498 avsnitt • Längd: 60 min • Månadsvis
This Jewish Life is Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s flagship podcast. Since its founding in January of 2013, This Jewish Life has featured a delightful potpourri of podcast episodes on a myriad of Jewish subjects. In its current incarnation, the podcast focuses on exploring the deeper elements of Jewish life and philosophy. In each episode our objective is to go a bit deeper into subjects that we may be familiar with, to plumb the depths and uncover the essence of the beauty and sublimity of Jewish life and customs, and Torah wisdom. Please email any questions, comments, or feedback to [email protected].
The podcast This Jewish Life – With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe is created by TORCH. The podcast and the artwork on this page are embedded on this page using the public podcast feed (RSS).
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Is the objective of Torah to constrict us or to allow us to flower? Are we ultimately supposed to curb our uniqueness, our individuality, or are we supposed to find ways to have our uniqueness sprout forth and blossom? One may argue that the Torah is very regimented in its commandments. We are told how to dress and how to eat and much of our daily schedule is compelled upon us by the myriad commandments and plethora of Divine guidances. It seems that we are being told to restrain our uniqueness and instead adopt the way of God. In this fascinating podcast, we discover that, although that is true, that is only the beginning. In the beginning of a spiritual journey, we must firm our standing as a soldier of God. However, once we are secure as a soldier, we must find a ladder to heaven. What that ladder looks like and how to find it, and how to scale its many rungs – those are the questions that we ponder in podcast.
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This special Purim Podcast is dedicated by my dear friend Adam Chuckrow in loving memory and leilui nishmas his grandmother Hadassah bat Yosef who passed away last Purim, so her firs Yartzeit is this Purim. May her Soul be elevated in Heaven.
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The Purim story is revisited and relived each year, when we read the Book of Esther, offer gifts to the poor, deliver food to our neighbors, enjoy a festive banquet, and drink a bit more than we typically do. The story goes back 2,500 years to a time when our nation was an exile in Persia and a genocidal maniac named Haman tried to exterminate Jewish people. In this special Purim podcast, we try to go a bit behind the scenes, and to see a bit of the story behind the story the of what happened in Persia and what the primary takeaway of the festival is supposed to be.
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DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
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This is the LINK for the Fundraiser.
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Ambitious people want to accomplish ambitious goals. They want to undertake bold challenges, they want to make an indelible impact upon the world. Every such noble goal will face a fierce obstacle. If you are someone who dreams big, who harbors hope to make a mark, you must be very aware of the most formidable obstacle you must navigate around. In this podcast, we share the pithy statement of the sages regarding the most difficult obstacle of any journey and offer two different approaches as to why that obstacle is so fierce. If you want to accomplish your dreams, if you want to have sweet dreams that see the light of day, you must know what you face and how to go about addressing and tackling this obstacle.
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DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
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The month of Shevat is associated with a tribe of Asher and corresponds to the letter Tzadik (צ) and its zodiac sign is a bucket. So much is told to us by the Kabbalists. But what is the secret of this month? What is the energy that permeates this month? What are the particular ways to tap into the vast power of this month? Why is that associated with fruits? We welcome back the great Rabbi Shmuel Botnick to the podcast to share a new, profound perspective on the secrets of this month.
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DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
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We all want to raise good children. We want our children to be healthy and balanced and good and righteous. The Torah is full of powerful lessons on how to raise good children. In part two of our series on parenting, we explore the unique relationship of Isaac and Esau, how Jacob admonished his children, and the fascinating perspective shift that God revealed to Moshe.
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DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
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It is incumbent upon parents to raise their children well, but how exactly do you do that? Babies are not born clutching parenting manuals. This is especially problematic for us Jews. We must raise our children to be upstanding, productive, stable, and healthy adults like all other parents. However, we have an additional responsibility: we must raise our children to be good Jews too. We must raise our children with a deep connection with the Almighty and His Torah. We must raise them with an awareness of their Jewish identity and a sense of mission and responsibility. How do we do that? That is a question that many young parents – and even veteran parents – struggle with. In this podcast, the first of a series of two, we will offer some answers. These are not specific answers to specific parenting dilemmas, rather they are heuristics that apply across the board in parenting. This podcast not be misconstrued as a claim of expertise or any special parenting ability. I am simply sharing ideas that are very well accepted and recognized as true.
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DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
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There is no superficiality in Judaism. Everything is multi-layered, multifaceted, multidimensional. That seems to be particularly true with respect to the festival of Chanukah. Chanukah is a rabbinic holiday, and it is the very last mitzvah that we received. There are many oddities that separate this mitzvah from all others. The roots of this festival are very deep and span many areas of Torah and of life. In this very special podcast we welcome back the great Rabbi Shmuel Botnick. He shares a masterpiece that weaves together a wide array of sources and themes that will enhance and enrich our Chanukah, and give us an appreciation for the subtleties and nuances that we would have otherwise completely overlooked.
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This special Chanukah Podcast is dedicated in loving memory and leilui nishmat Victoria bat Khanbaba ve Bahereh, Victoria Toubia, who passed away recently. May her Soul be elevated in Heaven.
DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
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Everyone loves the festival of Chanukah. There’s something so wonderful and enchanting about this festival and its iconic mitzvah, the lighting of the Menorah. But what is the menorah truly about? We all, of course, know the story of the miraculous oil that lasted for 8 days. But what is at the heart of the matter? What are we supposed to take away from this miracle, from this mitzvah, from this festival? In this wonderful podcast, we plumb the depths of the Hasmonean miracle, the Greek forces that they overcame, and the timeless lessons for us to learn.
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DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
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Not all twins are identical in every way. Jacob and Esau were as different from each other as two humans can possibly get. When Rebecca got wind of Esau’s plans to murder Jacob, she sent them away. After being apart from his twin for more than 30 years, Jacob and Esau had a fateful reunion. Jacob had a dilemma: what to do with his very desirable daughter Dina? He was worried that Esau would lay his eyes on her and take her for a wife. Jacob was not interested in being Esau’s father-in-law and having his daughter be taken by this monster, so he made a decision. This in this podcast we explore Jacob’s dilemma and his decision and the many cascading consequences thereof.
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DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
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What is your elevator pitch for the existence of God? That is a question that was posed to dozens of successful and accomplished people. They were asked to write a short, concise, elevator-trip-length essays on why they believed. These essays were compiled into a wonderful book titled “Elevator pitches for God.” The creators of this project, Ron Kardos and Bruce Licht, are dear friends of mine and they asked me to write my elevator pitch too. Authors were asked to limit their essays to a single page of text or fewer than 500 words to be able to be conveyed in an elevator ride, but I was asked to write the elevator pitch for a malfunctioning elevator. If you are in the elevator that breaks down and you’re going to be there for a while and you want to strike up a conversation with your fellow travelers about God, you may have some more time than a typical elevator ride. In this podcast, I share my essay on this very crucial topic.
I would highly recommend that you got a copy of this book for yourself . Until the end of the year 2024, this book is 45% off on Amazon at this LINK with the promo code “torchdeal”. This is the deal of a lifetime that will provide you with a torch illuminating your path to Faith and to God.
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Students of the Almighty’s holy Torah are familiar with the term midrash. It refers to a series of books that serve as commentaries on the Torah and on other holy writings. But where does the Midrash come from? What authority does it have? What about the comments in the Midrash that seem outlandish and totally unreasonable. Are we supposed to understand them as being true? Are we supposed to understand them as being literal? What about conflicting citations in the Midrash? In this sweeping podcast, we explore the origin and the the standing of Midrashic literature.
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Gratitude is one of the most, if not the most, important values in our religion. In fact, our sources tell us that the reason why God created His creation was to enable us to express our gratitude. But what if what we receive is a mixed bag of good and bad? Must we also express gratitude in that case? In this special Thanksgiving edition of the podcast, we explore the important subject of gratitude.
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DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
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Today’s podcast is a wild card. This past Shabbos I was invited to join a panel of rabbis to answer a series of interesting questions submitted by high school students from the all-girls high school in Houston. In this special episode I share some of the fascinating questions and some of what I said – and some of what I I was unable to say – at that panel.
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DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
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Abraham’s storyline in the Torah is curiously: There are some parts of his life that are told in detail, while other seemingly important events are omitted entirely. What we discover is that the storyline of Abraham serves as a prototype for how to actualize our potential. In this very special podcast, we dissect Abraham’s story and discover a comprehensive system for how to unlock our vast potential.
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DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
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It’s election season in America. Your vote matters. Even if you don’t live in the swing state, it is recommended that you vote and exercise your civic right and duty. There is another area where you need to vote. The other area is much more consequential. The effects of how you vote in that area will reverberate the world over.
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DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
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Serious people face a serious problem: once you understand that the Almighty created you for a purpose, and that purpose is completely unique to you – there is no one else who can fulfill whatever it is that you must fulfill- you recognize the imperative to discover your personal mission. But how do you find your own path in life? How do you discover your purpose, the task, the mission, the job that you were created to fulfill? In this very special podcast we consult the book that has all the answers: The Chronicles of Adam. This most powerful and mysterious book foretells all future generations of Adam and their particular mission. Herein we learn how to catch a glimpse, how to sneak a peek into our own entry in this vaunted and hallowed book.
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The Jewish holidays are not evenly spaced out. They appear in bunches. A mere five days after Yom Kippur comes the seven-day (truthfully nine when you tally everything) Festival of Sukkos (appendaged by Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah). The next Festival (excluding the Rabbinic holidays of Chanukah and Purim) does not occur for six months. What is the connection between Sukkos and the days that precede it? What is the profound message at the heart of this Festival? Why is it the only Festival that is commemorated at a different calendar date than the events it is recalling? In this special Sukkos podcast we explore a powerful and deep element of these days.
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This special Sukkos Podcast is dedicated in loving memory and leilui nishmas Gershon Ben Charles, whose Yahrzeit is today. Gershon Ben Charles, the father of our dear friend Adam Chuckrow, was a special man with a strong Jewish identity who lived by the dictum of Hillel, “do not unto others what you despise,” and we dedicate our Torah study today in his loving memory. May his Soul be elevated in Heaven.
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Repentance draws a person out of darkness into eternal light. It transforms the penitent into a completely new person. But how exactly does repentance work? How do you repent? What are the various elements and facets of repentance? The authoritative book on these questions, Shaarei Teshuva, the Gates of Repentance, was written in the 13th century by Rabbeinu Yonah of Gerona. In this special 10 days of repentance edition of the podcast, we explore the very profound and powerful section of this book that deals with the impetuses of repentance. Join us as we prepare for Yom Kippur and strive to improve ourselves with the power and the magic of repentance.
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The Ten Days of Repentance are upon us. In just a few days is the Day of Judgment, Rosh Hashanah. These powerful high holidays culminate with the climax of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. What exactly is repentance though? How are we supposed to think about repentance? In this very special podcast, we study a few sections of the most foundational book on repentance, the Gates of Repentance, authored in the 13th century by Rabbi Yonah of Girona. Although we only cover a tiny fraction of this magisterial book, we gain a flavor of this seminal work that will recast our understanding of repentance and will elevate the High Holidays. Though this book is not for the faint of heart, it is very powerful and transformational.
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DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
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Jew hatred is not a new phenomenon. Ever since our people were founded — and truthfully even beforehand — we have been the recipients of unprecedented, enmity and hostility. Why are God’s chosen people uniquely targeted? What is the underlying reason for anti-Semitism? Why are we not more accepted into and tolerated by the general society? This is a question often pondered by scholars and pundits. With the global increase of anti-Semitism following the October 7th massacres and the war that ensued, this question is top of mind for many. In this podcast we share the Torah’s surprising and counterintuitive perspective.
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DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
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Seven things were created before the world was created. That much we are told in the Talmud. What is the significance of this collection of things that preceded the world? When we analyze the list, moreover, we read how the name of Messiah is included amongst it. What exactly is the name of Messiah? Is that simply the identifier of the redeemer? When we analyze and probe this intriguing teaching, we discover a host of fascinating insights into the framework of the world, the characteristics of Messiah and the Messianic era, and how each one of us can become a micro-Messiah.
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DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
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The festival of Shavuos marks the anniversary of the most momentous and consequential event in all of human history: the Sinai Revelation. A mere 50 days after the Exodus, the nation coalesced around the mountain and witnessed when no other people has had witnessed prior or since: They heard the Ten Commandments directly from the Creator Himself. In this very special and very unique podcast, we explore a fascinating question regarding one of the commandments. That question is used as a springboard analyze a very interesting and compelling citation featured in the literature. This is one of the most unique and fascinating podcasts you will ever hear. It is more enjoyable with the visuals on the slideshow. If you would like to receive them, please send me an email ([email protected]) and I will send it to you.
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DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
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Questions can be unsettling. Questions can cause dissonance. Questions can be painful. But questions can also be illuminating. They can open up new portals of insight and perspective. Questions are a central part of Torah study. Much of the Talmud is written in a question and answer format. The Passover seder is marked by the questions. Questions, in Torah study, are encouraged. In this very interesting and unique podcast, we share five fascinating questions, one on each of the five books of the Torah. These questions will hopefully expand and augment our perspective of Torah and Jewish life.
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The Torah is effectively infinite. It is longer than the land and broader than the seas. God is infinite and unfathomable; He gave us His Torah in order for us to connect with Him. Torah is, in fact, accessible to us, but we never arrive at the end point of Torah. It’s infinite. Moreover, the deeper someone immerses themselves into the vast seas of Torah, the deeper they discover it to be. In this very special podcast, we explore some striking examples of the infinity of the Torah.
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Many (most?) people believe in God. Believers accept the reality that the world, the universe, finite existence is the handiwork of an infinite God. Why do people believe? What evidence do believers have? These are some of the questions that my dear friends, Ron Kardos and Bruce Licht, sought to have answered. They conceived of an incredibly powerful and novel concept: what if people were given the opportunity to hear an elevator pitch for God? What if we asked a large collection of talented, accomplished, and famous people to share their elevator pitch for God? What resulted was a masterpiece of a book: Elevator Pitches for God. In this podcast, Ron and Bruce share their story.
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The Kabbalists revealed to us that each Hebrew months is associated with one of the 12 tribes. The month of Adar, the month in which Purim occurs, corresponds to the tribe of Naftali. We know very little about Naftali. In the Torah, his role is quite limited. In this absolute masterpiece of a podcast, Rabbi Botnick triumphantly weaves an intricate web of sources and insights that demonstrate how Nafatali symbolizes the heart of the month. We learn about the Kabbalistic representation of Rachel and her sister Leah, about the wedge that Esau and his heir Amaleik try to drive between these two sisters, and about how Naftali symbolizes the ultimate redemption and reunification.
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The Bible is written in Hebrew. The language that God communicates with prophets is Hebrew. Hebrew was present the very beginning of the world – Genesis happened with Hebrew. Our Sages tell us that the letters of Hebrew are pregnant with meaning and insight and depth and profound secrets. The words in Hebrew are comprised of those special letters, and the meanings of the words are intricately connected with the secrets of the letters that comprise them. Biblical Hebrew is unique. It is utterly different than any other language. In this fun and interesting podcast, we explore the wonderful world of biblical Hebrew. Fasten up and listen carefully, which was this podcast will inspire you to deepen your knowledge and understanding of biblical Hebrew.
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Our nation is at war. Our brothers and sisters are in combat in Gaza, displaced from their homes in the north and the south of Israel, traumatized from the atrocities of October 7th, and of course there are 100 plus hostages still in Gaza. Our nation is experiencing pain and challenge the likes of which we have not seen for a very long time. Although we may be far away in the Diaspora, it is imperative that we not forget the plight of our brethren in Israel. We must each do what we can to help their righteous cause. And this very special podcast. I speak with my dear friend Dr. Alan Kritz. Dr. Kritz and I have had the great pleasure of studying together in an ongoing fashion for the past couple of years, and he undertook the sacred initiative to go to Israel and to lend a helping hand — to hear the stories, to see the sights, and to provide a modicum of empathy and comfort for a grieving nation. In this podcast, Dr. Kritz shares with us what he learned, what he observed, and where to go from here.
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Our family was blessed with a new baby boy this past Sunday evening. With the help of the almighty, he will be joining the covenant of Abraham and receive his Bris tomorrow morning, Monday the 15th of January, in the Young Israel of Houston. In this special, celebratory podcast, I share what I said on Friday night during the Shalom Zachor that we held in our home. As is customary, we got together on the Friday night after the baby was born for an evening of festivities, food, and of course words of Torah. I spoke about the concept of the Shalom Zachor, about the nature of this custom, and share several fascinating and profound takeaways.
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When our nation experiences tragedy, we gravitate back to God. That is how we process pain and suffering. The Jewish people – especially our brothers and sisters in Israel – are exhibiting this response with resplendent nobility and strength of character. During the ongoing war, the Jewish spirit is being awakened. Jewish faith is being ignited and amplified. Are these rumblings of a Messianic time? That is a question that I am ill equipped to answer, but something is definitely happening. In this episode I have the great privilege of speaking with my eldest brother Rabbi Eliezer Wolbe and his amazing wife Malky about the spiritual transformations that are afoot in Israel.. They are tremendous people, and served as very valuable mentors for me in my formative years and the stories and insights that they share are inspirational and instructive.
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My dear friend and long time podcast listener Yoshi Rosenbluth spent a month in Gaza as a fighter in the IDF. In this very special podcast, he tells us what things are like on the ground from a soldier’s perspective. If you want an insider’s look into the battlefront in Gaza, this podcast is for you.
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In the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, the terror organization that has governed Gaza since 2007, there is a very big divide between Jews living in the land of Israel and those of us in the Diaspora. While Jews worldwide may empathize with their Israeli brethren and rally and pray for their cause, the ones in Israel are on the front lines. What is happening in the Land? What is the pulse of the people? In this very special podcast, I speak with Blake Cohen, dear friend of mine, who traveled to Israel to pitch in and to volunteer and to help. He shares with us the incredible people he met, the amazing stories he heard, and important lessons he learned during his week in Israel. If you want to sense of what is actually happening on the ground, this podcast is for you.
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Kidneys serve many vital functions. Their primary function is to filter the blood from any toxins or contaminants. Thankfully, the Almighty sends (most of) us to this world with two working kidneys. We have a bit of nephrological redundancy. People who suffer from kidney failure, God forbid, are greatly imperiled. In this podcast, I welcome Rabbi Moshe Gewirtz, the Director of Renewal (renewal.org), an organization that matches altruistic kidney donors with patience who need a kidney transplant, and facilitates every aspect of the transplants. We learn about this fascinating organization and of the endless kindness and generosity that our nation exemplifies.
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Few sequels live up to the high standards set by the original. Podfather Part 2 is an exception to the rule. In this special episode covering a variety of parenting subjects, we hear from both PodParents. My father and my mother – Avi and Faige Wolbe – both joined me in the TORCH Centre to discuss how to address the ongoing Gaza war with our children, how to inform but not frighten children when talking about tragedies and atrocities such as the Holocaust, how to think about the proper balance of insularity and exposure to a variety of potentially harmful things, and how to guide and direct our children to achieve their best.
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The Hebrew word for education is “Chinuch”. Rabbi Yerachmiel Garfield is the Head of School of Yeshiva Torat Emet, the school in Houston, Texas that we send our children to, and is the host of the Chinuch Today podcast. In his podcasts, he interviews teachers and educators about Jewish education. He asked my brother and I if we would be willing to be interviewed to talk about our illustrious grandfather, Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe and share some stories about his life, his educational philosophy, and what it was like to grow up with a famous last name. Rabbi Garfield was kind enough to allow me to post his podcast on mine. I hope you enjoy it.
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Rabbi Shmuly Botnick returns to the podcast with his most mind-bending and dynamic contribution hitherto. In this exhilarating roller-coaster of a podcast, Rabbi Botnick weaves the generation of Enosh, the Flood, the placement of Moshe into the water, his retrieval by Pharaoh’s daughter, his complaint to God about the initial efforts to save the nation, the splitting of the Sea, the Golden Calf and its perpetrators, Moshe’s sin of striking the rock, Solomon’s marriage to Pharaoh’s daughter and his building of the Temple, and Jerobam’s rebellion into one symphonic tapestry. This podcast will enrich and educate and entertain — Rabbi Botnick is back with great flair and panache!
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It is not exactly clear what the participants in the Tower of Babel wanted. We know they wanted to ascend to heaven and to make a name for themselves, but what precisely they wanted is more of a mystery. The Midrash talks about it, the Talmud does as well – and in this podcast we will offer some insight into this matter. The idea that we will be sharing will create several tectonic paradigm shifts in our understanding.
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Parents are sent home with newborn babies without an instruction manual. They are expected to raise their child(ren) to become productive, responsible, and successful adults. As Jews, we have an added responsibility to raise our children as good Jews. Parents face a monumental task. This was always nightmarishly difficult, but with the rapidly-changing world that we live in, this is becoming increasingly difficult. To help parents and educators navigate the minefield of parenting and pedagogy, I asked my dear father, Mr. Avi Wolbe (the “Podfather”), to join the podcast and share his insights and tips drawn from his vast experience raising nine children with great skill and success. It is my hope that this will become a recurring podcast. If you have a specific parenting and education question for the Podfather, please email me at [email protected].
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The festival of Sukkos is called “the time of our joy.” The entire festival is associated with joy. Sitting in the Sukkah is joyous, shaking the Lulav is joyous, the traditional celebratory festivities are known as the “Joy of the Drawing.” Why are these days so intimately associated with joy? In this special podcast, we offer seven explanations that will enhance our Sukkos and suffuse it with joy.
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On Yom Kippur afternoon, we read the 48-verse Book of Jonah, which tells of a renegade prophet, Jonah, who defies the directive of God and refuses to castigate the people of Nineveh and instead escapes from God to Tarshish – with mixed results. A simple reading of the story reveals a tale of repentance, both of the protagonist, Jonah, and of the people of Nineveh. But our Sages let us in on a secret that the Book of Jonah contains a hidden, kabbalistic story embedded beneath the story – which also teaches us powerful, topical messages for the Day of Atonement.
