Placing A Veil
One of the most beautiful customs of a traditional Ashkenazi wedding is the ceremony known as the Badeken. The term Badeken is Yiddish for covering, as this is the moment when the bride…
Placing A Veil
One of the most beautiful customs of a traditional Ashkenazi wedding is the ceremony known as the badeken. The term badeken* is Yiddish for covering, as this is the moment when the bride…
Bo 5762-2002
"Rituals Work, Rituals Work" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This coming week's parasha, parashat Bo, describes the final three plagues: locusts, darkness and the death of the first born,…
Kee Tavo 5775-2015
“Making The Final Commitment” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Kee Tavo, Moses continues to deliver his final message to the Jewish people. Shortly before…
Bo 5782-2022
“Rituals Work, Rituals Work!” (updated and revised from Bo 5762-2002) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Bo, describes the final three plagues: locusts, darkness…
Chayei Sara 5763-2002
"The Torah's Recipe for Finding a Proper Mate" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald One of the growing issues confronting contemporary American and world Jewry is the challenge of finding proper…
Chayei Sara 5760-1999
"The First Encounter Between Rebecca and Isaac, a Revealing Insight Into the Future" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, parashat Chayei Sara, we read of the…
Rachel The Great Romance
The story of Jacob and Rachel is as close to true romance as one finds in Biblical literature. Jacob, the son of Isaac and Rebecca, went to the home of Laban (Rebecca’s brother) to find…
Chayei Sarah 5781-2020
“The Personality of Isaac: The Passive Patriarch” (updated and revised from Chayei Sarah 5761–2000) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Chayei Sarah, we learn…
Chayei Sarah 5783-2022
“The Torah’s Recipe for Finding a Proper Mate” (updated and revised from Chayei Sarah 5763-2002) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald One of the critical issues facing contemporary American…