What’s In The Book: I Kings
I Kings begins with Adonijah’s rebellion against his father, King David, the declaration of Solomon as heir to the throne, and King David’s death. King Solomon built the Holy Temple. I…
The Blessings of the Amidah: On Behalf of the Righteous
The nineteen blessings of the Amidah make up the core of the Jewish prayer service. The thirteenth blessing is the opposite of the one before; it is a prayer for the righteous, with the…
What’s In The Book: I Samuel
The First Book of Samuel concerns the establishment of the Israelite monarchy. It opens with Samuel the Prophet, the last Judge, who was raised under the tutelage of Eli, the High……
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…
The Book of Ruth
Ruth was the Moabite wife of Machlon, one of the sons of Elimelech and Naomi, a wealthy couple who had fled Bethlehem during a bitter famine and settled in Moab, a neighboring country…
Day of Distinction
On the first day of Sivan in the year 2448 (Jewish calendar), only seven weeks after leaving Egypt, the Israelites reached the Wilderness of Sinai. On the desert plain around the…
On Being A Grandparent
Bubbe and Zaide, Grandma and Grandpa, Saba and Savta--No matter what you call them, grandparents are special people in our lives. Certainly many a grandparent relishes the carefree…
Shoftim 5764-2004
"Justice, Justice Shall You Pursue" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Parashat Shoftim--the name means "judges" or "magistrates," and this parasha deals essentially with the ethical and…
Yitro 5766-2006
"Sanctify Them, Today and Tomorrow" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Yitro, we read of the great Divine Revelation that took place at Mt. Sinai in the year…