Rabbanites/Rabbinites was the name given by *Karaites to those who adhered to rabbinic *Judaism.

Rabbi refers to a Jewish teacher and religious authority (see RABBINIC ORDINATION; RABBINIC ORDINATION OF WOMEN). The word derives from rav, the Hebrew word for “great.” The form “rabbi” is a combination of rav and a firstperson possessive suffix; it has the sense of “my revered master” or “my revered teacher.” After the destruction of the Second *Temple in 70 CE, the proponents of rabbinic Judaism came to be known as the Rabbis; the word first appears in the *Mishnah. The related term “Rabban” is associated with the *Patriarchs who served as leaders of the rabbinic community in post–70 CE *Palestine. See also entries under JUDAISM.

Rabbinic Hermeneutics (methods of interpreting Scripture) are grounded in the belief that the *Pentateuch was revealed in every detail by *God, who dictated its content to *Moses. Furthermore, the rabbinic approach to interpretation regards the *Torah as profoundly intentional: Every word and every letter have the potential to reveal insights into the meaning of the text. For the *Rabbis, there can be no simple repetitions or contradictions in a divinely composed work; every apparent contradiction or doubling of a word or story is seen as an opportunity for exegesis.