Why Am I Not Interested in Idols?
There is an interesting dialogue between the elders of Rome and the sages of Israel recorded in Talmud Avodah Zarah 55a: [Rome]: "If [your God] has no desire for idolatry, why does…
Nimrod
The great military villains have usually been brilliant, determined and, it is often suggested, megalomanic. In which case they are very much the spiritual descendants of Nimrod. Nimrod,…
Kee Tisah 5768-2008
"Moses Shatters the Tablets" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Kee Tisah, we read the dramatic story of Moses receiving the tablets of the Ten Commandments…
Passover 5770-2010
"The Festival of Liberation" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald If one were to look at the world from a truly impartial perspective, one might conclude that all human beings are equal, all days…
Kee Tavo 5769-2009
"Stretch Those Face Muscles!" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Kee Tavo, we find the fascinating portion regarding the giving of Bikurim, the season's first…
Shemini,Genesis,Weekly Message
Shemini 5771-2011
“The Death of Aaron’s Sons: The Midrashic Perspective” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Shemini, speaks of the “eighth day” of the Tabernacle consecration…
Rosh Hashana 5770-2009
"The Unexpected Joy of Rosh Hashana" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In the first of last week's double parashiot, parashat Nitzavim, we read Moses' forceful charge to the People of Israel…
Sukkot I 5767-2006
"Sukkot - The Festival of Joy" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald The festival of Sukkot is regarded as the most joyous of all the Jewish holidays. In fact, there is not a single reference in the…
Chukat 5777-2017
“Moses’ Painful Words of Comfort” Among the diverse themes found in parashat Chukat, we learn of the death of Aaron. According to tradition, on the first day of Av, in the fortieth and…
Va’etchanan 5774-2014
“The Prediction of Return” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Va’etchanan, is always read after the Fast of the 9th of Av and after the conclusion of the period…