Chukat-Balak 5766-2006
"The Sanctity of Human Life" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In the first of this week's two parashiot, Chukat-Balak, we learn of the law of the Parah Adumah, the Red Heifer. In Numbers…
Noah 5777-2016
“Why was the World Destroyed by a Flood?” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week's parasha, parashat Noah, features the destruction of the world at G-d's hands, by a massive flood that…
Shemini 5778-2018
“Kashrut and Copepods” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Shemini, is one of two parshiyot (the other is Re’eh, Deuteronomy 14:3-21) that serve as the main sources…
Which Day Of The Week Were You Born?
Do you know on which day you were born? Not your birthday...which day of the week? It doesn't appear to be a relevant fact, but more of an interesting bit of personal trivia. According to…
Does God Experience Difficulty?
In the middle of parashat B’shalach, we encounter the great miracle of God splitting the Red Sea. The sages in the Talmud (Sotah 2a) used this great supernatural phenomenon to declare…
Happy Ravenniversary
From time immemorial, the Hebrew calendar has been the subject of great debate. The following discussion underscores the extent of this debate. Two weeks prior to the Children of Israel’s…
Day of the Dove
In modern Western culture, the dove is commonly used to symbolize peace. The positive associations attached to the dove, however, are not new. This particular bird has been set apart from…
Which Day Of The Week Were You Born?
Do you know on which day you were born? Not your birthday...which day of the week. It doesn’t appear to be a relevant fact, but more of an interesting bit of personal trivia. According to…
In Flows Shevat
Despite what one might expect, Jewish tradition does not dismiss the signs of the zodiac (Click here for a Treat on Jewish Months and the Zodiac). In fact, it is quite interesting to see…
Over The Rainbow
Somewhere over the rainbow...Well, we all know that there is no real place over the rainbow! After all, a rainbow is caused by the refraction of light during the rain. But when you see a…