Fairness in Journalism
Stand up against biased journalism by writing letters to the editor in protest.
Va’etchanan 5766-2006
"A Small Verse that Started a Mighty Revolution" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Some weekly Torah portions are considered particularly significant by virtue of the large number of mitzvot…
Chukat 5767-2007
"The Excesses of Rationality" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald One of the most common issues raised when analyzing a Torah text is the question of juxtaposition: why a particular parasha…
Korach 5774-2014
“Aaron Stops the Plague” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Korach, we read of the dramatic rebellion of Korach, Datan and Abiram, and their…
Kedoshim 5779-2019
“The Revolutionary Idea of Holiness’” (Revised and updated from Kedoshim 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week’s parasha, parashat Kedoshim, we encounter a…
Shemot 5772-2012
“A Truly Moral Man Goes Out To His Brethren” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Shemot, we learn how Moses is saved from certain death after being placed by his…
Skeptic’s Day: Or is It?
Happy “Skeptics Day,” is the annual opportunity to acknowledge those who need absolute evidence before believing anything. What does Jewish wisdom teach about skepticism? In a Jewish…
It’s About the Relationship
Marriage, in the construct of Jewish law, is a practical agreement by which, at its most basic, a woman is guaranteed support and protection and a man has the prospect of progeny to carry…
Keep it Fair: Ox and Donkey
“Fair” is a word we hear very often. From our earliest years, human beings have a seemingly innate desire for things to be, or at least appear to be, fair. When children use the word, it…
Festive Poems
Take a survey of the most common adjective used to describe the Jewish High Holidays and the word might just be “long.” One reason for the long services is that in addition to the usual…