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…

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Naso 5761-2001

"The Ordeal of the Sotah - Barbaric or Enlightened?" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week's Torah portion, Naso, with 176 verses, is the longest parasha of the Torah, and always…

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Naso 5780-2020

The Ordeal of the Sotah -- Barbaric or Enlightened? (Revised and Updated from Parashat Naso 5761-2001) by Rabbi Ephraim Z.  Buchwald This week’s Torah portion, Naso, with 176 verses, is…

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The Original Prenuptial Agreement

Did you know that it is a custom among some Jewish households to display their “prenuptial” agreements on the wall? It’s called a ketubah (marriage contract), presented by the husband to…

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Vayeitzei 5771-2010

"The Hated Wife” by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Vayeitzei, we come face-to-face with the difficulties that are often encountered in polygamous marriages. In…

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Can There Be Too Much Joy?

The Talmud (Mo’ed Katan 8b) rules that we may not get married during the intermediate days of a festival. The Talmud offers two reasons for the prohibition. First, because we do not mix…

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King and Queen of Hearts

In Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer (a book of Midrash attributed to Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus), it is stated: "Chatan domeh l’melech", a groom is similar to a king. While this…

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To Love, Honor and Cherish…

It would seem to make common sense that honoring one’s spouse is an essential part of any marriage relationship, and yet, the sages go out of their way to remind husbands of the…

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King and Queen of Hearts

In Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer (a book of Midrash attributed to Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus), it is stated: "Chatan domeh l’melech", a groom is equal to a king. While this statement is the…

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Vayeishev 5762-2001

"Judah, The Paradigm For Jewish Future" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This coming week's parasha, parashat Vayeishev, has got to be one of the most inspiring and dramatic chapters in all…

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