Rabbi Yehuda said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because they disparaged the Torah scholars in it, as it is stated: “And they mocked the messengers of God and disdained His words and taunted His prophets, until the wrath of God arose against His people, until it could not be healed” (II Chronicles 36:16). What is the meaning of: Until it could not be healed? Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: It means that anyone who disparages Torah scholars cannot be healed from his wound.
The Talmud illustrates how leadership skills were viewed.
Rav Yosef was a well-read scholar; Rabba was a sharp dialectician. A question was sent up to the scholars in Israel: Who of these should take precedence? They sent them word in reply: ‘A well-read scholar is to take precedence’; for the Master said, ‘All are dependent on the owner of the wheat’.
The Gemara continues and says that Rav Yosef, nevertheless, did not accept office so Rabba headed the yeshiva for twenty-two years and only after this period did Rav Yosef take up the office.
(א) אֵין מַעֲמִידִין בְּסַנְהֶדְרִין בֵּין בִּגְדוֹלָה בֵּין בִּקְטַנָּה אֶלָּא אֲנָשִׁים חֲכָמִים וּנְבוֹנִים. מֻפְלָגִין בְּחָכְמַת הַתּוֹרָה בַּעֲלֵי דֵּעָה מְרֻבָּה. יוֹדְעִים קְצָת מִשְּׁאָר חָכְמוֹת כְּגוֹן רְפוּאוֹת וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן וּתְקוּפוֹת וּמַזָּלוֹת וְאִצְטַגְנִינוּת וְדַרְכֵי הַמְעוֹנְנִים וְהַקּוֹסְמִים וְהַמְכַשְּׁפִים וְהַבְלֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וְכַיּוֹצֵא בְּאֵלּוּ כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיוּ יוֹדְעִים לָדוּן אוֹתָם. וְאֵין מַעֲמִידִין בְּסַנְהֶדְרִין אֶלָּא כֹּהֲנִים לְוִיִּים וְיִשְׂרְאֵלִים הַמְיֻחָסִים הָרְאוּיִים לְהַשִּׂיא לִכְהֻנָּה. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר יא טז) "וְהִתְיַצְּבוּ שָׁם עִמָּךְ" בְּדוֹמִין לְךָ בְּחָכְמָה וּבְיִרְאָה וּבְיַחַס:
(ב) וּמִצְוָה לִהְיוֹת בְּסַנְהֶדְרִין גְּדוֹלָה כֹּהֲנִים וּלְוִיִּים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יז ט) "וּבָאתָ אֶל הַכֹּהֲנִים הַלְוִיִּם". וְאִם לֹא מָצְאוּ אֲפִלּוּ הָיוּ כֻּלָּם יִשְׂרְאֵלִים הֲרֵי זֶה מֻתָּר:
(ג) אֵין מַעֲמִידִין בְּכָל הַסַּנְהֶדְרִין לֹא זָקֵן מֻפְלָג בְּשָׁנִים וְלֹא סָרִיס מִפְּנֵי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶן אַכְזָרִיּוּת. וְלֹא מִי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ בָּנִים כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהֵא רַחֲמָן:
(ד) ואֵין מוֹשִׁיבִין מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּסַנְהֶדְרִין שֶׁאָסוּר לַחְלֹק עָלָיו וְלַמְרוֹת אֶת דְּבָרוֹ. אֲבָל מוֹשִׁיבִין כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל אִם הָיָה רָאוּי בְּחָכְמָה:
(ה) מַלְכֵי בֵּית דָּוִד אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין מוֹשִׁיבִין אוֹתָם בְּסַנְהֶדְרִין יוֹשְׁבִין וְדָנִים הֵם אֶת הָעָם. וְדָנִים אוֹתָם אִם יֵשׁ עֲלֵיהֶן דִּין. אֲבָל מַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵין דָּנִין וְאֵין דָּנִין אוֹתָם לְפִי שֶׁאֵין נִכְנָעִים לְדִבְרֵי תּוֹרָה שֶׁמָּא תָּבוֹא מֵהֶן תַּקָּלָה:
(ו) כְּשֵׁם שֶׁבֵּית דִּין מְנֻקִּין בְּצֶדֶק כָּךְ צְרִיכִין לִהְיוֹת מְנֻקִּין מִכָּל מוּמֵי הַגּוּף. וְצָרִיךְ לְהִשְׁתַּדֵּל וְלִבְדֹּק וּלְחַפֵּשׂ שֶׁיִּהְיוּ כֻּלָּן בַּעֲלֵי שֵׂיבָה. בַּעֲלֵי קוֹמָה. בַּעֲלֵי מַרְאֶה. נְבוֹנֵי לַחַשׁ. וְשֶׁיֵּדְעוּ בְּרֹב הַלְּשׁוֹנוֹת כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תְּהֵא סַנְהֶדְרִין שׁוֹמַעַת מִפִּי הַתֻּרְגְּמָן:
(ז) בֵּית דִּין שֶׁל שְׁלֹשָׁה אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין מְדַקְדְּקִין בָּהֶן בְּכָל אֵלּוּ הַדְּבָרִים צָרִיךְ שֶׁיְּהֵא בְּכָל אֶחָד מֵהֶן שִׁבְעָה דְּבָרִים וְאֵלּוּ הֵן. חָכְמָה. וַעֲנָוָה. וְיִרְאָה. וְשִׂנְאַת מָמוֹן. וְאַהֲבַת הָאֱמֶת. וְאַהֲבַת הַבְּרִיּוֹת לָהֶן. וּבַעֲלֵי שֵׁם טוֹב. וְכָל אֵלּוּ הַדְּבָרִים מְפֹרָשִׁין הֵן בַּתּוֹרָה. הֲרֵי הוּא אוֹמֵר (דברים א יג) "אֲנָשִׁים חֲכָמִים וּנְבֹנִים" הֲרֵי בַּעֲלֵי חָכְמָה אָמוּר. (דברים א יג) "וִידֻעִים לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶם" אֵלּוּ שֶׁרוּחַ הַבְּרִיּוֹת נוֹחָה מֵהֶם. וּבַמֶּה יִהְיוּ אֲהוּבִים לַבְּרִיּוֹת בִּזְמַן שֶׁיִּהְיוּ בַּעֲלֵי עַיִן טוֹבָה. וְנֶפֶשׁ שְׁפָלָה. וְחֶבְרָתָן טוֹבָה. וְדִבּוּרָן וּמַשָּׂאָן בְּנַחַת עִם הַבְּרִיּוֹת. וּלְהַלָּן הוּא אוֹמֵר (שמות יח כא) "אַנְשֵׁי חַיִל" אֵלּוּ שֶׁהֵן גִּבּוֹרִים בְּמִצְוֹת וּמְדַקְדְּקִים עַל עַצְמָם וְכוֹבְשִׁין אֶת