Bo 5783-2023
“The Subtle Secrets of the 10 Plagues” (updated and revised from Bo 5763-2003) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s Torah portion, parashat Bo, describes the last three of the ten…
Vayikra 5767-2007
"Balancing Heart and Mind" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Vayikra, we encounter, once again, the challenging issue of animal sacrifice. Over the years, we have…
Bo 5763-2003
"The Subtle Secrets of the 10 Plagues" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This coming week's parasha, parashat Bo, describes the last three of the ten plagues. While the listing of the Ten…
Mishpatim 5766-2006
"We Will Do and We Will Obey" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The narrative concerning the great Revelation that was recorded in last week's parasha, parashat Yitro, continues in this week's…
Pekudei 5760-2000
"Honesty and Integrity in Public Life" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, Parashat Pekudei, the Torah portion begins with an accounting of the amounts of gold,…
Shelach 5769-2009
"Long-Term Consequences" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Shelach, we are told of the twelve scouts who were sent by Moses to explore the land of Canaan in…
Behar,Bechukotai,Weekly Message
Behar-Bechukotai 5775-2015
“The Odd Conclusion to the Book of Leviticus” By Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In parashat Bechukotai, the second of this week’s double parashiot, Behar-Bechukotai, we find two major themes,…
Va’eira 5777-2017
"The Dangers of Self Delusion” by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Va’eira, we read of the first seven plagues that the Al-mighty visited upon the Egyptians in…
The Transparency of a Conjunction
One of the hallmarks of personal integrity, is financial accountability and transparency. It behooves religious organizations, as ethical role models, to exhibit the highest level of…
Is there an Abracadabra for Repentance?
Paragraphs two and three of the first chapter of Maimonides' “Laws of Teshuva” invoke the Biblical case of the scapegoat, which, in ancient times, helped effect atonement for the Jewish…