Yom Kippur 5766-2005

"Sharing the Blanket" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The Rambam (Maimonides, the great Jewish philosopher, codifier and physician, 1135-1204), states in The Laws of Teshuva, chapter 3, that…

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Eikev 5771-2011

"Finding the Greatness of G-d in His Humility" Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, Moses continues his valedictory address to the Jewish people. In one of the most powerful…

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Vayeira 5772-2011

“Were Lot’s Daughters Moral or Immoral?” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Vayeira, Abraham famously bargains with G-d in order to save the cities of Sodom and…

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Lech Lecha 5773-2012

"To the Land that I Will Show You" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Lech Lecha, G-d instructs Abram (his name had not yet been changed to Abraham), to begin…

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Yitro 5773-2013

"The Third Commandment: Against Perjury and Profane Swearing" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Yitro, we encounter the first of the two references to the Ten…

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The 10 Days

The 10 DaysOf Repentance As the sun sets on Yom Kippur, the judgment handed down on Rosh Hashana is sealed. Known as the Ten…

Tetzaveh 5774-2014

“The Choshen–the Breastplate of the High Priest” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Tetzaveh, focuses primarily on the priestly vestments, the garments worn by the…

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Tazria 5774-2014

“The Jewish Attitude Toward Healing and Medicine” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Tazria, opens with the laws concerning purification of a woman after…

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Acharei Mot 5774-2014

“Prelude to Holiness” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The name of this week’s Torah portion, Acharei Mot, literally means “in the aftermath of the deaths of Aaron’s sons, Nadav and Abihu.”…

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Rosh Hashana Essay

Rosh Hashana Essay “Elul is the time to look back over the past year, sort out our strengths and weaknesses, and see…