Shelach 5760-2000
"Finding Meaning in the Rituals" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This coming week's parasha, Parashat Sh'lach, concludes with the well-known third paragraph of the Shema prayer concerning…
Rosh Hashana-Nitzavim 5769-2008
"Hewers of Wood and Drawers of Water" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Parashat Nitzavim is always read on the Shabbat before Rosh Hashana, and with good reason. It contains a host of vital…
Shemot 5771-2010
“Pharaoh’s Three Counselors” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Shemot, the intense suffering of the Israelites in Egypt begins. The rabbis of the Midrash are…
Mishpatim 5774-2014
“Oh’na’ah–Taking Unfair Advantage of the Weak” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Mishpatim, contains 53 of the 613 commandments, 30 negative commandments and 23…
Yitro 5776-2016
“Apparently, Not All Converts are Created Equal” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Yitro, Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, arrives in the wilderness to join Moses…
Kee Tavo 5779-2019
“Welcoming the Stranger” (Revised and updated from Kee Tavo 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Kee Tavo,opens with the ritual of bringing בִּכּוּרִים…
Shelach 5780-2020
“The Torah’s Definition of ‘Power'” (Revised and Updated from Parashat Shelach 5761-2001) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald. This coming week’s parasha, parashat Shelach, recounts the story of…
What Happened in SHUM
While most people know about the horrors of the Crusades, many do not realize that there were, in fact, many Crusades over a period of four hundred years, and that most of these crusades…
Sarah’s Whereabouts Determine Jewish Law
Parashat Vayeira begins with Avraham convalescing after his circumcision. Unexpectedly, he sees three “visitors,” whom the Midrash identifies as angels, come toward his home. Excited to…
Bread and Clothing
Until recently, the repercussions of converting to Judaism meant more than just renouncing one’s previous religious beliefs. More often than not, a person who converted to Judaism also…