Chanukah and Divine Order
Chanukah always overlaps with at least one Shabbat (if not two), and since Chanukah begins on the 25th of Kislev and lasts for eight days, the holiday always coincides with the…
Vayeira 5774-2013
“Greater than Welcoming the Divine Presence” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The opening verses of this week’s parasha, parashat Vayeira, record that the Al-mighty appeared to Abraham in the…
Vayeishev 5766-2005
"The Vast Majority of the Time, G-d Rules the World" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Unbeknownst to all of the characters who play significant roles in parashat Vayeishev, G-d is diligently…
What’s in the Book: the Twelve Prophets – Joel
The Book of Joel is a mere four chapters long. The prophet Joel lived in the Kingdom of Judea and prophesied during the reign of the wicked King Manasseh (c. 600 B.C.E.). Joel’s prophecy…
Vayakhel,Weekly Message,Pekudei
Vayakhel-Pekudei 5778-2018
"Bringing G-d Home” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s double parshiyot, Vayakhel-Pekudei, pose a significant challenge to all students of Torah. In this week’s parshiyot, the Torah…
Naso 5763-2003
"The Hypocrite as Exemplar" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, parashat Naso, we encounter a very strange order in the topics of the text. The Torah in Numbers…
Naso 5782-2022
“The Hypocrite as Exemplar” (updated and revised from Naso 5763-2003) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Naso, we find that the topics of the Biblical text are…
Sukkot 5764-2003
"The Seven Protective Divine Clouds" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald The festival of Sukkot acknowledges our profound gratitude to the A-lmighty who watched over our ancestors after the exodus…
Yitro 5775-2015
“I Shall Come to You and Bless You” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Yitro, after the dramatic pronouncement of the Ten Commandments at Sinai, the Torah, once…
Vayeira 5779-2018
“The Tension Between Human Love and Divine Will” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Vayeira, we find two important stories that reflect on the…