Bamidbar 5777-2017
“The Danger of Seeing the Holy Furnishings” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Bamidbar, concludes with G-d’s stern warning to Moses and Aaron forbidding the…
B'shalach,Weekly Message,Genesis
B’shalach 5772-2012
"Pharaoh's Ultimate Fate" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Beshalach, we read of the splitting of the Red Sea and the miraculous salvation of the Israelites…
Jewish Geography
If you were lost in the wilderness, would you know which way was north? The classic natural tracking maneuver is to look up at the sky and find the north star. It is interesting then to…
Mikeitz 5765-2004
"Pharaoh's Dream: Learning Through the Nuances" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, parashat Mikeitz, we are presented with a unique opportunity to see the…
v’Zot Habracha-Simchat Torah 5770-2009
"The Confluence of v'Zot Habracha and the Holiday" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The festival of Simchat Torah, the rejoicing with the Law, is one of two major festivals during which we…
v’Zot Habracha-Simchat Torah 5776-2015
“The Confluence of v’Zot Habracha and the Holiday” (originally posted in 5770-2009) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The festival of Simchat Torah, the rejoicing with the Law, is one of two…
Mishpatim 5777-2017
“Majority Rule " This week’s parasha, parashat Mishpatim, is one of the most content-rich parashiot in the entire Torah. Mishpatim, which literally means “laws” or “rules,” serves as the…
Acharei Mot,Kedoshim,Weekly Message
Acharei Mot-Kedoshim 5778-2018
“The Extreme Sanctity of the Holy of Holies--Revisited” In parashat Acharei Mot, the first of this week’s double parashiyot, Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, we learn of the prohibition to enter the…
Naso 5779-2019
"Traditional Judaism: Fundamentalist or Ascetic" (Revised and updated from Naso 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Naso, we encounter the…