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Rabbi
Buchwald's
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"The Unexpected Joy of Rosh Hashana"
As the new year approaches, the fate of the world hangs in the balance. Salvation or destruction may be determined at any moment. It seems as though a crushing weight is upon each individual, whose personal behavior may result in a collective blessing or curse. And, yet, Rosh Hashana is a day of great joy, because our loving Father in Heaven is always willing to forgive His children.
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"Shabbat Shabbaton--The Ultimate Shabbat"
When does true creativity occur? Jewish tradition maintains that introspection and contemplation are essential to creativity. When G-d rested on the Sabbath day, He not only ceased working, but stopped to evaluate His creation. Contemplation, therefore, is the purpose of Yom Kippur as well, “Shabbat Shabbaton,” the Ultimate Shabbat.
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"Sukkot: The Dialectic of a Festival"
The festival of Sukkot actually represents a delicate balance between the spiritual and material worlds. The Talmud records a dispute between the rabbis concerning whether the “sukkot” (booths) referred to in the Torah were actual physical booths that were built by the people of Israel, or Divine Clouds of Glory that hovered over the people as they traveled in the wilderness. These two opinions represent the dialectic between the physical and the material world that is necessary for achieving a proper balance in life.
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"The Confluence of v’Zot Habracha and the Holiday"
There is a strong connection between the festival of Simchat Torah and parashat v’Zot Habrachah. It is in this parasha that Moses proclaims that the Torah that Moses commanded to us is the heritage of the congregation of Jacob. What is the difference between a “heritage” and an “inheritance,” and how is this distinction transmitted through the celebration of Simchat Torah?
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"The Hebrew Story of Creation and Its Parallels Among Other Civilizations"
While many are familiar with the Epic of Gilgamish, the Babylonian version of the flood story, few are familiar with the Babylonian epic of creation known as “Enuma Elish.” Although the Babylonian myth contains a few similarities with the Biblical story of Creation, it differs significantly from the Biblical account and its revolutionary purpose.
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"The Message of the Rainbow"
What is the origin of the rainbow that the Al-mighty showed the survivors of the Great Flood? What is the symbolic meaning of this beautiful natural phenomenon?
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"Go for Yourself "
The Al-mighty tells Abram to leave his homeland, his relatives and his father’s house and go to a land that G-d will show him. Although Abram is instructed to give up his past, he is not told to deny his past. Contemporary Jews, who undertake the journey of embracing tradition, are to be admired for their bold actions. While they may be called upon to abandon much of their past, they dare not deny their past. Doing so is invariably unhealthy and destabilizing.
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"Hospitality at Its Finest"
Abraham speaks to his guests as if they are doing him a favor by accepting his hospitality. Can that be true?!
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"The Willing Bride"
When Rebecca is asked by her family members if she wishes to join Eliezer on his journey back to Abraham in Canaan, she responds with a forceful “Yes!” Her response serves as a basis for several important laws that govern parent-child relationships in Judaism.
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"Hospitality at Its Finest"
Jewish material success in the diaspora has often resulted in resentment of the Jew. This principle is clearly articulated in Isaac’s successful endeavors in Grar and his subsequent expulsion.
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"Punishment Awaits the Evildoers"
The great contemporary Bible commentator, Nehama Leibowitz brilliantly points out that Jacob’s deception at the hands of Laban is actually a punishment for deceiving his own father, and for stealing his brother’s blessings. Perhaps it’s time for the leaders and members of all faiths to speak out against evil and deception within their own religious ranks.
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"The Rape of Dinah: Impossible to Fathom!”"
Shortly after arriving in the city of Shechem, Dinah, Jacob’s daughter, goes out to see the girls of the land and is brutally abducted and raped by the leader of the city, whose name is Shechem. Can the rape of Dinah be explained in any way?
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"Joseph in Prison: The Commentators Fill in the Details"
Except for interpreting the dreams of the royal butler and the baker, the period of Joseph’s imprisonment is described in the biblical text only briefly. The commentators, however, fill in the gaps, weaving a colorful tapestry of Joseph’s stay in prison and the challenges that he continued to face daily from the wiley Mrs. Potiphar.
