Shelach 5774-2014
“Do Not Follow After the Desires of Your Heart and Eyes” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald While the major theme of parashat Shelach concerns the scouts who return from the Land of Israel with…
Chayei Sara 5764-2003
"Who Was the Matriarch Sarah?" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Chayei Sarah, the matriarch Sarah, Abraham's wife, passes away. The authors of the Midrash,…
Tetzaveh 5775-2015
“The High Priest Wears the Names of Israel on His Heart” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Tetzaveh, contains a number of varied themes, including the oil of…
Chukat 5775-2015
“Accepting the Inscrutable” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Chukat, we learn of the statute of the Red Cow, also known as the Red Heifer. The ashes of an…
Vayeira 5776-2015
“The Trials of Abraham” by Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Vayeira, includes at least three of the ten trials that Abraham faced during his life. Pirkei Avot, Ethics of…
B’shalach 5776-2016
“The Small ‘Stuff’ is not Always Small” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat B’shalach, features the majestic story of the People of Israel crossing the Red Sea, and…
Tzav 5776-2016
“Dressing Properly for Special Occasions” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Tzav, opens with detailed instructions to the Kohanim, the priests, regarding taking…
Metzorah 5776-2016
“G-d Has Pity on the Property of Israel” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Metzorah, opens with a detailed description of the purification ritual for the…
B’shalach 5777-2017
“Miriam Leads the Women in Song" This week’s parasha, parashat B’shalach, is known as the parasha of the “Shira,” the Torah portion that includes the song that Moses sang after the…
Emor 5778-2018
“The Great Moses Seems Not to Know the Answer” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Emor, we encounter the episode of the מְגַדֵּף, megadef, the blasphemer, which…