Yitro 5769-2009

"Ambassadors Needed" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Yitro, Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, gives his son-in-law practical and insightful advice regarding the…

Read More

Yitro 5771-2011

"The Dark Side of Judaism" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In our previous studies of parashat Yitro 5760-2000, we spoke of Israel’s encounter with Jethro and the non-Jewish world. Through…

Read More

Devarim-Tisha B’Av 5767-2007

"Zion Shall be Redeemed through Justice" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald On Monday night, July 23 and all day Tuesday, July 24, 2007, the fast of Tisha b'Av, the 9th of Av, will be observed.…

Read More

Holiday Greetings

The standard pre-Rosh Hashana greeting of “K’tiva v’chatima tova” ("May you be written and sealed for good”) is deduced from a Talmudic discussion concerning the three heavenly books that…

Read More

Mishpatim 5777-2017

“Majority Rule " This week’s parasha, parashat Mishpatim, is one of the most content-rich parashiot in the entire Torah. Mishpatim, which literally means “laws” or “rules,” serves as the…

Read More

The Great Sanhedrin

In ancient times, the court system of Israel was dominated by two forms of large courts. The smaller of the large courts known as "Small Sanhedrins," were composed of 23 sages each, and…

Read More

The Great Sanhedrin

In ancient times, the court system of Israel was dominated by two forms of large courts. The smaller courts, known as “small sanhedrins,” were composed of 23 sages each and were located…

Read More

Mishpatim 5763-2003

"Justice! Justice!" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This coming week's parasha, parashat Mishpatim, contains an abundance of laws that cover a vast array of Jewish civil and criminal…

Read More

Yitro 5772-2012

"Who is the Real Jethro?" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Jethro, a man of great stature and distinction, is first encountered in the Bible in Exodus 2:16. The Torah describes Jethro as…

Read More

Balak 5771-2011

"Taking the Law Into One’s Own Hand" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald At the conclusion of this week’s parasha, parashat Balak, we learn that after Bilaam’s failed attempts to curse the…

Read More