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"Pharaoh’s Dream: The Variations and Nuances"
When it comes to the bible, the story is often in the details. The repetitious narrative of Pharaoh’s dreams is an important source of new information about Pharaoh, Egypt and Joseph’s subsequent interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream.
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"How Much is Enough "
Scripture informs us that upon their arrival in Egypt, Joseph provided his family with food, sufficient to sustain the family and the children. The rabbis read into the nuances of the verse that Joseph provided his family with only the bare essentials. How much should Joseph have given?
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"Rachel’s Burial Place in Bethlehem"
Jacob interrupts a most important message to his son Joseph by recalling his failure to bury Rachel in Hebron. What could possibly have been his motivation?
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"In Those Days, In These Times"
In a single generation, unbridled adulation for Joseph turns into the enslavement of the entire Jewish people. How did it happen? Are Jews possibly facing a similar future in North America today?
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"Shortness of Breath and Hard Work"
The Bible states that the ancient Israelites could not hear Moses’ favorable message of G-d’s impending salvation due to “shortness of breath and hard work.” What does this mean? And what are the implications for contemporary times?
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"Finding Favor in the Eyes of the Egyptians"
The Torah reports that G-d caused the Jews to find favor in the eyes of the Egyptians. What was the purpose of this act, and what was its effect upon both the people of Israel and the Egyptians?
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"Va’chamushim - Armed or Otherwise"
When the enslaved Israelites finally leave Egypt, Scripture tells us that they leave "Chamushim," generally translated as armed. The commentators, however, offer many interpretations for the word Chamushim. Even though they are quite different from one another, each interpretation has much validity.
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"The Arrival of Jethro"
Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, who was once the religious leader of Midian, leaves fame and fortune behind to cast his lot with the Jewish people and their G-d. Jethro, perhaps the first convert to Judaism, sets a high standard for future converts and returnees to Jewish observance.
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"The Blessing of Health"
In this week’s parasha, G-d promises to remove illness from our midst and to fill the number of our days. Could it be that this incredible promise is being fulfilled in our own lifetimes?
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"Earning a Meaningful Living"
In this week’s parasha, G-d promises to remove illness from our midst and to fill the number of our days. Could it be that this incredible promise is being fulfilled in our own lifetimes?
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"The Central Role of the Golden Altar and the Incense"
The order of the Tabernacle furnishings in the text of the Torah is rather perplexing. All the furnishings are listed together, with the exception of the Golden Altar. What was so special about the Golden Altar that warranted that it be listed separately?
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"Moses Wrestles with G-d"
When Moses descends from the mountain after spending forty days and nights with G-d, he finds the people of Israel worshiping the Golden Calf. G-d wants to destroy the people and start a new nation from Moses. Moses argues fiercely with G-d. What is the nature of the argument?
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"Heaven Helps Those Who Help Themselves"
The biblical verse announcing the completion of the building of the Tabernacle describes the Tabernacle as if it had erected itself, and had been erected by the people. This conflict is resolved by the rabbinic interpretation that concludes that the Al-mighty helped the people build the complex structure, but because of the peoples’ uncommon devotion, attributed the entire building to the people.
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"Do Leaders Corrupt, or are They Corrupted?"
The first sin offering that is recorded in parashat Vayikra is the offering of the anointed priest. Regarding this sacrifice, an unresolved dispute comes to the surface, raising the issue of whether it is the leaders who lead the people astray or whether leaders are corrupted by their followers.
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"The Command"
Only with respect to the Olah, the burnt offering, does the Torah use the term “Tzav,” command, rather than “say” or “speak.” What is it about the burnt offering and the priests’ relationship to it that requires the priests to be commanded to do this particular service properly and expeditiously?
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"The Festival of Liberation"
The care, some would say, obsessive concern, with which Jews try to avoid chometz is widely acknowledged. If that is the case, why has matzoh not been prohibited, since it embodies the exact ingredients found in chometz?
