Abstract

The article makes an attempt to analyze the evolution of the social and legal status of the rabbi in the context of state policy formation towards the Jews. In the diachronic section we analyzed the legal framework which had been "aligned" with the government's policy on the national question, the issues of religious policy and particularly in the "Jewish question". The author identifies three periods which in varying degree show the government's attitude to the institution of the rabbinate, as well as the changes that have occurred in the social and legal status of rabbi. Detailed analysis of the legal framework allows allocating of two requirements vectors formed by the government. The first one is the idea of education, which forms the main demand of the tsarist government to the rabbi - educational qualification. The second one regulates the activity of a rabbi as a controlled person associated with the public authorities. The author also makes an analysis of the representatives of the orthodox camp activity, defines its role in trying to "reanimate" the social status of the rabbi.