A Treat For World Philosophy Day
Philosophy is defined by dictionary.com as "the rational investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge or conduct." Judaism, being a religion, is a system of living…
Mishpatim 5762-2002
"'An Eye for an Eye' in Jewish Law" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, parashat Mishpatim, the Torah introduces the fundamental legal system of Israel. Both,…
Va’etchanan 5766-2006
"A Small Verse that Started a Mighty Revolution" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Some weekly Torah portions are considered particularly significant by virtue of the large number of mitzvot…
Mikeitz 5769-2008
"Measure for Measure" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald In ancient civilizations, it was not uncommon for legal systems to practice what is known as Lex Talionis, an eye for an eye or measure for…
Pinchas 5779-2019
“The Daughters of Zelophehad: Legitimate Feminist Claims” (Revised and updated from Pinchas 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Pinchas, we…
Under Oath
Taking an oath of office or swearing* to tell the truth in court may not seem like a historic victory to Jews who were raised in the 21st century. However, for hundreds of years Jews were…
Balak 5771-2011
"Taking the Law Into One’s Own Hand" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald At the conclusion of this week’s parasha, parashat Balak, we learn that after Bilaam’s failed attempts to curse the…
Connecting Words
According to the internet’s fun holiday websites, January 18th is Thesaurus Day. The date is in honor of the creator of the first modern thesaurus, [Peter Mark] Roget’s Thesaurus. A…
Conquering the Desert
One of the great miracles of the State of Israel has been its ability to transform desert into blooming arable land. In 1867 Mark Twain described the land in one of his memoirs: “The…
Read That Back
Did you know that even in the days of the Talmud there was such a position as court stenographer? The establishment of a court system and a clear system of justice are fundamental mitzvot…