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…
Yom Kippur 5778-2017
According to tradition, the Torah was given to the People of Israel at Mount Sinai in the Hebrew year 2448 (1312 BCE), on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan. On the seventh day of…
Toledot 5778-2017
“Isaac’s Unconditional Love for Esau” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Toledot, we read of the birth of Esau and Jacob. Isaac was 60 years old when his wife,…
Yitro 5778-2018
“Striving as a Jewish Ideal” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Yitro, Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law advises Moses to delegate authority when he sits in…
Korach 5778-2018
“Where Did Korach Go Wrong?” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Korach, we read of the rebellion of Korach, Datan and Abiram, and 250 men of the Children of…
Naso 5769-2009
"An Extreme Lifestyle" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Naso, we encounter two particularly challenging themes. We read of the Sotah, a woman suspected of…
Terumah,Weekly Message,Genesis
Terumah 5771-2011
“The Message of the Holy Ark” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Terumah, we learn, in great detail, of the building of the Tabernacle. G-d tells Moses to…
Time of Freedom?
The sages refer to the holiday of Passover as Zman Chay’roo’tay’noo, the time of our freedom. This may seem obvious, since Passover celebrates the redemption of the Jewish people…
Impeachment and the Jewish Tradition
On February 24, 1868, a U.S. president was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time. Three months later, the U.S. Senate acquitted President Andrew Johnson. 35…
In the Wilderness
The Torah was given to the Jewish nation in the midst of the wilderness on a tiny mountain called Sinai. Throughout the Torah, however, there is much focus on the “Promised Land” and…