get authority as a cohen I don't want to burst your bubble but you have zero authority you have an obligation to give me a braha you have an obligation to bring the kurban you have an obligation to keep yourself kadosh You have an obligation not to marry specific women and you have all those obligations. You have no co no one nothing. You don't make any decisions for me. You are basically serve me help me to serve God in the beta mikdash. You are a teacher but that's it. You are an what they call it today an influencer. Okay. But you are not an authority. All the other appointments are obviously an appointments of authority. So then there is somewhat of a what we call a kind of a of a benefit for the people and then if the people are not happy they might be able to remove you. Okay. Sorry for bursting your bubble. Please give me a braha tomorrow too. Yes. People want to know they don't want to look too like I said to my granddaughter don't worry about the black hat or the black jacket. make sure so obviously like in every phenomena the idea of became now it's overrated to the extent that who know I don't you don't need to care about who I am you just need to know that my grandfather was the from Notredam I don't know so uh so the thing is so the thing is is what is that um obviously we all understand is is great But and that's what you have the story of Zusha that's what for example part of was they looked at the midnag there is the and the lumes and the and if you are not you are nothing and zusha and others you know the stories the famous story it's not about what was your father it's about you how do you are the best version of yourself even if you are a balagle okay that's what it how can you be the best most spiritual balago in the in the community. So these stories that we you know we grew up with in kindergarten basically reflect that this idea but in the time of the tanim at least in the second century you need to have also I think it's part of what we spoke about at the beginning nobility if I want to send someone to talk to Romans to the Caesar in Rome he need to introduce the guy so we're going to introduce this is Rabaka His father was a shepherd. His grandfather was a shepherd. And you know what his great-grandfather did? Also a shepherd. But he became a scholar. The Roman Caesar would look at him and say, "Get him out of here. If you bring a benazar, oh says this is Benazar, he's the 10th generation to Ezra. Ezra described that Koresh gave him permission to build the second bet mikdash. He came to Israel. was a leader. He brought with him 40,000 Jews and he created the revolution. He's compared to Mosher Rabenu. The Roman Caesar will be Oh, no. Now you're talking. He will also feel insulted if you send him someone. Give me give me a a story from the Talmud that there was that concern but he took the risk. Okay, that's so vague. I you will not be able to understand it. Benisa, you remember that story about when uh the the Egyptians and the Canaanites and the from Africa, the people from Africa came to the Roman Caesar and they complained the Jewish people are thieves. The Egyptians came along and says, "Oh, they took all of our stuff on alone and they gave never gave it back to us." And the same thing with Africa with some people in Africa and so the Roman Caesar sent a like a message to the Jews, you are being sued. You need to uh you need to protect yourself somehow. So the rabbis didn't know who to send. So Gyabisa who was not exactly the most represented uh most um what would you call it will not be the first choice to send to as a delegation to the king. He says, "No, no, send me if I lose." Said, "He's just a lousy Jew." He just went, "But I'm sorry, we're going to send a a higher delegator, but if I win, so I win." So that's what he did. And he really won. But at the beginning, he was obviously dismissed. So the idea is is what that and it is something interesting. I brought this gumar not only for what we spoke now but also regarding the idea of that even after someone is being placed in his father's position if he does not behave appropriately someone some kind of a group the students here or someone has the ability to what to remove you okay now Ah, we need to finish, right? Because of Okay, we will conclude. So keep those uh papers if you can or maybe give it to the front