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Mordecai Finley

Rabbi Teaching Jewish Spirituality

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Feb 4, 2026, 8:35 PM

The ‘Death’ and Resurrection of the Ego in Jewish Spirituality

Death of Ego Resurrection into the Authentic Self The tragic events of the past two years has resulted in something positive - a return to an interest in Judaism. Each institution, and perhaps each teacher will have its own version...

Sep 26, 2025, 7:33 PM

The 10 Days of Turning Within – Shabbat Shuva

The Sabbath of (Re)Turning Within This Shabbat is called “Shabbat Shuva” named after the prophetic reading in which the prophet Hosea calls on the Israelites to “return to God” (Hosea 14:2). If the way of God might be defined as...

Sep 12, 2025, 1:52 PM

No mask in court – Thoughts before Rosh HaShanah

Many years ago, I had a disturbing moment as a counselor when it became clear to me that a client with marital problems was out-and-out lying to me. I’ll tell you how I knew in a moment, but what...

May 18, 2024, 4:24 PM

The Gifts of the Holy Days – Torah Portion Emor

©Rabbi Mordecai Finley Our Torah portion, Emor, has the most detailed list in the Torah of the Jewish Festivals and other Holy Days. This Torah portion gives us the opportunity not only to study what the various holidays are, but...

Oct 16, 2015, 11:21 PM

The violence in Israel: What is the heart of the matter?

Trying to decide who's right and who's wrong? It depends on whether you think Israel has the right to exist

Jul 18, 2014, 11:33 PM

A letter to friends who want to understand what is happening in Gaza

I want to say a few words to my friends who are not particularly biased one way or the other (and perhaps somewhat uninformed) about what is happening in Gaza. First, I am in favor of a Palestinian State. The...

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About Me

Rabbi Mordecai Finley is the rabbi of Ohr HaTorah - Center for Wisdom, a mostly online community based in Los Angeles. Rabbi Finley lives in Israel and broadcasts every Friday night Los Angeles time. He is a professor (on hiatus) at the Academy for Jewish Religion, Los Angeles. He holds a doctorate in Religion-Social Ethics from the University of Southern California. He is married to Meirav Shevah Finley. Three of his four children live in Israel; two are veterans of the IDF.

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