Pekudei,Weekly Message,Vayakhel
Vayakhel-Pekudei 5764-2004
"Celebrating the Month of Nisan" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This coming Shabbat, the final Shabbat in the Hebrew month of Adar, is also known as Shabbat Parashat HaChodesh. An…
Haazinu-Sukkot 5773-2012
"Yom Kippur: A Prelude to the Festival of Sukkot" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The four days between Yom Kippur and the festival of Sukkot are important transitional days. As often…
Mourning Jerusalem I: A Brief History of the First Temple
Today, Jews all over the world are observing the fast of Tisha b’Av. It is on this day that the Jewish people mourn the destruction of both the First and Second Temples. The First Temple…
Spin The Dreidel
I have a little dreidelI made it out of clayAnd when it’s dry and readyWith dreidel I shall play!The Dreidel is a four sided top, with a single Hebrew letter on each of its sides. Before…
Sir “The Jew”
The first Jew to be knighted by a monarch of England was not himself English. But, then again, neither was the king! In 1688, Willem the Third of the Dutch Republic conquered England in…
Spinoza
Any student of philosophy will be able to tell you about Baruch (Benedict) Spinoza, and indeed, the name probably seems vaguely familiar to non-scholars as well. Yet, as is the case with…
Sir “The Jew”
The first Jew to be knighted by a monarch of England was not himself English. But, then again, neither was the king! In 1688, Willem the Third of the Dutch Republic conquered England in…
Shemini 5778-2018
“Kashrut and Copepods” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Shemini, is one of two parshiyot (the other is Re’eh, Deuteronomy 14:3-21) that serve as the main sources…
Mikeitz 5774-2013
"What’s in a Name? Zaphenath-Paneach" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Mikeitz, Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dream and is elevated to serve as viceroy of…
Nitzavim-Vayeilech 5762-2002
"The Promise of Total Return" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This coming week's parashiot, Nitzavim and Vayeilech, are among the final parashiot of the book of Deuteronomy and contain the…