Vayikra 5767-2007

"Balancing Heart and Mind" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Vayikra, we encounter, once again, the challenging issue of animal sacrifice. Over the years, we have…

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The History of Purim

The History of Purim The story of Purim takes place at the very end of the era known in Jewish history as the Babylonian…

Never Too Late To Educate

It is a well-known fact that Judaism places tremendous emphasis on education. Thousands of years ago Rabbi Simon ben Shetach (75 B.C.E.) instituted compulsory school attendance. The…

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Balancing Torah and General Studies

While different Jewish schools offer different amounts of study hours devoted to secular studies, all schools subscribe to value of studying Torah and Jewish studies. Everyone can find a…

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Volunteer at a Kibbutz on your Next Trip to Israel

Whether you seek a secular kibbutz experience or a religious one, the experience will undoubtedly be memorable and worthwhile.

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Yitro 5760-2000

"An Encounter with Jethro and the Non-Jewish World" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald At the end of last week's parasha, Parashat B'shalach (Exodus 17:8-16), the Jewish people have an…

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Emor 5761-2001

"The Gift of Celebration" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In the second half of this week's parasha, parashat Emor, there is a review of most of the Biblical festivals of the Jewish…

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Va’etchanan 5772-2012

"The Magic of the Mezuzah" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Va’etchanan, we encounter the first of two textual references to the mitzvah of mezuzah that are…

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Acharei Mot 5774-2014

“Prelude to Holiness” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The name of this week’s Torah portion, Acharei Mot, literally means “in the aftermath of the deaths of Aaron’s sons, Nadav and Abihu.”…

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Yitro 5779-2019

“An Encounter with Jethro and the Non-Jewish World” (Revised and updated from Yitro 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald At the end of last week’s parasha, parashat B’shalach (Exodus…

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