Vayeishev 5779-2018
“The Mystical Aspects of the Sale of Joseph” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Vayeishev, we read of the sale of Joseph by his brothers, which resulted…
Pinchas 5766-2006
"The 'Zealotry' of Pinchas" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week's parasha, parashat Pinchas, opens with the conclusion of the story that began in last week's parasha of a tribal leader…
Pinchas 5775-2015
“Learning by Example” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Pinchas, G-d rewards Pinchas, the son of Elazar, the grandson of Aaron the High Priest, for turning…
Shemot 5776-2016
"By What Right Does Moses Kill The Egyptian?” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Shemot, we learn that Moses, who was raised in the royal house of Pharaoh,…
Tetzaveh 5778-2018
“The Brothers: Moses and Aaron” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Parashat Tetzaveh deals almost exclusively with the Kehuna, the office of the priesthood. It focuses on the priests’…
Ein Gedi
No tour of Israel can be complete without a visit to the Judean desert. Aside from climbing the famed fortress of Masada, you can actually float in the Dead Sea, the lowest spot on earth,…
The Best Defense
The Mishna, as quoted in Sanhedrin 73a, says: “The following must be saved [from sinning] even at the cost of their lives: he who pursues his neighbor in order to slay him...” In other…
Ein Gedi
No tour of Israel can be complete without a visit to the Judean desert. Aside from climbing the famed fortress of Masada, you can actually float in the Dead Sea, the lowest spot on earth,…
Bereshith 5764-2003
"The Book of Humankind" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald More than 2000 years ago, the rabbis of the Babylonian Jewish community divided the Torah into 54 portions, and began the practice of…
Vayeitzei 5763-2002
"The Transformation of Jacob" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald This week's Torah portion, parashat Vayeitzei, continues the fascinating story of the patriarchal family of Isaac and the saga of…