Pidyon Ha’ben – Redeeming the Firstborn
“You must redeem the firstborn of a person…when he is one month old, for the value of five silver shekels” (Numbers 18:15-16). God sanctified the firstborn male Israelites when He…
Pidyon Ha’ben – Redeeming the Firstborn
“You must redeem the firstborn of a person…when he is one month old, for the value of five silver shekels” (Numbers 18:15-16). God sanctified the firstborn male Israelites when He…
Pidyon Ha’ben – Redeeming the Firstborn
“You must redeem the firstborn of a person ... when he is one month old, for the value of five silver shekels” (Numbers 18:15-16). God sanctified the firstborn male Israelites when He…
Pidyon Ha’ben – Redeeming the Firstborn
“You must redeem the firstborn of a person ... when he is one month old, for the value of five silver shekels” (Numbers 18:15-16). God sanctified the firstborn male Israelites when He…
Chukat 5761-2001
"Can Death Be Sweet?" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's Torah portion, parashat Chukat, we learn of the death of Aaron at Mt. Hor. G-d speaks to Moshe and Aaron at the…
Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai and the City of Yavne
Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai lived during the tumultuous times when the Jewish residents of Judea rebelled against Rome, and the Romans besieged and then destroyed Jerusalem. At the time,…
Shem ben Noah
When the great flood that inundated the world began, eight people entered the ark: Noah and his wife, Na’ama, and their three sons and three daughters-in-law. Because Noah and Na’ama had…
Grape Clusters and Rabbi Jossie
Rabbi Jossie (Joseph) ben Joezer was a Talmudic sage whose life marked the transition of one era to the next. According to the Talmud, when Rabbi Jossie and his colleague…
Va’eira 5762-2002
"Can We Question G-d and Get Away With It?" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This coming week's parasha, parashat Va'eira, opens with G-d's response to Moshe's complaint that things have…
Shemot 5760-1999
"Commitment to Judaism: A lesson from Moshe" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, parashat Shemot, we encounter one of the most challenging situations of…