Rav Avrohom Yitzchak Levene was born for rabbanus. As the grandson of Rav Aryeh Levine of Yerushalayim and Rav Yehuda Leib Levene of London, he merited to connect to the greatest Torah personalities of the past generation. Nearly 50 years after transforming a “little house” in Philadelphia into a thriving Torah center, Rav Levene reflects on what it means to bring the old-world rabbinate to a changing America.
“If he wants to speak, to address the congregation, he asks me for airtime!” Rabbi Shmidman says with wonder. “It’s a zechus to observe Rav Levene, because he elevates everyone around him.”
Rabbi Levene walks me out of his home, urging me to accept his offer of sandwiches and a drink for the drive.
“You write, you deal with other Jews, let me leave you with a vort from the Zeide, Reb Aryeh.”
He straightens up, completely serious now. “He said that there are two mitzvos that seem to overlap, that of tochachah, giving mussar, and that of being dan l’kaf zechus, giving the benefit of the doubt. The Zeide said that really, tochachah should be used inwardly, a person should demand from himself and give mussar to himself. We should work to find zechusim in others. Today, the Zeide said, people tend to search for zechusim in themselves and use mussar just for others, they have it backwards….”
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