Respect of the Sons
In the twenty-first century, rebelling against one’s family is all-too-often presented as a right of passage, a natural part of growing up and as a means of declaring one’s independence.…
Korach 5777-2017
“Mrs. Ohn: The Unsung Hero” The Torah, in Numbers 16:1, records the initial steps of the rebellion: וַיִּקַּח קֹרַח בֶּן יִצְהָר בֶּן קְהָת בֶּן לֵוִי, וְדָתָן וַאֲבִירָם בְּנֵי אֱלִיאָב,…
Korach 5766-2006
"The Lesson of the Fire-pans" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Korach, Korach, Datan, Aviram and the 250 leaders of Israel rebel against Moses and Aaron. In…
Korach 5773-2013
"The Rebellion Against the Lonely Leader" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Korach, we read of the infamous rebellion of Korach, who together with Dathan and…
Abraham’s Other Sons
Quick quiz: Who were Abraham’s sons? Most people probably answered Isaac, and, of course, they are correct. Others might have said Ishmael, and they are also right. Few people, however,…
Korach 5770-2010
"And Behold the Staff of Aaron had Blossomed" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The rebellion of Korach, about which we read in this coming week's parasha, parashat Korach, ends in great…
Wayward Sons
While the Biblical canon has many stories of redemption and miracles, it also records narratives that demonstrate the true struggles of real people. Real people know of the commonly…
Moses’ Sons
The inherent desire to have one’s legacy last into the future is, most likely, the root of the laws of primogeniture (the special inheritance of the firstborn son). And while the laws…
Hannah and Her Sons
The story of Hannah and her seven sons is a story of the Jewish resistance to Antiochus' attempts to Hellenize the Jewish people around 166 B.C.E. When Antiochus demanded that Hannah's…
Hannah and Her Sons
The story of Hannah and her seven sons is a story of the Jewish resistance to Antiochus' attempts to Hellenize the Jewish people around 166 B.C.E.When Antiochus demanded that Hannah's…