Haazinu/Sukkot 5777-2016
“Sukkot: Enveloping Israel in G-d’s Loving-kindness” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The majestic song/poem of parashat Haazinu opens with a lyrical summary of Jewish history. Speaking in…
Chayei Sarah 5768-2007
"O Captain, My Captain" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Although the name of this week's parasha is Chayei Sarah, literally, "the life of Sarah," the parasha does not really concern itself…
B’ha’alot’cha 5769-2009
"Would a Human Author Have Written this?" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week's parasha, parashat Beha'alotecha, contains a host of diverse themes. Topics include: the Menorah,…
Chukat 5774-2014
“The Inscrutable Statutes” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Chukat opens with the well-known and deeply inscrutable law of the Red Heifer (cow). In Numbers 19:2,…
Emor 5777-2017
“Communicating a Vital Message Clearly” by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Emor, contains 63 mitzvot-- 39 negative and 24 positive. Parashat Emor ranks second, after…
Rosh Hashana 5761-2000
"The Judgment of Ishmael and its Contemporary Implications for all of G-d's Creatures" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald Because this coming Shabbat is Rosh Hashana, the normal weekly Torah…
Balak 5774-2014
“Upstaged by a Donkey” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Balak, we read of Balak, the king of Moab’s attempt to retain the services of Balaam, the non-Jewish…
Weekly Message,Genesis,Devarim
Devarim 5772-2012
"The Al-mighty’s Relationship with the Nations of the World" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald As we have previously noted on several occasions (Devarim 5765-2005), the book of Devarim…
Bereshith 5779-2018
“Who was Enoch?” In this week’s parasha, parashat Bereishith, the Torah, in Genesis 5, lists the genealogy of humankind, enumerating the names of the ten generations of descendants from…
Yom Kippur 5767-2006
"The Poetry of Yom Kippur" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In the year 1916, the great American poet, Robert Frost, penned a poem he entitled, The Road Not Taken. In this poem Frost talks of…