Noah 5775-2014
“The Fate of Humankind is Sealed” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Noah, we read of the deluge that inundated the world, ending human life on earth except for…
Toledot 5778-2017
“Isaac’s Unconditional Love for Esau” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Toledot, we read of the birth of Esau and Jacob. Isaac was 60 years old when his wife,…
Bows and Arrows
Today, Lag Ba'omer, the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer, is a minor holiday on the Jewish calendar. Its observance commemorates the end of a tragic plague that took the…
Hail the Accuser
In the era of social media, it is an almost everyday occurrence to be asked to sign a petition or to “like” a cause. When Emile Zola, the celebrated French novelist, published J’Accuse on…
Bows and Arrows
Lag Ba'omer, the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer, is a minor holiday on the Jewish calendar. Its observance commemorates the end of a tragic plague that took the lives of nearly…
Bows and Arrows
Lag Ba'omer, the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer, is a minor holiday on the Jewish calendar. Its observance commemorates the end of a tragic plague that took the lives of nearly all…
Nimrod
The great military villains have usually been brilliant, determined and, it is often suggested, megalomanic. In which case they are very much the spiritual descendants of Nimrod. Nimrod,…
Bows and Arrows
Lag Ba'Omer, the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer, is a minor holiday on the Jewish calendar. Its observance commemorates the end of a tragic plague that took the lives of nearly…
M’la’cha
The Torah prohibits "work" on Shabbat, but what does that mean? After all, serving a meal to your family could be seen as work. The Torah hints at the definition of Shabbat work by using…
M’la’cha
The Torah prohibits "work" on Shabbat, but what does that mean? After all, serving a meal to your family could be seen as work. The Torah hints at the definition of Shabbat work by using…