JOURNAL: “In My Own Opinion” by Ruth Tsuria and Heidi A. Campbell

This study explores how Israeli Jewish rabbis negotiate their authority through the practice of online Responsa, a Jewish tradition of rabbinical questions and answers (Q&A). We highlight two trends regarding rabbinical authority: (a) a growing need for online presence, meaning that the quantity of answers becomes an important part of constructing rabbinical authority online and (b) online activity in rabbinical Q&A changes the length and textual depth of the answers. The online Jewish Responsa is more concise and tends not to supply textual support. These trends, we argue, result in a reframing of the rabbi’s roles, and the Halachic discourse itself.

https://journals.sagepub.com/eprint/U6SASGVCBVVCW54FNNXM/full