Touchy About Touching
It has been said that the custom of shaking hands originated as a means of demonstrating that one is not concealing any weapons. While most people no longer worry about their…
On Guard
The sanctity of life plays an unquestionably major factor in Jewish law. Not everyone, however, is familiar with how strongly Judaism stresses not only the sanctity of life, but also the…
The Shabbat Limit
Nothing is more enjoyable on a Shabbat afternoon than a leisurely stroll with friends and family. Certainly those who are Shomer Shabbat (Sabbath observant) and attend synagogue spend a…
Va’eira 5764-2004
"The Names of G-d and Their Meanings" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, parashat Va'eira, G-d speaks to Moses and says to him (Exodus 6:2): "Ah'nee Hashem," I…
Genesis,Va'etchanan,Weekly Message
Va’etchanan 5772-2012
"The Magic of the Mezuzah" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Va’etchanan, we encounter the first of two textual references to the mitzvah of mezuzah that are…
Mezuzah: Complete Fulfillment
A mezuzah on the doorpost is a public sign of a Jewish home. If you open the decorative container of the mezuzah you will find a piece of parchment with two sets of Hebrew verses from…
Va’eira 5784-2024
Urgent message: Given the most challenging situation in Israel at this time, I urge all to pray for the bereaved families, the hostages, the missing and the many casualties. Please try to…
Shabbat Elevator
In the days when the Talmud was compiled (and certainly in the times of Moses), there were no high rise apartment buildings. Families lived on farms or in small villages, and those who…
Waves of Aliyah
Although the State of Israel was officially established in 1948, the beginning of the mass return of Jews to the Promised Land began in the 1880s. Each distinct wave of immigration is now…
Mezuzah: Complete Fulfillment
A mezuzah on the doorpost is a public sign of a Jewish home. If you open the decorative container of the mezuzah you will find a piece of parchment with two sets of Hebrew verses from…