Emor 5773-2013
"Sanctifying G-d’s Name" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Emor, we find the seminal commandments to sanctify G-d’s name and the prohibition of desecrating…
Chukat 5774-2014
“The Inscrutable Statutes” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Chukat opens with the well-known and deeply inscrutable law of the Red Heifer (cow). In Numbers 19:2,…
Kee Teitzei 5766-2006
"The Mitzvah of Marriage, Kiddushin and Ketuvah" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Parashat Kee Teitzei is a fascinating parasha, containing the largest number of mitzvot of any parasha in the…
Kee Tavo 5775-2015
“Making The Final Commitment” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Kee Tavo, Moses continues to deliver his final message to the Jewish people. Shortly before…
Mishpatim 5777-2017
“Majority Rule " This week’s parasha, parashat Mishpatim, is one of the most content-rich parashiot in the entire Torah. Mishpatim, which literally means “laws” or “rules,” serves as the…
Acharei Mot,Kedoshim,Weekly Message
Acharei Mot-Kedoshim 5778-2018
“The Extreme Sanctity of the Holy of Holies--Revisited” In parashat Acharei Mot, the first of this week’s double parashiyot, Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, we learn of the prohibition to enter the…
Kee Teitzei 5765-2005
"The Revolution that Started with a Fence" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The extraordinary number of themes that are found in parashat Kee Teizei make it seem as if the Torah, with only…
Mishpatim 5779-2019
“From Seemingly Obscure Laws, the Torah Teaches the Ultimate Value of the Sanctity of Human Life”(Revised and updated from Mishpatim 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming…
Devarim 5765-2005
"The Book of Deuteronomy–Mishneh Torah and the Purpose of Repetition" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week's parasha, parashat Devarim, marks the commencement of the fifth book of the…
Va’etchanan 5761-2001
"The Mandate for Parental Involvement in Jewish Education" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Va'etchanan, we encounter not only the Ten Commandments, but also…