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Rabbi
Buchwald's
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"The Sounding of the Shofar"
What are the reasons for the sounding of the shofar, and what are its meanings? Why do we sound 100 blasts of the shofar? What should be our proper inner intentions and thoughts when the shofar is sounded?
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"The Role of the Cantor in the High Holiday Services"
After the Temples’ destruction, the majestic service of ancient times could no longer be replicated. Instead, today, the cantor, who acts as the community representative, stands symbolically in the role of the High Priest. Many other holiday rituals underscore the connection between the High Priest and today cantor.
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"The Festival of Sukkot Comes to a Dramatic Closer"
The festival of Hoshanah Rabbah, which concludes the Sukkot holiday, is often considered a minor observance, and frequently falls between the cracks. It is however a most significant day in which all of humankind is judged. It is therefore filled with meaningful rituals and traditions that are key to fully appreciating the true significance of this important holiday.
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"Starting All Over--Again!"
Many students of the Bible are under the misconception that the five books of Moses come to teach history or theology. The Torah is essentially a book of morality and ethics whose purpose is primarily to explain the very special covenental relationship that G-d has with the People of Israel. The story of creation and the entire book of Genesis come to affirm and elucidate that special relationship between G-d and His people.
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"The Battle of the Four Kings Against the Five"
Parashat Lech Lecha goes into great detail regarding the battle of the four kings against the five, raising questions of its significance. By studying the details of this battle, we learn many moral lessons, once again confirming that the Torah is primarily a guide for moral and ethical living, and not a book of history.
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"Seeking Mitzvah Opportunities"
After the destruction of Sodom, Abraham moves from Hebron, where he had lived for 25 years, and resettles in the south, in a place called Gerar. The rabbis offer many reasons for Abraham’s move. The Yalkut May’am Lo’ez suggests that Jews have an obligation to look for mitzvah opportunities, which is exactly what Abraham did by relocating to the Negev.
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"O Captain, My Captain"
Abraham passes away at age 175. His passing and his burial are described in only four verses. Yet there is much to be gleaned from the nuances of the text. The Midrash and the sages derive many powerful lessons from this brief biblical passage.
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"Esau’s Loud and Bitter Cry"
Abraham passes away at age 175. His passing and his burial are described in only four verses. Yet there is much to be gleaned from the nuances of the text. The Midrash and the sages derive many powerful lessons from this brief biblical passage.
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"How Dare You Accuse Me!"
When Laban accuses Jacob of stealing his teraphim (household idols), Jacob confidently responds: “With whomever you find your gods, that person shall not live.” How is it possible for Jacob to be so certain that there was not a single thief among his family members or servants?
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"The Birth of Benjamin, The Death of Rachel"
Jacob and his family are finally at the point in their lives where they can celebrate their return to Canaan and look forward to dwelling in peace. Rachel gives birth to a second son on the road to Efrat. Before she dies in childbirth, the baby is born and she names the child “Ben Oni.” For the first time, Jacob takes part in the naming of one of his twelve sons, renaming the child Benjamin. What are the implications of the change in names?
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"The Seduction of Joseph"
Joseph’s attempted seduction by Mrs. Potiphar concludes with Joseph being thrown in to the dungeon. The copious details of Mrs. Potiphar’s attempted seduction of Joseph and Joseph’s resistence, raise questions about the presumption that all of Mrs. Potiphar’s actions were wicked and all of Joseph’s actions are righteous.
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"Unexpected Parallels between Mikeitz and the Story of Chanukah"
Parashat Mikeitz is always read on the Shabbat of Chanukah, not only because Joseph may be viewed as an assimilationist who regains his identity, but also because of the numerous parallels to the festival of Chanukah that may be found in the text of parashat Mikeitz.
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"And Jacob Sent Judah Ahead"
Jacob sends Judah ahead to Egypt to prepare for the family’s arrival in Goshen. Why does Jacob specifically choose Judah, and what exactly is the purpose of Judah’s mission?
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"The Struggle Over the Birthright"
It can not be mere coincidence that in every single instance in the book of Genesis the firstborn child never emerges with the birthright. The Torah wishes to teach that it is not an accident of birth that determines one’s stature, but rather personal merit and the quality of one’s life.
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"Who Were the Midwives?"
How did the Jews turn from acclaimed heroes in the time of Joseph
into despised enemies in the period of only 100 years?
Who exactly were the heroic midwives who risked their
lives by defying Pharaoh and saving the Jewish male children?
