Rosh Hashana 5784-2023
“Actions and their Implications” (updated and revised from Rosh Hashana 5766-2005) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The celebration of the Jewish New Year is entirely unlike the secular New…
Avinu Malkeinu
No prayer so thoroughly captures the Jewish people’s dual relationship with God as Avinu Malkeinu, “Our Father, Our King.” While Avinu Malkeinu is a prayer widely known to be part of the…
For The Sins We Committed
One of the main steps in the process of teshuva (repentance) is for penitents to confess their sins and verbalize their errors. In so doing, those who seek forgiveness for committing a…
A Meaningful Act of Kindness
We are all at a loss of how to deal with the tragic unfolding events in Israel. On the one hand, we feel helpless seeing the horrific images from Israel and reading the tragic stories…
What Are Tefillin?
The common translation of tefillin is “phylacteries,” which is a Greek word meaning amulet. “And you shall bind them [the words that I command you today] for a sign upon your arm, and…
Isaac, Son of Abraham
Born to aged parents (Sarah was 90, Abraham was 100), Isaac was Abraham’s sole heir. This meant more than inheriting his wealth, it meant becoming the leading advocate of monotheism.…
On One Foot
Jewish Treats was asked to summarize the Jewish faith in one tweet. For those unfamiliar with the “X”/Twitter format, that means in 280 characters or less, which seems, at first glance, a…
Learning From Others
Listen closely to another person’s advice since it’s quite possible that they are sharing their wisdom and thereby providing you with a valuable life lesson. In parashat Miketz, this…
Jewish Boxing Days?
In many countries, especially those associated with the United Kingdom, December 26th is known as Boxing Day. There are divergent views as to the source of this day and the origin of the…
Calligraphy
In honor of National Handwriting Day, which is today, Jewish Treats explores the unique calligraphy practiced by a Jewish sofer (scribe). The Hebrew letters used in a Torah scroll, as…