Passover 5766-2006
"Ancient Customs in a New Light" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald Due to the festival of Passover, the regular Torah reading from the book of Leviticus is not read until after the holiday.…
Passover II 5776-2016
“The Final Days of Passover: Love and Hope" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald According to tradition, on the seventh day of Passover the sea split and the ancient Israelites marched…
Va’eira 5779-2018
"The Cups of Redemption" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Va’eira, contains the Torah’s source for the custom of drinking four cups of wine at the Passover…
The Question of the Van
Philosophically, one might debate whether the mitzvah of helping unload the overburdened donkey of one’s enemy is applicable to a more modern day situation of assisting one’s enemy with a…
Noah 5769-2008
"Nimrod and the Financial Meltdown" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In Genesis 10, the Torah features a long list of descendants of Shem, Cham and Yafet. It is a litany of begets and begats…
Va’etchanan 5763-2003
"Why the Sh'ma?" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This past Shabbat is known as "Shabbat Chazon." Its name derives from the opening words of the Haftorah (the prophetic message) of Isaiah,…
B’shalach 5774-2014
“Analysis of the ‘Shira,’ the Song of Moses Crossing the Sea” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat B’shalach, as they cross to freedom through the parted waters…
Bo 5765-2005
"Opening Their Hearts so They Can Hear" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, parashat Bo, the ten plagues come to a dramatic conclusion with the Death of all…