Shelach 5772-2012
"Had I Only Known!" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Shelach, is a particularly depressing Torah portion. It is sad not only because of the evil report that the…
Nitzavim,Weekly Message,Rosh Hashana
Nitzavim-Rosh Hashana 5773-2012
“The Return to G-d” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald On the heels of last week’s parasha, Kee Tavo, and G-d’s reproof of the Jewish people contained therein, this week’s parasha, parashat…
Tetzaveh 5773-2013
“The Centrality of Light” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Tetzaveh, speaks at length of the priestly vestments. The parasha closes with a description of the…
Sukkot II 5777-2016
“Why is Sukkot Celebrated in the Fall rather than in the Spring?” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The Torah, in Leviticus 23:42-43, states, בַּסֻּכֹּת תֵּשְׁבוּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים; כָּל…
Can You Count to 49?
There is a commandment (Leviticus 23:15) to count the 49 days that immediately follow the first night of Passover and, on the 50th night, to celebrate the holiday of Shavuot. This period…
When Adar Begins
The month of Adar begins today. About Adar, the twelfth month of the Jewish calendar year, the Talmud (Ta’anith 29a) states: “Mee'sheh'nichnas Adar, marbin b'simchah," With…
What’s in the Book: Ezekiel
The 48 chapters of the Book of Ezekiel are filled with wondrous visions. Ezekiel’s first vision is of a fiery chariot drawn by creatures with four faces (of a man, a lion, an ox and an…
Manna from Military Aircraft?
Is there a connection between “Manna,” the food from heaven that sustained the Children of Israel in the Sinai wilderness, and a World War II humanitarian military operation? On the…
The Pope and the Jewish Prayer for Rain
Did you know that several centuries ago, a Pope impacted Jewish law? Most Jewish events of note are based on the Jewish calendar. That’s why it’s surprising to learn that the date when…
Yom Ha’atzmaut – Israel’s Independence Day
On the fifth day of the Hebrew month of Iyar, in the year 5708, corresponding to May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was born. On that day, the British Mandate was terminated and David…