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"Moses, the Exalted Leader"
Moses, the greatest prophet of Israel, comes to his position of
leadership through much pain and profound challenge.
Without charisma, and barely qualifying as a speaker,
he teaches that leadership is based on moral
courage and uncompromising devotion to truth.
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"Is This What You Call Borrowing?"
The Torah tells us that the former Jewish slaves borrowed gold and silver utensils and garments from their Egyptian neighbors, emptying out Egypt. Couldn’t the Al-mighty have found a better way to fulfill the Abrahamitic promise that the Jews would leave their exile, slavery and persecution with great wealth?
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Finding Meaning in the ‘Lost Verses’"
In the intensity of Scripture’s description of the splitting of the Red Sea, a number of important verses are overshadowed and neglected. Doing what is just in G-d’s eyes is such a verse. Its multiple messages are critical to living a good and just life. We dare not let them fall by the wayside.
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"Welcoming Jethro, the Idolatrous Priest"
Why was Jethro, a former pagan idolater, welcomed so enthusiastically by Moses, Aaron and the people of Israel? It may very well have been in return for Jethro’s courageous renunciation of idolatry. Perhaps it was in return for Jethro’s exceptional acts of kindness that he performed for Moses, when Moses, claiming to be an Egyptian prince, arrived in Midian as a rather pathetic penniless refugee.
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"Showing Sensitivity to the Helpless and the Downtrodden”
The Torah adjures us to be sensitive to the helpless and the downtrodden. This includes strangers (converts), as well as orphans and widows. The Torah once again demonstrates how it was light years ahead of society when it promulgated these statutes.
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"The Museum within the Tabernacle"
The Torah tells us that three items were stored in the Tabernacle for future generations, a flask of manna, some anointing oil, and the staff of Aaron that blossomed. The Talmud and the midrashim add that the garments of the High Priest and the priest who led the Israelites in battle as well as the gifts from the Philistines when the Ark was returned were stored there as well. What purpose do these items serve?
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"Clothes Make the Person"
The Talmud teaches that priests could not officiate if they were not attired in their priestly vestments. Should garments make a difference in how we value people?
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"Moses Shatters the Tablets"
How did Moses have the temerity to break the tablets that were written by the hand of G-d? Were his actions not an unpardonable affront to the Divine presence?
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"Rochel the Riveters"
Those who study parashat Vayakhel feel, at times, like throwing up their hands and saying, “Enough of the excruciating detail about the building of the Tabernacle.” Nevertheless, there are always new and revolutionary insights that may be found when studying the nuances of the texts carefully. Parashat Vayakhel teaches about the special role that the women played in building the Tabernacle and conveys the important message about the primacy of the Jewish home that must never be compromised.
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"Building an Everlasting Sanctuary"
The Tabernacle had been completed after only three months. However, it was not erected for another three months, on Rosh Chodesh Nisan. The purpose of the delay was to enable the spirit of our Patriarch Isaac to pervade the Tabernacle. Although the workers and the architects attempted to raise the Tabernacle, only Moses could do so. He blesses the people in a way that emphasizes that the security of the Tabernacle really depends on the sanctity of the people.
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"Infallibility in Judaism"
In parashat Vayikra we learn of the sin offerings of the High Priest and the King of Israel. These sin offerings imply the fallibility of the nation’s great leaders and serve as a message of hope for the common people, that while everyone is subject to sin, all can repent and repair themselves. It is a breathtakingly refreshing message.
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"Never Give Up Hope!"
The Torah teaches that in addition to lifting up a scoop of ashes and placing them near the altar, the priest must remove the accumulated ashes from the altar and bring them outside the camp to a pure place. The Beit Yaakov interprets this as a metaphor never to give up hope on any Jew. Even though the embers seem to be dying, we must enable them to glow again by placing them in a pure place.
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"The Eighth Day!"
This Shabbat is also known as Shabbat Parashat Parah. It is the
third of four special Shabbatot that surround the holiday of
Purim. On this Shabbat a thematic Torah portion concerning the
Red Heifer is read from Numbers 19:1-22.
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"The Odd Ritual Practices of the Metzorah!"
In parashat Tazria we are taught that the metzorah, the person who is afflicted with the disease tzah’ra’aht for speaking lashon hara, must rend his clothes. He is also forbidden to cut his hair, must cover his mouth and head, and needs to call out publicly: “Contaminated, contaminated!” In addition, he is isolated from the rest of the community. What are the meanings of these rituals and behaviors, and what impact are they expected to have on gossipers and slanderers?
