Shavuot ResourcesUncategorized

Laws and Customs of Shavuot

ShavuotLaws and Customs Table of Contents Festival Laws The Book of Ruth Customs Shavuot is a low-key, pensive holiday,…

Passover,Weekly Message

Passover 5767-2007

"Hitting Bottom" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald The Al-mighty had told Moses and the Jewish people to prepare for redemption. In Exodus 12:3, the Israelites are instructed to take a lamb on…

Read More

Bereshith,Weekly Message

Bereshith 5773-2012

“What is Heaven?” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The opening parasha of the book of Genesis, parashat Bereshith, contains the dramatic biblical account of the physical creation of the…

Read More

Vayechi,Weekly Message

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,…

Read More

Balak,Weekly Message

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…

Read More

Bamidbar,Weekly Message

Bamidbar 5777-2017

“The Danger of Seeing the Holy Furnishings” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Bamidbar, concludes with G-d’s stern warning to Moses and Aaron forbidding the…

Read More

Balak,Weekly Message

Balak 5768-2008

"The 'Mazal Tov' Conundrum" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Balak, Balaam, the prophet to the nations, offers a series of four prophecies. The first three…

Read More

Jewish Treats

Ushpeezin (Oo’shpee’zin)

During the festival of Sukkot, the sukkah is intended to be our home. For example, since one would normally dine in the house, on Sukkot one dines in the sukkah. Because the sukkah is…

Read More

Jewish Treats

The Feast of Weeks

Shavuot, which we begin celebrating this Thursday night (May 28, 2020), is the only holiday listed in the Torah without the date on which it is to be observed. Rather, the Torah states…

Read More

Jewish Treats

Green Cheesecake At Midnight

The holiday of Shavuot has three well-known, and well-loved, customs: Decorating our Homes and Synagogues with Plants and Flowers: According to the Midrash, at the time of the giving of…

Read More