Stingy?
Is being frugal a Jewish trait? After all, being “tight-fisted” is one of the most common slurs against Jews. One might think there is some truth to this statement when reading in Sotah…
Return of the Dead?
The relationship of the living and the dead is an oft debated topic by the sages. Judaism firmly believes that, post mortem, a person's neshama (soul) goes to an afterworld known as Olam…
In The Wilderness
The Torah was given to the Jewish nation in the midst of the wilderness on a tiny mountain called Sinai. Throughout the Torah, however, there is much focus on the “Promised Land” and the…
Kiddush Wine
Kiddush is one of the primary components of the commandment to “Remember the Sabbath Day” (Za'chor et Yom Ha'Shabbat- Exodus 20:8), which is the “umbrella” commandment for all of the…
Two Pillars of Five
Jewish law, and thus Jewish life, rests on two pillars, the mitzvot between a person and God and the mitzvot between one person and another. These two pillars of law are laid out in the…
Mishpatim 5765-2005
"The Conundrum of Charity--Who Benefits More?" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This coming week's parasha, parashat Mishpatim, contains an abundance of interesting mitzvot. Among the 53…
Visiting The Sick
“It was taught: There is no measure [of reward] for visiting the sick. What is meant by, ‘there is no measure for visiting the sick?’ Rabbi Joseph thought to explain that: Its reward is…
Kee Teitzei 5781-2021
“Transforming an Enemy into a Friend” (updated and revised from Kee Teitzei 5762-2002) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald We are now well into the month of אֱלוּל, Elul, the month that leads…
Just One Mitzvah
If there's any universal message the Chabad movement would want absorbed in memory of the Seventh Rebbe, it would be to perform mitzvot (good deeds) and connect Jewishly. We are taught in…
Written for Their Sons
Imagine traveling forward 500 years in time and discovering multitudes of people studying something you had written for your child. Imagine walking into a bookstore and finding multiple…