Bereshith 5762-2001
"The Origins and Meanings of Evil" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Especially in light of the World Trade Center and Pentagon terrorist bombings, human beings all over the world are…
Yom Kippur 5769-2008
"Difficult Transitions" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald On the last day of his life, Moses seals the new covenant with the People of Israel. According to the Midrash, the people then return…
Lech Lecha 5773-2012
"To the Land that I Will Show You" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Lech Lecha, G-d instructs Abram (his name had not yet been changed to Abraham), to begin…
Weekly Message,Genesis,Toledot
Toledot 5773-2012
"The Sale of the Birthright" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Toledot, we learn of the sale of the birthright by Esau to his twin brother Jacob. In order to…
Judaism,Rosh Hashana Resources,Rosh HashanaLiteracy,Judaism,Rosh Hashana
Rosh Hashana Essay
Rosh Hashana Essay “Elul is the time to look back over the past year, sort out our strengths and weaknesses, and see…
Vayechi 5778-2017
“Blessing the Children--Revisited” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Vayechi, is chock-full of blessings. Before his passing, Jacob not only blesses his…
Yom Kippur,Yom Kippur Resources,JudaismLiteracy,Judaism,Yom Kippur
How We Prepare
How We Prepare Preparation for Yom Kippur begins during the first ten days of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, beginning with Rosh…
The Blessings Over Food: She’ha’kol/The Other Foods
The she’ha’kol blessing encompasses all things that do not grow from the ground: water, meat, fish, eggs, dairy, processed foods such as candy and most drinks. Ba’ruch Ah’tah Ah’doh’nai…
Pekudei 5763-2003
"The Lesson of the Basin: 'Don't Judge a Book by its Cover'" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week's parasha, parashat Pekudei, opens with a reckoning of all the precious materials that…