Passover 5761-2001

"The Final days of Pesach - Days of Unity" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald That the Jews happened to find themselves in Egypt and were enslaved by the Egyptians was not at all coincidence.…

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Yitro 5771-2011

"The Dark Side of Judaism" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In our previous studies of parashat Yitro 5760-2000, we spoke of Israel’s encounter with Jethro and the non-Jewish world. Through…

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Shemot 5775-2015

"Moses--The Mysterious Early Years" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Shemot, the Torah reports that Moses, the Jewish child who was rescued by Pharaoh’s…

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Nitzavim-Rosh Hashana 5776/5777-2016

“Israel’s Charge to Impact on the World” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Nitzavim, Moses, on the last day of his life, renews the Covenant of G-d with His…

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Va’eira 5777-2017

"The Dangers of Self Delusion” by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Va’eira, we read of the first seven plagues that the Al-mighty visited upon the Egyptians in…

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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…

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Terumah 5780-2020

“The Centrality of Torah” (updated and revised from Terumah 5762-2002) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s Torah portion, parashat Terumah, G-d speaks to Moses and instructs him…

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Kiddush

Kiddush Kiddush, sanctification, is the prayer said over wine and/or grape juice through which Jews proclaim the uniqueness of…

Va’eira 5772-2012

“The Decline and Collapse of the Egyptian Magicians” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Va’eira, we learn of the first seven plagues that strike the Egyptians.…

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Chag Ha’matzot

The name of the holiday “Passover,” is an allusion to God’s passing over the Israelite households during the plague of the firstborn, a critical element in the events of the Exodus. The…

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