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.”…

Read More

Chukat 5774-2014

“The Inscrutable Statutes” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Chukat opens with the well-known and deeply inscrutable law of the Red Heifer (cow). In Numbers 19:2,…

Read More

Haazinu 5762-2001

"The Ten Days of Teshuvah: A Propitious Time for Repentance" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald On Wednesday night, September 26th, the tenth of Tishrei, Jews the world over will gather in…

Read More

Pinchas 5780-2020

“The Pain of Giving Reproof” (Updated and revised from Parashat Pinchas 5761-2001) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald On Thursday, July 9th, Jews the world over will observe the fast of Shivah…

Read More

The Story of Chanukah

The Story of Chanukah How a small band of Jewish renegades took on the Syrian-Greek army. Under the Hellenist Rule When the…

Behar-Bechukotai 5764-2004

"The Revolutionary Nature of Shemita and Yovel" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald In the first of this week's double parashiot, parashat Behar, we encounter the remarkable laws of Shemita--the…

Read More

Bamidbar 5768-2008

"Moses: A Spiritual Father" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In the third chapter of parashat Bamidbar we are told of the progeny of Moses and Aaron and about the appointment of the Levites…

Read More

Va’etchanan 5783-2023

"The Dialectic of Body and Soul" (updated and revised from Va’etchanan 5764-2004) In this week’s parasha, parashat Va’etchanan, we encounter several well-known and significant texts.…

Read More

Pinchas 5761-2001

"The Pain of Giving Reproof" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald On Sunday, July 8th, Jews the world over observed the fast of Shivah Asar B'Tamuz, the Seventeenth day of Tamuz. The fast marks…

Read More

Sukkot I 5767-2006

"Sukkot - The Festival of Joy" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald The festival of Sukkot is regarded as the most joyous of all the Jewish holidays. In fact, there is not a single reference in the…

Read More