Visiting The Sick
“It was taught: There is no measure [of reward] for visiting the sick. What is meant by, ‘there is no measure for visiting the sick?’ Rabbi Joseph thought to explain that: Its reward is…
On the Wings of Eagles
In Exodus 19, God instructs Moses to address the Children of Israel and to say to them: “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to…
Watch Your Language
Once upon a time in American culture, defiant children who uttered certain improper words would have their mouths washed out with soap. Today, profanities litter the world of common…
On the Wings of Eagles
In parashat Yitro, this week’s Torah portion, God instructs Moses to address the Children of Israel and to say to them: “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on…
Women of Vision
Our sages teach that there were seven women famed for their prophecy. (Talmud Megillah 14a states that only prophecies with a message for the future were recorded. In reality, there were…
Shavuot 5783-2023
"The Concept of 'The Chosen People'" (updated and revised from Shavuot 5761-2001) by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald On this coming weekend, Jews will celebrate the festival of Shavuot, which…
Watch Your Language
Once upon a time in American culture, defiant children who uttered certain improper words would have their mouths washed out with soap. Today, profanities litter the world of common…
What Goes Around Comes Around
Is there any truth to the popular statement, “What goes around, comes around?" It is a pithy phrase that is all too often suggested (somewhat viciously) after a person falls into hard…
Justice, Justice Shall You Pursue
The directive to create a judicial system is set out in this week’s Torah portion, Shoftim, in Deuteronomy 16:18-20. God commands the Israelites to appoint judges and law enforcement…
Majority Rules
After the Torah was given, Moses served as the sole judge of the Jewish people until a judicial hierarchy was established at the suggestion of Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law. One judge was…