Weekly Message,Tzav

Tzav 5762-2002

"Understanding Shabbat Hagadol" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This coming week, we read the second parasha of the book of Leviticus, parashat Tzav. This Shabbat, the Shabbat which…

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Weekly Message,Tzav

Tzav 5761 – 2001

"Behold I am sending you Elijah the Prophet" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald On this coming Shabbat, the Shabbat of Erev Pesach, we read parashat Tzav. This Shabbat is known as Shabbat…

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Purim,Weekly Message,Terumah

Terumah-Purim 5761-2001

"Amalek, Purim and the Mitzvah of Getting Drunk" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This coming week's parasha, parashat Terumah, coincides with Parashat Zachor, the special reading from…

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Acharei Mot,Weekly Message

Acharei Mot 5771-2011

"The Unfathomable Practice of Molech Worship" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In Leviticus 18, the last chapter of this week's parasha, parashat Acharei Mot, we encounter a long list of…

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Weekly Message,Balak

Balak 5774-2014

“Upstaged by a Donkey” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Balak, we read of Balak, the king of Moab’s attempt to retain the services of Balaam, the non-Jewish…

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Weekly Message,Acharei Mot,Kedoshim

Acharei Mot-Kedoshim 5775-2015

"Having Thoughts About False Gods" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In parashat Kedoshim, the second of this week’s double parashiot, Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, the Torah strictly prohibits Jews…

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Balak,Weekly Message

Balak 5777-2017

“Influencing the Will of G-d” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Balak, we learn that the Moabite king, Balak, the son of Zippor, is overwhelmed with fear as a…

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Jewish Treats

The Leper’s Leap of Faith

There is a fascinating story in the Second Book of Kings about an enemy general, an Israelite prophet and a greedy servant. The Aramean General Na’aman suffered from the biblical disease…

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Weekly Message,Tzav

Tzav 5781-2021

"Understanding Shabbat Hagadol" (updated and revised from Tzav 5762-2002) This week, we read the second parasha of the book of Leviticus, parashat Tzav. Because it immediately precedes…

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Purim,Judaism,Articles,Purim Origins and CustomsJudaism,Purim,Literacy

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…