The Fast of the Fifth of Tevet
Aside from Yom Kippur, which is mentioned in the Torah, all the other fasts on the Jewish calendar are rabbinic in nature and find their rabbinic source in a single scriptural verse:…
Chanukah,Weekly Message,Mikeitz
Mikeitz-Chanukah 5768-2007
"Unexpected Parallels between Mikeitz and the Story of Chanukah" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald This week's parasha, parashat Mikeitz, is almost always read on Shabbat Chanukah. Could there be…
Noah 5768-2007
"Noah: A Biblical Profile" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald When compared to the dynamic Abraham and even to the self-indulgent Adam, Noah often pales in comparison to these two great fathers…
Va’eira 5771-2011
"Messages from the Nile" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Va’eira, we read of the first seven plagues that strike the Egyptians. The first two plagues, blood…
Elegies (Kinnot)
An elegy is defined as a mournful poem or a lament. In Hebrew, an elegy is known as a kinna. On Tisha b’Av, when the Jewish people mourn the destruction of both the First and Second…
Elegies (Kinnot)
An elegy is defined as a mournful poem or a lament. In Hebrew, an elegy is known as a kinna. On Tisha b’Av, when the Jewish people mourn the destruction of both the First and Second…
Blood is Life
God called the very first human being Adam (aleph-daled-mem). While the most obvious connection is to the Hebrew word adama (ground -aleph-daled-mem-hey), it cannot be ignored that Adam…
Elegies (Kinnot)
An elegy is defined as a mournful poem or a lament. In Hebrew, an elegy is known as a kinna. On Tisha b’Av, when the Jewish people mourn the destruction of both the First and Second…
Blood Is Life
January has been labeled National Blood Donor Month, making it an ideal time for Jewish Treats to reflect upon Judaism’s special attitude toward blood. God called the very first human…