B’shalach 5774-2014
“Analysis of the ‘Shira,’ the Song of Moses Crossing the Sea” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat B’shalach, as they cross to freedom through the parted waters…
B’shalach 5777-2017
“Miriam Leads the Women in Song" This week’s parasha, parashat B’shalach, is known as the parasha of the “Shira,” the Torah portion that includes the song that Moses sang after the…
Naso 5772-2012
"The Most Famous of All Nazarites--Samson" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald According to the Sefer Ha’Chinuch (the classic work on the 613 commandments, their rationale and their regulations,…
Out To Sea
In honor of International Seafarers Day, Jewish Treats presents a brief look at seafaring in the biblical canon. The patriarchs and matriarchs were total “landlubbers.” In fact, the…
Are They Out There?
People have always been intrigued by the unknown, such as far off lands and just-out-of sight mysteries. One of the most fascinating avenues of exploration, both real and imaginary, is…
Ray Frank – An American Preacher
Ray (Rachel) Frank did not set out to be titled “Jewess in the Pulpit” or “Latter Day Deborah.” Frank’s famous career as a Jewish female preacher began in 1890, when, on a trip to write…
The Tribe of Zebulun
As the ancestors of the tribes of Israel, the lives and personalities of each of the twelve sons of Jacob significantly impact on the history and behavior of the tribe members who…
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…
Rebecca
Of the four matriarchs, it is Rebecca, the wife of Isaac, for whom the Torah provides the most background information. Notably, she is the only matriarch whose birth is recorded: “And…
The Tribe of Naphtali
As the ancestors of the tribes of Israel, the lives and personalities of each of the twelve sons of Jacob significantly impact on the history and behavior of the tribe members who…