Matot-Masei 5781-2021

“Does the Torah Allow Its Citizens to Take the Law Into Their Own Hands?” (updated and revised from Matot-Masei 5762-2002)  by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald   In parashat Masei, the…

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Matot-Masei 5762-2002

"Does the Torah Allow Its Citizens to Take the Law Into Their Own Hands?" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In parashat Masei, the second of this week's double parashiot, Matot-Masei, we…

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Bereshith 5762-2001

"The Origins and Meanings of Evil" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Especially in light of the World Trade Center and Pentagon terrorist bombings, human beings all over the world are…

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Va’etchanan 5766-2006

"A Small Verse that Started a Mighty Revolution" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Some weekly Torah portions are considered particularly significant by virtue of the large number of mitzvot…

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Vayishlach 5771-2010

“The Power of a Vow” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In the second part of this week’s action-packed parasha, parashat Vayishlach, we read of Jacob’s return to Beth-El, the scene of his…

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Pinchas 5773-2013

“The Lesson of the Broken Vav” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Pinchas, we learn the identities of the two defiant people who committed an act of public…

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Mishpatim 5779-2019

“From Seemingly Obscure Laws, the Torah Teaches the Ultimate Value of the Sanctity of Human Life”(Revised and updated from Mishpatim 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming…

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Mishpatim 5760-2000

"From Seemingly Obscure Laws, the Torah Teaches the Ultimate Value of the Sanctity of Human Life" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, Parashat Mishpatim, which…

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Kee Tisah 5763-2003

"Reverence for Learning in Jewish Tradition" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, parashat Kee Tisah, we read of the fateful sin of the Jewish people with the…

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Indirect Damages

“An eye for an eye” (Exodus 21:24) is one of the most commonly quoted phrases from the Hebrew Bible. This phrase, of course, is part of Jewish civil law and serves as the original…

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