Bamidbar – Shavuot 5772-2012

"Techelet--Genuine Sincerity in Faith" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Much of the narrative of parashat Bamidbar concerns the details and logistics of setting up the Tabernacle and…

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The Beauty of Blue

If you’ve never heard of a chilazon, the creature from which the ancient techelet dye was extracted, that’s because the exact identity of the creature has been lost due to time and…

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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…

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Of Shamrocks, Snails and Survivors: the life of Rabbi Isaac Herzog

Rabbi Isaac Herzog, the State of Israel’s first Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi, passed away, at age 70, on this date - the 19th of Tammuz – sixty years ago, in 1959, corresponding to July 25th.…

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Seeing Through Deceptions

The Exodus from Egypt, which culminated in the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, was a defining moment in Jewish history. Not only does the Torah narrate the events of the Exodus, but,…

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Destructive M’lachot?

The laws of guarding Shabbat guarantee that the Jewish people will maintain the Shabbat as a day sacred and distinct from the six work days of the week. The prohibited acts are known as…

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Supply List

What do gold, silver and copper; aqua, purple and red-dyed wool; linen, goat hair, animal skins, acacia wood, olive oil, spices and gems have in common? These were the primary items that…

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Supply List

What do gold, silver and copper; aqua, purple and red-dyed wool; linen, goat hair, animal skins, acacia wood, olive oil, spices and gems have in common? These were the primary items that…

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