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The days spanning from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur are known as the Ten Days of Repentance. Over the course of these days, we have extra prayers and supplications, and make an extra effort to improve and correct our ways, culminating of course, with the greatest day of them all, Yom Kippur. But repentance is a tricky subject. In this special podcast, we explore some of the confounding conundrums of repentance. Listening to this episode will surely enhance your experience of repentance.
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Rosh Hashana is a day of repentance. But unlike Yom Kippur, there is nary a mention of sin in all the ceremonies, prayers, and liturgies of Rosh Hashanah. What is the nature of repentance decoupled from acknowledgment of sin? When we study the sources related to Rosh Hashanah, we discover several fascinating opportunities that differentiate Rosh Hashanah from all other days. On Rosh Hashanah, we can accomplish things that are completely infeasible any other day. In this special Rosh Hashanah podcast, we probe and ponder the unique nature of the day that starts it all off.
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This special Rosh Hashana Podcast is sponsored by the Gelb, Goldman and Shacknofsky families in honor of our parents David and Susan Gelb. Wishing them and all of Klal Yisrael a happy, healthy, and sweet New Year. Shana Tova Umetuka.
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Rosh Hashanah is the beginning. It is the beginning of the High Holidays. It is the beginning of the 10 days of repentance. It marks the beginning of humanity. On this day, Adam was created. Rosh Hashana marks the beginning of God’s Dominion and Kingship over the world, because a king absent a nation is no king. We mark these beginning with the festival of Rosh Hashanah. On this day, every human is judged. Every human passes before God like individual sheep. This is a day that we must prepare for if we want to make something of it. To help prepare for Rosh Hashanah, I gathered my colleagues at the TORCH Centre in Houston to share ideas and insights that will help elevate and transform our Rosh Hashanah.
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The month of Elul is upon us. Over the course of the next few weeks, Jewish communities worldwide will prepare for the high holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur with special prayers and with a daily blast of the shofar. We are preparing. We are getting ready for the awesome days upcoming. But what about those who are not preparing? What about those who are undeserving? Is there a shortcut to Elul? Is there a cheat sheet for someone who wants to tap into the awesome powers of this auspicious time? In this podcast, we learn how to connect with these propitious days – even if we’re not prepared, even if we’re not deserving.
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The Torah is an instruction manual from God. The word Torah, in fact, means instruction. The Torah contains many details; in fact, there is no conceivable situation that the Torah does not provide guidance for. But what is the ultimate goal of Torah? What does the finished product supposed to look like? In a surprising set of verses, Moshe offers an answer. His formulation, though, raises questions of its own.
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The Ninth Day of the month of Av is the saddest day of the Jewish calendar. On this day, the First Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians. On this same day the Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans. The Bar Kochba rebellion was stamped out with violent finality on this day. This is a day that is designated for tragedy and misfortune. What are the roots of this day? What can we do to help rectify and remedy it? In this exquisite podcast, the great Rabbi Shmuly Botnick weaves a complex, Kabbalistic tapestry on the roots of this sad day.
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The 18th century commentary on the Torah, Ohr HaChaim, is one of the most unique, ingenious, and sprawling works in the Jewish library. In this special podcast, released on the 280th yartzeit of the author of Ohr HaChaim, Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar, Rabbi Shmuly Botnick shares with us a sampling of ideas curated from the Ohr HaChaim commentary on the Torah to help us get a sense of the beauty and brilliance of this classic Torah commentary.
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The Sinai Revelation is the most significant event in all of human history: God revealed Himself to the entire Jewish people, He spoke to them, He gave them the Torah, and they lived. This day is revisited every single year on the festival of Shavuos. Our objective on this day is to renew our vows with God and to re-accept His holy Torah. But how do you accept the Torah? What are the prerequisites and necessary criteria for accepting the Torah? To answer those questions we have to study the Sinai Revelation and the events that preceded and succeeded it. In this very special podcast we explore many different dimensions and elements of the festival and the days that it commemorates and discover the essential quality that was needed to accept the Torah initially and the primary way for us to tap into the vast, awesome, spiritual power of Shavuos.
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Shavuos is the Festival that marks the day of the giving of the Torah. More than 3300 years ago, our nation coalesced around Mount Sinai and we experienced some thing that no other nation has ever experienced: the Almighty spoke to us as a nation and we lived to tell the tale. We heard the 10 Commandments from God and from Moshe and our nation was forever transformed. Every year we relive the Sinai revelation during the Festival of Shavuos. To help prepare for this momentous day, I gathered together with my TORCH colleagues in the glorious TORCH Centre to chat about the upcoming festival and how to make the most of it.
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Our forefather Abraham forged a covenant with God: God shows him to be the forefather of the Jewish people, which includes all sorts of Rights and responsibilities. For one, Abraham’s descendants were condemned to be enslaved for 400 years. On the brighter side, the nation became recipients of the Almighty’s Torah and Mitzvos. The nation also received the Holy Land and a special degree of Divine Providence and oversight. The relationship between God and the Jewish people is eternal and immutable. But even people who are not biological descendants of Abraham via Isaac via Jacob can join the covenant with God. Through the process of conversion, and erstwhile Gentile can become a Jew. What is that process like? How does a non-Jew transform into a Jew with all that that entails? In this podcast we to offer a primer on conversion to Judaism from a philosophical and a law perspective.
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The Pesach Haggadah guides us through the Seder night and the story of the Exodus. But as is always true in our religion, there are secrets and mysteries lurking beneath the surface. To plumb the esoteric depths of the Haggadah we invited back to the podcast the legend himself, Rabbi Shmuly Botnick. In this podcast you will be treated to an ingenious take on the Haggadah that will elevate, enlighten, and enrich your Pesach. This is not one to be missed!
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The Festival of Pesach is upon us. For seven days we will eat Matzah and avoid any traces of chometz. We will gather together with our families around the Seder table and recount the story of the Exodus, retelling and reliving the founding episode of our Nation. In an effort to get in the mode of Pesach, I got together with some of my TORCH colleagues to conduct a Pesach roundtable, discussing the themes, concepts, and power of the Festival of Redemption.
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“When the month of Adar commences, we increase joy.” This oft-recited Talmudic dictum captures the emotion of this month. Adar is a time of joy due to the Purim miracles. It is also associated with, we discover in this belated month-theme podcast with the great Rabbi Shmuly Botnick, fish, the tribe of Naftali, techeiles, the Ark, the letter Nun in its various orientations and connotations, and the Sea of the Galilee. Recorded in the stretch run of the Fast of Esther, this podcast will entertain, educate, and intrigue you, and you will emerge with a greater appreciation for the month of Adar and for the genius of Rabbi Botnick.
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In preparation for the upcoming festival of Purim, my colleagues and I gathered together for a roundtable discussion about the power and meaning of the day. It is a joyous day of celebration and revelry, but when we examine it deeply, we discover it is a day of great, transformative, spiritual power. Elevate your Purim with your friends at TORCH by listening to this Roundtable discussion.
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This week marks the first of the four special Parshiyos, the 4 weeks where we read a special citation from the Torah in addition to the weekly Parsha. After the conclusion of the Torah reading for Parshas Mishpatim, we read six verses from Exodus chapter 30 that discussed the annual fundraising effort for the Temple coffers. In honor of the annual TORCH fundraiser going on right now at giveTORCH.org, we invited the legendary Rabbi Shmuly Botnick to discuss the secrets and mysteries of this Torah reading. He did not disappoint.
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The Jewish people were trapped. Only a week after they left Egypt, Pharaoh had chased them in hot pursuit, and now they had no place to go: with their backs up against the sea, and a heavily armed Egyptian army encircling them, the nation complained to Moshe, “are there insufficient graves in Egypt?”. For his part, Moshe was praying. God showed the way forward: into the water. There was one thing that no one proposed: waging war. The nation was armed, but did not turn their weapons against their Egyptian foes. This idea serves as a springboard for a wonderful concept of an elevated life that we find in several places in the Torah. This podcast will help you appreciate the beauty and the greatness of Torah and the type of righteous people that the Torah is trying to mold us into becoming.
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The fifteenth day of the Jewish month of Shevat – known as Tu B’Shevat – is the New Year for trees and fruits. All the fruits that sprout before this cutoff are associated with the previous year’s yield and the ones that come afterwards are attributed to the new year’s. If that was all that we knew about this day it would be a pretty anemic day. But the Kabbalists revealed that is a very powerful and propitious day with deep, mystical meanings. In this special episode we plumb the depths of this day and discover its power and the potential. I must admit that coming into this project I knew very little about Tu B’Shevat. This was a truly eye-opening subject that I am sure will rivet the audience as it did me.
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The Jewish months are replete with secrets and mysteries. Studying the months and their hidden messages reveal to us the power contained with the days and the spiritual energy of the times. The month of Shevat is known for the minor festival at its midpoint, Tu B’Shvat, which is the Rosh Hashana for fruit trees. In this spectacular podcast, Rabbi Botnick reveals another angle to the month: We learn about the tribe of Asher and its unique characteristic. Along the way, we visit the mitzvah of tithing of animals, Adam and Eve and their multidimensional garments, and Esau’s guzzling of the red lentil soup – which all get tied together in a wonderful, Botnickian, tapestry. If you want to plumb the depths of Shevat, this podcast is for you.
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The Month of Teves doesn’t have many memorable days. The only days of note are the last couple of days of Chanukah, and the fast of the 10th of Teves, which commemorates The siege of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians, an event which culminated in the destruction of the First Temple and the end of the First Commonwealth. But as we have come to learn, the Jewish months are laden with secrets and mysteries. To help us decrypt and unravel the mysteries of Teves, we once again invited the legendary Rabbi Shmuly Botnick to make sense of this month and to reveal its mysteries. In keeping with his past performance, he did not disappoint.
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In preparation for the upcoming festival of Chanukah, the TORCH Podcasters gathered together in the TORCH Centre to discuss the upcoming days of light. Each of us shared an idea about Chanukah and how to make the most of these days. If you want to experience a convivial, collegial, conversation about Chanukah with the Podcasters of TORCH, now is your chance.
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The most noteworthy days of Month of Kislev are the days of Chanukah that begin on the 25th of Kislev and stretch into the following month of Teves. Chanukah celebrates the victory of the Jewish people over the Greeks and the restoration and the reinauguration of the Temple. But what is the secret of this month? On a deep, spiritual level, what exactly were the Greeks seeking and how did the Jews thwart them? In this exquisite podcast, Rabbi Shmuly Botnick weaves a masterful tapestry of Torah and Kabballah revealing the secret and the mystery of this month. He takes us on a riveting journey through some of the most consequential events of our history and shows how they all intersect and interconnect with the themes and energy of the month. If you want to plumb the depths of Kislev, join us for this thrilling, dizzying ride.
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In this podcast you will learn something that is simultaneously exhilaratingly exciting and angst-inducingly terrifying. You will learn how someone can have a winning lottery ticket and fail to cash it. You will learn about the small trigger that is needed to actualize our blessings and potential. This is a very important lesson that we need to learn, absorb, and integrate into our behavior.
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Each of the twelve months in the Jewish calendar contain a unique spiritual energy and power. The power of each month, encapsulated in a zodiac sign, is often represented in the holidays, festivals, and noteworthy days of said month. The month that just concluded, Tishrei, is jam packed with days of note: Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeres, Simchas Torah. The month that we are just beginning, Cheshvan, contains no obvious days of import. But every month has its secrets and mysteries. In this special edition of the podcast, we invited Rabbi Shmuly Botnick to take us on a journey to the depths of the month of Cheshvan. Boy, did he deliver!
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The Sukkah that we dwell in for 7 days is a reenactment of the Clouds of Glory that enshrouded the nation for 40 years. Starting right after the Exodus, the nation was cocooned in miraculous clouds. These clouds flattened mountains, filled in valleys, and eliminated any threats. The clouds signal journeys, cleaned and ironed clothes, and blanketed the nation with defensive invisibility against their enemies. How exactly our sukkah resembles the clouds of Glory is a great mystery. In this very special podcast, we propose a novel approach to understanding the festival of Sukkot, the sukkah, and what exactly we are supposed to achieve over the course of this 7-Day festival and the Shemini Atzeres endcap.
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In honor of the festival of Sukkot, I gathered together with some of my TORCH podcaster colleagues to chat about the festival, it’s meaning, and lessons. Each one of us got an opportunity to share an idea on the festival, and to promote our respective podcast(s). In a decision that compromised the audio quality, we recorded inside a Sukkah, exposed to the elements and to all manner of ambient noise. If you are interested in being a fly on the wall of our Sukkah and can tolerate a suboptimal audio experience, this podcast is for you.
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Yom Kippur is the greatest day of the year. The name of book of Talmud that orients around Yom Kippur is Yoma, meaning “Day.” This is The Day when everything changes. On this day, the Almighty is close to us. On this day, He extends purification and forgiveness to us. On this day, God purifies us from all of our sins. This is the day when we can transform ourselves in an outsized, asymmetric manner. On this day, a small effort goes a very, very, long way. This day is like an elevator: with one push of the button we can ascend to heavenly heights! But it demands some work on our part. Yom Kippur is a magical, alchemical day, but it is conditional on us doing our part. In this special pre-Yom Kippur podcast, we lay out what are the costs that we need to pay to earn the alchemy of Yom Kippur. The price may be steep, but compared to what we get for it, it is the opportunity of a lifetime. This is not the day to squander. In this podcast, we learn what we need to do.
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One of the most mysterious elements of the Yom Kippur ceremony is the scapegoat ceremony. The High priest took two identical male goats and made a lottery, one was offered as a sacrifice to God in the Temple, and the other one was a scapegoat, upon which the sins of the nation were conferred and whose destiny was to be chucked off a cliff in barren desert. this was a central part of the Yom Kippur services when the Temple was extant, and even today it is incorporated into the Mussaf prayer on this holiest of days. What is the meaning of the scapegoat? What is the secret of the scapegoat? What lessons can we glean from this process that will enhance our understanding of Yom Kippur and what we are supposed to be trying to do? In preparation for Yom Kippur, we explore and examine this strange – frankly baffling – ritual, and uncover insights that get to the heart of what Yom Kippur is and how we can make the most of it.
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Our Sages enumerates a list of seven things that preceded the world. Included in this list is repentance. Why was it necessary to create repentance before the creation of the world? In this podcast we speculate an answer: repentance is a supernatural miracle that thoroughly violates the rules of this world, and therefore once the world would have been created, repentance can no longer be created. It is such an outlier, it is such a miracle, it is so wondrous and unprecedented, that there is no way to have created it post creation of the world. In this podcast – as we experience the Ten Days of Repentance spanning Rosh Hashana to Yom Kippur – we explore the eight wonders of repentance. When you finish listening you will emerge with a renewed understanding and appreciation for the value and the miraculous nature of repentance.
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On the night of Rosh Hashana in Jewish homes the world over, a strange set of customs are observed. We take an apple, dip it into honey, and declare that we should have a sweet new year. We take a pomegranate, disgorge it’s seeds, consume them and pray that we be filled with merits like a pomegranate is replete with seeds. This ceremony continues with cabbage, squash, carrots, a head of fish for those who are brave enough, and many more ceremonial foods. What is the secret behind this very unusual custom? What is the meaning behind this strange ritual? What are some of the lessons that we can learn from the auspicious omens associated with foods? In this special pre-Rosh Hashana podcast we explored the meaning and the mystery of the ceremonial foods and fruits that we eat on the nights of Rosh Hashana., emerging armed with a keener understanding of the day and with tools to make the most of it.
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In addition to the many other themes and motifs of the day, Rosh Hashana is called the Day of Judgment. The Mishnah tells us that on Rosh Hashana every human has an individual audience with the Almighty in the same way that a shepherd counts each sheep individually. The judgment is comprehensive: all of a person’s income for the year is determined on this day. But the most important decree of Rosh Hashana is who will live and who will die.
In this podcast, we study a difficult statement in the Talmud regarding the judgment on Rosh Hashana. On the surface, this statement is quite inexplicable. Upon further analysis, however, we discover the central goal of Rosh Hashana, and, frankly, what we are trying to accomplish in our lives.
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Tastewise, kosher chicken and non-kosher chicken are indistinguishable. When it comes to the price tag, these two fowls are drastically different. The discrepancy in price creates an incentive for unscrupulous restaurateurs. If you can buy chicken at the non-kosher price, and sell it at the kosher price, you can juice your profits by a large amount. This potential for illicit arbitrage is one of the reasons why kosher restaurants must be certified by a kosher agency.
But what happens when things go wrong? What happens when an ostensibly kosher establishment is shown to have deceived its patrons and passed off non-kosher food as kosher?
In light of a recent kosher restaurant scandal in New Jersey, we talked to an expert to find out. Rabbi Nosson Dubin is the rabbinic administrator of HKA, the Houston Kashrus Association, and a renowned expert in all matters kosher. In this wide-ranging discussion, he takes us behind the scenes of a kosher restaurant and reveals to us how the sausage is made (and overseen). We learn about the various safety measures in place to prevent such debacles from happening, about the vulnerabilities and weak points in the system, and we offer some proposals for how to improve measures to lower the risk of another such scandal.
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The Jewish holiday calendar is not evenly distributed. Mush of our Festivals are clumped together in one month, followed by a long winter with few special days, none of them of Biblical origin. Our Sages explain that the clustering of the High Holidays and the Festival of Sukkot is no coincidence. These days constitute one, continuous process. Over the course of the Festival season we are building the spiritual edifice in which we will reside for the entire year.
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These 40 days from the beginning of the month of Elul, the final month in the Jewish calendar, and Yom Kippur are the most powerful days of the year. These 40 days coincide with the 40 days that Moshe was in Heaven for the third 40 day stint when he received the second set of Tablets inscribed by the “finger of God.” Our Sages tell us that this month is “Days of Ratzon“, days of goodwill, days of desire. In this special podcast, we identify the central element of these days and discover the ways to unlock the unlimited power of Elul.
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Where does the soul come from and to where is it going? This is a question that we don’t think about often, but it is of vital importance if we want to spiritually succeed in life. In this sprawling episode – originally recorded in 2016 and only released now – we examine the soul, what it must accomplish in this world, and the consequences thereof. The subject matter of this podcast makes up a large portion of my book, Upon a Ten-Stringed Harp. This podcast brings together a lot of the ideas featured in the book, and can serve as a helpful recap for readers of the book, and whet the appetite of those who have yet to do so.
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The mezuzah that graces the doorposts of every Jewish home is perhaps our most recognizable mitzvah. But what exactly is a mezuzah? What is its power? How does it change the Jewish home and the Jewish experience? In This very special podcast episode, we take a deep and profound look at the Mezuzah to discover its transformational powers and mysteries. When we next encounter this tightly rolled-up scroll affixed on the right side of our door posts, the experience will forever be altered.
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The Festival of Shavuos marks the anniversary of the greatest event in all of human history: the Revelation at Sinai. This momentous event never happened before history and was never replicated. God spoke to an entire nation. They heard His voice and lived to tell the tale. In our liturgy, this festival is known as the “time of the giving of the Torah.” As is true with all festivals in the Jewish calendar, we don’t merely memorialize the day, we tried to relive it. We tried to reenact it. In anticipation for the reenactment of the receiving of the Torah, there is a ubiquitous custom to study toward the entire night in eager anticipation. In this very special and delightful pre-Festival podcast we ask six fundamental questions on the festival and the events that it marks. If you would like to enhance your experience of Shavuos or if you want to get some really stimulating and intriguing subject matter to discuss at 3:00 a.m. on the night of Shavuos, this podcast is for you.
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The Book of Ruth – and its eponymous heroine – are true enigmas. The Book contains no new laws and its story, while inspirational and poignant, bears no easily discernible connection to the Festival of Shavuos, when it is read. The Book’s protagonist, Ruth, has a decidedly checkered pedigree, yet becomes the matriarch of the Davidic and Messianic dynasty. What is the secret to Ruth’s greatness, what is the Book’s connection to the day that marks the Revelation at Sinai, and what lasting lesson can we take from this story?
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Shavuos is the day that marks the most significant event in the history of humankind: A nation coalesced around Mount Sinai to temporarily catapult into a state of prophecy, to hear God say the Ten Commandments, and to live to tell the tale. Shavuos is thus aptly named, “the Day of the Giving of the Torah”. In the Talmud we discover that the power of the day is to transform people from being ordinary and generic into being special, great – extraordinary. In this special podcast we examine the connection between Shavuos and becoming extraordinary and learn the secret to elevate ourselves from being ordinary Joes into being truly special.
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There is a widespread custom to study Pirkei Avos, the Mishnaic Book of the Ethics of our Fathers, between the festivals of Pesach and Shavuot. As we prepare for the reenactment of the Sinai Revelation and the giving of the Torah, we prime ourselves to become worthy vessels for Torah by refining and improving ourselves. The authoritative Jewish book for self-improvement is Pirkei Avos. In this podcast, we share an incredible Mishnah in Pirkei Avos with the exquisite commentary of Rabbeinu Yonah. What he lays out before us is a complete masterclass on how to develop our talents and fulfill the mission that we were entrusted with. We learn about the imperative for agency and urgency in undertaking our spiritual agenda, and we learn about the terrifying formidability of the Yetzer Hara’s insurgency against us.
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Lag BaOmer is the day that marks the Yahrtzeit/Hillula of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, one of the great Sages of the Mishnaic Era. In celebration and recognition of Rabbi Shimon’s accomplishments and stature, the custom is to make it a mini-holiday. But of course, Rabbi Shimon was not the only transcendental Sage of that time. His teacher was the great Rabbi Akiva, his contemporaries included the great Rabbi Meir, that era was also graced with luminaries such as Hillel, and Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai, and Rabbi Judah the Prince. Why is Rabbi Shimon singled out above and beyond all the other scholars? In this podcast, we suggest an approach to that question that will hopefully make Lag BaOmer even more meaningful.
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The days spanning the Festivals of Pesach and Shavuos, of Exodus and Sinai, are called the days of the Omer. During these 49 days, during these 7 weeks of 7 days, we are commanded to count the days by mentioning each day’s number and the corresponding number of weeks and days. In this sweeping podcast episode, we share 7 interconnected themes and concepts to understand these seven weeks and make them powerful and transformational.
