Fleeing in the New World

The history of the conversos, those Spanish and Portuguese Jews who hid their identities by publicly behaving as observant Catholics, is tragic not only for the horrible auto-de-fes (mass…

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Tetzaveh 5766-2006

"Drawing Close to G-d" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Tetzaveh, G-d instructs the people to make sacred garments for the priests to wear when performing the…

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Vayakhel 5765-2005

"Bezalel's Artistic Legacy" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week's parasha, parashat Vayakhel, is one of the few instances (cf. parshat Ki Tisah, Exodus 31:1-6) in which the Torah…

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Behar 5760-2000

"Wronging One Another: The Torah's Unique Viewpoint" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, Parashat Behar, we twice encounter the mitzvah of o'na'ah – the prohibition…

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Shelach 5768-2008

"We Were like Grasshoppers in Our Eyes" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Shelach, Moses sends twelve representatives, one from each tribe, to scout the land…

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Matot-Masei 5767-2007

"Vindicated Before G-d and Before People" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In the first of this week's double parashiot, parashat Matot, we read about the tribes of Reuben, Gad (and,…

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Vayechi 5771-2010

“A Very Imposing Camp” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Vayechi, the patriarch Jacob passes away at age 147 and is brought to Hebron for burial in Ma’arath…

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Vayishlach 5774-2013

"The Death of Deborah, Rebecca’s Nurse" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Vayishlach, after the traumatic rape of Dina in Shechem and the revenge at the hands…

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Eikev 5775-2015

“‘D’vay’kut’--Bonding with the Al-mighty” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Eikev, we read of the deeply spiritual mitzvah of דְּבֵקוּת “D’vay’kut,” of…

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Eikev 5777-2017

“Stages of Religious Growth” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In parashat Eikev, Moses continues his exhortation of the People of Israel, in preparation for their entry into the Promised…

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