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I davened in a couple of different Chassidish shuls over the past few days, and in two different places (Tenka and Munkacs), I noticed that nearly all men who were called up for an aliya were addressed as what sounded like "moreinu" (or, in context "muraynee") and possibly even "moreinu harav," if I heard right. This included people who were definitely not the Rabbi of that shul.

  • Is it likely that I heard right?

  • If so, what is the meaning and basis of this practice? Why call everyone "our teacher"?

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  • Do you know if the people called up had smichah, even if they weren't rabbi of that shul?
    – b a
    Commented Aug 21, 2012 at 4:54
  • @ba, No, I don't. Unfortunately, I didn't take more detailed note of who got this title and who didn't.
    – Isaac Moses ♦
    Commented Aug 21, 2012 at 5:10
  • I have heard of shuls who, in order not to embarrass anyone, call up everyone as "rav". Could this be a similar practice -- giving all kavod so as not to exclude anyone?
    – rosends
    Commented Aug 21, 2012 at 14:03
  • @Dan, I know some places call people up as HaChaver. My only issue with this, is that you then get people taking that title with them, like this past Shabbath, when someone visiting was given an 'Aliyah at my Shul, and he told the Gabbi his name was [Ploni] ben HaChaver Rav [Almoni].
    – Seth J
    Commented Aug 21, 2012 at 15:23
  • @SethJ I know someone on whom the title HaChaver was conferred. Are you saying it's a problem when it's HaCh"R Rav?
    – Charles Koppelman
    Commented Aug 21, 2012 at 18:23

1 Answer 1

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In certain Chasidish circles, you are knighted with the title Moreinu after being tested on a certain (large) number of Daf. This is often done as a "graduation ceremeny" with certificates handed out. the frum news sites sometimes report about such events.

See this link for a small discussion about the Moreinu title in days begone. The best response seems to be:

Originally, Chover was a title given to someone who learned in Yeshivah for a few years and was able to continue learning by himself. Moreinu was a title given to someone who is able to be מורה הוראה and to pasken in halochic questions. Today these titles are given differently.

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