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The first night of Pesach – the second night as well is the Diaspora – is arguably the most important nights of the year. On this night we were redeemed from Egypt, this is the night of the Exodus, this is the night of the death of the firstborn; tonight we became a nation. This night has a rich history as well: Tonight, Abraham defeated the four mighty kings; Isaac blessed Jacob; Jacob was saved from Laban. The Sages explain that on the Seder night there is unlimited potential for personal metamorphosis. Just as the Jewish nation was catapulted from the lowest spiritual nadir to the highest levels of human experience, tonight each one of us can merit a personal Exodus from our own personal Egyptian constrictions. In this special podcast, we discuss various ways to make this year’s Pesach Seder the most powerful one yet.
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Contact Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.orgTwitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Mitzvah Podcast – Surveying the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts
On Pesach we celebrate the Exodus from Egypt. Our nation endures hundreds of years of servitude and enslavement and unimaginable suffering and torment under the ruthless rule of Pharaoh and the Egyptians. But God did not forget His covenant. In keeping with His promise to Abraham, the Almighty redeemed us from Egypt with an outstretched arm and a mighty hand and great miracles and wonders. Each year, we strive to relive that experience on Pesach. In this special Pesach podcast we examine the two very different ways that this story is told. In Scripture, the story of the Exodus is very Pharaoh-centric; what happened to the Jews is largely omitted. In the Haggadah, that guides us through the Seder night, this is reversed: Pharaoh’s role is largely ignored and even directly minimized and the story of the Jews is highlighted. It seems that there were two versions of the Exodus story.
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The Exodus from Egypt is the founding episode of our nation. The Almighty plucked us out, a nation from amidst a nation, and chose us to be His people. What were the preconditions of the Exodus? What had to happen in order to facilitate our freedom? When we examine the Exodus carefully we learn about what our nations stands for, what we were chosen to do, and what ought to be the focus of the upcoming Festival of Pesach.
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With deep appreciation to the Almighty for all the goodness that He has bestowed upon us, I’m happy to share that my wife, Chaya, and I were blessed with a beautiful baby boy on Monday, March 14. Thank God, both Mom and baby are doing fabulous! In this special edition of the podcast, I share the idea that I said on Friday night at the Shalom Zachor of the new baby. May we share many simchos together and may we only hear good news from each other and from the rest of our brethren!
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On Purim we read the Book of Esther, which tells the story of the Purim miracle. The Persian king Achashverosh conspires with his Amalekite viceroy Haman to eradicate the entire Jewish nation, but God refused to allow their plans to unfold. Queen Esther, together with her relative Mordechai, spearhead the effort to turn the plan on it’s head: Instead of Haman killing Mordechai and the Jews; the Jews were given free rein to destroy their enemies. Every year we commemorate this miracle on the holiday of Purim. But the story goes deeper. Every part of Torah can be understood on multiple dimensions. The Gaon of Vilna wrote a masterful commentary explaining the Book on an allegorical level, in which the characters and the storylines symbolize the various conflicts of our lives. What emerges is a stunning portrayal of central components of Jewish philosophy that also contains very incisive lessons for Purim itself.
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Purim is a tantalizing festival. We get the dress up in costumes, read about close brush with destruction that our nation endured many centuries ago, and to drink alcohol guiltlessly. It’s a great party (certainly for extroverts). But what’s the deeper secret behind the day? What did Haman actually try to do to our nation? What was the banquet of Achashveirosh – the event that kickstarted the Purim saga – trying to accomplish? In this very special edition of the podcast, I am joined with my esteemed brother-in-law, Rabbi Shmuly Botnick, to learn about the Kabbalistic conflict of the day. Buckle up, sharpen your brain, and listen carefully: you are about to be treated with something very special.
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The festival of Purim commemorates the story of salvation that our nation experienced in Persia more than two thousand years ago. Haman the heir of Amaleik schemed a plot to eradicate the entire Jewish people in one randomly selected day, the 13th day of Adar. But the Almighty would have none of it. In His kindness He orchestrated a series of events, told to us in the Book of Esther, that foiled Haman’s plot and led to our nation’s spiritual renaissance, the effects of which still reverberate today. In this podcast we retell the Purim story and delve into its themes to make our observance of the holiday ever more meaningful.
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In conjunction with our annual fundraiser this week at giveTORCH.org (every donation is tripled), we are releasing a special interview conducted by the TORCH Board President, Dan Kullman, about my new book, Upon A Ten-Stringed Harp.
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Adam and Eve did not exactly have an idyllic marriage. Eve gave Adam to eat from the forbidden fruit; Adam through Eve under the bus when confronted by God. It seems that this marital union had some fundamental flaws. Yet our Sages, and truthfully the Torah itself, portray their marriage as the one we should emulate. Why are Adam and Eve considered to be an ideal match? In the second dose of our divorce vaccine series, we explore what lies at the core of an amazing marriage. The marriage of Adam and Eve had its shortcomings, but it can teach us about what marriage ought to look like. Needless to say, the hollow version of marriage featured in Hollywood and popular culture is, unsurprisingly, monstrously off-target.
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The fifteenth day of the Jewish month of Shevat – known as Tu B’Shevat – is the New Year for trees and fruits. All the fruits that sprout before this cutoff are associated with the previous year’s yield and the ones that come afterwards are attributed to the new year’s. If that was all that we knew about this day it would be a pretty anemic day. But the Kabbalists revealed that is a very powerful and propitious day with deep, mystical meanings. In this special episode we plumb the depths of this day and discover its power and the potential. I must admit that coming into this project I knew very little about Tu B’Shevat. This was a truly eye-opening subject that I am sure will rivet the audience as it did me.
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Every year, Chanukah falls out during the weeks in which we read about Joseph and his exploits in Egypt. Our Sages tell us that there is a deep connection between Joseph’s and the Maccabean heroism. Many connections have been proposed, and in this podcast I suggest a new approach to understanding how Joseph precisely embodies the story, the lesson, and the transformation of Chanukah.
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About 2,200 years ago, the Jewish Nation faced an existential threat: The Assyrian Greek Empire led by Antiochus and his Hellenist henchmen undertook a concerted campaign to systematically eradicate the Jewish religion. They sought to make the Jews forget the Torah and depart from the mitzvos; they defiled the Temple; they harassed the Jewish daughters; and they banned the observance of many mitzvos on pain of death. But the Almighty did not forsake His people. He stood up for them in their time of sorrow; He waged their wars; He judged the judgment; He avenged their vengeance, and aided the Jews to total victory over their Greek overlords. To remember that miracle, and the miracle of the oil that lasted 8x its intended length, the Sages established the 8-day holiday of Chanukah. In this podcast we survey the history, laws, and customs of Chanukah.
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How do you prepare for your day of death? Is that an important question? One can argue that living is much more important than dying. Death, this line of reasoning argues, is something that happens on its own and not something that we need to concern ourselves with. In this podcast, we present a completely different perspective. Calling from many sources in Jewish literature, we present the day of death as the actualization of an entire lifetime. Not only is the day of death an important day, it is the most important day of a person’s life. It is a day and a moment that determines everything! We also present a series of life-changing insights for how to prepare for our audience with the Almighty.
Disclaimer: This podcast is not intended for children or young adults. The target audience is anyone older than 35.
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Death is the destiny of mankind. Since Adam and Eve made the regrettable decision to consume from the Tree of Knowledge, Good and Evil, man has been condemned to die. But what exactly is death? How does the experience differ from person to person? Why is it a subject worthy of our focus? These should be a simple questions to answer, or so it would seem. In this very special and unique podcast, we will explore the subject of death in a way that will both terrify and inspire you. This subject was suggested by the participants of one of my classes. I am glad they suggested it. I found the topic really interesting, and I am sure you will too.
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What do you are about to hear is a vaccine against divorce. This first dose is intended for single people, who have not yet decided who they want to spend the rest of their lives with. If you are already married, you’ve made your choice and this part of the vaccine is not relevant to you. You can still listen to it, but be aware that this aspect of the vaccine is not pertinent to you.
In this series, we are working with the assumption that divorce is an epidemic that is solvable with a vaccine. Our solution will be painful, like having a needle jabbed in your shoulder, but it is intended to prevent a much greater pain. Like a vaccine, we are not promising 100% efficacy, but we’ll get close.
Stay tuned for the second dose of the vaccine. We are going to release it in a couple of weeks, after there’s been enough time for the antibodies to get in. There will probably be also at least one booster shot as well.
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When my dear friend, Dan Kullman, asked me to join him on The Shema Podcast to discuss the phenomenon of people saying, “But I’m a good person,” I was not aware of how pervasive such a sentiment is and why discussing it would be interesting. In the end we had a delightful and stimulating conversation. Dan was kind enough to allow me to post the conversation on my podcast, so here it is. If you enjoy this conversation, be sure to check out Dan’s podcast, The Shema Podcast.
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The Festival of Sukkot ends with a three-day constellation of significant days: The seventh day is Hoshana Rabbah, the eighth is Shemini Atzeres, and the ninth is Simchas Torah. These days have unique customs not found in any other day in the Jewish calendar. In this sweeping podcast episode, we explore these days, plumb their mysterious and Kabbalistic meaning, and demonstrate how they are a fitting culmination of Sukkot, and indeed of the entire Festival season.
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We are amid the incredible Festival of Sukkos. Each day (except Shabbos) we shake the Lulav and Esrog, we celebrate with our family, and we dwell in our temporary residence, the Sukkah. But what happens when the weather does not comply? What do we do when it gets swelteringly hot? In this podcast, we demonstrate that an unpleasant Sukkah is something that ought to be not only tolerable, but highly desirable. Give it a listen and tell me if you agree.
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Over the course of the Festival of Sukkos (sometimes spelled “Sukkot”, sometimes “Succos”, rivaled only by the nightmare of trying to find the definitive spelling of Chanukah – Hannukah, Hanukkah), we must dwell in a temporary structure, a Sukkah. Why? “In order that your generations know that [God] made Sukkahs for us during the Exodus.” After we were redeemed from the enslavement of Egypt, the Almighty made us Sukkah, and we commemorate that miracle more than 3300 years later with a seven day Festival. What is the nature of the Sukkah that God made for us? Our Sages tell us that they were the “Clouds of Glory.” What are the clouds of glory and what do they have to do with the Festival of Sukkos? Listen to this podcast and find out.
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Yom Kippur is the end of the annual judgment. On Yom Kippur, the verdict written on Rosh Hashana gets sealed. Until that deadline, however, we can effectuate our judgment. The verdict can be rewritten and amended; the bad decrees can be annulled. But it won’t happen automatically. We need to expend effort to ensure that we earn a positive outcome on Yom Kippur. In this special pre-Yom Kippur podcast we survey 8 different tips and tricks – hacks – to gain a positive judgment on Yom Kippur. If you want to be cleansed from all your spiritual maladies and blemishes this Yom Kippur; if you want to emerge from this powerful day with a fresh, clean slate – this podcast is for you.
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On Yom Kippur afternoon, we read the 48-verse Book of Jonah, which tells of a renegade prophet, Jonah, who defies the directive of God and refuses to castigate the people of Nineveh and instead escapes from God to Tarshish – with mixed results. A simple reading of the story reveals a tale of repentance, both of the protagonist, Jonah, and of the people of Nineveh. But our Sages let us in on a secret that the Book of Jonah contains a hidden, kabbalistic story embedded beneath the story – which also teaches us powerful, topical messages for the Day of Atonement.
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Yom Kippur is a day of atonement and expiation. On this auspicious day, the Almighty forgives us for all our transgressions and we become purified before God. But the purification of Yom Kippur is limited to sins between man and God. For interpersonal transgressions, there is no atonement unless the aggressor appeases and secures forgiveness from the aggrieved. In this sweeping episode we discuss the nature of interpersonal transgressions and the tremendous sensitivity and delicateness required to not cause another person pain or loss; we scour the process of how to gain atonement for interpersonal transgressions; and we talk about the importance and the challenge of forgiving others who have wronged us.
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Rosh Hashana kickstarts the Ten Days of Repentance which culminates in Yom Kippur. This is the time to repent. But repentance is a daunting and terrifying concept. All change is frightening. In this very special edition of the podcast, we shed a new light on repentance. We discover that repentance is a great gift that the Almighty gave us. It is supernatural and wondrous in many ways. Given that our Sages tell us that repentance is one of the seven things that were created before the world was created, we have the Seven Wonders of the pre-World and the Seven Wonders of Repentance. This episode is guaranteed to reshape your understanding of repentance and to make your season of repentance more meaningful and efficacious.
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This special pre-Rosh Hashana podcast is dedicated anonymously in loving memory and Leilui Nishmas Bret Adam Rosenthal who passed away this week at the awfully young age of 31. May his Soul be elevated in Heaven and may his grieving family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem
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In addition to the many other themes and motifs of the day, Rosh Hashana is called the Day of Judgment. The Mishnah tells us that on Rosh Hashana every human has an individual audience with the Almighty in the same way that a shepherd counts each sheep individually. The judgment is comprehensive: all of a person’s income for the year is determined on this day. But the most important decree of Rosh Hashana is who will live and who will die.
In this podcast, we study a difficult statement in the Talmud regarding the judgment on Rosh Hashana. On the surface, this statement is quite inexplicable. Upon further analysis, however, we discover the central goal of Rosh Hashana, and, frankly, what we are trying to accomplish in our lives.
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The two days of Rosh Hashana are two of the most important days in the year. These festival days are celebratory and joyous, but are also dedicated to prayer, to introspection, and repentance. Rosh Hashana is a time when we try to strike a delicate balance of festivities and trepidation due to the Day of Judgement. In this unique podcast we examine the myriad customs, ceremonies, rituals, and practices of Rosh Hashana – we learn about their significance, we learn about the lessons contained within them, we learn about about the various activities that we do to get in the right frame of mind for the Day of Judgement.
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These 40 days from the beginning of the month of Elul, the final month in the Jewish calendar, and Yom Kippur are the most powerful days of the year. These 40 days coincide with the 40 days that Moshe was in Heaven for the third 40 day stint when he received the second set of Tablets inscribed by the “finger of God.” Our Sages tell us that this month is “Days of Ratzon“, days of goodwill, days of desire. In this special podcast, we identify the central element of these days and discover the ways to unlock the unlimited power of Elul.
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For the three weeks spanning from the fast of the 17th of Tammuz until the fast of Tisha B’av (9th of Av), the Jewish nation practices collective mourning. This mourning is the result of a collection of calamitous things that has happened to our ancestors during these inauspicious times. What is the background of these days and what can we learn today from commemorating events that happened thousands of years ago?
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The Book of Ruth – and its eponymous heroine – are true enigmas. The Book contains no new laws and its story, while inspirational and poignant, bears no easily discernible connection to the Festival of Shavuos, when it is read. The Book’s protagonist, Ruth, has a decidedly checkered pedigree, yet becomes the matriarch of the Davidic and Messianic dynasty. What is the secret to Ruth’s greatness, what is the Book’s connection to the day that marks the Revelation at Sinai, and what lasting lesson can we take from this story?
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Shavuos is the day that marks the most significant event in the history of humankind: A nation coalesced around Mount Sinai to temporarily catapult into a state of prophecy, to hear God say the Ten Commandments, and to live to tell the tale. Shavuos is thus aptly named, “the Day of the Giving of the Torah”. In the Talmud we discover that the power of the day is to transform people from being ordinary and generic into being special, great – extraordinary. In this special podcast we examine the connection between Shavuos and becoming extraordinary and learn the secret to elevate ourselves from being ordinary Joes into being truly special.
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
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Lag BaOmer is the day that marks the Yahrtzeit/Hillula of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, one of the great Sages of the Mishnaic Era. In celebration and recognition of Rabbi Shimon’s accomplishments and stature, the custom is to make it a mini-holiday. But of course, Rabbi Shimon was not the only transcendental Sage of that time. His teacher was the great Rabbi Akiva, his contemporaries included the great Rabbi Meir, that era was also graced with luminaries such as Hillel, and Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai, and Rabbi Judah the Prince. Why is Rabbi Shimon singled out above and beyond all the other scholars? In this podcast, we suggest an approach to that question that will hopefully make Lag BaOmer even more meaningful.
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
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Esther Kaplan (née Wolbe), along with her husband AJ, experienced the worst nightmare parents can undergo when their adorable and perfect son Shlomo passed away only 16 weeks into his life. This intimate and stirring conversation follows up on the one we had in 2018 in which Esther shares the story of Shlomo’s life and opens up about how parents absorb and process such an unthinkable tragedy.
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
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Esther Kaplan (née Wolbe), along with her husband AJ, experienced the worst nightmare parents can undergo when their adorable and perfect son Shlomo passed away only 16 weeks into his life. In this intimate and stirring conversation Esther shares the story of Shlomo’s life and opens up about how parents absorb and process such an unthinkable tragedy.
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Please email me at [email protected] with any questions or comments
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Please support The TORCH Podcasts and the annual TORCH fundraiser at giveTORCH.org
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In honor of the TORCH Fundraiser today at giveTORCH.org, I was interviewed by the TORCH Board President, Dan Kullman, of The Shema Podcast fame. In this special discussion, we talk about the history and development of the TORCH podcasts and make an appeal for your support of the fundraiser. Every donation is TRIPLED.
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Please support This Jewish Life Podcast and the annual TORCH fundraiser at giveTORCH.org
Every donation will be TRIPLED
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At the conclusion of Shabbat each week, Jewish families worldwide make the Havdalah ceremony. They take a cup of wine, some spices, and a fiery TORCH, and recite the four blessings of the Havdalah. What is the secret of this mysterious ceremony? What do we gaze at our fingernails in the fire? What is the connection between this ceremony and the aftermath of Adam and Eve’s Sin in the Garden? When we drill deeper into the Havdalah ceremony we discover all kinds of incredible insights and secrets!
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On Purim we read the Book of Esther, which tells the story of the Purim miracle. The Persian king Achashverosh conspires with his Amalekite viceroy Haman to eradicate the entire Jewish nation, but God refused to allow their plans to unfold. Queen Esther, together with her relative Mordechai, spearhead the effort to turn the plan on it’s head: Instead of Haman killing Mordechai and the Jews; the Jews were given free rein to destroy their enemies. Every year we commemorate this miracle on the holiday of Purim. But the story goes deeper. Every part of Torah can be understood on multiple dimensions. The Gaon of Vilna wrote a masterful commentary explaining the Book on an allegorical level, in which the characters and the storylines symbolize the various conflicts of our lives. What emerges is a stunning portrayal of central components of Jewish philosophy that also contains very incisive lessons for Purim itself.
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When Adar enters, we increase in Joy (Talmud Taanis 29a). Adar, the month in which contains the Festival of Purim, kickstarts the season on joy in the Jewish calendar. On this month we were saved from Haman’s genocide, and it is closely followed by Nissan, the month of the Exodus. What does the Torah mean by joy? What is the role that joy plays in Jewish life? It turns out that joy is a central aspect of Jewish living.
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This podcast is sponsored by Danny Katz and Josh Newman in honor of Sarah Bandujo. We thank them for sponsoring
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The fifteenth day of the Jewish month of Shevat – known as Tu B’Shevat – is the New Year for trees and fruits. All the fruits that sprout before this cutoff are associated with the previous year’s yield and the ones that come afterwards are attributed to the new year’s. If that was all that we knew about this day it would be a pretty anemic day. But the Kabbalists revealed that is a very powerful and propitious day with deep, mystical meanings. In this special episode we plumb the depths of this day and discover its power and the potential. I must admit that coming into this project I knew very little about Tu B’Shevat. This was a truly eye-opening subject that I am sure will rivet the audience as it did me.
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This podcast is dedicated in loving memory and leilui nishmas Nachshon Dov ben Shmuel, whose 25th yahrzeit falls out on this year’s Tu Beshvat. May his Soul be elevated in Heaven
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Every year, Chanukah falls out during the weeks in which we read about Joseph and his exploits in Egypt. Our Sages tell us that there is a deep connection between Joseph’s and the Maccabean heroism. Many connections have been proposed, and in this podcast I suggest a new approach to understanding how Joseph precisely embodies the story, the lesson, and the transformation of Chanukah.
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Shabbat is the beating heart of the Jewish family and the Jewish week. It is the portal through which the spiritual vitality for the entire week flows. This podcast idea was proposed in my email newsletter (visit rabbiwolbe.com/newsletter to subscribe). I had thrown out the idea of going through a Shabbat dinner and detailing all the practices that happen and why we do them – both as a way of enlightening people who are doing Shabbat dinner already and as a way of preparing someone who is about to partake in their first traditional Shabbat dinner. I tried to accomplish a lot of things in one episode and I truly hope it is valuable and useful to you!
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The two mitzvos of the Festival of Sukkos (Sukkot) are the shaking of the Lulav and the Four Species and the dwelling in the Sukkah. What is the deeper meaning behind these mitzvos? In this special pre-Festival episode, we examine the two mitzvos of Sukkos and see what they teach us about the Festival in general, and see how they can guide us to have a more uplifting and meaningful and productive Sukkot.
Please email me at [email protected] with any questions or comments
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The Ten Days of Repentance, beginning with the two days of Rosh Hashana and culminating in Yom Kippur, are the season of repentance in the Jewish calendar. On these days, the Almighty is close to us. Our prayers are more efficacious. Our spiritual accomplishments are amplified and accelerated during these powerful, awesome days. Our Sages have noted that the Torah section dedicated to repentance, Parshas Nitzavim, is read each year on the Shabbos immediately preceding the Ten Days of Repentance in order to get us in the repentance mode and to guide us how exactly to do it. In this special podcast episode we plumb the repentance narratives of Parshas Nitzavim to extract several ideas that can make our Days of Repentance, and of course our Yom Kippur, more meaningful and productive.
