A Maccabees’ Who’s Who

Mattityahu (Mattathias): A High Priest descended from the Hasmonean line, Mattityahu lived in Modi’in with his five sons. Mattityahu started the rebellion against the Syrian-Greeks…

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A Maccabee Who’s Who

Mattityahu (Mattathias): A High Priest descended from the Hasmonean line, Mattityahu lived in Modi’in with his five sons. Mattityahu started the rebellion against the Syrian-Greeks…

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A Maccabee Who’s Who

Mattityahu (Mattathias): A High Priest descended from the Hasmonean line, Mattityahu lived in Modi’in with his five sons. Mattityahu started the rebellion against the Syrian-Greeks when…

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Noah 5767-2006

"The Curse of Ham; The Blessing of Shem and Yafet" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Those who harbor possible doubts about the Divine authorship of the Torah had better come up with some…

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Mikeitz-Chanukah 5763-2002

"In Those Days, In These Times" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald The story of Joseph, as we have written in the past, may be seen as the story of an assimilator struggling with his identity.…

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Passover I 5765-2005

"In Every Generation" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald Although the scheduled Torah portion for this week is Acharei Mot, I would like to dwell on the theme of Passover, since the festival…

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Vayeishev 5774-2013

"Reuben is Credited with Saving Joseph’s Life" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Joseph is dispatched by Jacob on a fateful mission to check on the well-being of his brothers who had gone to…

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Vayeishev 5776-2015

“The Rise and Fall and Rise of Joseph” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Vayeishev, the Torah introduces the character of Joseph--the gifted and charismatic…

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The Challenge of Fitting In

The weekly Torah reading of Mikeitz (Genesis 41:1-44:17), which almost always coincides with Chanukah, tells the story of the rise of Joseph the son of Jacob from slave to viceroy. And…

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Mourning Jerusalem II: A Brief History of the Second Temple

The Babylonian Exile that followed the destruction of the First Temple lasted for 70 years. Under the leadership of Ezra and Nechemia, however, the Jews began to return to the land of…

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