Shelach 5771-2011
"Challah–-All Possessions Are From the L-rd" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The primary narrative of this week’s parasha, parashat Shelach, concerns the episode of the scouts (spies) who…
Shelach 5773-2013
"Tzitzit: The Unpretentious Mitzvah" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald At the conclusion of this week’s parasha, parashat Shelach, we learn of the mitzvah of Tzitzit, the fringes that are…
Shelach 5772-2012
"Had I Only Known!" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Shelach, is a particularly depressing Torah portion. It is sad not only because of the evil report that the…
Shelach 5765-2005
"Bread Alone" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald As the name of the parasha, "Shelach lecha"--send for yourself, indicates, this week's parasha focuses on the 12 scouts that were sent by the…
Shelach 5774-2014
“Do Not Follow After the Desires of Your Heart and Eyes” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald While the major theme of parashat Shelach concerns the scouts who return from the Land of Israel with…
Shelach 5775-2015
“The Sin of the Spies--Revisited” By Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Shelach, we read of the sin of the scouts whom Moses sent out, at G-d’s behest, to scout…
Shelach 5783-2023
"Where Did the Scouts Go Wrong?" (updated and revised from Shelach 5764-2004) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Shelach, G-d tells Moses (Numbers 13:2): שְׁלַח…
Shelach 5776-2016
“A Name Change Becomes a Game Changer" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Shelach, we read the well-known story of the scouts who are sent into the Land of…
Shelach 5764-2004
"Where Did the Spies Go Wrong?" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Shelach, G-d tells Moses (Numbers 13:2): "Sh'lach l'chah ah'nah'shim, v'yah'too'roo et Eretz…
Shelach 5779-2019
"Finding Meaning in the Rituals" (Revised and updated from Shelach 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Shelach, concludes with the well-known…