Dear Yenta: The Matchmaker (Shadchan)
“Matchmaker, matchmaker / Look through your book / And make me a perfect match...” (Fiddler on the Roof). Despite the widespread proliferation of internet dating sites such as eharmony,…
What’s In The Book: Judges
Once in the promised land (Book of Joshua), the Israelites formed a commonwealth of 12 tribes loosely ruled by judges and elders. After the first generation, the Israelites fell into a…
v’Zot Habracha-Simchat Torah 5770-2009
"The Confluence of v'Zot Habracha and the Holiday" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The festival of Simchat Torah, the rejoicing with the Law, is one of two major festivals during which we…
“And Now Let Us Say Amen…”
The word “Amen” seems to be one of those words associated with prayer throughout the Judeo-Christian culture, but what does it mean? The response Amen at the end of an oath or a prayer is…
Re’eh 5769-2009
"The Chosen People–Again!" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Re'eh, we once again encounter the challenging concept of the "Chosenness" of Israel. After…
The Words Are The Things
In Hebrew, the Book of Deuteronomy is known as Sefer D’varim. Its name is derived from the fact that the Hebrew word d’varim is the first noun that appears in the book, which begins with…
Chukat-Balak 5769-2009
"The Ultimate Value of Human Life" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald On this Shabbat, throughout the diaspora, a double Torah portion, Chukat-Balak, is read. In Israel, however, only the…