Vayechi 5772-2012

"The Scepter Shall Not Depart from Judah" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Vayechi, Jacob calls his sons together in order to bless them before he dies. Not…

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Acharei Mot-Kedoshim 5773-2013

"The Sanctity of The Holy of Holies" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In parashat Acharei Mot, the first of this week’s double parashiot, Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, the Torah recalls the death of…

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Yitro 5775-2015

“I Shall Come to You and Bless You” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Yitro, after the dramatic pronouncement of the Ten Commandments at Sinai, the Torah, once…

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Lech Lecha 5778-2017

“The Beautiful, Barren Matriarchs” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Lech Lecha, G-d commands Abram and Sarai (their names had not yet been changed), to give…

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The Center of Worship

When the Jews wandered in the wilderness, sacrificial services were performed by the kohanim (priests) in the Mishkan (Tabernacle). After King David conquered Jerusalem, his son and…

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On the 15th of Av: What Hoshea Did

How can one action be both praiseworthy and unacceptable at the same time? Such was the conundrum of Hoshea ben Elah, the last King of Israel (the Northern Kingdom of Ten Tribes). After…

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