Joseph, Son of Jacob

The story of Jacob’s eleventh son is a tale of epic proportion. The firstborn of Rachel, Joseph was his father’s favorite child, and Jacob never hesitated to display his feelings of…

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Vayigash 5783-2022

“Joseph Reveals Himself to His Brothers: The Triumph of Jewish Identity” (updated and revised from Vayigash 5763-2002) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In a very real sense, according to…

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Mikeitz 5774-2013

"What’s in a Name? Zaphenath-Paneach" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Mikeitz, Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dream and is elevated to serve as viceroy of…

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Vayeishev 5765-2004

"A Personality Profile of Joseph" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Vayeishev, we encounter the twelve tribes of Israel in their early stages of development,…

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His Wife Saved His Life

Ohn the son of Pelet was a Reubenite who fell under the sway of a rebellious Levite named Korach. Korach felt that a great injustice had been perpetrated in Aaron’s appointment to the…

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His Wife Saved His Life

Ohn the son of Pelet was a Reubenite who fell under the sway of a rebellious Levite named Korach. Korach felt that a great injustice had been perpetrated in Aaron’s appointment to the…

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Her Son Hur, His Grandson, and His Actions!

On the 15th of Tammuz, we observe the yahrzeit (anniversary of the day of death) of Hur, a relatively unsung hero from Biblical times, who was the first Jew to die al Kiddush Hashem,…

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Vayigash 5763-2002

"Joseph Reveals Himself to His Brothers: The Triumph of Jewish Identity" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald In a very real sense, the story of Joseph, as depicted in parashat Vayigash, is the…

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Goshen, Egypt

After recording the dramatic rendezvous between Joseph and his brothers, Jacob’s move to Egypt and Joseph’s brilliant economic plan, the very last verse in parashat Vayigash records the…

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Vayigash 5782-2021

“The Virtues of Assimilation” (updated and revised from Vayigash 5762-2001) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Vayigash, the dramatic story of Joseph and his…

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