Lech Lecha 5769-2008
"A Blessing on Your Head" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Blessings play a key role in Judaism. Not surprisingly, there are a vast number of them in Jewish life. There are blessings for…
Lech Lecha 5766-2005
"Abraham, Father of the Jewish Nation" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Although the birth of Abram (Abraham's original name) is recorded at the end of parashat Noah (Genesis 11:26), it is in…
Sukkot 5772-2011
“The Meaning of Sukkot: Insights of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888) was a rabbi, statesman, philosopher and leader of…
Chayei Sara 5762-2001
"Raising Jewish Children in a Challenging Environment" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This coming week's parasha, parashat Chayei Sarah, begins with the death of Sarah. Less widely known…
Emor 5773-2013
"Sanctifying G-d’s Name" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Emor, we find the seminal commandments to sanctify G-d’s name and the prohibition of desecrating…
Shavuot,Weekly Message,Bamidbar
Bamidbar-Shavuot 5773-2013
"The Invaluable Legacy of the Ancient Camp of Israel" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Bamidbar, the first parasha in Numbers, the fourth book of the Torah,…
Sukkot 5775-2014
“Rabbi Eliyahu Kitov’s Observations on the Sukkot Festival” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Rabbi Eliyahu Kitov was one of Israel’s most prolific and acclaimed religious writers. His…
Tzav 5775-2015
“When Performing a Mitzvah Comes at a Significant Personal Cost” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Tzav, for the most part, continues the Torah’s review of the…
Emor 5775-2015
“Distractions, Distractions!” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s Torah portion, parashat Emor, opens with an extensive series of laws regarding the conduct of the Kohanim, the…
B’shalach 5776-2016
“The Small ‘Stuff’ is not Always Small” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat B’shalach, features the majestic story of the People of Israel crossing the Red Sea, and…