Naso 5766-2006
"A Lesson from the N'seeim--the Tribal Leaders" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week's Torah portion, parashat Naso, is almost always read on the Shabbat following the festival of…
Naso 5765-2005
"A Lesson from the N’seeim--the Tribal Leaders" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s Torah portion, parashat Naso, is almost always read after the festival of Shavuot, except after a…
The Princes of Captivity
When the First Temple was destroyed., most of the Jews in Israel were exiled to Babylon. Even when the Jews were allowed to return, only about 40,000 Jews returned to the Holy Land. When…
Naso 5771-2011
"Finding Variety in the Seemingly Identical" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Naso, is the longest parasha of the Torah. It is usually read on the Shabbat that…
What’s In The Book: The Twelve Prophets – Haggai
The Book of Haggai is the first of the Twelve Prophets written after the exiled Jews returned to the Land of Israel and were governed by Zerubbabel. The High Priest of the era was Joshua…
What’s In The Book – The Twelve Prophets: Zephaniah
The Book of Zephaniah dates from the reign of King Josiah of Judah. Zephaniah’s opening prophecy is dark and violent, describing God’s plans for the complete and total destruction of the…
What’s in the Book – The Twelve Prophets – Habakuk
The Book of Habakuk has only three chapters. Habakuk cried out to God to witness the perversions of justice. “How long, O God, shall I cry out, and You will not hear? Shall I shout to…
What’s in the Book – the Twelve Prophets – Nahum
The prophet Nahum’s prophecy focuses on the fate of the great Assyrian city of Nineveh. God’s anger, as described by Nahum, was at the point of erupting. The fury of God, predicts Nahum,…
What’s in the Book- the Twelve Prophets – Micah
The Book of Micah contains prophecy directed at both Samaria (Israel) and Jerusalem (Judah) by the prophet Micah, who lived in Judah during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings…
What’s in the Book: the Twelve Prophets – Amos
Amos was a herdsman of Tekoa, who prophesied during the reign of Kings Jeroboam II of Israel and Uzziah of Judea. Amos’ initial prophecies declared that the neighboring city-states…