Travelin’
Ever feel nervous just before the start of a trip? Ever have sleepless nights before boarding an airplane? Perhaps these hesitations connect back to a time when travel, whether by road or…
A-Hunting We Won’t Go
Ah, Fall. The crisp air, the beautiful foliage and, for those who live in rural areas, the hunting season! Yes, this is the time of year when, permit in hand, hunters take to the woods…
Are Kosher Foods Cleaner Or Healthier
Kosher food has enjoyed a reputation for being “clean” and “healthy.” Is this true? Certain standards of kosher food processing might suggest it. Consider the following: Washing - In…
Lech Lecha 5769-2008
"A Blessing on Your Head" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Blessings play a key role in Judaism. Not surprisingly, there are a vast number of them in Jewish life. There are blessings for…
Someone’s Been Sitting In My Chair
In some families, dinner time is a helter-skelter affair where everyone grabs what they want on their way to their next event. In other families, dinner is a set time when everyone…
Noah 5769-2008
"Nimrod and the Financial Meltdown" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In Genesis 10, the Torah features a long list of descendants of Shem, Cham and Yafet. It is a litany of begets and begats…
But Wait…There’s More
Now that the Jewish people have repented on Yom Kippur and, hopefully, received Divine forgiveness, it is time to sit back and relax... Just kidding! It is time to celebrate! Just four…
Whosoever is Wise
“Return, O Israel, for you have stumbled in your sin.” (Hosea 14:2) Um, who has the remote control? Can someone please change the channel?! Let’s face it, none of us really want to hear a…
Yom Kippur 5769-2008
"Difficult Transitions" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald On the last day of his life, Moses seals the new covenant with the People of Israel. According to the Midrash, the people then return…
The Year Is Set
Rosh Hashana, the head of the year, is the day on which God determines the fate and fortunes of both individuals and communities for the year to come. It is assumed that on this day God…