Joseph, Son of Jacob
The story of Jacob’s eleventh son is a tale of epic proportion. The firstborn of barren Rachel, Joseph was his father’s favorite child, and Jacob never hesitated to display his feelings…
Joseph, Son of Jacob
The story of Jacob’s eleventh son is a tale of epic proportion. The firstborn of Rachel, Joseph was his father’s favorite child, and Jacob never hesitated to display his feelings of…
Joseph, Son of Jacob
The story of Jacob’s eleventh son is a tale of epic proportion. The firstborn of Rachel, Joseph was his father’s favorite child, and Jacob never hesitated to display his feelings of…
Her Son Hur, His Grandson, and His Actions!
On the 15th of Tammuz, we observe the yahrzeit (anniversary of the day of death) of Hur, a relatively unsung hero from Biblical times, who was the first Jew to die al Kiddush Hashem,…
Vayeishev 5780-2019
“The Coming of Age of Joseph: from Lad to Bechor” (edited and revised from Vayeishev 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Vayeishev, we are…
Vayeitzei 5783-2022
“The Transformation of Jacob” (updated and revised from Vayeitzei 5763-2002) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s Torah portion, parashat Vayeitzei, continues the fascinating story…
Vayeitzei 5763-2002
"The Transformation of Jacob" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald This week's Torah portion, parashat Vayeitzei, continues the fascinating story of the patriarchal family of Isaac and the saga of…
Vayeishev 5761-2000
"The Coming of Age of Joseph: from Lad to Bechor" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, parashat Vayeishev, we learn of the family of Jacob and of the terrible…
Benjamin, The Son of Jacob
The youngest of twelve brothers and one sister, Benjamin, the son of Jacob, appears in the Biblical narrative to be a passive personality whose life is seemingly dictated by the fate of…
Judah, Son of Jacob
When Judah, the fourth son of Leah and Jacob, was born, Leah said, “This time let me gratefully praise God” (based on the Hebrew infinitive, l’hodot, “to praise”). Judah first…