The Beginner's Guide: The Importance of Receiving Guidance from One Rabbi

"Faith in the Sages" is a foundational value in Jewish philosophy. The obligation to give special consideration to the words of Torah scholars is derived from the Torah in the Book of Deuteronomy: "If there arises a matter too hard for you in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within your gates: then shall you arise, and get you up to the place which the Lord your Hashem shall choose; And you shall come to the priests, the Levites, and to the judge that shall be in those days: and inquire; and they shall show you the sentence of judgment. And you shall do according to the sentence, which they of that place which the Lord shall choose shall show you; and you shall observe to do according to all that they shall direct you. According to the law which they shall teach you, and according to the judgment which they shall tell you, you shall do: you shall not turn aside from the sentence which they shall show you, to the right hand, nor to the left."

Rabbi Zamir Cohen explains the Mishnah in Pirkei Avot: "Make for yourself a rabbi" that when you seek counsel from a person who is great in Torah, and has spent many years in Torah study – his way of thinking is aligned with Torah principles. We cannot ask Hashem because we are not prophets, but when we ask the rabbi, we know that his advice is from a Torah perspective

Rabbi Zamir provide an example of someone debating whether to move from one neighborhood to another. Here, he has 3 rooms, and there – 4 rooms, at a favorable price. A rabbi who follows the Torah will ask the person several questions such as what are the educational options for the children in both places, what is the religious atmosphere like on Shabbat, if the neighbors will be a positive influence, the work commute for both parents, the location of the synagogue etc. A rabbi will delve into all the details, even those you might not have considered.

It is important to have one consistent rabbi, rather than consulting a different rabbi each time because when you ask one rabbi, he already knows you well from previous questions, and can therefore provide an answer specifically suited to you. Jewish law is uniform for everyone, but in matters of conduct, the answer is tailored to the person asking. When a person consults many rabbis, they can become confused, as the opinions might differ.

According to Yehoshua ben Perachiah in Pirkei Avot we are taught: "Make for yourself a rabbi and acquire for yourself a friend". A friend is worth acquiring with kind words, even offering a gift. If you have a friend with good traits and fear of Heaven, who serves as a positive example, with whom you can study and grow – invest in them. When you have a rabbi to consult, you have an ideal foundation for growing and blossoming."