Vayikra 5784-2024
“Parashat Zachor: 'Hating as a Mitzvah'" (updated and revised from Vayikra 5763-2003) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Since the festival of Purim will be celebrated this coming Saturday…
Terumah-Purim 5761-2001
"Amalek, Purim and the Mitzvah of Getting Drunk" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This coming week's parasha, parashat Terumah, coincides with Parashat Zachor, the special reading from…
Tetzaveh 5767-2007
"Details, Details and More Details" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Parashat Tetzaveh continues the Torah's focus on the innumerable details of the Mishkan--the portable Tabernacle that…
Tetzaveh 5765-2005
"A Flame in Every Jewish Heart" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This coming week's parasha, parashat Tetzaveh, focuses primarily on the design and manufacture of the priestly vestments. The…
Kee Tisah 5767-2007
"Making Each Person Count" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, Parashat Kee Tisah, we read of the machatzit ha'shekel, the half shekel that was donated by all adult male…
Pekudei 5760-2000
"Honesty and Integrity in Public Life" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, Parashat Pekudei, the Torah portion begins with an accounting of the amounts of gold,…
Behar,Weekly Message,Bechukotai
Behar-Bechukotai 5761-2001
"Setting A New Standard of Ethics" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald This coming week, we once again read two parashiot, Behar and Bechukotai. In parashat Behar, Leviticus 25, verse 14, we find…
Kiss the Mezuzah
One might easily think of the mitzvah of mezuzah as a passive mitzvah. Simply recite the blessing before affixing the mezuzah to the doorposts of the house, and it is done. While affixing…
Bamidbar 5762-2002
"Counting on the People of Israel" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, parashat Bamidbar, the Jews are found in the wilderness of Sinai, on the first day of the…
Naso 5764-2004
"Our Brother, Our Sister--the Proselyte" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Naso, we learn of an interesting law concerning a person who takes possession of…