Sustenance and Beauty
Cosmetics have been a part of civilization since…well, research cannot pinpoint where or when people started using products to paint their faces or subtly alter their appearances, but its…
Eikev 5765-2005
"Understanding Birkat Hamazon, the Grace After Meals" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, parashat Eikev, we are told of the mitzvah of reciting Birkat…
Devarim 5777-2017
“The Transformation of Moses is Completed” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald With this week’s parasha, parashat Devarim, we begin reading the fifth and final book of the Torah, known as…
Devarim 5778-2018
“The Final Rebuke" With this week’s parasha, parashat Devarim, we begin to read the fifth and final book of the Torah. The book of Deuteronomy is known in rabbinic literature as…
Matot-Masei 5769-2009
"The Lesson of the Journeys" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Parashat Masei, the second of this week's double parashiot (Matot-Masei), opens with a summary of the travel itinerary of the…
B’ha’a’lot’cha 5776-2016
“Moses Realizes that His Dreams Were Not Going to be Fulfilled" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Parashat B’ha’a’lot’cha is one of the richest parashiot in the Torah with respect to…
Kugel Connection
A traditional Ashkenazi Shabbat table will often be graced with at least one kugel. Whether that kugel is noodle, potato or a more modern vegetable version will depend on the chef. Often…
Water, On the Rocks
Reams of text have been written about the one seeming error in Moses’ life - the one act for which he was prohibited from entering the Land of Israel. This was an incident recorded in…
Miraculous Water
Human beings have several basic needs: food, water and protection from the elements. In the desert, these necessities can be difficult to come by. During the Children of Israel’s sojourn…
The Bread of Shabbat
Challah, known to some as "Jewish bread," is one of the essential elements of the Shabbat table. Each of the three Shabbat meals begins with the blessing over two loaves of Challah, which…