Bamidbar 5776-2016

“A Tiny Letter Conveys a Profound Lesson" By Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Bamidbar, is the opening Torah portion of the fourth book of the Torah, Bamidbar, also…

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Toledot 5777-2016

“The Exceptional Power of Prayer” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald As this week’s parasha, parashat Toledot, opens, we find Isaac in the process of entreating G-d that his wife, Rebecca,…

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Kee Tisah 5778-2018

Safeguarding the Covenant by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald   This week's parasha, parashat Kee Tisah, focuses primarily on the sin of the Golden Calf and Moses' successful invocation of…

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Va’eira 5780-2019

“G-d Hardens Pharaoh's Heart: Reconciling Omniscience with Free Will” (revised and updated from Va’eira 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Va'eira,…

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Devarim 5780-2020

“Eichah, The Annual Search for Meaning and Introspection” (updated and revised from Parashat Devarim 5761-2001) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Devarim, is…

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Preparing for the New Year

Preparing for theNew YearElul — The Month Before Rosh Hashana Table of Contents Teshuva- Repentance Customs of Elul 1.…

The Fast of Esther

Ta’anit EstherThe Fast of Esther A fast day is observed in commemoration of the 3 days of fasting by Esther, Mordechai and the…

Beauty and the Bess

On December 14, 2014, one of the most talked-about American Jews from the 1940s passed away. Bess Myerson, born in the Bronx on July 16, 1924, became the first and only Jewish "Miss…

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Fast of Esther

"Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day; I and my maidens will also fast in like manner; and so…

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Skeptic’s Day: Or is It?

Happy “Skeptics Day,” is the annual opportunity to acknowledge those who need absolute evidence before believing anything. What does Jewish wisdom teach about skepticism? In a Jewish…

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