The Purim Story in Under 300 Words
At the end of an 180-day feast, Achashverosh, the King of Persia-Media, banished (some say, executed) his wife Vashti for refusing to appear at his banquet. He then staged an elaborate…
Kee Tavo 5767-2007
"Can the Promise of G-d Keep the People Holy?" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Parashat Kee Tavo is one of the two parashiot in the Torah that features the Tochacha, the terrifying…
Tetzaveh-Purim 5761-2001
"The True Story of Purim" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This coming week's parasha, parashat Tetzaveh, speaks of the fashioning of the clothes worn by the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest.…
Tetzaveh 5780-2020
“The True Story of Purim” (updated and revised from Tetzaveh 5761-2001) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This coming week’s parasha, parashat Tetzaveh, speaks of the fashioning of the…
Articles,Purim Origins and Customs,Purim,JudaismPurim,Literacy,Judaism
Hanging Haman: The Commandment to Wipe Out Amalek
Hanging Haman:The Commandment to Wipe Out Amalek “The army of Amalek swooped down from behind them, attacking the old…
Articles,Purim Resources,Purim,JudaismPurim,Literacy,Judaism
Drinking on Purim
Drinking on Purim “A person should drink on Purim until the point where they cannot tell the difference between…
Chukat-Balak 5762-2002
"The Paradox of the Red Heifer" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In Parashat Chukat, the first of this coming week's double Torah portion, Chukat-Balak, we learn of the inscrutable law of the…
Toledot 5768-2007
"Esau's Loud and Bitter Cry" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Toledot, the rivalry between Esau and Jacob reaches its peak as Esau realizes that his brother…
Chukat 5781-2021
“The Paradox of the Red Heifer” (updated and revised from Chukat-Balak 5762-2002) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Chukat, we learn of the inscrutable law of…
Articles,Purim Origins and Customs,Purim,JudaismPurim,Literacy,Judaism
The Mystery of Hester Panim
The Mystery of Hester Panim “To the believer, it’s the Hand of G-d-Divine Providence moving behind the scenes to…