Please email me at [email protected] with any questions or comments
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On the second day of Rosh Hashana, we read the Torah section of Genesis chapter 22 that tells the very famous and quite troubling episode of the Binding of Isaac. Abraham – the same Abraham who railed against the ways of child sacrifice of the pagans – is instructed by God to take Isaac – the same Isaac who was declared as the one who will be Abraham’s true progeny – and offer him as a sacrifice on Mount Moriah. In this podcast we attempt to understand the many connections that this reading has with the themes and ideas of Rosh Hashana.
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The Torah readings for the two days of Rosh Hashana were not arbitrarily chosen. There are very good reasons why on the first day of Rosh Hashana we read Genesis chapter 21, which tells of the conception and birth of Isaac, and the banishment of Ishmael, his brush with death, and his salvation. In this podcast we attempt to understand the many connections that this reading has with the themes and ideas of Rosh Hashana.
Please email me at [email protected] with any questions or comments
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Of all the episodes that I have recorded over the years, this will be perhaps the most unique one. For one, it will be released simultaneously on all 6 channels that I am fortunate enough to host: The Parsha Podcast, The Jewish History Podcast, The Mitzvah Podcast , This Jewish Life, The Ethics Podcast, and TORAH 101, and of course on the podcast channel that hosts all of my podcasts on one feed – All Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe Podcasts. The reason for this is that I wanted to share a momentous milestone with my podcast family, and to share a bit of my personal story. A few days ago, the podcasts tallied their millionth download. In honor of this tremendous milestone, I wanted to dedicate an episode to publicly thanking the Almighty for all that He did for me; I wanted to thank my family and friends; I wanted to thank the listeners who have invested a staggering amount of time into the podcasts; and of course the donors who partnered with me in this venture. If not for y’all, I’d be selling cabinets or mortgages.
Please email me at [email protected] with any questions or comments
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
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The laws of Shabbat are vast and seemingly draconian. A study of its laws reveal a comprehensive governance of every aspect of our lives on Shabbat. The Talmud even declares that greetings one’s fellow on Shabbat is “barely permitted.” To an outsider looking in, the laws of Shabbat are crippling and limiting. The Talmud offers us a deeper insight. It teaches us that Shabbat is a gift from God’s most innermost treasure house, but it is a gift that initially seems to be a bad gift. How Shabbat amounts to a great gift is a deep secret. In this special podcast episode we reveal the secret to the Shabbat gift.
Please email me at [email protected] with any questions or comments
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This podcast episode is sponsored by Steve Goldberg in honor of his wife Melissa on the occasion of their second anniversary, and from all of us at TORCH and the entire podcast audience we wish them a hearty happy anniversary and many happy returns!
Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
We all recognize that we will eventually die. Each of us know that there will come a point in time where our body and Soul separate and go their own way. The body will return to its origin, the dust, and the Soul will return to its Heavenly roots. What happens to our Soul in Heaven is certainly a tantalizing question. In this Mishnah we learn about Olam Haba, the Next world, commonly called the Afterlife. What is the Afterlife? Why is it worth preparing for? What can I do to ensure that I am included in the invite-list for this eternal bliss? In this very critical podcast we attempt to penetrate the great mystery of Olam Haba.
Please email me at [email protected] with any questions or comments
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This special edition of the podcast is dedicated in the merit of the speedy and total recovery of Yehudit bat Sara who recently contracted the coronavirus. We hope and pray that she beats the virus completely and quickly with no lingering effects
Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Tisha B’Av (The Ninth of Av) is the saddest day in the Jewish calendar. On this day, the Spies returned from scouting the Land and spooked the Nation with their evil report prompting the Nation to needlessly bewail their fate the entire night. As retribution, God pledged: “You cried on this night for no reason, I will give you a legitimate reason to cry on this night.” And indeed, over the millennia, scores of unfortunate events happened to our nation on this inauspicious day. Why is this day so totally designated for bad things, what is the significance of the Temples for us today living in modern times, and what are we supposed to feel during the time of Tisha Bav?
Please email me at [email protected] with any questions or comments
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Parshas Bamidbar is the Torah portion that we read immediately prior to Shavuos, the Festival of the Giving of the Torah, each year. In this special episode, we offer a mind-bending idea to ponder the connection between Shavuos and Parshas Bamidbar.
To aid with visualizing the contents of this unique episode, please download the accompanying slideshow and follow along.
Please email me at [email protected] with any questions or comments
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It has been 15 years since my illustrious grandfather, Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe, passed away, on the first day of Chol HaMoed Pesach 2005. In this special shiur to mark his yahrtzeit, we speculate the ways that he became great and take a very valuable lesson on how to become great ourselves during this coronavirus pandemic.
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Contact Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.orgTwitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Mitzvah Podcast – Surveying the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts
The Torah provides four verses that describe the appropriate conversations fathers should have with their sons on Pesach Eve. The Haggadah explains that each conversation refers to a different type of son. There is a distinct dialogue with the wise son, the wicked son, the simple son, and the son who does not know how to ask. In this podcast we attempt to glean valuable parenting lessons that will enhance our Pesach and our relationships with our children.
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Contact Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.orgTwitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Mitzvah Podcast – Surveying the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts
The Festival of Pesach is described as, “The time of our Freedom”, and “The Festival of Matzos.” What is the essence of these days? What is the distinct power that we can tap into over the course of this 8-day Festival? In this special pre-Pesach episode, we learn the central point of the Festival that marks the founding of our nation.
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Contact Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.orgTwitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Mitzvah Podcast – Surveying the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts
We are living in extraordinary times and facing unprecedented challenges: The coronavirus is upending everyday life in a way that we have never seen in our lifetime. People are scared, people are quarantined, markets are plummeting, schools are off, shuls and yeshivos are shuttered, no one can get toilet paper or bottled water – our equilibrium is off-kilter. In this special episode, we offer a Torah perspective on plagues, epidemics, and quarantines that tries to drill down on the question of, “what does God want from us?”
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Contact Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.orgTwitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Mitzvah Podcast – Surveying the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts
My grandfather, Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe, was one of the 20th Century’s most important rabbis. But unlike many of his contemporaries, he had a very unusual path to becoming the transformative Torah Sage that he became. In this very special and personal podcast episode, I share several never-before-told stories about his life and I speculate several different theories to explain how he became such a great person. This is a unique podcast episode – stories, anecdotes, and lessons that can prove to be life-changing.
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Please email me at [email protected] with any questions or comments
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According to Jewish tradition, 2020 is the year 5780. Science estimates the age of the universe to be somewhere between 13.8-15.4 billion years. In this podcast, we will share a brilliant reconciliation sourced from centuries-old Kabbalistic books.
The Shema Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-shema-podcast/id1498489422
Daf Yomi Breakneck Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daf-yomi-breakneck-with-rabbi-elchanan-shoff/id1494823922
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Contact Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.orgTwitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Mitzvah Podcast – Surveying the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts
This unique podcast was recorded live at the Aish Thornhill Community Shul on the third day of Chanukah 5780. In the talk we suggest a cogent and unified explanation of the festival of Chanukah, and specifically, of the menorah candles. We begin by noting the many differences between the Chanukah candles and the other rabbinic mitzvah related to candles, the Shabbos candles. We then observe some interesting and surprising citations in the Torah literature relating to Chanukah and the menorah. And finally, we propose a novel explanation that reconciles all the questions and provides illumination to the festival in general.
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This podcast is sponsored by Michael and Galit Friedmann, in loving memory of George Friedmann, Shlomo Ben Aryeh
Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Contact:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Mitzvah Podcast – Surveying the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah: Apple Podcasts
About 2,200 years ago, the Jewish Nation faced an existential threat: The Assyrian Greek Empire led by Antiochus and his Hellenist henchmen undertook a concerted campaign to systematically eradicate the Jewish religion. They sought to make the Jews forget the Torah and depart from the mitzvos; they defiled the Temple; they harassed the Jewish daughters; and they banned the observance of many mitzvos on pain of death. But the Almighty did not forsake His people. He stood up for them in their time of sorrow; He waged their wars; He judged the judgment; He avenged their vengeance, and aided the Jews to total victory over their Greek overlords. To remember that miracle, and the miracle of the oil that lasted 8x its intended length, the Sages established the 8-day holiday of Chanukah. In this podcast we survey the history, laws, and customs of Chanukah.
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Contact:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Mitzvah Podcast – Surveying the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah: Apple Podcasts
Gratitude is a character trait that is universally lauded. In Torah Literature it is, of course, a central characteristic of the righteous, and even the secular world has adopted it as an admirable virtue. But when we examine the Torah sources we discover that gratitude is not only about being nice and pleasant, it lies at the very heart of our life’s mission.
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Contact:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Mitzvah Podcast – Surveying the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah: Apple Podcasts
On Yom Kippur afternoon, we read the 48-verse Book of Jonah, which tells of a renegade prophet, Jonah, who defies the directive of God and refuses to castigate the people of Nineveh and instead escapes from God to Tarshish – with mixed results. A simple reading of the story reveals a tale of repentance, both of the protagonist, Jonah, and of the people of Nineveh. But our Sages let us in on a secret that the Book of Jonah contains a hidden, kabbalistic story embedded beneath the story – which also teaches us powerful, topical messages for the Day of Atonement. In part two of this series, we learn about what happens to the soul after death, the basics of reincarnation, and how to discern the vestigial characteristics leftover from a person’s first lifetime.
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Contact:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Mitzvah Podcast – Surveying the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah: Apple Podcasts
On Yom Kippur afternoon, we read the 48-verse Book of Jonah, which tells of a renegade prophet, Jonah, who defies the directive of God and refuses to castigate the people of Nineveh and instead escapes from God to Tarshish – with mixed results. A simple reading of the story reveals a tale of repentance, both of the protagonist, Jonah, and of the people of Nineveh. But our Sages let us in on a secret that the Book of Jonah contains a hidden, kabbalistic story embedded beneath the story – which also teaches us powerful, topical messages for the Day of Atonement.
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Contact:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Mitzvah Podcast – Surveying the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah: Apple Podcasts
On the second day of Rosh Hashana, we read the Torah section of Genesis chapter 22 that tells the very famous and quite troubling episode of the Binding of Isaac. Abraham – the same Abraham who railed against the ways of child sacrifice of the pagans – is instructed by God to take Isaac – the same Isaac who was declared as the one who will be Abraham’s true progeny – and offer him as a sacrifice on Mount Moriah. In this podcast we attempt to understand the many connections that this reading has with the themes and ideas of Rosh Hashana.
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This special Pre-Rosh Hashana episode is sponsored by Mike Fisher in loving memory of his father – Meier ben Feitl v’ Shayneh Yente, who passed away this past year on the 19th of Av. May his soul be elevated in Heaven.
Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Contact:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Mitzvah Podcast – Surveying the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah: Apple Podcasts
The Torah readings for the two days of Rosh Hashana were not arbitrarily chosen. There are very good reasons why on the first day of Rosh Hashana we read Genesis chapter 21, which tells of the conception and birth of Isaac, and the banishment of Ishmael, his brush with death, and his salvation. In this podcast we attempt to understand the many connections that this reading has with the themes and ideas of Rosh Hashana.
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Contact:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Mitzvah Podcast – Surveying the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah: Apple Podcasts
Elul is the name of the month that precedes Rosh Hashanah and the Days of Awe. The 40 days spanning from the first of Elul until Yom Kippur are the most spiritually auspicious days of the year; during this period we can re-imagine who we are and who we want to be — and transform into that idealized self.
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Contact:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Mitzvah Podcast – Surveying the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah: Apple Podcasts
The Torah is God’s revelation and directives to mankind. In it, He commands, instructs, and guides us in how to behave and what to do in our lives. But what does God really want from us? What’s the bottom line? In an intriguing and provocative verse in Deuteronomy (10:12), Moses asks this question. His answer, though, raises even more questions.
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Contact:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Mitzvah Podcast – Surveying the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah: Apple Podcasts
For the three weeks spanning from the fast of the 17th of Tammuz until the fast of Tisha B’av (9th of Av), the Jewish nation practices collective mourning. This mourning is the result of a collection of calamitous things that has happened to our ancestors during these inauspicious times. What is the background of these days and what can we learn today from commemorating events that happened thousands of years ago?
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Contact:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Mitzvah Podcast – Surveying the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah: Apple Podcasts
Shavuot is described as “The time of the giving of our Torah” in the Festival liturgy; in the Torah and the Talmud, four other names are attributed to the holiday that falls out on the 6th of Sivan. What are the five names of the Festival and what do they connote? Why do we read the Book of Ruth specifically on Shavuot? What is the origin of the custom to eat dairy meals on this Festival? To find answers to these and other related questions, please listen to this primer on the anniversary of the Sinai Revelation.
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Contact:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Mitzvah Podcast – Surveying the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah: Apple Podcasts
Lag BaOmer refers to the 33rd day of the Omer, the period connecting the Festivals of Pesach and Shavuot in which we are commanded to count 7 days for 7 weeks in ascending order until the anniversary day of the Sinai experience. What is the significance of the Omer period and why is the 33rd day so special?
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Contact:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Mitzvah Podcast – Surveying the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah: Apple Podcasts
This past Shabbos, my wife and I were blessed with a newborn baby girl. As Shabbos-observant Jews, this raised some interesting halachic dilemmas. In the first part of this podcast I tell the story of how we navigated the various problems, and then we pivot to constructing a framework for raising all kinds of children well based upon the Four Sons of the Pesach Haggadah.
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Contact:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Mitzvah Podcast – Surveying the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah: Apple Podcasts
One of the highlights of the Haggadah is the four different discussion that parents have with the four different sons, the wise son, the wicked son, the simple son, and the son who does not know how to ask. In this podcast a novel approach is suggested wherein these four sons are not four different children, rather the same child at four different, successive, stages, that collectively construct a template for all kinds of growth and transformation.
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Contact:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Mitzvah Podcast – Surveying the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah: Apple Podcasts
The festival of Purim commemorates the story of salvation that our nation experienced in Persia more than two thousand years ago. Haman the heir of Amaleik schemed a plot to eradicate the entire Jewish people in one randomly selected day, the 13th day of Adar. But the Almighty would have none of it. In His kindness He orchestrated a series of events, told to us in the Book of Esther, that foiled Haman’s plot and led to our nation’s spiritual renaissance, the effects of which still reverberate today. In this podcast we retell the Purim story and delve into its themes to make our observance of the holiday ever more meaningful.
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This podcast is sponsored in loving memory of Walter Heller, beloved father of my dear personal friend and TORCH supporter, Stephen Heller.
Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Contact:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Mitzvah Podcast – Surveying the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah: Apple Podcasts
The Jewish community of Houston, TX is fortunate to have Rabbi Nosson Dubin, a true expert on all things kosher, as its Rabbinic Administrator for the Houston Kashrus Association, the agency tasked with overseeing kosher establishments and furthering kosher options in Houston. Beyond his local role in the Houston Kashrus scene, Rabbi Dubin is also the founder of the Kosher Institute of America, an innovative online Kashrus education organization that pioneered a comprehensive course that promises kosher mastery in 8 hours which is available on their website kosherinstitute.com.
I sat down with Rabbi Dubin for a unique and wide-ranging conversation on many matters relating to kosher in America, including an argument on the importance of kosher; how we are living in the golden era of kosher availability; we went on a virtual walk-through of a grocery section as a kosher consumer, we explored the behind the scenes of a modern Kashrus agency, and we talked about the revolutionary Kosher Institute of America course that will teach you everything you need to know about the laws of kosher.
Listeners who are interested in purchasing the course from the kosherinstitute.com can use the code TORCH15 to save 15% on the cost. We also are offering scholarships to anyone who wants to buy the course and needs financial assistance. Please email me at [email protected] to apply.
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Contact:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Mitzvah Podcast – Surveying the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah: Apple Podcasts
The Shema prayer is arguably the most well-known prayer of them all. It is the first words that we teach our children, and the last ones uttered by a Jew in their tenure in this world. A Jewish life is bookended by recitations of the Shema. Yet it seems to me that while people are familiar with the Shema, they are somewhat uninformed of its vast powers and deep meanings. In this podcast, we explore a novel way to understand the overall message of the Shema, and the critical importance that bears on our life as Jews.
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Contact:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Mitzvah Podcast – Surveying the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah: Apple Podcasts
There is a learnable quality the underpins every transformational change and improvement that humanity has achieved. It is what separates the people who are inspired to change and actually implement grand ideas from the common folk who do not influence the world for the better.
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Contact:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Mitzvah Podcast – Surveying the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah: Apple Podcasts
The words “Ayin Hara” are firmly ensconced in the Jewish lexicon. From a young age we are trained to exclaim “keinahara” and “bli ayin hara”, after describing, hearing about, or witnessing something wonderful. What is an ayin hara, why is it dangerous, and how can we mitigate or counteract its damage? Join me and my colleague Rabbi Yaakov Cohen as we seek answers.
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Contact:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
About 2,200 years ago, the Jewish Nation faced an existential threat: The Assyrian Greek Empire led by Antiochus and his Hellenist henchmen undertook a concerted campaign to systematically eradicate the Jewish religion. They sought to make the Jews forget the Torah and depart from the mitzvos; they defiled the Temple; they harassed the Jewish daughters; and they banned the observance of many mitzvos on pain of death. But the Almighty did not forsake His people. He stood up for them in their time of sorrow; He waged their wars; He judged the judgement; He avenged their vengeance; and aided the Jews to total victory over their Greek overlords. To remember that miracle, and the miracle of the oil that lasted 8x its intended length, the Sages established the 8-day holiday of Chanukah. In this podcast we survey the history, themes, and laws of Chanukah.
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Contact:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Yetzer Hara is the villain of our life. It’s other names are the “satan” and the “angel of death”. It seeks to undermine us and inhibit us from accomplishing our life’s mission. thankfully, the Sages of the Talmud offered us a multitude of strategies and tactics to combat and resist this deadly force. In this podcast we will try to suggest a general theorem that underpins all of their suggestions.
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This Podcast is dedicated in loving memory of my grandmother, Rebbetzin Rivka Wolbe, a true woman of valor; a princess; a woman of sterling and noble character and stoic resolve.
Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Contact:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
“’In a Sukkah shall you dwell for seven days’ – The Torah is instructing us to leave our permanent dwelling and move into a temporary dwelling.” (Talmud Sukkah 2a). A mere five days after Yom Kippur, we are instructed to abandon our permanent home and move into a makeshift hut and live there for seven days. In addition we are commanded to shake the Four Species on Sukkos; and there is a fascination with the Seventy Nations of the world and their ultimate downfall. The question can be raised: On Yom Kippur we successfully gained atonement and have been cleansed from all traces of sin and imperfection. What about our character is yet imperfect that we must fix with the mitzvah of the Sukkah?
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Contact:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
Prayer is a central tenet of our religion, and comprised a hefty chunk of its rituals. The Mishna (Pirkei Avos 1:2) delineates the three things upon which the world stands – meaning that without it the world would cease existing – and lists prayer together with Torah study and kindness. Yet prayer is a mitzvah that is difficult to fulfill and connect to. It often feels awkward, unnatural, and tedious. In this podcast we offer a perspective that may succeed in transforming our perspective on prayer and thereby accelerating and deepening our relationship with the Almighty.
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Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
Yom Kippur marks the final day of the Ten Days of Repentance. On this day all our efforts are focused on repenting and earning atonement for all our sins and getting sealed into the Book of Life for the upcoming year. In this podcast we analyze the notion of repentance in general, the difference between the repentance of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, and learn some timely tactics to ensure that we make the most of this incredibly auspicious day.
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Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
Rosh Hashana is both the day of judgement on our deeds of the previous year and the day of new hopes and new beginnings for the year to come. The responsibilities – and the opportunities – of the day are so significant that we must be ready and prepared for it. In this podcast we delve into the essence of the day and the ways to maximize its potency.
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Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
Besides being a critical mitzvah, to rebuke or criticize someone who is acting improperly is a vital skill that every leader (boss, parent) needs to know how to wield effectively. Our sages tell us that there are two ways to criticize, one that works and one that does not. On the precipice of Tisha B’Av, when Jews focus on improving interpersonal relationships, it is appropriate to learn how to critique effectively.
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Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
Shavuos marks the time of the giving of the Torah and the climax of the nation building that began with the Exodus. In this podcast we offer a broad overview of the meaning of this Festival and its various themes.
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Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
Jewish parents a double responsibility: We must raise mature, healthy children who will turn into productive adults, and to instill within our children the values of Torah and Judaism. Though this is a second obligation, as Jews we also benefit from the Torah’s guidelines of how to educate them, and in this podcast we hope to convey the ten overarching principles of Jewish parenting.
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Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Torah provides four verses that describe the appropriate conversations fathers should have with their sons on Pesach Eve. The Haggadah explains that each conversation refers to a different type of son. There is a distinct dialogue with the wise son, the wicked son, the simple son, and the son who does not know how to ask. In this podcast we attempt to glean valuable parenting lessons that will enhance our Pesach and our relationships with our children.
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Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
Pesach marks the foundational event of our nation’s history. The Exodus that happened on the days of Pesach is the rationale of the Jewish holidays nad festivals, including the weekly Shabbos, and is invoked in many mitzvos. In this podcast we explore the story of Pesach and discover what it says about what we stand for as a nation.
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Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
Esther Kaplan (née Wolbe), along with her husband AJ, experienced the worst nightmare parents can undergo when their adorable and perfect son Shlomo passed away only 16 weeks into his life. In this intimate and stirring conversation Esther shares the story of Shlomo’s life and opens up about how parents absorb and process such an unthinkable tragedy.
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Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
In the last portions of Exodus, the Torah details the incredible fundraising efforts to assemble the materials needed to build the Mishkan. It records that the nesi’im, the presidents of the tribes, donated the stones for the Kohein Gadol’s Choshen and Ephod, Breastplate and apron-like garment. Rashi notes that the Torah is also conveying a veiled criticism about these people and their donations. In this special edition of the podcast we probe the criticism and learn valuable lessons in leadership and marriage.
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Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
Purim is a holiday marking the salvation of the Jews in Persia from the genocidal plans of Haman and his cohorts. Every 14th and 15th day of Adar, Jews worldwide read the Book of Esther which tells the story, give gifts to the poor and to their friends, and partake in a lavish and festive holiday banquet. What is the history of the holiday and what are some of its themes?
