Will I Forgive You for What!?

An ancient Jewish proverb declares: “Loose tongues are worse than wicked hands.” Truth is, people do the most damage to each other with their mouths. Things done with our hands, such as…

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The 3 Ts

On Rosh Hashanah we declare: “But repentance, prayer and charity remove the evil of the decree!” In Hebrew, these constitute the 3 Ts: Teshuva, Tefilah and Tzedaka. Teshuva (repentance) a…

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Haazinu 5765-2004

"Judging Others Favorably and its Impact on Our Own Judgment" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This coming Shabbat is known in the Jewish calendar as Shabbat Shuva--the Sabbath of Return. It…

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Yom Kippur 5781-2020

“The Thrill of Coming Home” (updated and revised from Yom Kippur 5761-2000) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald There are certain times in the Jewish calendar that are regarded as propitious…

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A Dictionary for the Days of Awe

In Maimonides’ Laws of Repentance, he invokes five important and pertinent terms in the first paragraph, that are worth defining. Teshuva – means return, but connotes repentance or…

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Yonah of Geronah

It is a fact of history that students have frequently been at the center of radical movements, often under the influence of a teacher or mentor. This was the case of Rabbi Yonah of…

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The Three Ts

On Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur we declare: “Repentance, prayer and charity remove the evil of the decree!” In Hebrew, these constitute the three Ts: Teshuva, Tefila and Tzedaka. Teshuva…

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Vayakhel 5782-2022

“Defining True Generosity” (updated and revised from Vayakhel 5763-2003) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald   In this week’s parasha, parashat Vayakhel, we learn, once again, of building…

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The Three T’s

On Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur we declare: “Repentance, prayer and charity remove the evil of the decree!” In Hebrew, these constitute the three Ts: Teshuva, Tefila and Tzedaka. Teshuva…

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Yonah of Geronah

It is a fact of history that students have frequently been at the center of radical movements, often under the influence of a teacher or mentor. This was the case of Rabbi Yonah of…

Read More