Rav Saadia Gaon

Rabbi Saadia ben Joseph, known by the appellation Rav Saadia Gaon (Gaon was the title of the religious leader of the Jewish community in Babylon) is best known in history as a philosopher…

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Rav Saadia Gaon

Rabbi Saadia ben Joseph, known by the appellation Rav Saadia Gaon (Gaon, meaning light, was the honorific title given to the religious leader of the Jewish community in Babylon) is best…

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A Sephardi Gaon

Because of the dedication of Rabbi Ezra Attiya (1885-1969), known as a Gaon, a great Torah scholar, hundreds of Sephardic Jews chose to extend their education, scores decided to dedicate…

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Sukkot 5784-2023

“Worshiping G-d Wholeheartedly” (updated and revised from Sukkot 5765-2004) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald There is a wonderful Sukkot story told about the Vilna Gaon, who was the foremost…

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A Sephardi Gaon

Because of the dedication of Rabbi Ezra Attiya (1885-1969), hundreds of Sephardic Jews chose to extend their education, scores decided to dedicate their lives to Torah study and dozens of…

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Sukkot 5765-2004

"Worshiping G-d Wholeheartedly" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald There is a wonderful Sukkot story told about the Gaon of Vilna, Rabbi Elijah ben Solomon Zalman, 1720-1797, who was the foremost…

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Abraham ben Abraham

Legend has it that Valentine Pototski, the son of a Polish nobleman, met an old Jew at a tavern and promised to convert to Judaism if the Jew convincingly argued the superiority of…

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Devarim 5774-2014

“Moses: The Lonely Leader” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Devarim, opens the fifth book of the Torah, the book of Devarim, also known as Deuteronomy. Much of…

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Vayeira 5774-2013

“Greater than Welcoming the Divine Presence” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The opening verses of this week’s parasha, parashat Vayeira, record that the Al-mighty appeared to Abraham in the…

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Pinchas 5772-2012

“Transferring Power” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Pinchas, we learn of the transfer of the leadership of Israel from Moses to Joshua. In Numbers 27:12,…

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