The First Jewish Lawyer

The study of law appears to attract a disproportionate number of Jews, perhaps because expounding arguments, pro and con, is one of the great pleasures of Talmudic discourse. In fact, one…

Read More

But Mom, You Promised

Parenting is no easy task. From a very early age, children demand and seek gifts and concessions from their parents. And particularly in our overly-materialistic society, children want a…

Read More

The Purim Story in Under 300 Words

At the end of a 180-day feast, the Persian-Medean King Achashverosh executed his wife, Vashti, for refusing to appear at his banquet. Achashverosh staged an elaborate beauty contest to…

Read More

Vayishlach 5765-2004

"The Encounter" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Vayishlach, we read of the dramatic encounter between Jacob and Esau. Uncertain whether Esau is coming toward…

Read More

The Oldest Book of Diplomacy

In the beginning of Parashat Vayishlach, Jacob is informed that his estranged brother, Esau, is approaching with an army of 400 men under his command. Prior to this meeting, the last time…

Read More

Purim Again

Unique to the Jewish calendar, Purim is actually observed on different days depending on location. The majority of the Jewish people celebrate Purim on the 14th of Adar (today). However,…

Read More

But Mom, You Promised

Parenting is no easy task. From a very early age, children demand and seek gifts and concessions from their parents. And, particularly in our overly-materialistic society, children want a…

Read More

Vayishlach 5782-2021

“Yisrael: The People Who Wrestle with G-d” (updated and revised from Vayishlach 5762-2001) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Vayishlach, after having lived…

Read More

The Purim Story in Under 300 Words

At the end of a 180-day feast, the King of Persia-Medea, Achashverosh, banished (some say, executed) his wife, Vashti, for refusing to appear at his banquet. He then staged an elaborate…

Read More

A Joyous Erev Shabbat

As our fellow Jews celebrate Shushan Purim in Jerusalem, and we prepare for Shabbat, enjoy another hamentashen, and crank up the festive celebratory Jewish music to mark the joyous…

Read More