Thank You For Having Me
Giving an appropriate gift to a host or hostess is the topic of many an etiquette column. But when one is invited to a Shabbat meal, not just any gift will do. Although “Miss Manners”…
They Called Him “Two-Gun”
The nickname “Two-Gun” evokes images of a rough-shaven cowboy in the Wild West. Actually, the nickname belonged to one Morris “Moishe” Cohen. An immigrant child from Poland to London,…
Letter Abbreviations
Everyone is familiar with standard letter form: the return address here, the date there, salutation and signature each have a place, etc. When looking at letters, or documents, written by…
It’s Electric
In the early 1900s, rabbinic authorities had to determine exactly what electricity was from an halachic (Jewish legal) perspective. The first uses of electricity were, of course, for…
Tear It Open
The Jewish people observe the commandment to “guard” the Sabbath by refraining from any of the 39 m’la’chot, the 39 acts of creative labor that were employed in building the Tabernacle…
Conflicting Torah Laws
What should one do when two Torah laws seem to be in conflict? One of the most common examples of such a situation is in the commandment to honor one’s mother and father. This law…
Shabbat Heroics
Question: What does a Sabbath-observant doctor do when a friend or neighbor needs emergency medical assistance on Shabbat? The answer: Everything necessary. Call an ambulance, cut a…
A Look At The Law
There are three types of laws in the Torah...mishpatim, edot and chukim: Mishpatim are basic laws. In fact, mishpatim are generally translated as those laws which are necessary and…
Shemot 5761-2001
"The Not-So-Obvious Process of Enslavement" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, parashat Shemot, we begin our annual encounter with the story of the Egyptian…
Shemot 5781-2021
“The Not-So-Obvious Process of Hebrew Enslavement” (revised and updated from parashat Shemot 5761-2001) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Shemot, we…