A Jar of Manna
As discussed in this coming week’s Torah Portion, parashat B’shalach, while the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, there were few things more miraculous than the manna, the food from…
Happy Birthday Birkat Hamazon
The Torah (Exodus 16:1) reports that the Children of Israel arrived at the Wilderness of Sin on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Iyar, approximately one month after the exodus from Egypt.…
An Auspicious Time
During the month of Elul, a particularly auspicious time leading up to Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, think about ways in which you can come closer to God. One way to come closer to God is…
Vanity of Vanities
Most people are unknowingly familiar with the beginning of the third chapter of Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) because of the 1965 hit song by The Byrds: “To everything – turn, turn, turn/There…
Precious Creation
While there are many appropriate themes with which the Torah in Genesis 1 could have begun (Abraham, Mt. Sinai, etc.), it begins instead with a day-by-day description of the creation of…
B’ha’alot’cha 5783-2023
"Searching for Eldad and Medad" (updated and revised from B'ha'a'lot'cha 5764-2004) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week's parasha, parashat B’ha’a’lot’cha, brims with many fascinating…
Hear O Israel
In this week’s Torah portion, Va’etchanan, we read the famous words of the Shema: “Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one!” Articulate it please! Say it out loud – slowly,…
Live Knowing That People See You as a Jew
Live your life knowing that during every moment, others will see your actions as representing Jews and Judaism. While it may seem like we, as Jews, are held to a higher standard by the…
Kiss and Make Up
Today, August 25th, is the anonymously anointed “Kiss and Make Up Day.” These modern “holidays” have little historic meaning, but Jewish Treats would be remiss in not noting that the…