What You Say to the King
Is it okay to malign the leader(s) of the country? In the United States, the concept of freedom of speech allows for a great range of political commentary and criticism. Whether this is…
Balak 5771-2011
"Taking the Law Into One’s Own Hand" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald At the conclusion of this week’s parasha, parashat Balak, we learn that after Bilaam’s failed attempts to curse the…
Pinchas 5782-2022
“Can a Perfect G-d Sin?” (Updated and revised from Pinchas 5763-2003) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Pinchas, is full of fascinating narratives. The parasha…
Pinchas 5763-2003
"Can a Perfect G-d Sin?" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week's parasha, parashat Pinchas, is replete with fascinating narratives. The parasha opens with G-d's reward to Pinchas for his…
Pinchas 5767-2007
"Rosh Chodesh, the Modest Holiday" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Parashat Pinchas opens with the Al-mighty praising Pinchas, grandson of Aaron the High Priest, for fatally stabbing Zimri,…
A King, a Ghost and a Witch
Across the Western world, children are reveling in the realm of the un-dead, an off-shoot of a distinctly non-Jewish holiday (Halloween). Yet the underlying interest in ghosts, goblins…
Pinchas 5765-2005
"Whatever Became of the Sons of Korach?" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week's parasha, parashat Pinchas, opens with the conclusion of the well-known act of zealotry perpetrated by…
One from David, One from Joseph
The belief in an ultimate redeemer, referred to as Moshiach (Messiah), is a central tenet of Jewish faith. But, almost all of the details about the coming of Moshiach and the Messianic…
Pinchas 5774-2014
“The Battle for Women’s Rights” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Pinchas, the five daughters of Zelophehad plead for the right to inherit their father’s…
King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba
Based on popular lore, when people think of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, they envision a romance of epic proportions. The true nature of their relationship, however, is far from…