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Do rabbis give referrals to specialized rabbis?
Yes.
Yes.
From my experience, they escalate the shailah and ask the specialized Rabbi on your behalf rather than making you go to him.
The question stinks from heresy. A Gadol who knows shaas and poskim is, by definition, an expert in matters both worldly and heavenly. That Gadol can tell you about taaroovos or economics or medicine. To imply otherwise either means the first rabbi lacks true-torah-knowledge, or smacks of heresy and lack of emunas chachamim.
Unommin, you are being ridiculous. There are no rabbis today who posses “true-Torah-knowledge” according to your definition, therefore they must often do further research, in matters both wordly and heavenly.
Unom:
I suspect you might be joking anyway, but the OP wasn’t talking about going to the gadol hador and being referred to a specialist. She was clearly talking about asking your LOR a shailah for which he is not qualified. That’s a very common occurrence depending on where one lives.– a shailah for which he is not qualified
Conversion, Divorce, Medical Ethics … are three fields that come to mind for which you will likely get a referral (or have your questioned escalated) to a specialist rabbi.
First of all, a true Gadol is considered as such in part because of their humility and self-awareness of areas where they feel they have achieved true expertise, and likewise, those where others may have the requisite expertise in complex matter to paskin with confidence. While there is no “online directory” of which rabbonim are expert in every subject matter that might require consultation, invariably, your local rav/posek can provide guidance as to where you can find that expertise and also some logistical information on how to make contact (since most do not just have a cellphone number you can call or text and many don’t do email).
In any area of expertise, intelligent people “refer” to those with specialized expertise. That is not a hiddush. Anyone in any field will over time tend to develop specialized expertise. That’s how the world works. The cooks in the neighborhood will know who is best at pastry, and who makes the best cholent. The gardeners know who can plants the best roses, and who raises the best tomatoes.
The title of “rabbi” has only a single “rank”. It’s a degree that at most is equivalent to a first undergraduate degree (a newly “graduated” rabbi is qualified to teach high school student. There are no “Jewish” equivalents of masters, doctorates, etc. And depending on their interests and career tracts, there are Talmidim Hachamim who never worry about semicha. It’s not a structured system similar to the goyim’ s degrees.
unommin: Thers a known story that a yid approached R’ Moshe Feinstein about davening for him for a medical condition & R’ Moshe answered that there was a yid in Manchester (i.e. R’ Yaakov Segal who can help him). Many years ago I had a shailoh regarding using my oven on yom tov and I asked the neighborhood poseik who told me to ask the appliance repairman and listen to what he tells you on how to use it.
“It’s not a structured system similar to the goyim’ s degrees.”
Maybe not officially, but clearly we have pulpit Rabbis, poseks, dayans, Rosh Yeshivas, etc.
In Chareidi circles, rabbis will say “I can’t answer this question because I’m not a posek.” The MO world doesn’t really seem to have this concept.
“an expert in matters both worldly and heavenly.”
heavenly matters?
Need counter-missionary help then contact Rabbi Michael Skobac and Rabbi Tovia Singer.
Unommin, don’t give up your day job.
If we are are moving towards (or have been there for some time) super-specialized rabbinics, maybe the standard semicha יורה יורה באיסור והיתר should be replaced. There can be מתרץ קושיות רע”א אבל אין לי מושג בפסולי ס”ת , or the like.
It’s very honest when a Rosh Yeshiva doesn’t consider himself a posek, but it’s not a good policy. I wonder how many would be willing to accept a person who says “I’m a Rav. I’m not a lamdan or posek, I don’t know whether we say Av Harachamim today, and I don’t even read Hebrew, but I don’t need to. I specialize in hashgachas for frum cruise-ship voyages”. Slippery slope.“That Gadol can tell you about taaroovos or economics or medicine. ”
Unless the Gadol has a medical degree he can’t tell you about medicine. For over a thousand years, since Rav Sherira Gaon, we have been forbidden to use talmudic medicine.
Not every member of the Sanhedrin was qualified to rule on calendar issues. Only those with specialized knowledge.
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