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Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
Over the past several months, there have been revelations, accusations, and allegations of sexual misconduct by celebrities of all types, which spawned movements and hashtags and a national conversation on these issues. In this podcast we offer a Mussar approach to these revelations.
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Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
In response to an incredible story that happened over the weekend, we explore the state of the Jewish nation in 2018 and chart our progress towards acheiving our destiny and Tikkun Olam.
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Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
Mussar is the tool that we can use to integrate Torah into ourselves and change our character. A Mussar master is someone who is spiritually alive. In this special lecture, we try to tell a story of how Mussar masters operated during the inferno that engulfed European Jewry during the Holocaust. By recounting the heroic actions of these giants we can learn valuable lessons for our own spiritual lives.
*This lecture was recorded live in Harrisburg, PA as part of a three-lecture visit to the capital of Pennsylvania.
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Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
This week, the Gadol Hador, Rav Ahron Leib Shteinman zt”l, passed away at the age of 104. In this eulogy, we try to capture a brief portrait of this remarkable and inspirational leader.
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Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe : Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
When reading about the story and the miracles of Chanukah, the most prominent and memorable one seems to be the military victory of a small ragtag guerrilla army over the mighty Greeks. Yet the mitzvah commemorating the events revolves around the miracle of the oil, a seemingly insignificant miracle in comparison. In this podcast, we offer 3 explanations as to why that is the case, and use them to deepen our understanding of the holiday and its meaning.
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Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe : Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
In the span of one parsha, Reuben makes a grave blunder while Joseph avoids one. In their analysis of these two episodes, our Sages provide us with a powerful tool to ensure that our own actions are righteous and just and as accurate as possible.
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Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe : Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Torah has been described by many Jewish sources as a guide to accessing spiritual pleasure. While it is true that there are many laws that restrict pleasure, the net benefit of the Torah is that through it we can experience deeper and more sophisticated, spiritual pleasures. What is spiritual pleasure? What are the conditions needed to experience it? How does Torah and mitzvos unlock it?
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Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics: iOS, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: iOS, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parshas: iOS, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah: iOS, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – Drawing Powerful Lessons from Pirkei Avos: iOS, Android, Stitcher.
Chapter 24 of Genesis contains a comprehensive narrative of the courtship and marriage of Isaac and Rebecca. Traditionally, this chapter served as the comprehensive guide of the Torah’s attitude of how to select a suitable spouse. In this podcast, we quickly run through the story and find relevant and insightful tips on how to find the right one, and how to avoid common pitfalls
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Please consider making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:
Podcasts Links:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics: iOS, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: iOS, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parshas: iOS, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah: iOS, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – Drawing Powerful Lessons from Pirkei Avos: iOS, Android, Stitcher.
Dear friends, it is with great joy and delight that I present you with my brand new podcast, Eternal Ethics. In this podcast we will journey through the ancient book of Mishna, Pirkei Avos, a book containing God’s wisdom on Ethics and Character development as conveyed at Sinai. But don’t let the title fool you. This will not be a dry analysis of ancient, archaic, or obsolete dicta; Pirkei Avos is replete with insight that is relevant, applicable, and practical in our modern lives. So sit back and learn and enjoy the timeless directives that will improve your live both spiritually and materially.
To SUBSCRIBE to Eternal Ethics please search for “Eternal Ethics” wherever you get your podcasts from (iOS, Android, Stitcher)
The Festival of Sukkos has many moving parts: There is the mitzvah to dwell in a Sukkah for seven days; we are commanded to shake the Four Species on Sukkos; and there is a fascination with the Seventy Nations of the world and their ultimate downfall. In this podcast, we offer a comprehensive perspective of the Festival that also explains its intimate relationship with Yom Kippur and the enigmatic Shmini Atzeres.
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Please consider making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes and Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
Teshuva (Repentance) can be an intimidating and daunting task. Entire volumes are filled with its components and nuances. In this podcast we shine light on a different aspect of Teshuva: Its easy, eminently achievable, and all the factors are in place to enable us to do it.
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Please consider making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes and Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
Yom Kippur is associated with prayer and liturgy that we may not understand, very long services and, of course, fasting. Unfortunately, most people are unaware of the power, meaning and opportunity of the day. In this podcast we go back to the very first Yom Kippur. What happened on that day and how is it represented in the holiday? Why is Yom Kippur both a day of the sealing of judgement and the day of atonement? What is the meaning behind the fasting? Listen and familiarize yourself with the true essence and opportunity of the day and learn how to maximize it!
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Please consider making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes and Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
Rosh Hashana is the anniversary of the creation of man. It is also the Day of Judgement. What are the various elements and themes of the day and how do they interrelate?
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Please consider making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes and Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
What is the secret to novelty? How can we inject a feeling of newness and freshness into our life, our relationships, and our Torah? In this podcast we combine a series of Talmudic teachings to outline a path to living with newness in every area of our lives.
Please consider making a donation to rebuilding our TORCH Centre that was destroyed during Hurricane Harvey.
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Please consider making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes and Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
For the past 40 days, I have participated in “Daf Yomi”, literally “daily page”, a nationwide effort to study the Talmud, one page per day, finishing it every seven and a half year cycle. In this podcast I delineate several powerful and poignant teachings from these 40 pages of Talmud, including the surprising attitude God has to the suffering of evil people; the great lengths our sages went to avoid shaming others; and how to break patterns of destructive and addictive behavior.
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Please consider making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes and Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
Besides being a critical mitzvah, to rebuke or criticize someone who is acting improperly is a vital skill that every leader (boss, parent) needs to know how to wield effectively. Our sages tell us that there are two ways to criticize, one that works and one that does not. The critic can only choose one.
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Please consider making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes and Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
The tension that exists between our body-identity and soul-identity is comparable to a ride in a vehicle with two potential drivers. By default, our body is in the driver’s seat, and our soul is locked in the trunk. Through Torah and mitzvos we can increase the influence that the soul has on our life’s journey and maybe we can succeed in wrestling control from the body and enshrining the soul as the guide and decision-maker of our life. In this podcast, we examine what that would look like.
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Please consider making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes and Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
Our sages debate what is greater Torah study or actions of mitzvos. In this podcast we probe the the question of knowledge vs. action, insight vs. doing, what we know vs. what we do, and draw critical insights that are broadly applicable for all of Torah.
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Please consider making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes and Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
Disagreements and arguments are a fixture of human interactions; but they needn’t result in division and strife. In this podcast we learn the secret of how to engage in argumentation the right way.
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Please consider making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes and Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
Regarding seven mitzvos our Sages declare that each is equal to all the other mitzvos. They are: Rejecting idolatry; Shabbos; living in Israel; charity; circumcision; Torah study; and tzitzis. In this podcast we first address the question of what does it mean that a single mitzvah is equivalent to all 613 mitzvos? Next we probe the mitzvah of tzitzis to glean insights into this unique and incredible mitzvah.
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Please consider making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes and Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
In this podcast we reveal the secret key to unlocking the transformational power of Torah. What is the one critical quality needed to ensure that we achieve greatness?
This Torah talk is dedicated in the merit of the pure Neshama of שלמה ע”ה בן יבדל”א ר’ אברהם יוחנן שליט”א.
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Please consider making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes and Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
The Revelation at Sinai is the most significant event in all of human history. In an event never repeated, God spoke to a nation who heard with their ears and saw with their eyes, and survived. In this podcast, we examine the experience at Sinai, and it’s significance for providing evidence for the legitimacy of Moshe’s prophecy and the veracity of the Torah as divine.
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Please consider making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes and Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
In the liturgy of the festival, Shavuos is labeled as “the time of the giving of the Torah.” On Shavuos we only received 10 mitzvos out of an eventual 613. How then can it be the time of the giving of the entire Torah? In this podcast we propose five solutions to that question, and thereby provide avenues to make the celebration of the festival more meaningful.
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Please consider making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at givetorch.com. Thank you!
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes and Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
Jews are required to love God. How can we love an entity that we have a hard time defining? Rambam addresses this question and informs us of a solution that will change our relationship with God and Torah.
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Please consider making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at givetorch.com. Thank you!
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes and Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
Torah study is the greatest mitzvah. The sources write that it is equivalent to the other 612 combined. The Talmud notes that the study of Torah is greater than saving lives. In the hierarchy of mitzvos, Torah study stands alone. In this podcast we probe why.
This Torah class is dedicated
.לעילוי נשמת אטא רבקה בת ישעיהו דוד ז”ל ת.נ.צ.ב.ה
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Please consider making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at givetorch.com. Thank you!
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes and Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
The Exodus is the most oft-referenced event in Jewish life. Twice daily we invoke it in the Shema, and every Shabbos holiday is characterized as “a remembrance for the exodus of Egypt”. Why is the exodus so central to Jewish life? In this podcast we explore that question and many others regarding the Exodus story and Pesach practices, and build a unified framework for understanding the Exodus and the holiday, and learn the secret to the Pesach Puzzle.
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Please consider making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at givetorch.com. Thank you!
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes and Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
ANNUAL APPEAL:
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SHOW NOTES:
Prayer is a comprehensive part of the Jewish day. We pray for amaterial, spiritual, physical, and health matters, we pray for the community, for individuals, we pray for our families and ourselves. In this podcast we address a fundamental philosophical problem with prayer: If someone is sick we pray for them. Who made them sick? The Almighty! If someone is going to die, who is overseeing this? God! Who are we to try to intervene? In our attempt to unravel this knotty question we explore the nexus of man’s free will confronting the dominion of the Omnipotent God.
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Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes and Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
Our sages note that many different levels of Emunah exist. In this podcast we delineate the acheivable levels of Emunah, and examine several teachings from the Talmud in the prism of the Emunah of its authors.
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Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes and Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
The sources are in agreement that cognitive and intellectual faith alone is insufficient. To properly fulfill his requirements, man must find a way to have the Emunah penetrate into his behavior and perspective. Why is this so critical and how it is done?
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Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes and Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
The first of the Ten Commandments instructs us to gain basic faith. The last one, “Thou Shall No Covet”, is a reflection of a much more advanced variety of Emunah. In this episode, we stress the importance to not rely solely on emotional or societal basis for our basic Emunah, and instead to pursue a path to faith on our own. These paths fall under four distinct categories.
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Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
In previous episodes we have established that Emunah is the core objective of life. In this episode we explore some of the Jewish perspectives on the matter. We delve into our role in this world, our inhibitors to greatness, and what we have in store for us after death.
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Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
Regarding three people we are told in the Talmud that they are people of limited faith: Noah, who entered the Ark as a result of the water; a person who prays loudly; and a person who has food for today and not for tomorrow and says ‘what will I eat tomorrow?’. Further, the Talmud declares that the farmer who plants is a paragon of faith. What about the farmer exudes faith and how can does this create an understanding of the Talmud’s standards of faith?
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Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
Emunah, faith, is a critical mitzvah that headlines the Ten Commandments. But truthfully, Emunah is more than an isolated mitzvah; it is the objective of all the mitzvos.
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Contact:
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links iOS:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
Podcast Links Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
The Ten Plagues reach their crescendo in Parshas Bo. After Pharaoh’s repeated intransigence, he undergoes a series of humbling miraculous plagues that prompt him to evict the Jews from his land.
Contact:
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links iOS:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
Podcast Links Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
We are told by our Sages that reciting the Shema and contemplating our own demise are powerful tools to defeat the powers of the Yetzer ra. How does this all work?
Contact:
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links iOS:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
Podcast Links Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
Moshe was the humblest man ever, the greatest prophet of all time, and the only documented person to time-travel. In this episode, we gather many teachings regarding Moshe and construct a comprehensive framework to understand his character, greatness and accoomplishments.
Contact:
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links iOS:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
Podcast Links Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
SOURCE SHEET: SOURCES-MosheCharacterSketch
The Talmud (Brachos 5a) delineates 4 methods to eliminate the greatest threat to our life, the Yetzer Ra. In this podcast, we examine and explore the second approach, that Torah study protects and shields from sin.
Contact:
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links iOS:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
Podcast Links Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
We have previously seen (HERE and HERE) what the Yetzer Ra is and how to combat it. In this podcast, we will learn about the four methods to not only combat it but to defeat it entirely.
Contact:
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links iOS:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
Podcast Links Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
Unlike what most imagine, the Sages of the Talmud wrote very little regarding Christianity and JC. The little that was included was censored by the Christian authorities in the Middle Ages. Thankfully, copies of those parts of the Talmud remain. In this podcast, we explore with a fine toothed comb these statements.
Contact:
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links iOS:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
Podcast Links Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
The holiday of Hanukkah commemorates the triumph of the Maccabean Revolt over the oppressive regime of Antiochus IV and the Seleucid Empire. In this podcast we tell the story of this miraculous victory of the weak over the mighty; the few over the many; the pure over the impure; and the righteous over the wicked.
Please SUBSCRIBE to The Jewish History Podcast By Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe.
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We have previously established in the podcast titled Know Your Enemy that the Yetzer Ra (evil inclination) created illusionary, fake pleasures. This allows for many unexpected methods in combatting it. In this podcast, we outline nine different approaches in battling our nefarious foe culled from sources in the Talmud and associated literature.
SOURCE SHEET: sources-ammunitionagainstadversaries
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Contact:
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links iOS:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
Podcast Links Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
Jewish sources focus extensive energies on the battle man must undertake with their Yetzer Ra (evil inclination). In several sources we learn that this battle is the crucial determinant of success or failure in this world. In this podcast we explore the various sources depicting the nature of the Yetzer ra and the manners by which it compels man to sin.
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Contact:
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links iOS:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
Podcast Links Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
In Mesilat Yesharim Chapter 1, Ramchal outlines a general principle that humanity is created for their state in Olam Haba (the next world) and not for their state here. We analyze, clarify and try to make sense of this idea in this podcast.
Note: The class participants were particularly engaged in asking questions and in contributing to the discussion. As such, the talk is a bit less disciplined and rigid than most and I edited out some of their questions and comments in order to improve the experience of the listeners, but kept some in. Please forgive the choppy nature of some of the segues herein.
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Contact:
Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: [email protected].
Podcasts Links iOS:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
Podcast Links Android:
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
A central tenet of Jewish philosophy is the belief in the resurrection of the dead. Death is not final; the dead will yet walk the land. The details of resurrection are a bit trickier. What is the nature of this life? Is it merely an undoing of death and a resumption of life as we know it? Or is it something else entirely? We explore some of the fascinating Talmudic sources and develop an understanding of resurrection that illuminates our religious life with new insight and meaning.
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Contact
Website: RabbiWolbe.com
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Email: [email protected]
Podcasts Links iOS
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
Podcast Links Android
This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics;
The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish People;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parsha;
TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah
The Talmud teaches that all mitzvos share a common objective – the acquisition of faith. Why is faith so difficult to achieve and how do mitzvos engender faith?
We attempt to unravel a famous philosophical paradox: The Talmud teaches that a child only receives a yetzer ra at birth, yet Esav was pining for idolatry while in utero. How does that work and what does it mean for our pursuit of righteousness?
If you enjoy this podcast please subscribe to The Parsha Podcast – a weekly analysis and exploration of the parsha.
Website: RabbiWolbe.com
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Email: [email protected]
Abraham is presented in different lights throughout Jewish literature. Traditionally, he is the founder of monotheism and the father of the religions that espouse it. The Torah presents him not as a figure of faith but as a paragon of kindness. Paradoxically, Abraham acts in a supremely unkind fashion by banishing Ishmael and attempting filicide in the binding of Isaac episode. To complicate matters further, the Talmud makes several seemingly incomprehensible statements regarding Abraham’s scholarship. In this podcast we enumerate six core questions about Abraham and build a character profile of his greatness that answers all the questions.
If you enjoy this podcast please subscribe to The Parsha Podcast – a weekly analysis and exploration of the parsha.
Website: RabbiWolbe.com
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Email: [email protected]
We are instructed to sit in a Sukkah for the seven days of the holiday of Sukkos. What is the meaning behind this strange mitzvah? Why must we leave our climate-controlled homes and move into a sukkah that resembles huts in third world countries? Why is this mitzvah so powerful that it is used as a litmus test for rligibility to enter Olam Haba?
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This podcast was recorded live in my home in Houston, TX. Please visit torcweb.org for program details and to make a donation.
If you enjoy this podcast please subscribe and check out my other podcast – The Jewish History Podcast – telling the remarkable story of the Jewish People.
Website: RabbiWolbe.com
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Email: [email protected]
Yom Kippur is a challenging day. It is associated with prayer and liturgy that we may not understand, very long services and, of course, fasting. As a result, most people are unaware of the power, meaning and opportunity of the day. In this podcast we go back to the very first Yom Kippur. What happened on that day and how is it represented in the holiday? Why is Yom Kippur both a day of the sealing of judgement and the day of atonement? What is the meaning behing the fasting? Listen and familiarize yourself with the true essence and opportunity of the day and learn how to maximize it!
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This podcast was recorded live in my home in Houston, TX. Please visit torcweb.org for program details and to make a donation.
If you enjoy this podcast please subscribe and check out my other podcast – The Jewish History Podcast – telling the remarkable story of the Jewish People.
Website: RabbiWolbe.com
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Email: [email protected]
Rosh Hashana means the beginning of the year. This day was selected because it is the anniversary of the creation of Adam. The day is also called the day of judgement because all people are judged on this day as well. What is the connection between these two and how can we make the most from this powerful day?
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This podcast was recorded live at Shalom Cypress. Please visit torcweb.org for program details and to make a donation.
If you enjoy this podcast please subscribe and check out my other podcast – The Jewish History Podcast – telling the remarkable story of the Jewish People.
Website: RabbiWolbe.com
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Email: [email protected]
The question of “why bad things happen to good people” is an exceedingly difficult philosophical dilemma to grapple with. We believe that God is in absolute control of everything that happens in the world. We also believe that He is Just. Yet we see so much injustice all around us. In this podcast we explore the various Jewish sources regarding this question and build a model for understanding it.
Humility is the trait associated with the greatest prophet and leader of all time, Moses. What exactly is humility and why is it such a critical characteristic?
We believe that God is in total control of everything. Can we rely upon Him to feed our family? Would that be considered negligence? What are the parameters of faith and reliance on God vs. personal responsibility?
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This podcast was recorded live at the Kollel of Houston Torah Center. Please visit torcweb.org for program details and to make a donation.
If you enjoy this podcast please subscribe and check out my other podcast – The Jewish History Podcast – telling the remarkable story of the Jewish People.
Website: RabbiWolbe.com
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Email: [email protected]
English Source Sheet: canhashgachapratispaythebills-sourcesenglish
Hebrew Source Sheet: can-reliance-on-god-pay-the-bills-hebrew-source-sheet-docx
Parenting is the most rewarding – and difficult – job we will ever have. Thankfully the Torah teaches us how to be effective parents. Listen and learn the top ten critical elements of successful pedagogy.
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This podcast was recorded live at the Temple Beth Torah in Humble, TX. Please visit torcweb.org for program details and to make a donation.
If you enjoy this podcast please subscribe and check out my other podcast – The Jewish History Podcast – telling the remarkable story of the Jewish People.
Website: RabbiWolbe.com
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Email: [email protected]
Death is a future that we all share. What happens after someone dies depends on the life they lived. If they were righteous they merit entry to Olam Haba. When is Olam Haba and how is it related to the resurrection of the dead? What is the link between this world and the next one? Listen to learn why dwelling on our own demise and its aftermath can help us live a more meaningful life.
Source Sheet: Journey to Eternity Source Sheet
Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai tasked his five students with an interesting mission. He instructed them to go and find which path should a person cling to. They went and researched and returned, each with a different formula. What exactly is the goal of such an experiment? What does an evil eye mean and how does it affect our lives? Join us as we explore this wide ranging and fascinating mishna with poignant lessons that are relevant to us.
Documents mentioned in lecture:
Who are you? That unusual question is an example of what we ought to be asking ourselves if we seek character perfection and ethical refinement, says Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (Ramchal) in his short book “derech eitz chaim”. The truth is that it is a bit more difficult to answer than we would imagine. But if we do not know what we are how can we attempt to construct a plan to achieve that perfection. In this podcast we examine the building blocks of man and build a model of a life tailored for that.
Jewish sources are unanimous: by observing the mitzvahs a Jew merit entry to Olam Haba. Less clear is how exactly that works. In this podcast we explore the three different approaches outlined in various sources in Jewish writings.
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Website: RabbiWolbe.com
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Email: [email protected]
The Mishna (Chapters of the Fathers 3:5) declares: רבי נחוניה בן הקנה אומר, כל המקבל עליו עול תורה, מעבירין ממנו עול מלכות ועול דרך ארץ; וכל הפורק ממנו עול תורה, נותנין עליו עול מלכות ועול דרך ארץ. “Rabbi Nechunya ben Hakana says: whoever accepts upon themselves the yoke of Torah, the yoke of the kingdom and the yoke of the way of the land is removed from him; and whoever casts off the yoke of Torah, the yoke of the kingdom and the yoke of the way of the land is placed upon him.” What are the lessons contained in this cryptic message?
The Talmud and related rabbinic writings are replete with disagreements that impact the practical application of Torah, known as Halacha. What are the safety ordinances to prevent the perversion of Halachic practice? Is it possible that over the course of history something went awry and there is some element of Halacha that was forgotten or corrupted along the way and from thenceforth we are observing in error? In this 23rd and final talk in this series on Torah we explore the role and responsibility of the Sanhedrin, the longest lasting Jewish central authority institution; learn about the most famous and tragic episode of Halachic conflict; and ponder the fascinating but puzzling theme of אלו ואלו דברי אלהים חיים – the notion that both sides of a mutually exclusive argument can, in a certain sense, be correct.
Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 23
A universally accepted principle of Judaism is that the Almighty gives reward for observance of Torah and mitzvos and punishment for their nonobservance. What exactly that reward and punishment consist of is a great unknown to most. In this first of three podcasts on the subject we investigate some puzzling sources regarding Olam Haba – the next world. What is this world all about? Why is it worthy of being the venue for reward? Why ought we yearn to be included in the fraternity of the righteous who merit access to that world?
