Shoftim 5773-2013
“Egypt: Off Limits to Jews” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Shoftim, we learn of the Torah’s prohibition for Jews to return to the land of Egypt. In…
Balak 5776-2016
“Balaam Sees the Kenites" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Balak, Balaam, the gentile prophet, offers three remarkable prophecies/blessings concerning the…
Weekly Message,Shoftim,Genesis
Shoftim 5772-2012
"The Haughty Heart" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Among the many topics discussed in this week’s parasha, parashat Shoftim, are the rules and regulations that apply to a king of Israel.…
Does the Torah Support the Belief in Extraterrestrial Life?
Today, July 2nd, is celebrated world-wide, as "World UFO Day." It all started on July 2, 1947, when W.W. "Mac" Brazel discovered a metallic object on his Roswell, NM ranch. The U.S.…
Is It Good To Be The King?
Parashat Shoftim addresses many issues, among them the Jewish jurisprudential system, false prophets, and the Arei Miklat, cities of refuge. The guidelines for the appointment of a future…
The Fast of Gedaliah (Tzom Gedaliah)
The Fast of Gedaliah is observed to commemorate the murder of Gedaliah, the son of Achikam, which is described in the last chapter of the Second Book of Kings. This murder resulted…
A Brief History of the Jews of Georgia
Located between Russia and Turkey, at the intersection of Europe and Asia, Georgia was, until the mid-1800s, a place of relatively little anti-Semitism. According to tradition, Jews first…
The Hebron Massacre of 1929
One of the most ancient cities in the land of Israel, Hebron is mentioned in the Bible as the location of the Cave of the Patriarchs (Me'arat Ha'mach'pelah), which Abraham purchased…
Mourning Jerusalem I: A Brief History of the First Temple
Jews all over the world will be observing the fast of Tisha b’Av on this coming Saturday night and Sunday. It is on Tisha b’Av that the Jewish people mourn the destruction of both the…
Unexpected Sri Lankan History
Today’s Jewish Treat will take a brief look at an unexpected location for Jewish history: Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon). Located off the southern tip of India, Sri Lanka’s Jewish community…