Passover II 5776-2016
“The Final Days of Passover: Love and Hope" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald According to tradition, on the seventh day of Passover the sea split and the ancient Israelites marched…
Terumah 5778-2018
“The Cherubs” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Terumah, we read of the many and varied materials that were donated by the people to build the Mishkan, the…
Chukat 5778-2018
"The People of Israel are Taught to be More Independent" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Chukat, opens with the laws of the פָּרָה אֲדֻמָּה, Parah Adumah, the…
Haazinu-Sukkot 5779-2018
“The Challenges of Poverty and Wealth” by Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Haazinu, we read the beautiful song that Moses sang to the Jewish people on the final…
Devarim 5770-2010
"On That Day the Lord Shall Be One and His Name One" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The book of Deuteronomy, known in Hebrew as Devarim, opens with the people now standing at the border of…
An Historical Dip
Parashat Vayeshev can certainly be a strong candidate for saddest Torah portion of the year, as we encounter the tragedy of the hatred borne by Jacob’s sons for their brother Joseph, the…
Sarah’s Whereabouts Determine Jewish Law
Parashat Vayeira begins with Avraham convalescing after his circumcision. Unexpectedly, he sees three “visitors,” whom the Midrash identifies as angels, come toward his home. Excited to…
On the 25th of Kislev
It is not uncommon to find that significant events in Jewish history occurred in different years but on the same day on the Jewish calendar. For instance, Tisha b'Av (9th of…
Rahel the Poetess
The poetry of Rahel has been described as both lyrical and sad, reflecting the challenges of her relatively brief life and her passion for the Land of Israel. Rahel Bluwstein Sela…
Jewish Foundation in Science Fiction
In 1981, in his introduction to the science fiction anthology More Wandering Stars, Isaac Asimov pondered the question, “Can science fiction be part of Jewish culture?” As this was…