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"Modesty and Humility for All"
The Torah requires a homeowner who suspects that his house is afflicted with the disease tzah’rah’aht to call the Kohen and tell him, “It seems to me as if there is an affliction in the house.” Our rabbis say that even if the homeowner is a scholar who knows for certain that the affliction is unquestionably tzah’rah’aht, the homeowner must not take it upon himself to say so definitively. There is much to be learned from this humble and modest approach.
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"The Wind and the Sun"
The Passover Haggadah cites the verse from Deuteronomy 26:7, “Va’yah’ray’oo,” which states that the Egyptians treated the Hebrews badly. Rather than translate “va’yah’ray’oo,” to mean that they treated us “badly,” the Abarbanel indicates that its root stems from the word “ray’ah,” or friend. Rabbi Piron concludes that Jews need to be on guard more from our so-called friends who embrace us and draw us away from our moral and ethical moorings, than from our enemies who try to physically destroy us.
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"Counting the Omer"
The period of the counting of the Omer commences on the second night of Passover. In ancient Temple times, it was on the second day of Passover that the barley offering was brought, allowing the use of the newly harvested crop. Today, the Omer period is an ambivalent period on the Jewish calendar. Although it is a period of semi-mourning, it is also a period of significant optimism, when Jews look forward toward redemption and revelation, just as the Exodus led the ancient Hebrews to Mount Sinai and the receiving of the Torah.
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"Establishing a Truly Ethical Society: Honesty in Business"
In parashat Kedoshim, the Torah exhorts the Jewish merchant to be honest in his weights and measures. This fundamental principle sets the tone for the extraordinary and revolutionary regulations that govern the conduct of Jewish businessmen, and serve as the guiding principles for a truly ethical and moral community.
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"Creed or Deed"
The Torah instructs us to observe G-d’s commandments and to perform them, leading Rashi to comment that one must study the commandments diligently in order to perform them properly. Jewish scholars engage in a very cogent argument over whether creed or deed takes precedence.
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"The Incredible Yovel--The Jubilee Year"
In parashat Behar, the Torah introduces the revolutionary concept of Yovel, the Jewish Jubilee year, that was celebrated every fiftieth year of the Sabbatical cycle. According to the commentators, the Jubilee was intended to train the Jews in compassion, charity, and justice. However, it was much more than just that.
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"The Double-Edged Sword"
There are two faces to peace and two faces to the sword. Sometimes peace prevails because of internal brotherly love. At other times, peace is imposed from the outside. When people live in harmony with one another then the sword is an instrument of death. However, when people cannot live in peace with one another, then external threats of the sword can be a blessing that brings unity to the people.
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"Moses: A Spiritual Father"
In parashat B’midbar, the Torah announces the progeny of both Aaron and Moses, but actually only names the children of Aaron. From this unusual omission, our rabbis learn a fundamental principle, that one who teaches his friend’s child Torah is regarded as if he had fathered the child. Nevertheless, there are many questions to be asked about the way the Torah expresses the relationship between Moses and his nephews and much to be learned from their relationship.
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"Carrying the Ark"
In parashat Naso we learn that the family of Kehat was required to carry the holiest furnishings of the Tabernacle on their shoulders. This instruction was not merely a recommendation, but a mitzvah that resulted in an unnecessary death in the time of David, when the Ark was mistakenly transported by wagon. It also teaches that the human touch is critical in life, and that technology should not be permitted to replace the always-necessary human relationships with others and with G-d.
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"The Gift of Spiritual Potential"
Perhaps greater than Moses’ natural leadership abilities, his great brilliance and scholarship and teaching capabilities, his extraordinary humility, was his unremitting and unconditional love for the Jewish people who tested him and rejected him so many times.
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"We Were like Grasshoppers in Our Eyes"
There is grave danger in the Jewish people seeing themselves as helpless and powerless. Very often this self-perception is a self-fulfilling reality. The ancient scouts saw themselves as pygmies and grasshoppers and were perceived by others as impotent and weak. We dare not allow that to happen to our generation. Strong leadership depends upon our faith in G-d and own self-confidence and self-esteem.
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"Dathan and Abiram: The Protagonists"
Dathan and Abiram, two members of the tribe of Reuben, are caught up in the rebellion of Korach and are swallowed along with Korach when the earth opens. The Midrash sees Dathan and Abiram as the paradigm of effrontery, rebellion, and brazenness, the ultimate ingrates who devote their lives to undermining Moses and the authority of G-d.
