Vayakhel-Pekudei 5773-2013
"The Jewish Connection" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald With this week’s double parashiot, Vayakhel-Pekudei, the reading of the Book of Exodus is concluded. The exacting architectural and…
Shemot 5773-2012
“The Role of Exile in Jewish History” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Shemot, the book of Exodus opens with the story of the people of Israel’s enslavement…
Beauty and the Greeks
What does Noah’s son Yephet have to do with the story of Chanukah and the mitzvah of circumcision?When the Syrian-Greeks sought to force Hellenization on the Judeans, one of the first…
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…
One for the Queen (Or Really Three)
During the 45 year reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603), the Jewish people were still under a ban of settlement that had been in effect since their expulsion from England in 1290. In…
Stop and Smell the Roses
There is no common word for people with an impaired olfactory system (anosmia, for those who wish to know) such as there is for one with impaired vision or impaired hearing. Smell,…
This Day Is Honored
Shabbat meals, like many aspects of Jewish life, are a beautiful synthesis of our physical and spiritual selves. Physically, we enjoy delightful feasts at which our most beautiful…
Shelach 5771-2011
"Challah–-All Possessions Are From the L-rd" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The primary narrative of this week’s parasha, parashat Shelach, concerns the episode of the scouts (spies) who…
Genesis,Weekly Message,Shemini
Shemini 5771-2011
“The Death of Aaron’s Sons: The Midrashic Perspective” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Shemini, speaks of the “eighth day” of the Tabernacle consecration…
Vayakhel 5771-2011
"Straying from Lofty Spiritual Moorings" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Vayakhel, Moses speaks to the entire nation of Israel and reviews with them the…