You Are Royalty

Passover is known as the festival of freedom. And who is more free than royalty? At the Seder, all Jews are supposed to consider themselves royalty. Some of the ways we demonstrate this…

Read More

Yitro 5769-2009

"Ambassadors Needed" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Yitro, Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, gives his son-in-law practical and insightful advice regarding the…

Read More

Matot 5768-2008

"Striving for Refined Speech" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Matot, we learn of the laws that govern vows and oaths, known in Hebrew as nedarim and…

Read More

Korach 5768-2008

"Datan and Abiram: The Protagonists" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In the opening verse of this week's parasha, parashat Korach, we encounter the names Datan and Abiram for the first time.…

Read More

Rosh Hashana 5768-2007

"The Sounding of the Shofar" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald Undoubtedly, the most moving part of the Rosh Hashana service is the sounding of the shofar, which takes place in the service soon…

Read More

Yitro 5767-2007

"Will Our Children be Our Guarantors?" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Yitro, the glorious Revelation takes place at Mt. Sinai, at which G-d delivers the…

Read More

Re’eh 5766-2006

"Adding or Subtracting" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Parashat Re'eh is a rich and colorful parasha that contains 55 mitzvot, 17 positive and 38 negative. Among the most intriguing of the…

Read More

B’ha’alot’cha 5766-2006

"With G-d as our Guide" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Beha'alotecha, we are told that the travels of the ancient Israelites in the wilderness were…

Read More

Korach 5765-2005

"Lessons from the Rebels" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, parashat Korach, we learn about the infamous rebellion of Korach and his cohorts against G-d and…

Read More

Chayei Sara 5765-2004

"Reaching Out to Family Members" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Chayei Sarah, the aged Abraham instructs his Damascan servant, Eliezer, to swear to him by…

Read More