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"The Death of Aaron "
Why was Aaron mourned by all the people of Israel while Moses was not? The Midrash suggests that Aaron had a very special relationship with all the people because of his great commitment to love and pursuit of peace. It was Aaron’s obsession with peace that brought enemies together and turned them into friends. He was an extraordinary promoter of marital harmony between husbands and wives and was able to turn the wicked into penitents. This resulted in a powerful and abiding love that the people felt for Aaron.
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“The ‘Mazal Tov’ Conundrum”
Balaam, the prophet of the nations, states clearly that there is no divination in Jacob and no sorcery in Israel. Yet, we often find references to sorcery and astrology in many mainstream Jewish texts. Given Judaism’s strong stand against sorcery, how can the popular expression “Mazal Tov!” possibly be reconciled?
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“The Zealotry of Pinchas as seen through the Midrash”
The vast majority of the people of Israel rejected Pinchas for his act of zealotry when he stabbed Zimri and Cozbi as they performed an act of public harlotry. Pinchas’ life of hardship is revealed to us through the extensive Midrash cited by the great scholar Eliyahu Kitov.
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“Striving for Refined Speech ”
In this week’s parasha, parashat Matot, we learn of the injunction against profane speech. It is from here that we learn not only to avoid negative speech, but to always strive to make our speech as refined as possible.
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“Optimism: The Call of the Hour”
From slight nuances in the textual structure, we learn that the priorities of the people were different from the priorities of Moses. Our rabbis teach that Moses possessed a sense of optimism that was lacking in the people of Israel.
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“Establishing the Rightful Owners of the Land”
The Torah in parashat Devarim goes into excruciating and puzzling detail concerning the nations who dwelt in the Land of Canaan. All this is done in order to emphasize the constant change of kingdoms and nations, underscoring that there never was one permanent owner to the land. It is undisputedly “G-d’s land,” to apportion according to His will--to the People of Israel.
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“A Hopeful Message for Jewish Future”
Tu B’Av (the 15th day of Av), an ancient day of joy and matchmaking, is observed this year on Friday evening and Shabbat, August 15 and 16, 2008. Happy Tu B’Av.
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“Fear and Reverence of G-d ”
One of the most important aspects of belief is known as “Yir’aht Shamayim,” generally translated as “Fear of Heaven.” While it certainly means fear of retribution and punishment, it more definitively means reverence for G-d, awe of G-d through love. This more positive definition can have a meritorious impact on those who are walking away from Judaism who, unfortunately, too often perceive G-d as vengeful and wrathful.
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“A Tale of Two Mountains ”
In parashat Re’eh we encounter the two mountains that surround the city of Shechem (Nablus), Gerizim and Ebal. Eventually, it was on Mount Gerizim that blessings were recited while the curses were pronounced on Mount Ebal. G-d’s message, however, is communicated not only through the blessings and the curses, but through the very nature of the mountains themselves.
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“Waste Not -- Want Not”
A single isolated law prohibiting chopping down trees in times of war has evolved in to a fundamental body of vital precepts prohibiting the wanton waste and the callous destruction of property and nature.
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“The ‘Mitzvah’ of Divorce”
Parashat Kee Teitzei includes the ‘mitzvah’ to divorce one’s wife. Upon further elucidation we see that this applies only when the spouses find life with each other to be incompatible. Nevertheless, Judaism believes that in order to establish a sacred and holy society, marriages must thrive in a sacred and holy environment. If not, it is a mitzvah to divorce one’s spouse.
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“Redeeming Captives”
One of the truly haunting verses of the Torah that we encounter in Parashat Kee Tavo is the prediction that our sons and daughters will not be ours, for they will be led into captivity. The mitzvah of “Pidyon Sh’vuyim,” redemption of captives is one of the highest mitzvot in the hierarchy of biblical commandments. Redeeming our contemporary “captives” must be the call of the hour!
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“Hewers of Wood and Drawers of Water”
In this parasha, which contains many cogent Rosh Hashana messages, Moses calls all the people of Israel together on the last day of his life to reaffirm the people’s covenant with G-d, making a point of calling the hewers of the wood and the drawers of water. The Torah, in effect, warns us never to judge people by their professions or outward appearances. We hope that in these Days of Judgment, the Al-mighty will judge us favorably as well.
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