Passover 5767-2007
"Hitting Bottom" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald The Al-mighty had told Moses and the Jewish people to prepare for redemption. In Exodus 12:3, the Israelites are instructed to take a lamb on…
Vayishlach 5779-2018
“Jacob’s Challenging Life” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald As this week’s parasha, parashat Vayishlach, opens, we find a fearful patriarch Jacob sending a huge tribute of flocks and…
Legal to Take?
With all the discussion during the last few years, about the legalization of marijuana, one might have wondered what is the traditional Jewish perspective regarding its use. It is, not…
The Chassidic Rebbe and His Snoopy Tie
On January 3, 2000, the final edition of the “Peanuts” comic strip appeared in the daily edition of newspapers worldwide. For the followers of Charlie Brown and his gang, it was the end…
The Gateway Sin
Those who debate the issue of legalizing certain types of drugs, will often encounter the notion of a “gateway drug,” something that, by itself seems somewhat benign, but may lead to the…
Legal to Take?
With all the discussion, in the last few years, about the legalization of marijuana, one might have wondered what is the traditional Jewish perspective. It is, not surprisingly, a rather…
The Gateway Sin
Those who debate the issue of legalizing certain types of drugs, will often encounter the notion of a “gateway drug,” something that, by itself seems somewhat benign, but may lead to the…
A Woman of Chemistry
If you or someone you love has ever been treated for leukemia, lupus or gout (or a host of other ailments) then you quite likely owe a debt of gratitude to Gertrude Elion (1918-1999), who…
Eat Your Vegetables
In Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers 3:21), the sages declare that without flour, there can be no Torah. In Jewish texts, “flour,” meaning bread, often refers to material sustenance.…
Eat Your Vegetables
In Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers 3:21), the sages declare that without flour, there can be no Torah. In Jewish texts, “flour,” meaning bread, often refers to material sustenance.…