Previously (see HERE) we have elaborated on the 1500 years of uninterrupted conveyance of the Oral Torah in its entirety from one generation to the next. Towards the end of the second century of the common era a fateful decision was made to commit the Jewish Law, known as Mishna, to writing. This began a multi-century undertaking, in a certain respect is still ongoing, to write down all of Oral Torah. What prompted this reversal of tradition? What unique conditions were present at that time that enabled these projects to fruition? How did the architects of these monumental and magisterial works infuse the written Oral Torah with the same flavor that was present prior when the Oral Torah was yet unwritten?
Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 22
The great sage of the Mishnaic era, Rabbi Akiva, taught that the mitzvah of loving your fellow as yourself is a great principle of Torah. Can this mitzvah be understood that we are obligated to love everyone with the same degree of love that we have for ourselves or perhaps does loving your fellow as yourself refer to something much deeper? In this talk we seek to understand this mitzvah and its far reaching ramifications that span the length and breadth of all of Torah.
In this podcast we explore several contemporary halachic dilemmas relation to business competition and disclosures. What are the parameters of opening a business establishment in an area or industry that will cripple or eliminate competitors? How much of the defects in a product or service must a seller disclose? Can someone deceive potential employers by dyeing their hair to appear younger when interviewing for a position?
Man’s lifelong struggle with their Yetzer Ra is the premier challenge that a person faces in their life. What are the best strategies and tactics to assure victory? In this podcast we examine several telling Talmudic passages that create a roadmap to success in our ultimate test.
“Against your will you are formed; against your will you are born; against your will you live; against your will you die; and against your will you are destined to give an accounting and a reckoning before the King of kings, the Holy One, Blessed is He” (Pirkei Avot 4:22). This Mishnah outlines the five junctures in our lives. We are formed and placed in utero; then we are born into the world; then we live our life; then we die; and finally we are resurrected to give an accounting for our actions. All these happen against our and only because the Almighty mandates it. During four of these five junctures we cannot make choices that affect our life and legacy. Only during our lifetime, when we have free choice to determine our destiny, can we do anything to improve or regress. By examining the transformations that occur during each of these five points in time we gain a greater understanding of our essential makeup and the purpose of the middle juncture – life.
The Second Temple was destroyed 1,946 years ago by Titius and the Romans. Yet the Temple never left our collective consciousness. We invoke it in our prayers, mourn its destruction and hope and yearn for its return. Why do we need a Temple and what is the meaning behind sacrifices?
A fundamental principle of our religion is that the Torah that we have today is the same as the Torah given by God to Moses. Is this a dogmatic belief a leap of faith? How can we be assured that there was no corruption of the Oral Torah over the 1500 years that it was studied and transmitted without being formally written down? Is there a possibility that errors and deviations happened along the way? How is the transmission of the Oral Torah different than the game of broken telephone where the message gets progressively distorted the more people it has to filter through? In this lecture we outline rational approaches that make the necessary acceptance of the accurate transmission of the Oral Torah reasonable and logical.
Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 21
3300 years ago, over a period of 40 years, Moses gave the Jewish nation the Torah that he received from God. It consisted of a Written Torah and an Oral Torah together. For 1500 years the Oral Torah was maintained as such; faithfully and accurately transmitted exclusively orally from generation to generation. Beginning with the publication of the mishna in the end of the Second Century, the Sages began applying it to writing. Ultimately, most areas of Oral Torah were written down and formalized in canon. Why was the Torah given in this dual format and not simply written down entirely? In this lecture we present nine answers to that question.
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Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 20
Jacob is termed in Jewish literature as the “choicest of the forefathers”. What were his defining character traits? What were the dominant episodes and themes of his life? What does his journey teach us about Jewish history? We answer these questions and ponder the qualities of his illustrious wives and their collective eternal legacies in this final podcast on the three families of forebears of the Jewish people.
In this first of a series on Oral Torah we begin with asking the very basic questions: What is the Oral Torah comprised of? How does the Oral Torah relate to the Written Torah? How can we be certain of its veracity?
Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 19
The Torah is scant on details regarding the lives of Isaac and Rebecca. Their story does not include a great many anecdotes of their challenges nor does it highlight their accomplishments and greatness. To the contrary, the Torah seems to harshly criticise Isaac as in when it is said that he preferred Esau because he made him food. What is the meaning of the Torah’s portrayal of Isaac and Rebecca and what indeed are their lasting legacies?
In this 7th and final episode of our examination of the evidence to try and determine if the Torah is indeed the unadulterated word of God, we explore the interrelationship of the Written and Oral Torah and ask if such cohesion and precision can be the product of a human.
PART 2: http://rabbiwolbe.com/a-traditional-jewish-response-to-higher-bible-criticism-part-2/
PART 4: http://rabbiwolbe.com/why-shavuos-is-the-holiday-of-the-giving-of-the-torah/
PART 5: http://rabbiwolbe.com/overwhelming-evidence-to-the-divinity-of-the-torah-and-its-ramifications/
Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 18
Every person who has ever changed the world, from the great Sage Rabbi Akiva to Travis Kalanick the founder of UBER, has been guided by two core life skills. These two learnable qualities are the underpinnings of every transformational change and improvement that humanity achieved. They are what separates the people who are inspired to change and actually implement grand ideas from the common folk who do not influence the world for the better. What are these qualities and how do we harness their power? In this podcast, Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe outlines the process and methodologies needed for any change and issues a clarion call for pursuit of greatness.
Abraham and Sarah are the biological, theological and ideological forebears of our nation. The story of their lives and accomplishments is the story of the Jewish people and, more broadly, the story of human progress and morality throughout history. What propelled them to greatness? What methods did they employ to disseminate their message? What is their eternal legacies? Join Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe as we ponder the story of these intellectual, spiritual and behavioral giants, and draw from it lessons for living.
This part 6 of the Proofs of Torah series, and Part 17 of the Torah Series overall. In this podcast we analyze and investigate select Torah verses and ponder the feasibility of human authorship.
Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 17
Performance of Mitzvahs earns a person a portion in Olam Haba. How does that work? In this podcast we examine various Jewish sources that establish the three distinct ways someone can achieve Olam Haba via mitzvahs.
The reality of the Torah being divine and immutable can be agitating and frankly a bit terrifying. As the word of God, every word of the Torah is true and obligatory, and that may trigger cognitive dissonance if we do not behave in a way that reflects that reality. It is vital to recognize that only two possibilities exist: the Torah as a divine document or the product of humans. While the Torah being true can be frightening, the alternative is implausible, even more terrifying and, in a sense, exceedingly cruel. In this podcast we continue our exploration of the subject by looking at the Torah’s Revelation narrative and several select predictions.
Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 16
Shavous is the date when the Jews stood at the foot of Mount Sinai and heard the Ten Commandments. Ten mitzvahs out of the 613 that they would ultimately receive is only 3% of the total. Why would this day be enshrined as the day of receiving the Torah when they actually received only a small fraction of the Torah? In this lecture we initially clarify what we mean by Torah, and examine four possible answers to this question.
Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 15
The Talmud records three episodes where individuals acquired Olam Haba in one instant. In these stories we learn a formula for accomplishing the work of a lifetime in one day. Let us be prepared to seize the once in a lifetime opportunities to dramatically transform our world with one act of selfless dedication and commitment!
This photograph is my grandfather, Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe, teaching Chumash to girls in the school that he founded for refugees in Lidingö, Sweden.
Torah, in its Oral and Written formats, has and always will be the national pastime of the Jewish nation. Traditionally, it has been the yearnings of young Jews and chief determinant of greatness of Jewish Leaders. Over the course of Jewish history there have been several movements that challenged that belief and attempted to alter the traditional view of Torah; or to supplant its primacy in favor of other ideals; or to emphasize certain elements of Jewish living. Some were wild successes that continue to define Jewish life until today and others were disasters that caused needless sectarianism and strife. In this lecture we examine some of the schisms/innovations throughout Jewish history including the Sadducees, Essenes, Karaites, the Shabtai Tzvi debacle, Chassidim and it’s great dynasties, Reform, Chabadism and its Messianic ambitions, disappointments and disillusionments.
The binary question of the authorship of the Torah is the most critical question that every Jew must encounter in their lives. The answer to that question governs every action and decision that we will be making afterwards. Unfortunately, most people do not ever investigate and ponder that question properly. In Part 3 of our deep dive into this topic we examine and explore some of the classic and incontrovertible evidence that the Torah is indeed what it purports to be – the word of the Living God.
Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 14
A fundamental core belief of our nation is that observance of mitzvahs bring a person to Olam Haba – imprecisely translated as the afterlife. How exactly does that work?
We continue in our efforts to expose the fallacies of the claims of the Bible Critics. It indeed is preposterous to be intellectually honest and well informed on the issues and believe that their conclusions hold water.
Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 13
This is the first lecture that revolves around the question of who wrote the Torah and how can we prove our conclusions. In the first session we clarify what the traditional belief is regarding the authorship of the Written and Oral Torah and engage with contemporary critics who question it.
Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 12
This is the last of 11 lectures on why Jews study Torah.
Part 1: http://rabbiwolbe.com/the-jewish-obsession-with-torah-study/
Part 2: http://rabbiwolbe.com/torah-study-jewish-intimacy/
Part 3: http://rabbiwolbe.com/filling-gaps-in-our-spiritual-avatar-how-torah-study-angelifies-humans/
Part 4: http://rabbiwolbe.com/think-how-torah-study-unleashes-our-most-potent-power/
Part 6: http://rabbiwolbe.com/reversing-birth-how-torah-enables-us-to-reverse-the-curse-of-life/
Part 7: http://rabbiwolbe.com/the-four-ways-that-torah-connects-us-to-our-creator/
Part 10: http://rabbiwolbe.com/for-it-is-our-life-how-torah-sustains-our-better-half/
Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 11
Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 10
Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 9
Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 8
Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 7
Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 6
ת”ר ושמתם סם תם נמשלה תורה כסם חיים משל לאדם שהכה את בנו מכה גדולה והניח לו רטיה על מכתו ואמר לו בני כל זמן שהרטיה זו על מכתך אכול מה שהנאתך ושתה מה שהנאתך ורחוץ בין בחמין בין בצונן ואין אתה מתיירא ואם אתה מעבירה הרי היא מעלה נומי כך הקב”ה אמר להם לישראל בני בראתי יצר הרע ובראתי לו תורה תבלין ואם אתם עוסקים בתורה אין אתם נמסרים בידו שנאמר הלא אם תטיב שאת ואם אין אתם עוסקין בתורה אתם נמסרים בידו שנא’ לפתח חטאת רובץ ולא עוד אלא שכל משאו ומתנו בך שנאמר ואליך תשוקתו ואם אתה רוצה אתה מושל בו שנאמר ואתה תמשל בו ת”ר קשה יצר הרע שאפילו יוצרו קראו רע שנאמר כי יצר לב האדם רע מנעוריו אמר רב יצחק יצרו של אדם מתחדש עליו בכל יום שנאמר רק רע כל היום ואמר ר”ש בן לוי יצרו של אדם מתגבר עליו בכל יום ומבקש המיתו שנאמר צופה רשע לצדיק ומבקש להמיתו ואלמלא הקב”ה עוזרו אין יכול לו שנאמר אלהים לא יעזבנו בידו תנא דבי ר’ ישמעאל בני אם פגע בך מנוול זה משכהו לבית המדרש אם אבן הוא נימוח ואם ברזל הוא מתפוצץ שנאמר הלא כה דברי כאש נאם ה’ וכפטיש יפוצץ סלע אם אבן הוא נימוח שנאמר הוי כל צמא לכו למים ואומר אבנים שחקו מים:
Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 5
In the 19th Century a collection of German scholars promulgated a theory as to the authorship of the Torah- the Documentary Hypothesis. How does it differ from the traditional Jewish perspective and can we reconcile their evidence? In this podcast Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe presents a traditional Jewish response to Bible Criticism.
Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 4
Eric L. Pines, Esq. is a member of the Maryland, California, and Texas State Bars, and founder of Pines Federal, a law firm specializing in Employment Law for Government and Military Employees. Mr. Pines’ firm represents federal employees from all branches of the U.S. Military (Army, Navy, Air Force) and the VA as well as other federal agencies. Mr. Pines is presently in-house counsel for a number of federal labor unions including: V.A. hospitals in Houston, Las Vegas, Amarillo, San Antonio, Albuquerque, Temple, the Corpus Christi Army Depot and Fort Hood, Texas.
Mr. Pines is also a leader in many local Jewish organizations and a member of the adjunct faculty of TORCH. He spent several years in Israel studying Torah and Jewish philosophy, with a particular emphasis on Jewish ethics. Eric is an inspiring example of an accomplished professional and small business owner who manages to integrate a robust daily regiment of Jewish learning into his busy schedule.
Eric and his wife, Joanna, are the proud parents of five adorable children.
Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 3
with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 2
Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 1
Christian Support Of Zionism, Messianism and Anti Semitism
with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Purpose of creation, centrality of Free Will, meaning of Chosen People and Tikkun Olam and an understanding of the Jewish perception of Anti-Semitism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe.
The Nine Levels of Faith and how we understand pain in the face of a Benevolent God with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe.
The rabbis taught: for two and a half years the academies of Shammai and Hillel debated, these arguing “it is preferable for man to not be created more than to be created”, and these arguing “it is preferable for man to be created more than to not be created”. They counted (voted) and concluded: “it is preferable for man to not be created more than to be created. Now that he was indeed created he should contemplate his actions. Alternatively, he should scrutinize his actions.” (Eruvin 13b)
with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
The Talmud declares that someone who rejects the legitimacy of the Written Torah as being written by Moses as per the dictation of the Almighty has no portion in the World to Come. If someone accepts the Torah at large but argues that a single verse is not Divine – they have no portion in the world to come. But do we accept the veracity of the Torah blindly? What proofs do we have to back up this lofty claim?
Part 1: HERE
Part 2: HERE
with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Wake Up From Your Slumber!!!
The Talmud declares that someone who rejects the legitimacy of the Written Torah as being written by Moses as per the dictation of the Almighty has no portion in the World to Come. If someone accepts the Torah at large but argues that a single verse is not Divine – they have no portion in the world to come. But do we accept the veracity of the Torah blindly? What proofs do we have to back up this lofty claim?
Part 1: HERE
If God decides and knows everything, what do I have to lose by walking through a highway blindfolded? God makes people sick. If so, should we try to undo that via prayer? Perhaps he should only pray and not seek medical attention? Can someone be obese and guzzle steaks and say “if the Almighty wants me to die then I will die?” What about the major political quagmire in Israel today regarding the conscription of yeshiva students? A thoroughly entertaining discussion on the crossroads of what we do and what God does.
It has been more than 3,800 years since God promised Abraham that his children would inherit the Land of Israel, then called Canaan. Ever since that fateful declaration the Land of Israel has not departed the hearts, minds and consciousnesses of Jews worldwide. We have settled, been expelled and resettled the Land multiple times. What is at the core of the Jewish obsession with the ostensibly insignificant sliver of land and what is the fundamental underpinning of why we have historically had trouble maintaining stability, peace and sovereignty over our ancestral homeland?
Tikkun Olam is Hebrew for fixing the world. Implied is that we live in a broken world. What about our world is broken? How do we go about fixing it? Why are the Jewish people uniquely suited to accomplish this vital task? What tools are we entrusted with to help us achieve this supreme goal?
Unfortunately and ironically, we often appreciate the least the people to whom we owe the most. If a total stranger gave you $235,000 – the amount it costs parents to raise a child to the age of 18 – you would be eternally indebted to him/her. But our parents contribution to us extends far beyond the financial. Who woke up for us as babies; cleaned our messes; worried for us; attended PTA, soccer games and graduations? Our parents did so much for us – we ought to be eternally indebted to them as well.
The Torah rules that a Jew who desecrates the Shabbat by performing one of the 39 prohibited categories of work is executed. Should we really round up and detain all the Jews driving to shul on Shabbos, try them and execute them? The punishment seems excessive for the crime.
A discussion that began by examining what exactly an angel is gracefully meandered into a different topic.
A simplistic reading of Genesis, interpolated from Adam to present day, results in a universe that is less than 6,000 years old. Scientific methods date the universe as being 13.8 billion years old, a discrepancy that is decidedly beyond the margin of error. How do we reconcile our faith with what science has empirically concluded? Perhaps a simplistic reading of Genesis is a mistake? After all, the 31 verses dedicated to the description of Genesis does not seem to be an exhaustive retelling of creation.
What makes the Holy Land holy and it’s history from 3,800 years ago to modern Israel.
*TORCH Bar and Bat Mitzvah Series 2015, Meyerland Minyan 4/27/2015
*TORCH Breakneck through the Bible, BJC Houston 4/28/2015
Talmud Taanis 20: A Person should always be soft like a reed and not stiff like a cedar. There was a story with Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Shimon who was coming from Migdal Gedor from the house of his Rabbi, and he was riding on a donkey and traveling on the edge of the river, and was exceedingly happy, and he was feeling aloof because he had studied much Torah. He chanced upon a man who was very ugly. The man said to him: Peace be upon you, my teacher! [Rabbi Eliezer] did not respond, instead he said: Empty one! How ugly is that person! Perhaps all the people of your city are this ugly? He answered: I don’t know, rather go and tell the Craftsman who made me – how ugly is the vessel that You made. Once he realized that he sinned, he descended from his donkey and prostrated himself before him and said: please forgive me. He responded: I will not forgive you until you go to the Craftsman who made me and tell him – how ugly is the vessel that you made![Rabbi Eliezer] followed him until they arrived at his city. The people of the city went out to greet him and said: Peace unto you Rebbe, Rebbe, master, master! The ugly man asked: to whom are you calling, Rebbe, Rebbe? They said – to the man who is trailing you? He said – If this is a Rabbi, may there not be many like him in Israel. The people of the city inquired why not? He recounted the entire story. They persisted and said, despite this, forgive him because he is great in Torah, He said – for you I will forgive him provided that he does not regulate himself in behaving such. Rabbi Eliezer immediately entered the house of study and taught: A Person should always be soft like a reed and not stiff like a cedar. And therefore a reed merited that a quill is made from it to write Torah scrolls, Tefillin and Mezuzahs.
*Temple Beth Torah 4/26/2015
Patterns in Jewish History, like cliches, repeat themselves. We are told that disunity, discord and disassociation brought down the Second Commonwealth of Israel nearly 2000 years ago. Implied is that unity will be the quality that is necessary to reestablish Jewish sovereignty and stability in Israel. The story of Zionism is one of disparate Jews uniting behind a national cause and destiny.
*Congregation Beth El 4/23/2015
*Congregation Beth Yeshurun 4/23/2015
We find many references scattered throughout Jewish writings regarding Olam Haba, the next world. What exactly this place is, why we ought to strive to get there and how we go about achieving that goal are matters of immense intrigue and importance. This discussion centers around one of the more peculiar and mysterious Talmudic statements regarding Olam Haba that is found in Tractate Berachos 57b:
Three are a measure of the world to come, They are: Shabbos, Sun, and Tashmish. What does Tashmish mean? If you say it means sexual intercourse; it weakens; rather it must mean relieving one’s bowels.
As they are wont to do, the authors of the Talmud chose to convey ideas in a manner that obscures rather than reveals their true intentions. How do we decipher, decrypt, decode and demystify the words of our Sages and what can we learn about Olam Haba from this Talmudic teaching?
*Shalom Cypress 4/22/2015
Moses prayed 515 times to God that He rescind His decree of banning Moses from entering Israel. After this relentless prayer assault Moses ceased praying. Why would Moses stop after 515 and not continue and what does that teach us about the effectiveness of prayer?
*Shalom Cypress, April 15, 2015
The Jewish attitude to Torah study has always been to not accept the words on a simplistic and superficial level. We view the text of the Torah as having infinite depth and subtle nuances and meanings. In this class we will attempt to dissect and unravel perhaps the most challenging episodes in the Torah: the Golden Calf story of Exodus Chapter 32. We will begin by reading the words at face value and then we’ll try analyzing and critically assessing the words and the narrative in an attempt to plumb deeper and deeper into the endless ocean of Torahidic insight.
The narratives of Genesis mustn’t be read and understood as important stories or historical context; The Torah in it’s entirety is instructive. The manner in which the Forefathers are presented in the Torah and the content of those narratives and dialogues are reflective of the lessons that they exemplified and perfected that the Torah wants us – the readers – to incorporate into our behavior and spiritual makeup. Indeed, each of the forefathers mastered one of the three qualities that uphold the world: Torah – Jacob; Avodah – Isaac; Chessed (Kindness) – Abraham.
What is foretold about man even before conception, and what is significant about that?
The Talmud declares that a child studies the entire Torah in utero and as it enters the world an angel strikes it’s mouth and the child forgets it all. What can this possibly mean?
What is the nature of the oath administered to a fetus upon entry to the world?
Why do we have a mitzvah to circumcise young boys?
What happens after we die?
These are but some of the very interesting elements of the Jewish timeline of Pre-Life – Life – Post-Life. In this class we dig in and investigate the various points of interest in a Jewish life and outline the meaning behind the practices associated with these milestones.
TORCH Bar and Bat Mitzvah Program – 2015
Jews are obligated to pray to the Almighty 3 times daily and prayer is named by the Mishna as one of the three pillars that uphold the world. Yet the very principle of prayer is somewhat troubling. For example, when someone is sick the Jewish response is to beseech to God to provide a healing for the ill; Yet the source of the illness is none other than the Almighty Himself. If so, why are mortal and narrow minded humans trying to intercede, intervene and intermediate in matters that are more suited for the Almighty to decide? After all, He knows what is best for His subjects and Judaism teaches that all that all that the Almighty does is for the best? These questions among others are discussed in this class, and additionally a practical approach to getting our prayers answered is outlined.
Jewish Philosophy enumerates 13 principle beliefs that all Jews must believe in order to be a Jew.
BBM – 2015
The trait of Kindness is the recipe for happy and harmonious marriages, the key to great leadership and the principal principle of a man of faith. All these are contingent on Kindness. Find out why.
