Haazinu,Rosh Hashana,Weekly Message
Haazinu-Rosh Hashana 5775-2014
“Invoking Heaven and Earth” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald It seems so natural to always begin the New Year with parashat Haazinu, the majestic song of Moses, which he sang moments before…
Devarim 5775-2015
“Looking Through the Pain, Toward a Bright Future” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald With this week’s parasha, parashat Devarim, we begin reading the fifth and final book of the Torah, the…
Kedoshim 5776-2016
“Tattoos" In Parashat Kedoshim the Torah proclaims the prohibition of making cuts on one’s skin as a sign of mourning and forbids drawing permanent tattoos on the body. Scripture, in…
Va’eira 5777-2017
"The Dangers of Self Delusion” by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Va’eira, we read of the first seven plagues that the Al-mighty visited upon the Egyptians in…
Kee Tisah 5777-2017
“The Gift of Torah" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Kee Tisah, the Torah reports that G-d gave Moses two stone Tablets of Testimony that were…
Chukat 5777-2017
“Moses’ Painful Words of Comfort” Among the diverse themes found in parashat Chukat, we learn of the death of Aaron. According to tradition, on the first day of Av, in the fortieth and…
Yitro 5778-2018
“Striving as a Jewish Ideal” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Yitro, Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law advises Moses to delegate authority when he sits in…
Tazria,Metzorah,Weekly Message
Tazria-Metzora 5778-2018
“Looking at Tzara’at from a Different Perspective” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s double parshiyot, Tazria and Metzora, deal almost exclusively with the issue of the…
Vayigash 5779-2018
“The Innocent Victim” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Vayigash, the Torah describes the dramatic moment when Joseph reveals himself to his brothers. Prior to…
Passover 5780-2020
“The Essential lessons of Chametz and Matzah” (Updated and Revised from Passover 5763-2003) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week, the normal weekly Torah portion is preempted by…