Bamidbar 5769-2009

"Bringing Order to the Camp of Israel" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Bamidbar, the people of Israel are instructed to build a camp in the wilderness. G-d…

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Yom Ha’atzmaut 5760-2000

"Being Judged by a Different Yardstick" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald This coming week we celebrate Yom Ha'Atzmaut, Israel Independence Day. Yom Ha'Atzmaut occurs on the fifth of Iyar, which,…

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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…

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Tazria-Metzorah 5769-2009

"And He Shall be Brought to the Priest" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In each of this week's double parashiot, Tazria and Metzora, we encounter similar verses asserting that a person…

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Bamidbar-Shavuot 5773-2013

"The Invaluable Legacy of the Ancient Camp of Israel" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Bamidbar, the first parasha in Numbers, the fourth book of the Torah,…

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Acharei Mot-Kedoshim 5777-2017

“Judging Others Favorably” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Parashat Kedoshim, the second of this week’s double parashiot, Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, has 38 negative and 13 positive mitzvot and…

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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…

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B’ha’a’lot’cha 5780-2020

The Torah’s Attitude toward Converts (Revised and Updated from Parashat B’ha’a’lot’cha 5761-2001)   by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald. This coming week’s Torah portion, parashat…

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Acharei Mot-Kedoshim 5770-2010

"Loving Thy Neighbor" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In parashat Kedoshim, the second of this week's double parashiot -- Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, we read the famous, indeed, revolutionary…

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The Counting of the Omer

The Counting of the Omer We begin counting the days towards the next festival, Shavuot. Sefirat HaOmer – Counting the Omer The…