The Tribe of Zebulun

As the ancestors of the tribes of Israel, the lives and personalities of each of the twelve sons of Jacob significantly impact on the history and behavior of the tribe members who…

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Zebulun, Son of Jacob

Throughout her life, Leah suffered from the terrible insecurity of knowing that her husband loved her sister Rachel more than he loved her. Each time she bore a child, the statement she…

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The Tribe of Issachar

As the ancestors of the tribes of Israel, the lives and personalities of each of the twelve sons of Jacob significantly impact the history and behavior of the tribe members who descended…

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Naso 5771-2011

"Finding Variety in the Seemingly Identical" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Naso, is the longest parasha of the Torah. It is usually read on the Shabbat that…

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Bamidbar 5771-2011

“Good Neighbors and Bad Neighbors” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Bamidbar, we learn of the configuration of the camps of Israel that surrounded the…

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The Beauty of Blue

If you’ve never heard of a chilazon, the creature from which the ancient techelet dye was extracted, that’s because the exact identity of the creature has been lost due to time and…

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Shelach 5781-2021

“What’s in a Name?” (updated and revised from Shelach 5762-2002) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s Torah portion, parashat Shelach, the Torah recounts the fateful saga of the…

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Shelach 5762-2002

"What's in a Name?" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's Torah portion, parashat Shelach, the Torah tells of the twelve men who were sent to scout the land of Canaan, and…

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How Many Tribes?

The challenge to name the number of tribes of Israel would fall into the category of  “easy” by trivia fans. However, the term “The Twelve Tribes of Israel” can be enumerated in…

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Land Balance

When Joshua led the Children of Israel in to the Promised Land, each tribe received a distinct territory that would be their tribal land. The area of their tribe was not randomly…

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