It’s At the Lost and Found
Many a comic strip cartoon has tried to gain a laugh by focusing on the strange objects returned to the “lost and found” department of large stores or buildings. Anyone who has ever…
Teshuva: To Where Are We Returning?
The process of introspection and repentance in order to accomplish transformation, really begins a month before Rosh Hashana, with the advent of the Hebrew month of Elul. During this…
Returning
One of the dominant themes of the High Holiday season is repentance. In Hebrew, repentance is known as teshuva and it is a multi-tiered process that requires more than just feeling bad…
A Lost Language of Scholarship
When most people think about Jewish language they think of Hebrew or Yiddish, and sometimes of Ladino. In honor of UN Arabic Language Day, Jewish Treats would like to recognize the…
Kee Teitzei 5767-2007
"Concern for the Property of Others" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Parashat Kee Teitzei contains seventy-two mitzvot, more commandments than any other parasha in the Torah. Of the many…
Kee Teitzei 5774-2014
“Restoring Lost Possessions--Revisited” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Among the 74 commandments (47 negative and 27 positive) that are found in parashat Kee Teitzei is the mitzvah of…
Re’eh 5776-2016
“Preserving the Sanctity of Sacred Objects and Sacred Ideas" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Very soon after the opening verses of this week’s parasha, parashat Re’eh, the Torah, in…
Mikeitz 5778-2017
“Returning the Stolen Goblet to Joseph” In this week’s parasha, parashat Mikeitz, the confrontation between Joseph and his brethren reaches its peak when Joseph’s steward accuses…
Finders Keepers
After a visit from a close friend, a woman finds a gold bracelet on her couch. Immediately, she calls her friend and returns the bracelet. That’s a “no brainer.” After a large luncheon at…
Bechukotai,Behar,Weekly Message
Behar-Bechukotai 5761-2001
"Setting A New Standard of Ethics" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald This coming week, we once again read two parashiot, Behar and Bechukotai. In parashat Behar, Leviticus 25, verse 14, we find…