The tool used by the Jewish people to fulfill their vital mission of Tikkun Olam is the Almighty’s holy Torah. The Torah alone enables us to be successful at the responsibility that only we can and must achieve. This is why preserving and accurately transmitting the Torah is of such paramount importance. If the Jews lose the Torah then humanity is doomed to failure. This is the story of the role that the great individuals and institutions of leadership in ensuring that the Torah will never be lost from the Jewish people.
BBM History Part 2
Abraham’s greatest contribution was his realization of the existence of the Almighty via the faculties of his own intellect and his commitment to disseminating this God Principle to the masses. Abraham chose God and God in turn chose Abraham to be the progenitor of the people that will collectively complete the sacred mission that Abraham began. This mission is often called Tikkun Olam or fixing the world because a world that belies it’s Creator, Crafter and Continuous Sustainer is a fundamentally broken one.
BBM History Part 1
Judaism teaches that man is comprised of half body half soul. Our souls are like stars and our body’s earth. We are partially angel and partially beast. Our soul is compared to the Almighty Himself and has unlimited power to propel us to greatness. Will we capitalize on the vast potential or will we falter when showtime arrives? Behold: Life!
The Talmud declares that someone who rejects the legitimacy of the Written Torah as being written by Moses as per the dictation of the Almighty has no portion in the World to Come. If someone accepts the Torah at large but argues that a single verse is not Divine – they have no portion in the world to come. But do we accept the veracity of the Torah blindly? What proofs do we have to back up this lofty claim?
This presentation was originally entitled: “The Ten Reasons Why Jews Study Torah”, but further research discovered more. The Torah has been the portable homeland of the Jewish people. Torah study has always been our national pastime. Why are we so obsessed with Torah study?
The what, why and how of kosher in the modern era.
Tefilin are two black leather boxes containing scrolls of sections of the Torah worn by Jews every day. What are some of the meanings behind this intriguing mitzvah, and how do these ideas dovetail with patterns of the totality of all 613 mitzvahs at large.
The discussions of “Who is a Jew?”, and matrimonial vs. patrilineal descent with regards to the status of a child of a mixed marriage have been rife with misconceptions. The popular maxim of Judaism descending from the mother’s side is only partially true; what the Torah does indeed say is significantly more nuanced.
A wide ranging discussion of major items in Jewish Philosophy.
Abraham died when he was 175; Isaac – 180; Jacob – 147; Moses an even 120. How did they live that long? Is there a secret elixir of life that they consumed? What was their diet?
Judaism teaches that God controls, supervises, manipulates and directs Jewish History. While we struggle to understand why the unprecedented genocide of the Holocaust had to happen, we know that God willed it. Of course this raises important and grave questions, which must be examined thoughtfully and sensitively. This class is a recounting of a largely unknown but remarkable story of the renowned Mir Yeshiva ‘s miraculous escape from danger intact; it’s trans-Siberian journey to Japan and China and it’s reestablishment as a dynamic Torah center halfway across the world while European Jewry was being decimated. We follow the story lines of two protagonists, Rabbis Shlomo Wolbe and Aron Florans zt”l – mine and my wife’s paternal grandfathers respectively – and tell the story of how they participated in and contributed to God’s plan to resuscitate the Torah world from the ashes and despair of the fiery inferno that so brutally consumed it.
Mir Yeshiva ShanghaiWe tackle the question of theodicy.
What does Jewish Law say regarding suicide? What about physician assisted suicide? We briefly outline the central element of these laws, although we may revisit it at greater length in the future.
The experience of pain and suffering is ubiquitous across all spectrum of human life. All of us, in some capacity, experience difficulties and challenges. Any measure of human suffering creates a dilemma for believers in a just God: How can a just God supervise over injustice? Why do bad things happen to good people? This problem has been the subject of much grappling in classical Jewish Literature for centuries. When examining and dissecting the various sources several interesting patterns emerge.
Sources discussed:
1. Menachos 29b: When Moses ascended to Heaven he found the Almighty sitting and tying crowns atop letters. Moses asked: Who is obstructing your way? God responded: There is a man who will be in the future after several generations and his name is Akiva Ben Yosef who will derive piles and piles of laws from every tick and Mark [of the letters] . [Moses] said “show him to me”. He said: Go back! He went and he sat at the end of eight rows and he did not know what they were saying and he became dejected. When Rabbi Akiva arrived at a certain matter, his students questioned from where do you know this law? He said to them “It is a Law to Moses from Sinai”, and Moses was placated. He returned and stood before the Almighty and said: “Master of the world, you a man such as this and you give the Torah via me?” He said: “Silence! So it was deemed in my mind.” [Moses] said: “Master of the world, you showed me his Torah now show me his reward.” He said: “Go back!” He went and he saw that they were flaying his skin with combs. He said [to God] “Master of the world, this is Torah and this is the reward?” God responded: “Silence! So it was deemed in my mind.”
2. Berachos 7a: And Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Yosi: Three things Moses asked from the Almighty and he gave him…He asked to know the ways of God and he gave him, as Scripture states (Exodus 33) “Inform me of your ways”, [Moses] said to God: “Why is there a righteous person and it is good for him; a righteous person and it is bad for him; a wicked person and it is good for him; a wicked person and it is bad for him?” So [God] responded: a righteous person and it is good for him – a completely righteous person; a righteous person and it is bad for him – a partially righteous person; a wicked person and it is good for him – a partially wicked person; a wicked person and it is bad for him – a completely wicked person.
3. Sanhedrin 101a: When Rabbi Eliezer was sick, his students came to visit him. Rabbi Eliezer said: “there is a great fury in the world”! The student began to cry and Rabbi Akiva laughed. They asked him why are you laughing? Rabbi Akiva: “Why are you crying”? They said to him: Is it possible that a Torah scroll is in pain and we will not cry”? He said to them “that is precisely why I am laughing. For all the time I saw our teacher’s wine not ferment, his flax not smitten and his oil not spoil I said perhaps God forbid our teacher received his reward in this world, and now that I see him in pain I am happy.
Striving for character development and ethical refinement are included in the demands that the Almighty expects from every Jew. The very first step on the path to total character perfection is acquiring and refining our capacity to have patience.
Ever since the founding of the Jewish state tension between the political and societal elements in Israel and the religious implications of a Jewish state have existed. In truth, the Zionist dream was hotly divisive across a very broad spectrum of the Jewish world fifty years before Israel’s founding. Recently several issues in the Israeli culture have propelled this debate to center stage again. A non exhaustive list: the compelling of Yeshiva students to join the army, government funding of Yeshivas, the status of Temple Mount, land for peace swaps. We will discuss some of the historical debates and positions regarding early Zionism, delve into the clashes and resolutions to this conflict that happened throughout the history of Israel, and try to explain the contemporary ongoing issues and various perspectives on these critical matters.
Jesus is not, and never was, the Messiah because he fulfilled none of the personal qualifications of Messiah, accomplished none of the necessary requirements of the Messiah and the Messianic Era is clearly not underway. Jesus is not, and never was, divine because assigning godly qualities to a man is anathema for Jews and against multiple explicit verses in the Jewish Bible. Jews have always rejected Christianity as a whole because it is based on very shaky principles and does not hold a candle to Judaism. Listen if you want to understand why Jews do not believe in Jesus and why Christians probably should not either.
Maimonides, in including this as the ninth of the thirteen principles of faith, makes it abundantly clear: If you do not believe that every word of the Torah is true you have no place in the Jewish people. The Talmud further clarifies (Sanhedrin 99a) that even if someone acknowledges that all the Torah is divine save for a single kal vachomer (Talmudic syllogism) or gezeira shava (analogy by common term) then he has no portion in the world to come. The seriousness of this requirement demands us to investigate this issue in depth. Here we go!
Jacob’s life was a seemingly endless streak of suffering and challenges. His own brother was hellbent on murdering him; his father in law tricked him into marrying the woman whom he did not desire to marry; his father in law also marginalized him professionally. Joseph’s life path follows a similar line: His brothers conspire to murder him; ultimately settling on selling him as a slave. Joseph is wrongly accused of misdeeds of carnal nature and unjustifiably imprisoned. These two forbears of Judaism can teach us a lot about the Jewish perspective on challenges, pain and suffering.
This Class was delivered at Shalom Cypress in Cypress, TX
What does the Torah have to say about love? How can we be required to love God? Why is there an additional mitzvah to love a convert? This class was given in Cypress, TX at Shalom Cypress.
At the beginning of the Second Commonwealth Era the Jews were introduced to a reality that they were previously unexposed to; namely living in Israel under foreign rule. With relatively minor exceptions such as the successful Macabbean revolt in 67 BCE and the Bar Kochba Revolt in 132 CE, Israel will be thenceforth dominated by non Jewish entities until the founding of the modern State of Israel. This created unique challenges for the Jewish communities living in Israel at that time. They were at the mercy of their hosts, and no longer could they feel at home and have their rights to live and practice as a Jew guaranteed. Additionally, the spiritual effects of the exposure to these foreign influences began to permeate into the ideological and religious consciousness of the people. Jews abandoning their dedication to their religion became a trend. The offices of Jewish central authority became destabilized opening up room for spiritual dissent and spiritual descent. This is a story of Jewish resolve in the face of tremendous conflict.
Belief in the idea that God communicates to man is an essential principle of our religion. In fact, various elements of prophecy comprise four of the thirteen principles of the Jewish faith that Maimonides enumerates as necessary for inclusion in the religion. What does prophecy mean? How does one become a prophet? How are claims of prophecy vetted? What was the leadership role of prophets throughout the ages? What was unique about the prophecy of Moses?
As Jews we believe that God is not only the Creator of the Universe, but also is constantly sustaining the world with spiritual and physical nourishment and individually supervising all humans. The extent of how involved God is with us in the most minute fashion is revealed when the Talmud declares “A person cannot bend his finger from below unless it is thus decreed from above”. Yet surely we cannot rely on God totally and neglect our own responsibilities. Or can we? In this class we examine some of the sources in classical Jewish literature that grapple with this delicate subject.
שלשה מעין עוה”ב, אלו הן: שבת, שמש, ותשמיש. תשמיש דמאי, אילימא תשמיש התטה, הא מכחש כחיש, אלא תשמיש נקבים (ברכות דף נז:)
The Talmud does not dispense secrets like gumballs. Therefore the Aggadic secrets of the Talmud are masked in parables, fantastic stories, allusions and the like and only after much toil can one uncover their true meaning and gain insight into the wisdom contained within. In this class we learn a lot about the Sabbath, the eternality of the Soul and the interplay of humanity’s body-soul makeup from examining, investigating and analyzing a brief and seemingly obscure, confounding and befuddling Talmudic statement.
It is probably impossible for us to truly recognize the enormity of the existential challenges confronting the Jewish people during the beginning of the Second Commonwealth, circa 350 BCE. The nation was still reeling from the trauma of the destruction of the first Temple and the subsequent exile 70 years prior and had just narrowly avoided Haman’s genocidal ambitions. The people’s physical status was unstable at best, but several factors combined to create a spiritual crisis that threatened to completely derail the Jewish religion entirely and to doom the critical mission of Tikkun Olam entrusted to the Jewish people by the Almighty eons earlier. During this period of time spanning more than 400 years many of the basic institutions of normative Judaism will either disappear entirely or remain but as mere shells of their former glory. The Temple was indeed being rebuilt in Jerusalem, but it was to be besieged by corruption, devoid of the ever present miracles that graced the First Temple and even lacking some of the sacred vessels such as the Ark of the Covenant. A Jewish reality was emerging wherein the majority of Jews will no longer be living in Israel; the masses choosing to remain in Babylon. The Second Temple period was to see only illegitimate kings; the Davidic monarchy only controlling the spiritual, not the political, leadership mantle of the people. This era also coincided with the end of prophecy. Judaism thenceforth was relegated to being a non prophet organization. This loss of a direct divine channel opened the door for massive mutiny, internal infighting and schismatic sectarianism, and placed the accurate transmission of the Oral Torah in jeopardy. An assembly of 120 Sages under the leadership of Ezra was convened to ensure the survival of Judaism, and the remarkable foresight and impact of these personalities and their decisions paved the way for the vibrant and flourishing Judaism that we still have today.
Jews are not strangers to suffering. Jewish History is most easily described as an endless litany of expulsion, dispersion, exile, antisemitism, pogrom, Inquisition, Holocaust, blood libels, Autos-da-fé, ghettoization and ceaseless economic and social marginalization. When a person of faith is confronted with suffering – and especially when the sufferer is a person of good moral character – the correct question to ask is: why would God do this? Why would a a fair, just and good God cause innocent babies who have committed no wanton sins to die in infancy? Why do bad things happen to good people and conversely why do good things happen to bad people? These legitimate questions are already discussed in the Talmud and what emerges from the classical sources are fascinating insights to the Jewish view on life, death and the meaning of suffering.
The two Talmudic sources discussed:
ואמר רבי יוחנן משום רבי יוסי: שלשה דברים בקש משה מלפני הקדוש ברוך הוא ונתן לוֹ וכו’ בקש להודיעו דרכיו של הקדוש ברוך הוא ונתן לו, שנאמר: (שמות ל״ג) הודיעני נא את דרכיךֹ אמר לפניו: רבונו של עולםִ מפני מה יש צדיק וטוב לו ויש צדיק ורע לו, יש רשע וטוב לו ויש רשע ורע לו? אמר לו: משה, צדיק וטוב לו ־ צדיק בן צדיק, צדיק ורע לו ־ צדיק בן רשע, רשע וטוב לו ־ רשע בן צדיק, רשע ורע לו ־ רשע בן רשע. אמר מר: צדיק וטוב לו ־ צדיק בן צדיק, צדיק ורע לו ־ צדיק בן רשע. איני? והא כתיב: (שמות ל״ד) פקד עון אבות על בנים, וכתיב: (דברים כ״ד) ובנים לא יומתו על אבות ורמינן קראי אהדדי ומשנינן: לא קשיא, הא ־ כשאוחזין מעשה אבותיהם בידיהם, הא ־ כשאין אוחזין מעשה אבותיהם בידיהםִ אלא, הכי קאמר ליה: צדיק וטוב לו ־ צדיק גמור, צדיק ורע לו ־ צדיק שאינו גמור, רשע וטוב לו ־ רשע שאינו גמור, רשע ורע לו ־ רשע גמור. (ברכות ז.)
אמר רב יהודה אמר רב: בשעה שעלה משה למרום, מצאו להקב״ה שיושב וקושר כתרים לאותיות, אמר לפניו: רבש״ע, מי מעכב על ידך? אמר לו: אדם אחד יש שעתיד להיות בסוף כמה דורות ועקיבא בן יוסף שמו, שעתיד לדרוש על כל קוץ וקוץ תילין תילין של הלכות. אמר לפניו: רבש״ע, הראהו לי, אמר לו: חזור לאחורך. הלך וישב בסוף שמונה שורות, ולא היה יודע מה הן אומרים, תשש כחוֹ כיון שהגיע לדבר אחד, אמרו לו תלמידיו: רבי, מנין לך? אמר להן: הלכה למשה מסיני, נתיישבה דעתו. חזר ובא לפני הקב״ה, אמר לפניו: רבונו של עולם, יש לך אדם כזה ואתה נותן תורה ע״י? אמר לו: שתוק, כך עלה במחשבה לפני. אמר לפניו: רבונו של עולם, הראיתני תורתו, הראני שכרו, אמר לו: חזור [לאחורך]. חזר לאחוריו, ראה ששוקלין בשרו במקולין, אמר לפניו: רבש״ע, זו תורה וזו שכרה? א״ל: שתוק, כך עלה במחשבה לפני. (מנחות כט:)
The Jewish Bible consists of 24 books. All 613 mitzvot are instructed in the first five books collectively known as the Torah. The very end of the Torah tells the story of the death of Moses on the doorstep of Israel. The next section of the Bible, collectively known as the Prophets and beginning with the book of Joshua, document what happens to the Jewish people as they begin their conquest and settlement of Israel, their battles with it’s indigenous peoples and the political, social and spiritual ups and downs of the nation and her leaders. In this class we meet great visionary leaders such as Samson, Devorah, Saul, Ezra, David, Solomon and the prophet Samuel, debate the traditional perspective of the David and Bathsheba controversy and draw parallels between the triumphs and missteps of yesteryear and the challenges facing the Jewish people in contemporary times.
תנא דבי אליהו ששת אלפים שנה הוי עלמא שני אלפים תוהו שני אלפים תורה שני אלפים ימות המשיח (סנהדרין דף צז.)
“They taught in the Academy of Elijah: Six thousand years is the world; two thousand chaos, two thousand Torah, two thousand years Messiah” (Sanhedrin 97a)
The core tenet of the Jews that the world had a beginning; a rallying cry that they proclaimed for millennia to the derision of the rest of humanity, has only recently been adopted by all as true via newfound and incontrovertible evidence. After thousands of years all now concede to the very first word of the Torah; there was indeed a beginning. This cryptic Talmudic statement teaches us there is an end as well. The world is a process leading up to an ultimate and unavoidable conclusion. What is this conclusion? What is the meaning of these three epochs? In this first class of a series on Jewish History we explore the philosophical roadmap of the subject, examine the various ways God intervenes in it and, beginning with Abraham up to the death of Moses, tell the story of history’s most unprecedented people and their journey.
The Nine Characteristics of God video referenced in the class can be found HERE.
The clear and copious evidence that the Torah is of divine origin (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4) is incontrovertible to all but the most unreasonable of skeptics. In this class we continue the exposition of presenting convincing proofs that the Torah could not be written by man and also explain how the text of the Torah was transmitted from the times of Moses till today without any errors whatsoever.
When we see hagbaha, we can indeed sincerely proclaim:
“וזאת התורה אשר שם משה לפני בני ישראל על פי ה’ ביד משה”
“And this is the Torah that Moses placed before the children of Israel, per the dictation of God in the hand of Moses.”
Yom Kippur is a day unlike any other. Every other day of the year our spiritual growth is limited to small steps; like climbing a ladder – we cannot skip any rungs. Yom Kippur is a spiritual cornucopia – 24 hours to make meteoric spiritual ascensions before this golden opportunity expires. In this class we learn how to maximize Yom Kippur and make it memorable, marvelous and meaningful.
In the previous three classes in this series we have presented compelling evidence to the veracity and historicity of the Torah as being what it claims to be, i.e. the word of God as dictated to Moses. In this class we discuss some of the common questions that arise when people realize that belief in the veracity of the Torah is indeed based on solid rational and intellectual principles.
If you have yet to hear those classes please do so (Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3) before listening to this one.
Tikkun Olam, fixing the world, has been the rallying cry of the Jewish national mission for millenia. We live in a flawed and broken world and our people were entrusted with the sacrosanct and vital responsibility of fixing it. In this presentation we discuss where the world’s flaws lie, and, taking a lesson out of Abraham’s playbook, we outline a roadmap to go about fixing it.
Only two potential answers really exist to the question of who wrote the Torah: 1. The traditional perspective of it being written by Moses as per the dictation of God. 2. It not being written by Moses as per the dictation of God. In recent times a third option was invented that it was divinely inspired but not divinely dictated. The reality is that if we minimize God’s involvement in authoring the document to merely inspiring, what results is a perception of major human influence on the book, and hence downgrading it from being the word of God; an authoritative, immutable and binding manual for life, to being the subjective and unbinding word of man. It is superfluous to say that our entire religion collapses if it is based upon the words of Moses or Ezra or Jeremiah or any human, and not the word of God.
Can we give rational and reasonable evidence to either perspective of this fundamental question? This class continues with the quest of examining and assessing the logical basis of these two options by analyzing some bold and audacious predictions found in the Torah.
This is Part 3 in a series. For Part 1 click HERE for part 2 click HERE.
“I created a yetzer ra (evil inclination) and I created the Torah as an antidote” – (Talmud Kiddushin 30b)
The essence of man is his capacity for free will; to make moral decisions; to favor his mind and intellect or to favor his bodily instinct – and the world is the playground where these decisions are made. To make it fair and balanced, God embedded within us a certain force called the yetzer ra, evil inclination, that entices us to sin. Battling with this force is the paramount challenge of our life. In this class we cite several Talmudic sources that outline the nature of this epic foe, and outline methods, strategies and tactics that we can use to be victorious in these crucial conflicts.
A guiding principle in Jewish philosophy is that when God does something He does it perfectly. Hence, when God gives us instructions for living, aka the Torah, it is the complete book of instructions, instructions for how to live life and what to do in ever possible life scenario or situation regardless of how remote or bizarre the scenario is. This class discusses one such scenario.
The debate over the authorship of the Torah is a very important one; and not only for us Jews but the majority of humanity accepts this document as the dictation of God to Moses. In this class we continue our quest to logically assess both sides of the arguments as to the authenticity of the Torah by logically examining some of the evidence and attempt to formulate a perspective and perhaps a conclusion to this important question.
Sources in the order that they were presented:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/11/science/camels-had-no-business-in-genesis.html?_r=0
Exodus 19, 9: “Behold I am coming to you in a cloud of smoke so that the nation shall hear when I speak to you, and also in you they will believe forever”
Deuteronomy 4, 32: “You might inquire about times long past, from the day that G-d created man on earth, from one end of heaven to the other. Has there ever been anything like this great thing or has anything like it been heard? Has a people ever heard the voice of G-d speaking from the midst of the fires as you have heard, and survived?”
Leviticus, 25, 1-4: “Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather in its produce. But in the seventh year a Sabbath of solemn rest it shall be for the land … your field you shall not sow, and your vineyard you shall not prune. That which grows by itself you shall not reap, and the grapes of your vine you shall not gather.”
Leviticus 25, 20-22: “And if you will say: ‘What shall we eat in the seventh year? Behold, we may not plant nor gather in our produce!’ I will command My blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it will bring forth produce for the three years. And you will plant in the eighth year and eat of the old produce until the ninth year, until her produce comes in, you will eat the old produce.”
Exodus 34, 23-24: “Three times in the year all your men shall appear before the Lord your God, the God of Israel. I will throw out the nations before you and enlarge your borders: neither shall any man desire your land, when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times during the year.”
