Behar-Bechukotai 5783-2023

“The Revolutionary Nature of Shemita and Yovel” (updated and revised from Behar-Bechukotai 5764-2004) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In parashat Behar, the first of this week’s two…

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Mishpatim 5762-2002

"'An Eye for an Eye' in Jewish Law" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, parashat Mishpatim, the Torah introduces the fundamental legal system of Israel. Both,…

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Behar 5765-2005

"The Torah's Revolutionary Economic System" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald This coming week's parasha, parashat Behar is an extraordinarily challenging and revolutionary parasha. The Torah, in…

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Behar-Bechukotai 5764-2004

"The Revolutionary Nature of Shemita and Yovel" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald In the first of this week's double parashiot, parashat Behar, we encounter the remarkable laws of Shemita--the…

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Pinchas 5760-2000

"The Daughters Of Tzelafchad: Legitimate Feminist Claims" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, parashat Pinchas, we learn of the precedent-shattering request of the…

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Re’eh 5778-2018

"The Torah’s Definition of True Wealth” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald   In this week’s parasha, parashat Re’eh, we read some of the most exalted statements ever recorded in human…

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Three Times Strong

The beauty of Jewish living is that it often strives to bring together the spiritual and the practical. Judaism is a growth-oriented religion. At the same time, it is also a religion of…

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Carrying On Shabbat

The last of the 39 melachot* (creative works prohibited on Shabbat) is that of carrying between a private and a public space. How is carrying a creative work? The…

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Land Balance

When Joshua led the Children of Israel in to the Promised Land, each tribe received a distinct territory that would be their tribal land. The area of their tribe was not randomly…

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Purim Narbonne

During the holiday of Purim, celebrated just last week, Jews around the world commemorated the salvation of the Jewish people from physical decimation. Because Haman had such great…

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