A Time Without
Death is part of life, and Jewish law provides guidelines both for dealing with death and for avoiding the spiritual diminution associated with death. When a person mourns another's…
Touched By An Angel
Virtually all topics concerning life are covered in the vast and varied discourses of the Talmud. Life, afterlife, and even pre-life. In Talmud Niddah (30b), the sages discuss the…
Kee Teitzei 5768-2008
"The 'Mitzvah' of Divorce" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald As we have previously noted, parashat Kee Teitzei contains the largest number of mitzvot of any parasha in the Torah. According to…
Va’etchanan 5765-2005
"The Jewish Attitude Toward Intermarriage" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week's parasha, parashat Va'etchanan, is chock-full of extraordinary themes, including the texts of the Ten…
Tzav 5770-2010
"The Command" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, parashat Tzav, the Al-mighty says to Moses (Leviticus 6:2): "Tzav et Aharon v'et bah'nahv lay'mor: Zoht toh'raht…
Behar 5763-2003
"Understanding Hebrew and Canaanite Servitude" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, parashat Behar, we learn of the laws of the Eved Ivri and the Eved K'na'ani,…
Bechukotai,Behar,Weekly Message
Behar-Bechukotai 5766-2006
"The Economics of Torah" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald The very last chapter of the book of Leviticus chapter 27, which concludes this week's double parashiot Behar-Bechukotai, focuses on…
Tazria 5765-2005
"Some Important Lessons That We Learn from the Ancient Biblical Tzara'at" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The primary theme of this week's parasha, parashat Tazria, is the ancient Biblical…
Shelach 5774-2014
“Do Not Follow After the Desires of Your Heart and Eyes” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald While the major theme of parashat Shelach concerns the scouts who return from the Land of Israel with…
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…