יִצְרָן עַד שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא לָהֶן שׁוּם גְּנַאי וְלֹא שֵׁם רַע וִיהֵא פִּרְקָן נָאֶה. וּבִכְלַל אַנְשֵׁי חַיִל שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לָהֶן לֵב אַמִּיץ לְהַצִּיל עָשׁוּק מִיַּד עוֹשְׁקוֹ כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות ב יז) "וַיָּקָם משֶׁה וַיּוֹשִׁעָן". וּמָה משֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ עָנָו אַף כָּל דַּיָּן צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת עָנָו. (שמות יח כא) "יִרְאֵי אֱלֹהִים" כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ. (שמות יח כא) "שֹׂנְאֵי בָצַע" אַף מָמוֹן שֶׁלָּהֶם אֵינָן נִבְהָלִין עָלָיו. וְלֹא רוֹדְפִין לְקַבֵּץ הַמָּמוֹן. שֶׁכָּל מִי שֶׁהוּא נִבְהָל לַהוֹן חֶסֶר יְבוֹאֶנּוּ. (שמות יח כא) "אַנְשֵׁי אֱמֶת" שֶׁיִּהְיוּ רוֹדְפִין אַחַר הַצֶּדֶק מֵחֲמַת עַצְמָן בְּדַעְתָּן. אוֹהֲבִין אֶת הָאֱמֶת וְשׂוֹנְאִין אֶת הֶחָמָס וּבוֹרְחִין מִכָּל מִינֵי הֶעָוֶל:
(1) Only wise and intelligent men, who are eminent in Torah scholarship and possess extensive knowledge, should be appointed members of either the Great or the Small Sanhedrin. They should be somewhat aware of such branches as medicine, mathematics, astronomy, forecasting constellations, astrology, methods of soothsayers, augurs and wizards as well as idolatrous superstitions, and the like, in order to be competent in dealing with them.— —
(2) It is a mitzvah to have priests and Levites included in the Great Sanhedrin, as it is said: "You shall come before the priests and Levites." (Deut 17:9). And if none can be found, it is permissible to have a court of exclusively Israelite judges.
(3) A man who is advanced in years — — or one who is childless must not be appointed member of any Sanhedrin, since he is required to be compassionate.
(4) A king of Israel must not be seated among the Sanhedrin, since it is unlawful to disagree with him or to defy him. But a high priest may be given a seat on the Sanhedrin, provided he is well qualified in terms of wisdom.
(6) Just as the members of a court of law must be cleared with respect to uprightness, so must they be clear of any physical defect. Every effort should be exerted in an intensive search for sufficiently mature candidates, who are tall and handsome, easily articulate and conversant with most of the spoken tongues, so that the Sanhedrin may dispense with an interpreter.
(7) Although we do not insist upon all these requirements in the case of a court-of-three, nevertheless it is desirable that each of the three should be endowed with the following qualifications: wisdom, humility, reverence, disdain of gain, love of truth, loved by fellow men, and of a good reputation.— —
“A lot of the difficult situations I’ve heard about have involved a third party,” said Barak D. Richman, a law professor at Duke University and former president of a Conservative synagogue in Durham, N.C. “There can be a power imbalance. The phrase I hear from lay leaders around the country is, ‘Our rabbi came in all lawyered up.’ ” A Lawyer Finds a Niche, June 24, 2016.
Kamchi v. Weissman, NY 2014 case
The plaintiffs further claim that during the meeting, the defendant Bill Bradin defamed the Rabbi in front of those Congregation members in attendance. Specifically, Bradin allegedly stated, "that [the Rabbi] did not show up for morning services; that he failed to perform outreach for young families; that he used a different prayer book than the Congregation; that he failed to lead Friday services when special evenings were planned for the same day; that he allowed non-[k]osher foods into the Congregation's kitchen and did not properly control the kosher validation of the kitchen; and, that he did not lead the Jewish High Holiday services."
The plaintiffs allege that Bradin's statements "cast [the Rabbi] in a negative light and reflected adversely on his competence as a rabbi, and harmed his standing and reputation with the congregants and others in the community." The plaintiffs further allege that Bradin's statements were made with the intent to "undermine [the Rabbi's] authority as the spiritual leader of the congregation, and also to aid and further the defendants' goal to interfere with and prevent the efforts by [the Rabbi] and some members of the congregation to secure his continued employment."