Bows and Arrows
Today, Lag Ba’Omer, the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer, is a minor holiday on the Jewish calendar. Its observance commemorates the end of a tragic plague that took the lives of all…
The Great Disputation
Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman (Ramban/Nachmanides c. 1194-1270) was one of the great personages of the Golden Age of Spanish Jewry. He authored commentaries on the Torah and the Talmud and was…
Birkat Hamazon
Have you ever forgotten to tip the waiter after eating at a restaurant? Probably not, because that’s society’s conventional manner of thanking the wait-staff. While we do not usually have…
Chukat 5782-2022
“A Tribute to Miriam, Our Sister” (updated and revised from Chukat 5764-2004) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parshat Chukat, sadly informs us of the death of Miriam.…
The Great Shabbat
The Shabbat immediately preceding Passover is known as Shabbat HaGadol, the Great Shabbat. It is best known for being the Shabbat on which the rabbi of the community (or another leading…
A Scholar and a Playwright
As the epicenter of the Renaissance, Italy was filled with great centers of learning and creativity during the middle centuries of the last millennium. In one of these great centers of…
The Importance of Flag Day
Today is celebrated as “Flag Day” throughout the United States. On this day in 1777, the Second Continental Congress adopted the “Stars and Stripes” as the flag of the United States. In…
Naso 5783-2023
“Our Brother, Our Sister--the Proselyte” (updated and revised from Naso 5764-2004) By, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Naso, we learn of an intriguing law…
Chukat-Balak 5783-2023
"How to Market G-d!" (updated and revised from Chukat-Balak 5763-2003) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In the first of this week’s parashiot, parashat Chukat, the Israelites, who are soon to…
Singing Praises
“…The prophets of the Jewish people ordained that the Hallel be recited on special occasions and celebrations [like Yom Tov], and at times of national deliverance from peril, in gratitude…