Editing Tannaim (section)

== Various Halachic Positions ==
During the Tannaitic period, there was an accepted division of three levels of Torah honor among the sages according to their teaching positions. These were Nasi (President), Av Beit Din (Head of Court), and Chacham (Sage). When the Nasi entered, all people would stand and not sit until he told them to be seated. When the Av Beit Din entered, they would form one row on this side and one row on that side until he sat in his place. When a Chacham entered, one would stand and one would sit until he sat in his place.

In the time of Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, for example, the division was as follows: Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel was Nasi, Rabbi Meir was Chacham, and Rabbi Natan was Av Beit Din.

[[The Rebbe]] explains that the Nasi was the head of the sages, similar to Moshe Rabbeinu, and the Av Beit Din was a leader of Israel. This does not contradict the known principle that "there is only one leader for a generation," since Torah authority and leadership are two separate types of authority that do not contradict each other at all.