Eikev 5771-2011

"Finding the Greatness of G-d in His Humility" Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, Moses continues his valedictory address to the Jewish people. In one of the most powerful…

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Mishpatim 5774-2014

“Oh’na’ah–Taking Unfair Advantage of the Weak” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Mishpatim, contains 53 of the 613 commandments, 30 negative commandments and 23…

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Chanukah Yum

While Jewish holidays are known for their food (except Yom Kippur, of course), most of these foods are not known for being particularly healthy. Chanukah is no exception. Forget…

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Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah

Tonight starts the holiday of Shemini Atzeret, literally the Gathering of the Eighth, a connected, yet independent holiday, that immediately follows Sukkot. During the seven days of…

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Chanukah Heroines

Chanukah Heroines There are two famous stories about women associated with Chanukah, the story of Yehudit and the story of…

Chanukah: What’s the Mitzvah

Here's a quiz:What is the primary mitzvah of Chanukah? a) Eating latkes (potato pancakes)b) Giving Chanukah gifts or gelt (money)c) Publicizing the miracle of the oil that lasted 8 daysd)…

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The Story of Chanukah

The Story of Chanukah Around the year 167 B.C.E., the Syrian-Greek rulers of Judea tried to force the Jews to assimilate into Hellenic culture. They summoned the Jews to the town squares…

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Put On a Happy Face

"When one shows his teeth [smiles] to his fellow man, it is better than giving him milk to drink" (Talmud Ketubot 111b). How does the song go? “When you’re smiling the whole…

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Purim’s Villainess

Anyone familiar with the basic Purim story knows that the primary enemy of the Jewish people was Haman. What may not be as well-known is that there are several other…

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What’s in the Book: Joshua

The Book of Joshua (Yehoshua) is the first of the ten books known as Nevi'im, the Books of the Prophets. It begins after Moses’ death, when Joshua bin Nun assumed the leadership of…

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