When Adar Begins
The month of the second Adar begins today as this year on the Jewish calendar is a leap year. About Adar, the twelfth month of the Jewish calendar year (in non-leap years), the Talmud…
The Birth and Death of Moses
One of the 13 principles of faith according to Maimonides is believing that Moses was the greatest of all the Jewish prophets. He was so great, that God feared he would be worshipped…
Prepare for the Final Celebratory Meal of Passover
The seventh day of Passover, which begins tonight, recalls the splitting of the Sea of Reeds and the Shira (Song of Crossing the Sea), which is tomorrow’s Torah reading. We will read Shir…
The Disputation of Paris
The month of June in the year 1240 C.E. was not a good time for the Jews of Europe. The trouble began with a Jewish apostate named Nicholas Donin. Wanting, perhaps, to prove his loyalty…
B’ha’a’lot’cha 5782-2022
“The Message of the Manna” (updated and revised from B’ha’a’lot’cha 5763-2003) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, Parashat B’ha’a’lot’cha, we encounter the…
Shelach 5782-2022
“Achieving Immortality” (updated and revised from Shelach 5763-2003) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald One of the most heartrending and challenging juxtapositions in the Bible appears in this…
Korach 5782-2022
“Korach’s Rebellion: Why is the Jewish Community Losing So Many of its Best and Brightest?” (updated and revised from Korach 5763-2003) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha,…
Va’etchanan 5782-2022
“Why the Sh’ma?” (updated and revised from Va’etchanan 5763-2003) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Va’etchanan, we encounter, in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, one of…
Seeking God in Elul
In anticipation of the High Holy Days, and during the High Holy Days themselves, Psalm 27 is read twice daily from the beginning of the month of Elul through the holiday of Sukkot in…
“And Now Let Us Say Amen…”
The word “Amen” seems to be one of those words associated with prayer throughout the Judeo-Christian culture, but what does it mean? The response "Amen" at the end of an oath or a prayer…