Vayechi 5773-2012
"The Patriarch Jacob Did Not Die!" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s Torah portion, parashat Vayechi, the patriarch Jacob, passes away at age 147. The Torah, in Genesis 49:33,…
Vayishlach 5774-2013
"The Death of Deborah, Rebecca’s Nurse" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Vayishlach, after the traumatic rape of Dina in Shechem and the revenge at the hands…
Kedoshim 5776-2016
“Tattoos" In Parashat Kedoshim the Torah proclaims the prohibition of making cuts on one’s skin as a sign of mourning and forbids drawing permanent tattoos on the body. Scripture, in…
Kee Teitzei 5776-2016
“The Mitzvah of Burying the Dead” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald As previously noted, this week’s parasha, parashat Kee Teitzei, contains more mitzvot than any other parasha in the…
Terumah 5777-2017
“ זִיכּוּי הָרַבִּים - Meriting the Broader Jewish Community” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Terumah, we read of the commandment to build a Tabernacle, a…
Shemini 5777-2017
“The Unending Mourning" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Shemini, we read of the tragic deaths of Aaron’s two oldest sons, Nadav and Abihu. The deaths…
Chayei Sarah 5769-2008
"Mourning and Eulogizing" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Although this week's Torah portion is entitled Chayei Sarah, which literally means "the life of Sarah," the opening part of the…
Can You Be The Tenth?
That the Hebrew word "minyan" derives from the infinitive "lim'not," to count or number, is not at all surprising. A minyan is a quorum of 10, the smallest number necessary to create a…
The Maiden
Among the many remarkable women who appear in the annals of Jewish history, the Maiden of Ludmir stands out as a unique and holy woman. Her actual name was Chana Rochel Verbermacher, and…
Celebrating the Groom
A great deal of the wedding seems to focus on the bride. In fact, it is not uncommon to hear of a wedding referred to as “her day.” In Jewish tradition, however, there is one…