Kee Teitzei 5775-2015
“When a Brother Dies Childless” In this week’s parasha, parashat Kee Teitzei, we learn the law of the “levirate marriage,” known in Hebrew as יִבּוּם, “Yee’boom.” "Yee’boom" is the…
Kedoshim 5776-2016
“Tattoos" In Parashat Kedoshim the Torah proclaims the prohibition of making cuts on one’s skin as a sign of mourning and forbids drawing permanent tattoos on the body. Scripture, in…
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…
Toledot 5777-2016
“The Exceptional Power of Prayer” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald As this week’s parasha, parashat Toledot, opens, we find Isaac in the process of entreating G-d that his wife, Rebecca,…
Passover 5777-2017
“לֶחֶם עֹנִי --Lechem Oni: The Bread of Affliction by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Two primary scriptural verses provide reasons for eating matzah, unleavened…
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…
Vayeira 5778-2017
“The Alliance with Abimelech” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Vayeira, is a rich parasha containing many important topics, including the destruction of Sodom,…
Kee Tisah 5778-2018
Safeguarding the Covenant by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week's parasha, parashat Kee Tisah, focuses primarily on the sin of the Golden Calf and Moses' successful invocation of…
Haazinu-Sukkot 5779-2018
“The Challenges of Poverty and Wealth” by Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Haazinu, we read the beautiful song that Moses sang to the Jewish people on the final…
Kee Tavo 5779-2019
“Welcoming the Stranger” (Revised and updated from Kee Tavo 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Kee Tavo,opens with the ritual of bringing בִּכּוּרִים…