Aluf

{{Short description|Senior military rank of the Israel Defense Forces}} {{pp-extended|small=yes}} {{Italic title}} {{Redirect|Rav aluf|the military position held by a rav aluf|Chief of General Staff (Israel)}} {{refimprove|date=April 2021}} [[File:Eyal Zamir-RAV ALUF.jpg|thumb|''Rav aluf'' Eyal Zamir]]

'''{{transliteration|he|Aluf}}''' ({{langx|he|אלוף|lit=champion}} or "first/leader of a group" in Biblical Hebrew) is a senior military rank in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for officers who in other countries would have the rank of general, air marshal, or admiral. In addition to the ''aluf'' rank, four other ranks' names are derivatives of ''aluf'' (for which abbreviations can be used), together constituting the five highest ranks in the IDF.

== Etymology ==

The term ''aluf'' comes from the Bible ({{langx|he|אַלּוּף|’allup̄|links=no}}): the Edomites used it as a rank of nobility and the later books of the Bible use it to describe Israelite captains as well, e.g. Zechariah 9:7, 12:5-6, and later and Psalms 55:13, where it is used as a general term for teacher. It comes from a Semitic root meaning "thousand," making an ''’allup̄'' the one who commands a thousand people.{{cn|date=February 2026}} Strong's Christian Bible Concordance, however connects the word used to describe the Dukes of Edom to a different root "''alf''" denoting a teacher and the root for the animal 'ox' from which the letter aleph itself is derived, rather than ''eleph'' thousand; the same 3 letters comprise them both, however.{{cn|date=February 2026}}

Aside from being a military rank, "aluf" is also used in a civilian context, particularly in sports, meaning "champion".

==Rank order of ''aluf'' and its derivatives== The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) form an integrated force and the Israel Defense Forces ranks are the same in all services.

* {{lang|he-Latn|Rav aluf}} ({{langx|he|רב-אלוף|lit=Arch champion}}): Chief of the General Staff (Israel) * {{lang|he-Latn|Aluf}} ({{langx|he|אלוף|lit=Champion}}): Arms, Branches, Regional commands * {{lang|he-Latn|Tat aluf}} ({{langx|he|תת-אלוף|lit=Sub champion}}): Corps, Divisions * {{lang|he-Latn|Aluf mishne}} ({{langx|he|אלוף משנה|lit=Champion deputy}}): Brigades * {{lang|he-Latn|Sgan aluf}} ({{langx|he|סגן-אלוף|lit=Vice champion}}): Battalions

{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;" |- style="background-color:#CCCCCC; text-align:center;" ! Rank group || colspan=3| General officers|| colspan=2| Field officers |- style="text-align:center;" | rowspan=2| '''{{flagicon image|Flag of the Israel Defense Forces.svg}} Israel Defense Forces'''<ref name="Israel">{{cite web |title=עושים לכם סדר בדרגות |url=https://www.idf.il/%D7%90%D7%AA%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D/%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%A4%D7%A7%D7%93-%D7%99%D7%A9-%D7%9C%D7%99-%D7%A9%D7%90%D7%9C%D7%94/%D7%9E%D7%AA%D7%92%D7%99%D7%99%D7%A1%D7%99%D7%9D/%D7%94%D7%93%D7%A8%D7%92%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%91%D7%A6%D7%94%D7%9C/ |website=idf.il |publisher=Israel Defense Forces |access-date=3 June 2021 |language=he}}</ref> | 50px | 50px | 50px | 50px | 50px |- style="text-align:center;" | {{lang|he|רב-אלוף}}<br>{{lang|he-Latn|Rav aluf}} | {{lang|he|אלוף}}<br>{{lang|he-Latn|Aluf}} | {{lang|he|תת-אלוף}}<br>{{lang|he-Latn|Tat aluf}} | {{lang|he|אלוף משנה}}<br>{{lang|he-Latn|Aluf mishne}} | {{lang|he|סגן-אלוף}}<br>{{lang|he-Latn|Sgan aluf}} |- style="text-align:center;" ! Abbreviation | {{lang|he|רא״ל}}<br>{{lang|he-Latn|Ra'al}} | {{lang|he|אלוף}}<br>{{lang|he-Latn|Aluf}} | {{lang|he|תא״ל}}<br>{{lang|he-Latn|Ta'al}} | {{lang|he|אל״ם}}<br>{{lang|he-Latn|Alam}} | {{lang|he|סא״ל}}<br>{{lang|he-Latn|Sa'al}} |- | colspan=6| {{hr}} |- style="text-align:center;" ! English equivalents | Lieutenant general | Major general | Brigadier general | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel |}

{{lang|he-Latn|Rav aluf}}, usually translated as "lieutenant general", is the most senior rank in the IDF. The rank is given only to the Chief of the General Staff, so there can only be one active {{lang|he-Latn|rav aluf}} under normal circumstances. However this can change in a time of war. During the Yom Kippur War in 1973, retired {{lang|he-Latn|Rav Aluf}} Haim Bar-Lev was recalled into service, replacing Shmuel Gonen as the commander of the southern theater. Thus, along with Chief of the General Staff David Elazar (who had succeeded Bar-Lev in that position the previous year), there were two {{lang|he-Latn|rav aluf}}s in active service.

The three Israeli military forces, land and air power, and navy have the same ranks, although separate naval ranks were used for a short time in the 1950s; an officer who would be a OF-7, major general, air vice-marshal, or rear admiral elsewhere is an {{lang|he-Latn|aluf}} in any of the Israeli forces.

The non-Hebrew word "general" was also adopted into Hebrew ({{langx|he|גנרל}}), and is used to refer to the generals of foreign armies.

==See also== * Israel Defense Forces ranks * Mickey Marcus - the IDF's first ''aluf''. * Yaakov Dori - the IDF's first ''rav aluf'' (Chief of Staff)

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Military ranks of Israel