Re’eh 5766-2006

"Adding or Subtracting" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Parashat Re'eh is a rich and colorful parasha that contains 55 mitzvot, 17 positive and 38 negative. Among the most intriguing of the…

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Bereshith 5768-2007

"Starting All Over--Again!" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald The holidays are over. In ancient times, the farmers would by now have returned to their fields. Contemporary business people have…

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Bereshith 5762-2001

"The Origins and Meanings of Evil" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Especially in light of the World Trade Center and Pentagon terrorist bombings, human beings all over the world are…

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Tzav 5770-2010

"The Command" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, parashat Tzav, the Al-mighty says to Moses (Leviticus 6:2): "Tzav et Aharon v'et bah'nahv lay'mor: Zoht toh'raht…

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Shemot 5780-2020

Shemot 5780-2020 “Developing Commitment to Judaism: A Lesson from an Egyptian Prince” (updated and revised from Shemot 5760-1999)   by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's…

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Shemot 5760-1999

"Commitment to Judaism: A lesson from Moshe" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, parashat Shemot, we encounter one of the most challenging situations of…

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Original Vegetarianism: Here’s The Beef

Adam and Eve were vegetarians. When God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, the Torah tells us that God said: “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat...” (Genesis 2:16). While God…

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Which Tree Was It?

Why is the Adam's Apple called the "Adam's Apple"? Many people surmise, not without some justification, that the term is a reference to a piece of fruit stuck in Adam's throat. Although…

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Knock, Knock, Who’s There

It is basic courtesy to knock on a closed door and wait to be admitted by those inside. Did you know that this simple matter of etiquette was discussed by the sages and has far greater…

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Here’s The Beef

Adam and Eve were vegetarians. When God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, the Torah tells us that God said: “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat...” (Genesis 2:16). While God…

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