My Father, Our Father
Many well-known Jewish songs are based on words from the Bible. While a vast majority of them are based on Tehillim (Psalms) one of the most famous is almost a direct quote from Genesis:…
How Pharaoh Enslaved The Israelites
While reading the Book of Exodus, one might wonder at the swift descent of the Jewish nation from being the privileged family of the Viceroy, Joseph, to becoming downtrodden and abused…
“And Now Let Us Say Amen…”
The word “Amen” seems to be one of those words associated with prayer throughout the Judeo-Christian culture, but what does it mean? The response Amen at the end of an oath or a prayer is…
Mezuzah: Complete Fulfillment
A mezuzah on the doorpost is a public sign of a Jewish home. If you open the decorative container of the mezuzah you will find a piece of parchment with two sets of Hebrew verses from…
Hear O Israel
"Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one!" Articulate it please! Say it out loud - slowly, deliberately...ahh, now, that’s the way to say the Shema. This first line of the…
Blessings
The Hebrew word for blessing is bracha. People are most familiar with this term from the formulation of Jewish prayers that start with the word: Baruch, Blessed. Those who are familiar…
Why We Pray In Hebrew
How, it is often asked, can a person pray if he or she does not understand Hebrew? What is the purpose of the prayer service if it is merely a sequence of hard to pronounce and…
Haazinu 5760-1999
"The Final Song" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week's parasha, parashat Haazinu, contains the final song which Moshe sings before his death. This is the song to which Moshe alluded in…
Yitro 5766-2006
"Sanctify Them, Today and Tomorrow" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Yitro, we read of the great Divine Revelation that took place at Mt. Sinai in the year…
Mezuzah: Complete Fulfillment
A mezuzah on the doorpost is a public sign of a Jewish home. If you open the decorative container of the mezuzah you will find a piece of parchment with two sets of Hebrew verses from…