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"The Show Must Go On"
Moses and Aaron disagree over whether the Rosh Chodesh sin offering should have been brought on the heels of the great tragedy that befell Aaron with the loss of his two sons. The debate has to do with whether the “show” must always go on, and under what circumstances should it go on. What are the key differences between the positions of Moses and Aaron on this issue?
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"Loving Thy Neighbor"
The Torah’s statement bidding the Jewish people to love one’s neighbor as oneself is universally regarded as one of the greatest pronouncements of human morality. Nevertheless, it has been the subject of much vitriolic criticism
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"Striving For Perfection"
Much of parashat Emor speaks of holiness, faultlessness, striving for perfection and the proper observance of the holy days. Have we lost the desire to reach perfection in the modern world?
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"Making a Reckoning"
How does the Torah regard the rights and property of non-Jews? In parashat Behar we learn of a remarkable law that protects the rights of a non-Jew even in a situation where the welfare and security of a Jew might be thought to override those rights.
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“The Meaning of the Wilderness"
The midbar–-wilderness, is a dry and abandoned location, a place where the Divine presence of G-d appears to be absent. Yet, the very opposite is true! G-d is close and extremely accessible even in the most remote places and circumstances!
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“The Gift that Keeps on Giving"
How fortunate are we, Israel, to have received the gift of Torah, from the Al-mighty. Shavuot is the holiday on which we embrace Torah, as if we are receiving it for the very first time.
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"The Murmurers"
The ancient “murmurers” were people of little faith whose lack of confidence led them to mourn their own lives. Murmuring is hardly only an ancient Jewish manifestation. It is very much part of today’s reality, one that leads only to greater tragedy.
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"Was the Sin of the Scouts Greater than the Sin of the Golden Calf?"
G-d forgives the people for the sin of the Golden Calf, but not when the scouts return with an evil report about the land of Canaan. Is it possible that the sin of the scouts was greater than the sin of the Golden Calf?
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"And Behold the Staff of Aaron had Blossomed"
What is the point of the staff that blossoms, the new sign that G-d employs to prove Aaron’s leadership? After all, there have already been three very definitive proofs confirming the leadership of Moses and Aaron.
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"And from Mattanah to Nahaliel"
After a series of battles and confrontations with hostile nations, the Torah, in parashat Chukat, records a lyrical but esoteric poem concerning the well of Miriam. The Talmud sees this poem as far more than a record of the historical itinerary of the people’s travels in the wilderness. It is, in fact, a vital lesson of ethics and educational philosophy.
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"A Nation that Dwells Alone"
There are those who argue that the concept of a nation that dwells alone is a very dangerous and harmful model. On the other hand, the nation that dwells alone is a truly special nation, and that specialness is a great blessing and privilege. When the nations of the world start expecting less of us, then we are in trouble.
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"The Colorful Biography of Pinchas"
Although, Pinchas the son of Elazar the priest is widely known for his zealotry, he has an astonishing record of achievement that is not widely known. The Talmud and Midrash generously amplify on Pinchas’ colorful resume.
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"Do Not Pollute the Land...Do Not Defile the Land"
In the second of this week’s parashiot, parashat Masei, the Al-mighty warns the people of Israel not to “pollute” or “defile” the land of Israel. Perhaps this warning should also be taken as an admonition that Jews neither excessively flatter Israel nor be overly critical of the land.
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"On That Day the Lord Shall Be One and His Name One"
Two little seemingly “throw-away” verses in Deuteronomy, 2:5 and 2:19, powerfully proclaim a singular all-embracing G-d of the world, Who cares for Israel as well as all the nations of the world.
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"Moses Blames the People for His Fate"
On several occasions G-d tells Moses directly that he may not enter the land of Canaan because he failed to sanctify G-d’s name when he hit the rock at May M’reeva. Why then does Moses, at least twice, blame the Jewish people for his being unable to enter the promised land?
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"The Great, Mighty and Awesome G-d"
The “Anshei K’nesset Hagdolah,” Men of the Great Assembly were given that exalted honorific title, because they restored the crown of Divine attributes to its ancient completeness, by returning the original wording of Moses, in his praise of G-d.
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