Naso 5760-2000
"Traditional Judaism: Fundamentalist or Ascetic" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, parashat Naso, we encounter the curious law of the Nazir, the Nazarite. In…
Naso 5772-2012
"The Most Famous of All Nazarites--Samson" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald According to the Sefer Ha’Chinuch (the classic work on the 613 commandments, their rationale and their regulations,…
Can Hermit Day be Celebrated in a Group?
October 29th is celebrated as Hermit Day, lauding those who prefer to spend time by themselves rather than socializing with others. However, some point to Hermit Day not as a lifestyle,…
A Vow Like No Other
Jews are not ascetics. In fact, according to Jewish philosophy, the Jew’s job is to take the physical and draw out its spiritual nature. One can’t do that when trying to avoid the…
The Story of Samson and Delilah
Cecil B. DeMille’s 1949 Academy Award Winning Samson and Deliliah was an action packed drama that had a wealth of original biblical material from which to work. In truth, Samson’s…
Shemini 5760 – 2000
"Substance Abuse in Judaism" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This coming week's parasha, Parashat Shemini, opens with the majestic ceremony marking the consecration of Aaron and his sons as…
Shemini 5779-2019
"Substance Abuse in Judaism" (Revised and updated from Shemini 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This coming week’s parasha, parashat Shemini, opens with the historic ceremony…
Shemini 5763-2003
"Using, Not Abusing, a Sanctified Substance" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This coming week's parasha, Parashat Shemini, opens on the eighth and final day of the inauguration of the newly…
Emor 5769-2009
"The Highest Mitzvah of All!" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Emor, the Torah delineates the strict rules for maintaining the absolute purity of the…
Naso 5774-2014
“The Gift that Keeps on Giving” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Parashat Naso is hardly a simple parasha. It contains many themes, of both major and of seemingly lesser significance.…