Shelach 5763-2003
"Can Human Beings Achieve Immortality?" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald One of the most heartrending and challenging juxtapositions in the Bible appears in this week's parasha, Shelach…
B’ha’alot’cha 5763-2003
"The Message of the Manna" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, we encounter the A'saf'suf, the mixed multitude, who were dissatisfied with the Manna, the food that has…
Korach 5763-2003
"Korach's Rebellion: Why is the Jewish Community Losing So Many of its Best and its Brightest?" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week's parasha, parashat Korach, tells the fascinating…
Chukat-Balak 5763-2003
"How to Market G-d!" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This coming week we read the double parashiot, Chukat-Balak. In the first of this week's parashiot, parashat Chukat, the Israelites, who…
Pinchas 5763-2003
"Can a Perfect G-d Sin?" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week's parasha, parashat Pinchas, is replete with fascinating narratives. The parasha opens with G-d's reward to Pinchas for his…
Matot-Masei 5763-2003
"The Massacre of the Midianites: Does Judaism Countenance Genocide?" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald We have learned in Parashat Balak that Balaam finally realized that the Jews could not…
Rosh Hashana 5764-2003
"Making Each Day Count" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald Rabbi Yehuda Leib Alter (1847-1905), the second Gerrer rebbe and leader of Polish Jewry, was also known as the S'fas Emes, which is the…
Yom Kippur 5764-2003
"Smashing the Golden Calves" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Virtually all of the holidays and festivals of the Jewish calendar revolve around important events in Jewish history. Passover…
Sukkot 5764-2003
"The Seven Protective Divine Clouds" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald The festival of Sukkot acknowledges our profound gratitude to the A-lmighty who watched over our ancestors after the exodus…
Simchat Torah 5764-2003
"Celebrating Torah" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald Because of the festivals of Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, we do not read the normal Torah portion this week. Instead, on Sunday,…