Vayigash 5770-2009
"How Much is Enough?" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Vayigash, Joseph dramatically reveals himself to his brothers and instructs them to bring his father…
Vayeishev 5780-2019
“The Coming of Age of Joseph: from Lad to Bechor” (edited and revised from Vayeishev 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Vayeishev, we are…
Weekly Message,Behar,Bechukotai
Behar-Bechukotai 5769-2009
"Impoverishment: In those Days, in these Times" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Until the recent financial meltdown, it was difficult to conceive of impoverishment, especially in the Jewish…
Lift Their Spirits
Perform a meaningful act of kindness today by calling relatives and friends, especially shut-ins who might really appreciate your good wishes for good health or a Shabbat Shalom.
Can the Theory of Evolution and God Co-Exist?
On this “Darwin Day,” commemorating the birth of Charles Darwin on February 12, 1809, we address the issue of Darwin’s own belief in God, given his authorship of the famed Theory of…
Sheket…Bevakasha
There are not too many cultures where people laugh when they are told to “shut up, please!” Yet, there are many Jews who, in that situation, do exactly that- laugh! In fact, anyone who…
Choral in the Capitals
The history of Jewish settlement in Russia is as long and complex as the narrative of the ever-shifting areas of Russian power. In the 18th century, Empress Catherine the Great banished…
Rising Early
Anthropologists, sociologists and others who study the ways of different cultures all recognize the importance of language in understanding a people. It is commonly stated (whether true…