Destructive M’lachot?
The laws of guarding Shabbat guarantee that the Jewish people will maintain the Shabbat as a day sacred and distinct from the six work days of the week. The prohibited acts are known as…
The Company You Keep
Immediately following the morning blessings, there is a short prayer that asks God for protection from “arrogant people and arrogance itself, from a bad person, a bad companion, a bad…
The Words Are The Things
In Hebrew, the Book of Deuteronomy is known as Sefer D’varim. Its name is derived from the fact that the Hebrew word d’varim is the first noun that appears in the book, which begins with…
An Act of True Kindness
Death is one of the unquestionable facts of life. Yet, most people would admit being uncomfortable with the idea of being in a room with a dead body. Seeing a corpse is a “too close”…
Come My Beloved
The Talmud (Shabbat 116a) describes how the sages would greet Shabbat: “Rabbi Chaninah would wrap himself in his cloak and say: ‘Come, let us go and greet the Shabbat Queen.’ Rabbi Yannai…
Thoughts for the Heart
February has been designated American Heart Month. For many years, heart disease was considered to be a mostly male affliction. In order to compensate for, and correct, that…
Thoughts for the Heart
In honor of American Heart Month, and because caring for one’s health is part of two Torah mitzvot of "V’nish’martem me’od l’naf’sho’tay’chem" and "hatzalat n’fashoat" (guarding and…
Abigail
Abigail was not only one of “four exceptionally beautiful women in the world” (Megillah 15a), but was also one of seven women considered by tradition to be a prophetess (Megillah 14a). It…
Thoughts for the Heart
In honor of American Heart Month, and because caring for your own health is part of two Torah mitzvot of “V’nish’martem me’od l’naf’sho’tay’chem” and “hatzalat n’fashoat” (guarding and…
Kee Tisah 5778-2018
Safeguarding the Covenant by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week's parasha, parashat Kee Tisah, focuses primarily on the sin of the Golden Calf and Moses' successful invocation of…