Parts of the Soul
Have you ever wondered about the idea of a soul? It is a word that implies something metaphysical, something spiritual, and yet ‘soul’ is a word that is used so frequently that the very…
The Blessings of the Amidah: Redemption of the Jewish People
The nineteen blessings of the Amidah make up the core of the Jewish prayer service. The fifteenth blessing continues to focus on the future redemption as it beseeches God to send the…
Festival of Redemption
Consider the significance of the month of Nissan within which we celebrate the festival of Passover: According to the Talmud, in the month of Nissan our ancestors were redeemed from…
The Blessings of the Amidah: Redemption from Difficulties
The nineteen blessings of the Amidah make up the core of the Jewish prayer service. The seventh blessing addresses our need for help, our need to be redeemed from difficult situations.…
How to make your ‘Soul Bigger’ for the High Holidays
We have less than a week to prepare ourselves for Rosh Hashana which begins Wednesday night, September 8th. One of the most moving parts of the Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur services is the…
The Morning Blessings: Eh’lo’hai N’shama/The Soul That You Created
Expressing gratitude to God for our lives and our souls is an essential part of the morning prayers. Eh’lo’hai n’shama sheh’na’ta’ta bee t’hora hee. Ah’tah v’ratah Ah’tah y’tzar’tah,…
The Music of the Soul
Born in Geneva on July 24, 1880, Ernest Bloch was a world famous Jewish composer. Seven of his works are known, collectively, as the “Jewish Cycle.” Bloch was raised in a home awash with…
Va’etchanan 5764-2004
"The Dialectic of Body and Soul" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Va'etchanan, we encounter several weighty and significant texts. Among the most prominent…
Va’etchanan 5783-2023
"The Dialectic of Body and Soul" (updated and revised from Va’etchanan 5764-2004) In this week’s parasha, parashat Va’etchanan, we encounter several well-known and significant texts.…