Dayan (rabbinic judge)

Okay kiddo, have you ever heard of judges? They are people who listen to problems and disagreements and make decisions about what should happen next. Well, a dayan is like a special kind of judge who decides things based on Jewish laws and traditions.

You know how we have rules like we can't hit each other or take someone else's toys without permission? In Jewish tradition, there are rules called Halacha that tell us how to live our lives and how to treat others fairly. Dayanim (plural of dayan) are really good at knowing all those rules and how they apply to different situations.

So, let's say there's an argument between two people about who should get to keep a special toy. They could go to a dayan, and the dayan would listen carefully to both sides of the story. Then, using their knowledge of Jewish laws and traditions, the dayan would make a fair decision about who should get the toy.

It's kind of like having a wise grown-up who knows a lot about Jewish rules and is really good at solving problems.