Truth in Titles: Volume 6, Issue 19, Vayakhel-Pekudei
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March 14, 2026; 25 Adar, 5786 Sponsored anonymously for the Refuah Shleimah of Yair Nissan Ben Sara
Rabbonim have responded differently to the great titles of honor that they have received. Rav Elya Lopian, for example, would often get letters that contained elaborate titles praising him; he made it a habit to fold down the top of such pages before reading them, thus avoiding seeing the praise. In contrast, the Chacham Tzvi read every title addressed to him, using the compliments as motivation to better himself so that the praise people attributed to him would at least be partially true in his eyes.
The term "Rav" is commonly used today, but Rabbi Elchonan Wasserman, quoting the Chofetz Chaim, emphasized that only someone who decides Halachic matters or serves as a Rosh Yeshiva should be called “Rav.” Using this title for anyone else, he warned, goes against the Torah's commandment to distance oneself from Sheker (falsehood)...