After A Snack
After eating a meal with bread, Birkat Hamazon/Bentching/Grace After Meals is recited as a way to thank and acknowledge God’s gift of sustenance. But what does one recite after eating a…
Pekudei 5774-2014
“Moses Retires from Center Stage” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Pekudei, the moment for which the People of Israel have long been waiting, has finally…
Vayigash 5779-2018
“The Innocent Victim” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Vayigash, the Torah describes the dramatic moment when Joseph reveals himself to his brothers. Prior to…
Judaism,Chanukah,Chanukah ResourcesResources,Literacy,Judaism,Chanukah
What to do on Chanukah
What to do on ChanukahChanukah is unique amongst the holidays in that it has only a single mitzvah - publicizing the miracle…
Vayeitzei 5761-2000
"The Role of Mother Rachel in Jewish History" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, parashat Vayeitzei, we encounter Jacob as he is fleeing from Canaan, the home of his…
Bo 5775-2015
“The Intuitive Jew” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Bo, the eighth and ninth plagues--locusts and darkness, are visited upon the Egyptians. At long last,…
Shemini 5776-2016
“Good Intentions Gone Awry” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Shemini, we learn of the tragic deaths of Aaron’s oldest sons, Nadav and Abihu, who were punished…
Yiddishisms
On November 18, 2013, NASA launched an atmospheric probe to Mars, which initiated the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission. Its mission was to gather data to determine why…
Behar-Bechukotai, Yom Yerushalayim 5772-2012
"Living Outside the Land of Israel" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In parashat Behar, the first of this week’s double parashiot, Behar-Bechukotai, we learn of the special relationship that…