Yom Kippur 5770-2009
"Shabbat Shabbaton--The Ultimate Shabbat" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald When are artists at their most exalted state of creativity? Is it when they dip their brushes into the colorful…
Why day Seven?
The number seven plays a significant role in Jewish thought. There are seven days of the week, with the seventh day being the holy Sabbath. The holidays of Passover and Sukkot are each…
What is Shemittah?
We have now completed the fall holidays and have fully entered the new year, 5775. Beyond the quaint palindrome nature of its numbers, this new year is distinct from the past few years in…
Behar,Weekly Message,Bechukotai
Behar-Bechukotai 5778-2018
“Torah From Sinai” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The opening verses of parashat Behar, the first of this week’s combined parashiyot, Behar and Bechukotai, speak of the laws of Shemitah,…
Tu b'Shevat,JudaismJudaism,Holidays
The Four New Years
THE FOUR NEW YEARS The Jewish New Year - We Jews are especially fortunate because the Jewish calendar has four different "New Years," each representing a different feature of the annual…
New Years x 4
We are about to celebrate the New Year on the Gregorian Calendar. But, did you know that the Jewish calendar actually has FOUR New Years! 1) The first of Nissan, the month in which…
Behar,Weekly Message,Bechukotai
Behar-Bechukotai 5766-2006
"The Economics of Torah" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald The very last chapter of the book of Leviticus chapter 27, which concludes this week's double parashiot Behar-Bechukotai, focuses on…
Rosh Hashana 5770-2009
"The Unexpected Joy of Rosh Hashana" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In the first of last week's double parashiot, parashat Nitzavim, we read Moses' forceful charge to the People of Israel…
Seven Days to the Sea
The Passover celebration lasts seven days in Israel and eight days, outside of Israel. (For more information as to why, please click here). The first day (and second, outside of Israel)…
Seven Days to the Sea
The Passover celebration lasts seven days in Israel and eight days, outside of Israel. (For more information as to why, please click here). The first day (and second, outside of Israel)…