Different types of roles

Question

There are a lot of different titles in Judaism

Are they rabbis and what do you need to have the title of

1. Posek
2. Mekubal
3. Gaon
4. Shochet
5. Sofer
6. Hazzan

Answer 1

The above mentioned titles are quite different and most of them are not rabbis.

• A posek is a halachic decisor. See here.
• A mekubal is a kabbalist, someone who knows Kabbalah in depth. Many people who call themselves mekubalim are fake.
• A gaon is a genius. Very few rabbis deserve the title, and it gradually emerges as a title of respect from the community.
• A schochet is a ritual slaughterer. Most often he is not a rabbi. In some countries there are exams to become one.
• A sofer is a scribe. Sometimes, but not often, he is a rabbi as well. In Israel, soferim can be certified through specific exams.
• A hazzan is a cantor. Often they are not rabbis. One can train for this, but there are no exams.