Weekly Message,Re'eh

Re’eh 5774-2014

“Giving Charity Kindly and Generously” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Re’eh, we find particular emphasis on performing acts of kindness, generosity and…

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Tzav,Weekly Message,Passover

Tzav–Passover 1 5778-2018

“Making Holiness Contagious” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Tzav, we are reintroduced to the laws of the Mincha, מִנְחָה , the meal offering, that were…

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Emor,Weekly Message

Emor 5779-2019

“The Gift of Celebration” (Revised and updated from Emor 5761-2001) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The second half of this week’s parasha, parashat Emor, presents a review of most of the…

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Eikev,Weekly Message

Eikev 5779-2019

Eikev 5779-2019 “Feast or Famine--What Judaism Says About Food” (Revised and updated from Eikev 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald   In this week’s parasha, parashat Eikev, the…

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Jewish Treats

The Great Hoshana (Hoshana Rabbah)

Rosh Hashana is known as the Day of Judgment (Yom Hadin), the day on which God judges the world. Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the day on which God finalizes His verdict on the…

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Jewish Treats

Potential Energy

Parashat Ki Tavo begins by juxtaposing two important agricultural laws. First (Deuteronomy 26:1-11), the Torah instructs the Israelites to bring bikkurim, the first fruits from among the…

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Jewish Treats

More Than A Harvest Festival

Few people refer to Sukkot by the name Chag Ha'Asif, Feast of the Ingathering, but the Torah specifically states: "And you shall observe...the Feast of Ingathering at the turn…

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Jewish Treats

Potential Energy

Parashat Ki Tavo begins by juxtaposing two important agricultural laws. First (Deuteronomy 26:1-11), the Torah instructs the Israelites to bring bikkurim, the first fruits…

Read More

Jewish Treats

A Different Set of Loaves

There are several well-known connections between the holiday of Passover and the holiday of Shavuot. The most obvious of these is that the celebration of Shavuot is dependent on the count…

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Jewish Treats

More Than A Harvest Festival

Few people refer to Sukkot by the name Chag Ha'Asif, Feast of the Ingathering, but the Torah specifically states: "And you shall observe...the Feast of Ingathering at the turn…

Read More