A Selection from My Favorite Jewish Sources
Rabbi Mordechai Levin
Rabbi Chayim of Sanz,Darkai Chayim, p. 137
The merit of tzedakah (charity) is so great that I am happy to give to 100 beggars even if only one might actually be needy. Some people, however, act as if they are … More
A Selection From My Favorite Jewish Sources
Rabbi Mordechai Levin
Torah, Exodus 22:20-26
You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
You shall not ill-treat any widow or orphan. If you do mistreat them, I will heed their outcry as … More
A Selection From My Favorite Jewish Sources
Rabbi Mordechai Levin
Avot D’Rabbi Nathan 12 3
When two people had a dispute, Aaron, the High Priest, went and sat near one of them and said to him: “My son, see what your friend is doing? He is beating his heart and … More
A Selection From My Favorite Jewish Sources
By Rabbi Mordechai Levin
Talmud, Gittin 57a
It was the custom that when a boy was born a cedar tree was planted and when a girl was born a pine tree. When they grew up and married, the wedding canopy was made of … More
A Selection From My Favorite Jewish Sources
Rabbi Mordechai Levin
Mishne Torah, The Laws of Torah Study, chapter 1
1:2. Just as one is obligated to teach one’s son, so is one obligated to teach one’s grandson, for it is written, “…but teach them to your sons, and your son’s … More
A Selection From My Favorite Jewish Sources
By Rabbi Mordechai Levin
Hebrew Bible, Genesis 2:18
The Lord God said: It is not good for man to be alone.
Hebrew Bible, Genesis 2:24
Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and they become one … More
A Selection from my Favorite Jewish Sources
Rabbi Mordechai Levin
Hebrew Bible, Leviticus 23:26-32
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Mark, the tenth day of this seventh month is Yom Kippur. It shall be a sacred occasion for you: you shall practice self-denial, and you shall bring an offering by … More
A Selection from my Favorite Jewish Sources
By Rabbi Mordechai Levin
The Talmud (Shabbat 31a) tells the following story about Hillel (30 BCE – 20 CE).
Two men bet against each other, wagering that whomever was first to make Hillel angry would win 400 zuz. One of them said: “I … More
By Rabbi Mordechai Levin
The recent release by the Rabbinical Assembly — the international organization of Conservative and Masorti rabbis — of the book, The Observant Life: The Wisdom of Conservative Judaism for Contemporary Jews, offers an answer to the question, ‘What does it mean to be a Conservative Jew … More
By Rabbi Mordechai Levin
Years ago, my wife and I traveled to Israel. After visiting the northern city of Haifa, we spent the night and planned to leave the next day to visit Safed and Tiberias, on the western shore of Lake Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee).
When I awoke … More
Rabbi Levin 
is the rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel in Munster, IN. He received his rabbinic ordination from the Latin American Rabbinical Seminary, and is a member of the Rabbinical Assembly. In 2010, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City for his years of dedicated service to the Conservative movement and the Jewish community...Full bio