Parasha of The Month

This Shabbat we will read Parashat HaChodesh, the Sabbath of “the Month.” The Torah portion that is read as the Maftir (additional reading) after the conclusion of the reading of the…

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Re’eh 5764-2004

"Identifying a True Prophet" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Re'eh, the Torah warns the Jewish people not to follow false prophets. The difficulty with this…

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Kee Tavo 5763-2003

"Watch out for Laban, he's more dangerous than Pharaoh!" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Parashat Kee Tavo is an "ominous" parasha. It is one of two Torah portions that features the…

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Kee Tavo 5760-2000

"Welcoming the Stranger" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This coming week's parasha, parashat Kee Tavo, opens with the ritual of bringing the Bikurim, the first fruits of the season, to the…

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B’ha’a’lot’cha 5780-2020

The Torah’s Attitude toward Converts (Revised and Updated from Parashat B’ha’a’lot’cha 5761-2001)   by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald. This coming week’s Torah portion, parashat…

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Emor 5765-2005

"Priests and Death: An Unusual Relationship" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week's parasha, parashat Emor, continues the theme of holiness from last week's parasha, parashat Kedoshim,…

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Re’eh 5782-2022

“Identifying a True Prophet” (updated and revised from Re’eh 5764-2004) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Re’eh, the Torah warns the Jewish people not to…

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Terumah 5769-2009

"The Delicate Balance" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week's parasha, parashat Terumah, begins a series of four and a half parashiot that deal extensively with erecting the Mishkan,…

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Va’etchanan 5783-2023

"The Dialectic of Body and Soul" (updated and revised from Va’etchanan 5764-2004) In this week’s parasha, parashat Va’etchanan, we encounter several well-known and significant texts.…

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Shelach 5768-2008

"We Were like Grasshoppers in Our Eyes" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Shelach, Moses sends twelve representatives, one from each tribe, to scout the land…

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