Kee Teitzei 5772-2012
"The Sanctity of the Camp of Israel" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Kee Teitzei, contains 74 mitzvot-- more mitzvot than any other portion of the Torah. 27 are…
Shoftim 5777-2017
“Judaism and the Principle of the Sanctity of Human Life” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Shoftim, focuses, for the most part, on the principle of the…
Terumah 5778-2018
“The Cherubs” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Terumah, we read of the many and varied materials that were donated by the people to build the Mishkan, the…
Emor 5768-2008
"Creed or Deed" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The two opening chapters of parashat Emor, Leviticus 21 and 22, deal with laws that pertain to the Kohanim (priests) and to safeguarding the…
Chag Ha’matzot
The name of the holiday “Passover,” is an allusion to God’s passing over the Israelite households during the plague of the firstborn, a critical element in the events of the Exodus. The…
Shabbat, The Heart of Unity
Shabbat is one of the Ten Commandments, and is one of the most frequently referred-to mitzvot (commandments) in the Torah. Shabbat is regarded as the “heart” of Jewish life. It sets a…
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors?
The term “ghetto” has a sad connotation in Jewish history and a very negative association when referring to certain poor urban areas. The term’s etymology, however, originates from a…
The Songs of the Ibn Ezra
The joy of Shabbat is expressed in many ways throughout the “Day of Rest.” For those of a musical bent (and even for those not so musically inclined), one of the joys of the Shabbat meals…
Chag Ha’matzot
The name of the holiday “Passover,” is an allusion to God’s passing over the Israelite households during the plague of the firstborn, a critical element in the events of the Exodus. The…
Uprising At Treblinka
The heinous plans of the Nazis seemed too horrible to be credible. Who could imagine “civilized” men conceiving of Operation Reinhard, a plan to oversee the building of Belzec, Sobibor…