The Birth and Death of Moses
One of the 13 principles of faith according to Maimonides is believing that Moses was the greatest of all the Jewish prophets. He was so great, that God feared he would be…
Of Shamrocks, Snails and Survivors: the life of Rabbi Isaac Herzog
Rabbi Isaac Herzog, the State of Israel’s first Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi, passed away, at age 70, on this date - the 19th of Tammuz – sixty years ago, in 1959, corresponding to July 25th.…
The Birth and Death of Moses
One of the 13 principles of faith according to Maimonides is believing that Moses was the greatest of all the Jewish prophets. He was so great, that God feared he would be worshipped…
Moses’ Mysterious and Mortal Maternity
Moses is arguably the central and most important figure in the Hebrew Bible. Maimonides advances that of the 55 Jewish prophets, Moses’ type of prophecy was quite different and far more…
Predicting the New Emperor before Exit Polls
On December 21 in the year 69 CE, the Roman Senate declared that Vespasian be elevated to serve as the Emperor of Rome. A famous Talmudical story (Gittin 56b) described how a rabbi…
Re’eh 5764-2004
"Identifying a True Prophet" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Re'eh, the Torah warns the Jewish people not to follow false prophets. The difficulty with this…
Shoftim 5784-2024
“The Extent of Rabbinic Authority” (updated and revised from Shoftim 5765-2005) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Shoftim, 41 new Torah laws, are…
The Month of Av
The months of the Jewish year are called in the Torah by number only (the first month, second month, etc.). Over time, during the exile, the months assumed the names given to them by host…
Balak 5784-2024
“Bilaam, Prophet to the Nations” (updated and revised from Balak 5765-2005) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The Jews and their philosophers have long been troubled by the concept of the…
Book Respect
Because of the centrality of the Torah in Jewish life, the Jewish people are known as “The People of the Book.” Perhaps the Jewish people could also be known as “The People of the Books,”…