Wise and Understanding
For the “person-in-charge,” one of the most difficult, yet important, jobs is delegating responsibility. Choosing the men and women with whom one will work most closely requires knowing…
Weekly Message,Tazria,Metzorah
Tazria-Metzorah 5773-2013
"Ritual Impurity and Tzaraat: A Contemporary Understanding" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s double parashiot, Tazria and Metzorah, are among the most complex Torah portions for…
Ritual Unites
Jewish rituals work, and given their uniformity throughout the Jewish world, unite Jews around the globe.
Weekly Message,Tazria,Metzorah
Tazria-Metzorah 5777-2017
“Insights to be Gleaned from the Metzorah, the Person Stricken with the Tzaraat Disease" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s double parasha, Tazria-Metzorah, we learn of the…
Tazria,Weekly Message,Metzorah,Yom Ha'atzmaut
Tazria-Metzorah-Yom Ha’atzmaut 5775-2015
“Finding the Silver Lining” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In parashat Tazria, the first of this week’s double parashiot Tazria-Metzorah, we encounter the laws of צָרָעַת Tzaraat, the…
The Blessings of the Amidah: Understanding
The nineteen blessings of the Amidah make up the core of the Jewish prayer service. The fourth blessing recognizes God as the source of our own ability to understand the world. Ah’tah…
Tazria 5782-2022
“Tzaraat—The Spiritual-Dermatological Disease” (updated and revised from Tazria 5763-2003) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Tazria, as well as parashat…
Metzorah 5779-2019
“The Ultimate Value and Sanctity of Human Life in Judaism” (Revised and updated from Metzorah 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Metzorah, continues the…
Understanding Vidui
When confessing sins before God, it is especially important to understand what is being said. If the Hebrew liturgy is unfamiliar, print out before Yom Kippur and review a translation of…
For a Broader Understanding
Click here to read a fascinating thought from Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald about parashat Korach.