Yeshiva University - Masmid Yearbook (New York, NY)

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He Teaches You to Use Your Own Mind to Be a Man. The lectures are rough, and the questioning is constant. The hours are long, and the tests are stiff. You sweat, yet through it all the material is covered completely while you learn rigorous, thorough work habits, and methodology. It comes not only from your own labor but also from the instructor ' s example. You can see in his eyes and face that it ' s as hard on him as it is on you. You know the reward is worth the effort, and so does he. His work doesn ' t stop in the classroom or the laboratory. His door is open; his office is yours. His ears and his mind belongto you until you no longer need them. He teaches you to use your own mind — to be a man. He shows you that Torah U ' Madah is not just a meaningless epigram. He combines them and would have you do the same. You don ' t have to be told that in words. You look at him, and you know. You learn how to live Orthodoxy in the computer age. You learn to think in the future rather than in the past. You learn about man, his universe, and his G-d. And you learn that you can fear a man fiercely until that fear becomes honor, admiration, and love. The work is done, yet all the knowledge remains. He will never fade from memory. It is with the greatest respect, devotion, and honor that we dedicate Masmid 1968 to Dr. Eli M. Levine.

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V ■i- e m L movement

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From the very beginning of our college career it seemed natural that we would one day have the honor of dedicating our yearbook to Rabbi Morris Besdin. He scares you at first. There ' s no doubt about that. It takes time to develop the deep, strong, fervent love for him that is characteristic of all of his students. He ' s really a jovial man who always has a warm greetingand a broad smile for everyone. He ' s a friendly man. You can talkto him; he ' ll listen. He has a wonderful sense of intellectual honesty. When he interviews a prospective freshman, he ' ll tell the truth about student life at Yeshiva. Success requires a commitment, he ' ll say, firmly enunciating each syllable. You must be totally dedicated to Torah and Torah ideals, otherwise you can ' t go on here. We ' ll part, but we ' ll part friends. I ' ll respect you, and you, I ' m sure, will respect me, but you won ' t be able to go on here. Most stay, and most learn to appreciate that intellectual honesty so much that they don ' t fear to discuss anything with him from G-d to Christ to sex. At Yeshiva he built a school and guided it so lovingly and devotedly that you can sense his presence in every single class. He is dedicated to his students and revels when they have learned their lessons well and are ready to go on to higher, morechallenging work. Years after those of us who studied under him have left Yeshiva, we will remember the first words he uttered at the first class meeting. Gentlemen, the chumash is Bereshis. the sedrah is Bereshis, the perek is aleph, the pasuk is aleph . . You Must Be Totally Dedicated to Torah and Torah Ideals, Otherwise You Can ' t Go on Here.