Lewin, Hirschel

Lewin, Hirschel, a Jewish rabbi who was born in 1721 in Poland, and died at Berlin in 1800, is noted for his attitude towards Moses Mendelssohn. Lewin was chief rabbi of Prussia in the days of the great Jewish philosopher, and severely censured Mendelssohn for rationalistic views expressed in his correspondence with Lavater, SEE MENDELSSOHN, and in his translation of the Pentateuch into German. To the credit of Lewin, however, it must be stated that he by no means condemned or permitted the condemnation of Mendelssohn as a heretic, as Landau and other Polish rabbis were inclined to do. See Gratz. Gesch. der Juden, 11:45 sq.