Vayakhel-Pekudei 5770-2010
"Heaven Helps Those Who Help Themselves" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In the second of this week's double parashiot, parashat Pekudei, we read that after many days, weeks and months of…
Kee Tisah 5771-2011
"The Thirteen Attributes of G-d’s Mercy" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Kee Tisah, we encounter the dramatic episode of the Golden Calf. Moses comes down…
Weekly Message,Yom Ha'atzmaut,Behar
Behar-Yom Ha’atzmaut 5771-2011
"A State is not Delivered on a Silver Platter" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Behar, contains many themes that pertain specifically to Eretz Yisrael, the land…
Weekly Message,Vayeilech,Yom Kippur
Vayeilech-Yom Kippur 5773-2012
“The Limits of Free Will” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald During the period of the Ten Days of Penitence, and especially with the imminent arrival of Yom Kippur, it is most appropriate to…
Va’eira 5774-2013
“Moses, the Reluctant Prophet” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Tradition maintains that the 53 Hebrew prophets and prophetesses were generally a reluctant group of Divine servants, who were…
Vayeilech,Weekly Message,Yom Kippur
Vayeilech-Yom Kippur 5777-2016
“Patience Tempered With Love” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Vayeilech, we once again encounter Moses, on the last day of his life, bidding farewell to his…
Emor 5778-2018
“The Great Moses Seems Not to Know the Answer” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Emor, we encounter the episode of the מְגַדֵּף, megadef, the blasphemer, which…
Matot-Masei 5778-2018
“Judaism and Warfare” In parashat Matot, the first of this week’s double parashiyot, Matot-Masei, we read of the great battle that Israel waged to avenge the Midianite nation for leading…
Chayei Sarah 5779-2018
“Abraham’s Eulogy for His Beloved Sarah” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Chayei Sarah, we learn of the passing of the Matriarch, Sarah, at age…
Bo 5779-2019
"Nothing Stands in the Way of Teshuva!" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald As the parasha opens, G-d says to Moses, Exodus 10:1, בֹּא אֶל פַּרְעֹה: כִּי אֲנִי הִכְבַּדְתִּי אֶת לִבּוֹ, וְאֶת…