Restoration of Sanhedrin 303

Date and Place: 28 Iyar 5670 (1910), Yafo

Recipient and Background: Rav Aharon Mendel Cohen (Baharan), who left Eretz Yisrael to become chief rabbi of the Ashkenazim of Cairo. One of his books urges the restoration of the Sanhedrin.

Body: In response to your letter, I must tell you that I do not believe the time is right to make a gathering for the sole purpose of restoring authentic rabbinical ordination. People will not be responsive to this, and critics from various camps will circle in on us, and they might be correct. This generation is tremendously small, intellectually, and lowly in comparison to previous generations, with but a few exceptions. Nothing will awaken more shock and ridicule than to try to initiate something that was done and then rejected (in the 16th Century), which is much worse than something that never came to fruition.

We should just assemble a large rabbinic convention in the Holy Land, specifically in Yerushalayim, and give it the status of a “congress.” In other words, it should come faithfully every 1-3 years. It will focus on all matters of the nation that can be discussed by holy men, who truly love Hashem and His nation. If such a gathering will decide to look toward the ultimate salvation by beginning preparations for removing the impediments to semicha and develop the matter with special writings on the matter, it is possible that along with other things they will accomplish, this would be a major one. In any case, it will not be the first or last matter at the gathering.

If you accept my suggestion, [we should use] your experience with such events, such as your convention in Cracow (1903), which became well known at the time and could have had greater results had it not been interrupted. I will lend my small hand for whatever you want me to do, if it is likely to be spiritually rewarding.