Guide to Talmudic Terms

Tonight, tens of thousands of Jews will celebrate completing their study of the Talmud. Some of the celebrants are full-time Torah scholars, others are dentists, mechanics and…

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Yiddishisms

On November 18, 2013, NASA launched an atmospheric probe to Mars, which initiated the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission. Its mission was to gather data to determine why…

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Chukat 5774-2014

“The Inscrutable Statutes” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Chukat opens with the well-known and deeply inscrutable law of the Red Heifer (cow). In Numbers 19:2,…

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A Dictionary for the Days of Awe

In Maimonides’ Laws of Repentance, he invokes five important and pertinent terms in his first paragraph, that are worth defining.Teshuva – means return, but connotes…

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A Dictionary for the Days of Awe

In Maimonides’ Laws of Repentance, he invokes five important and pertinent terms in his first paragraph, that are worth defining. Teshuva – means return (click here to the week before),…

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A Dictionary for the Days of Awe

In Maimonides’ Laws of Repentance, he invokes five important and pertinent terms in the first paragraph, that are worth defining. Teshuva – means return, but connotes repentance or…

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Kee Teitzei 5761-2001

"Polygamy and Jewish Tradition" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, parashat Kee Teizei, we learn of the special privileges accorded to the first born son. In…

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Judaism vs. Hellenism

Judaism vs. Hellenism Why did the interaction of the Greeks and the Jews create such problems? What was there about Hellenism…

Vayeishev 5779-2018

“The Mystical Aspects of the Sale of Joseph” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald   In this week’s parasha, parashat Vayeishev, we read of the sale of Joseph by his brothers, which resulted…

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Noah 5760-1999

"Does the Torah ever distort the truth?" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald There is a fascinating and enlightening story brought down in Genesis 11, of this week's parasha, Noah. It is…

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