The Torah weaves law and instruction with dialogue and narrative; often miraculous and supernatural events and stories like the Exodus narrative of the Ten Plagues, the splitting of the sea into 12 walkable dry paths and the momentous national prophecy at the foot of Mount Sinai. Supernatural narratives are not unique to our religion; rather a claim of revelation of some kind is always at the formation of every religion. In this class we attempt to construct a logical analysis of the veracity and historicity of the Jewish miraculous narratives. Did we actually consume heaven sent manna on a daily basis for 40 years in the wilderness? What evidence do we have to prove this and the many other miraculous claims of the Torah?
“From Moshe till Moshe no one arose like Moshe”
This epithet which is engraved on the tombstone of Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon, the Rambam, sheds light on the enormity of his impact and influence upon the Jewish people. The mere claim that the Rambam’s contributions and leadership was surpassed only by Moshe Rabbeinu is a testament to his remarkable accomplishments. In this talk we attempt to capture a flavor of who Maimonides was and what he represented, but more importantly we analyze his mind-boggling literary accomplishments and examine their pivotal role in continuing the process of uninterrupted and accurate transmission of the Torah throughout the generations.
No mission is as critical to the success of humanity as the mission that began at the Mount Sinai and continues to this very day of transmitting the Torah from generation to generation accurately. After all, the Torah is what differentiates the Jewish people from the nations of the world; it is what we mean when we say chosen people – the nation entrusted by God to be a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation”; to be a beacon to the nations; to be a the world’s moral guardian and spiritual guide – as per the instructions of the Torah. Our national success or failure, and in turn the success and failure of humanity is contingent on our maintaining the Torah and teaching it and observing it with absolutely zero deviation from the way Moses received it from God Almighty. Over the course of the 3,000+ years since that most monumental event, there have been times where the continued transmission in total accuracy was in jeopardy and the great leaders of the time had the vision and the foresight to prevent that catastrophe from happening. How was the Torah transmitted so accurately? What were the innovations and adaptations that were instituted? What is the deal with all the disagreements? Who were these people and why does all this matter?
This is part 2 of a series. For Part 1 click HERE
There is an important difference between the Aggadic portions of the Talmud – the ethical and philosophical sections, and the Halacha/law portions. Also, learn why the study of the Babylonian Talmud supersedes the study of the Jerusalem Talmud, despite that fact the the latter was written 180 years earlier.
Learn about some of the fine details about how courts are constructed, how evidence is presented in Jewish courts, and the incredible efforts that the Torah demands from us to ensure that a just verdict is reached.
What does Judaism say about organ donations, DNRs and euthanasia?
Historically, the Jewish people remained almost completely free of sectarianism, and that is one of the reasons for our continued survival as a people and as a religion against all odds throughout the millennia. Yet in the 19th Century several modern splinter sects sprang up, namely the Reform, the Conservative, and to a lesser extent, the Orthodox, movements. What caused their formations and what today are their – increasing narrowing – differences
Ever wonder why we fast on the saddest day of the Jewish calendar, Tisha b’av, and on the happiest – Yom Kippur? Listen and learn all about the four minor and two major Jewish fasts.
Learn about Jacob informing his wives’ about his proposed clandestine flight away from his father in law’s home. What lessons can we deduce from the peculiar methods Jacob employs when trying to convince Leah and Rachel of the merits of leaving?
In the book of Numbers we read about the heroic actions of Pinchus who avenged God’s fury and murdered a Jewish leader who was publicly fornicating with Midyanite woman. The Torah accords him with much honor for his courageous acts. What is the deal with this? Are we allowed to take the law into our own hands and mow down sinners?
For more than three millennia now the Jews have remained steadfastly dedicated to Torah study. Even during times when 99% of their non-Jewish neighbors were illiterate, every man, woman and child in the Jewish community was able to read and write – and well versed in Torah. Jewish societies have historically valued Torah knowledge and study above all. The Torah scholar was revered, and the Torah ignoramus reviled; in Talmudic times the sharpest barb possible was calling someone a “reik” – an empty person devoid of Torah. What about the Torah is so critical, crucial, pivotal and essential that has fostered such an unyielding love and devotion? In this presentation, Rabbi Wolbe assembles some of the famous – and some of the more obscure reasons – why even in contemporary times the study of Torah is invaluable if a better life is what you seek.
What if there was a repeatable and formulaic method to achieving happiness? What if there was a systematic step-by-step instruction manual to acquiring, sustaining and deepening our relationships? Indeed, the manual for living – the Torah – takes our hand and guides us to achieving what we desire most.
Jewish law makes a strange distinction regarding the prohibition of envy: Envy of someone else’s physical, material and intellectual gifts and successes is prohibited, while envy of another’s spiritual achievements are permitted and encouraged. What is the rationale for that distinction and why does it mirror the prohibition of arrogance? We also learn that of the fine pattern strung through the Ten Commandments, why some always wear ties when praying and several interesting Heavenly proclamations made before a child is even born.
While humans have seemingly progressed, improved and evolved in many areas of life, in the arena of relationships we are comparatively neanderthals, and we are regressing. Surprisingly, a 3300 year old document will succinctly instruct and guide us in four sentences more successfully than all the relationships and self help books in Barnes and Noble.
There is a fine line between arrogance and a keen understanding of the brutal facts; between humility and delusion. Did Moses – the humblest of men – know that he was the Jewish greatest prophet? Is the smartest guy in the room allowed to know that fact without transgressing on the severe sin of גאוה, haughtiness? Join Rabbi Wolbe in grappling and pondering these important questions.
The deeper meaning and insight into the various holidays and festivals in the Jewish calendar.
Click HERE for part 1
We continue our exploration of the themes and insights of the progression of a Jewish life.
The words of our Sages in the Talmud were written with the utmost precision and exactitude. Thus, when encountering perplexing statements in the Talmud (as in the subject of this class) it is a grave error to consider that the authors made a mistake or even to only study the statement superficially without straining to understand the true meaning and intent. Often the wisdom of the Talmud is concealed beneath a thick layer of profundity, and only after digging fastidiously will you begin to understand the unfathomable depth of the the words.
In the very first book of the Talmud, Tractate Brachos, we find this incredibly confounding statement:
שלשה מעין העולם הבא, אלו הן: שבת, שמש, ותשמיש. תשמיש דמאי? אילימא תשמיש המטה – הא מכחש כחיש? אלא תשמיש נקבים. (ברכות דף נז:)
Translation in English: Three things are a measure of the World To Come. They are: Shabbos, the Sun, and tashmish. What does tashmish mean? If you say tashmish hamita (sexual intercourse), it weakens. Rather, it must be referring to tashmish nekavim (bowel removal).
Join us as we attempt to unravel this intriguing but puzzling gem of Talmudic wisdom.
Us Jews are privy to the most valuable thing on Earth: The Almighty’s precious Torah. All too often we neglect to realize the enormity of this reality, but if you stop for a second and truly analyze it you will recognize how astonishing it is. Mere mortal humans, the most fallible and feeble of all creatures; these same humans who are constantly swayed by our petty whims and desires have access to the wisdom and instructions of the Almighty God, Creator of heaven and Earth?!? If this alone will not blow your mind away, some of the incredible content of the Torah likely will. In this class we discuss some of the Torah’s statements regarding the early existence and development of children and talk about what it means for us.
Click HERE for part 2
Human all have a collection of positive and negative character traits. Judaism teaches us that we must perfect our character and acquire all the good characteristics and rid ourselves of our negative character maladies. But religiosity is not the only reason why change is imperative. Relationship breakdown only occurs due to bad character. Proper parenting is only possible if the parent has good character. Productivity and willpower can only result in someone who has succeeded in achieving those wonderful characteristics. Learning how to improve one’s character is a very valuable skill indeed. In this class we learn the broad strokes of the Mussar approach to achieving good character.
Spousal selection is a perplexing and vexing part of life for most people; at least if the rates of failure in marriage are indeed what they are reported to be. The average person does not now where to start, what to do, what to look out for and how not to make a grievous and costly mistake by making a poor selection. The result is a convergence of an enormously important decision and an utter lack of knowledge of how to go about making that decision. For guidance and direction in this area of life we turn to the Almighty’s book of life instructions (a good idea for any difficult situation) and analyze the Torah’s exhaustive description of the vetting and selection of a spouse for Isaac – focusing on the minutiae of all the small details – and attempt to draw insight and instruction that is as relevant today as ever.
Three times in the Torah we are commanded to experience the emotion of love:
These commandments are deeply troubling. How can God command us to have an emotion like love? You either love someone or something or you do not? Seemingly, it cannot reasonably be forced upon someone? It is also a deviation from the textual integrity to posit that the Torah is telling us to act to our fellow in a loving manner because the words cannot be clearer: Thou shall love your fellow. Likewise, the quantity of love appears to be impossible. How can I love anyone as much as I love myself? Listen and learn how the Torah is teaching us incredible lessons in what love is and how to achieve it.
Every adult Jew is obligated to perform all 248 positive and 365 negative mitzvahs of the Torah. The sheer volume of mitzvahs can seem overwhelming and that raises a question: why would God in His Infinite wisdom see it necessary to task us with the performance of so many mitzvahs? Would not one mitzvah suffice? Is not the potential for failure so astoundingly exacerbated when there are hundreds of mistakes just waiting to happen? Why is Judaism so exhaustively encompassing? These questions were pondered 2000 years ago and the answer will challenge everything you think you know about the Almighty’s commandments.
Join Rabbi Wolbe and his trustful comrades as they attempt to unlock the wonderful meaning and insight of the Jewish calendar. This presentation will succeed in shattering the childish and simplistic understandings of the Jewish holidays that most of us have harbored since our youth, and infuse the holidays and rituals of the Jewish year with structure, meaning and purpose.
Holidays discussed in Part 2: Chanukah, Purim, Pesach, Omer, Shavuos, Three Weeks, minor fast days.
Join Rabbi Wolbe and his trustful comrades as they attempt to unlock the wonderful meaning and insight of the Jewish calendar. This presentation will succeed in shattering the childish and simplistic understandings of the Jewish holidays that most of us have harbored since our youth, and infuse the holidays and rituals of the Jewish year with structure, meaning and purpose.
Holidays discussed in Part 1: An overview of the system of Jewish months and the interrelationship of a lunar month with a solar year; Rosh Hashana; Yom Kippur; Sukkot.
It is well documented that modern humans fail at marriage at alarming rates. In the United States for example, in any given year the amount of divorces are roughly half the amount of marriages pegging the divorce rate around 50%. Shockingly, 5 out of 10 couples who commit to stay married to each other “until death do us part” renege on their vow. This staggering percentage does not include all couples who are dissatisfied in their marriages. Some couples have miserable marriages but remain married because of the legal costs and hassles of divorce, or to avoid the religious or social stigma associated with divorce, or even to protect their children from the pain and suffering of a family torn apart. These couples, while technically married, may be permanently separated as is the case by 15 percent of separated couples who don’t divorce nor reconcile rather remain separated permanently, or they may even live together but have separate bedrooms, separate TVs, separate bank accounts and separate lives. Thus the true rate of failed marriages is significantly greater than the quantifiable divorce rate.
Can anything be done to ensure that our marriages succeed? The Torah outlines five principles of great marriages – each beginning with the letter C – all you need to do is follow the instruction laid out and you are guaranteed to have a wonderful marriage.
Thinking and contemplating about our own demise is perhaps the most powerful tool we can use to change the way we think about life. When we realize that we too will swallow that bitter pill of death, our life and values appear in a new light. But what actually happens when we die? And what happens afterward? These critical questions, and many others are addressed in great detail in this presentation.
*Originally presented at Temple Beth Torah in Humble, TX on Sunday May 4, 2014.
A parent who brings a child to this world has accepted upon himself/herself the responsibilities of raising that child to be a happy, healthy and stable adult. This axiomatic idiom has been an unfortunate causality of today’s society. In America today only 63% of children grow up together with both biological parents. As Jews we heed the Torah’s requirement to educate our children but also benefit from the Torah’s guidelines of how to educate them. In this presentation we have selected ten of the Torah’s core pedagogical lessons. Namely:
Come and hearken to the presentation that caused one participant to exclaim: “I wish I heard this seven years ago”.
If you are ready to go kosher you have come to the right place. Rabbi Wolbe outlines the three easy step involved in transforming from a kosher novice to complete kosher observance. Kosher has never been simpler.
In the finale of the series we seek the greatest pleasure of them all.
Rabbi Wolbe addresses an interesting topic: The status of the Torah before it was given. Did Abraham have Torah? Did the Torah exist before the universe did?
Humans have a physiological innate need to live for something; to have meaning. Our needs go beyond the physical. In Judaism we say that this need is the yearning of the soul for soulful nourishment the same way bodies scream out for their unmet needs. Rabbi Wolbe teaches the Torah’s methods of how to utilize this drive for maximum pleasure
Rambam on גן עדן, משיח, תחיית המתים, ועוה”ב. Definitions and perspectives.
Any pursuit of self perfection and character refinement will invariably be accompanied by two frightening and formidable challenges: 1. Body-Backlash; when the body rejects the agenda of the soul. 2. Heightened Haughtiness; when someone ascends to Mount Pious and declares himself mayor and looks down condescendingly upon others. These two dangers must be approached very carefully…
When the Torah presents us with parallel stories of people with radically different priorities and spiritual statuses who faced similar challenges with counter-intuitive results, clearly there is an important lesson for us.
We continue with enlightening and sobering guidance from the Torah regarding happiness and Love.
In part 2 we dissect the nature of the different types of Pleasures and explain the Torah’s view on the pros and cons of simple physical pleasures.
We begin this first of a multiple part exposition of major items in Jewish Life, Philosophy and Practice with a controversial but logical conclusion and a question. The conclusion: Life can only have meaning if God exists. The question: When you accept the Jewish definition of God you accept that God lacks nothing; so for what purpose did God decide to create the universe? We then dig into the two answers promulgated by traditional Jewish sources. Tune in for some advanced Jewish philosophy.
The term “overachiever” should not be mistakenly conferred onto people who achieve greatness; greatness can result from great intellect, opportunity and circumstance, overachievers are those who achieve beyond what their peers in circumstance and ability achieve. What is their secret, and how can we emulate them?
In this wide ranging discussion on God and his active participation in history, we ask, and attempt to answer, questions like these:
In several places in Jewish Literature and practice we present Adam and Eve as a prototype of a relationship worth emulating. There is only one slight problem with that – Adam and Eve did not seem to have a stable relationship, much less an idyllic and harmonious one. What could the Torah possibly mean when we are instructed to act like Adam and Eve in pursuit of positive long term relationships?
In 8 (!) instances in the Torah we are commanded with a seemingly unachievable task of “Thou shall walk in the ways of God”. The Talmud explains that this commandment instructs us to emulate God in our own behavior and activities – “Just as God is Merciful, you too be merciful; just as God is benevolent, you too be benevolent.” The fact that the Torah found it necessary to repeat and reiterate this commandment multiple times demonstrates the premium that the Torah places on Kindness. Alas, not all kindness are created equal. Tune in for the Four Kinds.
Join Rabbi Wolbe as he explores and examines several peculiar curiosities about the forbearer of mankind, Adam. Why was man the only creature created as a single individual; why didn’t create a flock, tribe, gaggle or pride of humans? Why did Adam not have Torah, and how could he possibly have succeeded in his challenge without it? And lastly, in light of the disastrous repercussions of that grave sin, we have to ask the most troubling question of all: what the heck was Adam thinking when he chose to do what the Almighty explicitly forbade him from doing?
Ancient alchemists professed to turn lead into gold. For the past three millennium, the Jewish people have made an equally audacious claim: man is not beshackled by negative character; we can change, fix, perfect and purify our character traits. In this class we learn the process of how we go about transforming ourselves.
In this class Rabbi Wolbe sets out to demystify and unlock the secrets of one of mankind’s greatest challenges and struggles: temptation. Culling from an array of ancient Judaic texts we will begin with defining, demarcating and delineating the anatomy of temptation; focusing on the reason why forbidden fruit (or carbs) is so alluring and irresistible. Once we gain a keen understanding of the makeup of this great adversary, we will learn the Four distinct Talmudic approaches to curbing and managing temptation. If you have ever struggled with temptation of any sort; i.e. if you are a human, and especially if you have tried dieting unsuccessfully, you cannot miss this class. Lives will be changed. Forever.
If you are interested in a wide ranging discussion on many relevant topics in Jewish thought and wisdom with a healthy sprinkling of decidedly irrelevant yet fascinating tidbits of Jewish knowledge, this is the class for you!
Rabbi Wolbe outlines the three reasons why Judaism is exceedingly important.
Three times in the Torah we are commanded to love someone or something. How is that reasonable?
Jewish Perspective: Puberty > Coming of age > Adolescence > Dating and Courtship > Marriage > Divorce > Parenting > Mid-life crisis > Dying like a Jew > Jewish Burial > תחית המתים (Resuscitation of the dead).
Learn about the Jewish perspective in time, and how we can tap into the same spiritual entities that existed in yesteryear. This fascinating idea joins another: the coexistence of a Lunar month and a solar year in the Jewish calendar. Lastly, learn the meaning of the various Jewish holidays and significant times in the calendar from Purim to Elul, and the practical application of the these principles.
Curious to know when Moshiach is coming? Can we – and should we – calculate his arrival? Think you’ve got what it takes to be Moshiach? Rabbi Wolbe answers these questions and outlines the qualifications needed for one to be crowned Moshiach and the accomplishments that Moshiach will achieve. Additionally, in this class we hear a history of false, failed and unrealized Moshiachs spanning from Bar Kochba in the first century of the Common Era to the ongoing schism tearing apart the Chabad Lubavitch Chassidic dynasty regarding the Messianic status of the previous Rebbe, since deceased. Lastly, tune in and learn what it all means for us and what can we do to expedite Moshiach’s arrival.
Tune in and listen to the definitive Jewish answer to life’s most compelling question: what really happens after you die. One of the few topics where it is hard to speak from experience, Rabbi Wolbe culls from various sources and Jewish traditions to paint a complete picture that clarifies the basis of the discussion: what happens after you die determines what, indeed, is meaningful in life.
Sheets with holes, shaved heads, arranges marriages and tattooed Jews excluded from Jewish cemeteries are but some of the misconceptions Jews have about Judaism. In this discussion, Rabbi Wolbe outlines and disproves the following four core and central misconceptions:
“שמח תשמח רעים האהובים כשמחך יצירך בגן עדן מקדם”
This statement, part of the Sheva Brachos (Seven Blessings), is recited under the Chuppah ( wedding canopy) of traditional Jewish marriages. Translated into English, we pray: “Gladden the loving couple, like you gladdened your creations (Adam and Eve) in the Garden of Eden years ago.” This raises the question: what was so special about the relationship of Adam and Eve that justifies it being presented as the paragon that all young couples should strive to achieve? Moreover, Adam and Eve’s stint in the Garden of Eden was not a rosy subliminal harmonious fantasy, rather a highly contentious period. If so, what is the lesson to be garnered from their relationship that is of such tantamount importance that we highlight it at the onset of every Jewish marriage?
Three fascinating and enlightening stories from the Talmud shed light on the two roadmaps to spiritual growth: the typical slow and steady grind, and the expedited way. Are you going to dip your toe in the pool or are you gonna take the plunge?
Learn about the responsibilities of children to honor and respect their parents.
The answer to the most important question of all: How do we know we are right? Religions are mutually exclusive; The Jews, Christians and Moslems cannot all be right. It’s a zero sum game: If we are right, they all must be wrong! As Jews, we have to ask ourselves the question: are we merely basing our faith on what our parents inculcated in us? Are we no different than the 1000s of other religions out there, each touting itself as being the only true doctrine of God? Indeed, there is compelling evidence to distinguish Judaism from the crowd.
Rabbi Wolbe explains why Jews have traditionally stayed up the entire night of Shavuos studying.
Starting with a riveting history lesson for background, Rabbi Wolbe and his team of collaborators attempt to unravel and decipher a particularly complex Mishna.
Discussing the various philosophical angles and aspects of Altruism invariably generates vigorous debate. In this class, Rabbi Wolbe attempts to unravel the very complex Jewish position on the issue.
In this class we learn what distinguishes Man from all other species, about the fascinating Jewish idea of the convergence of the spiritual and the physical and, in a first, Rabbi Wolbe calls out one of the participants as being “flaky”.
Pirkei Avos, or Ethics of the Fathers is a compilation of Rabbinic ethical teachings spanning 500 years of Jewish vibrancy, circa 300 BCE to 200 CE, that, amazingly, retain their relevance to contemporary times. In this class, Rabbi Wolbe outlines the historical background to this fascinating work, explains the structure of the book, and digs into Chapter One Mishna One.
A small child rarely wakes up to tend to her crying mother. From the beginning of our lives we are self-centered and care about ourselves only; in our quest to build better relationships, we must learn the tools to rid ourselves of this vile characteristic.
On Purim we are instructed to intoxicate ourselves with wine till we do not know the difference between “Haman is cursed” and “Mordechai is blessed”. What could possibly be the rationale behind such a strange mitzvah?
Rabbi Wolbe addresses this interesting question, and also dabbles with the philosophical problems of an infinite existence and a finite world coexisting, and the paradox of Free Will in the face of an All Knowing God.
Rabbi Wolbe explains the seemingly strange phenomenon where a defendant cannot be executed if the Judges unanimously call for his guilt, and other interesting laws relating to capital punishment.
Is Halacha immutable? Does Halacha adapt to modernity? Did the executioners of the Law have the integrity to stay true and not bend in the face of controversy?
Rabbi Wolbe tackles a puzzling point to ponder relating to Adam and Eve and discusses various elements of Free Will.
Rabbi Wolbe explains the meaning of Moses being the “father of all prophets”, and delineates the profound differences in the veracity of our Revelations vs. all other religions.
How do we understand Biblical stories that seem to indicate that great men made grave mistakes? In this Q&A episode, Rabbi Wolbe discusses the story of Cain and Ebel, Reuben and Bilhah, David and Bathsheba and more.
In this episode we address the idea of “Bashert” or destined one, the Talmudic sources for it, and outline the plan to find that special one
In this episode we discuss the positive and negative effects of our society, our community and our friends
In this episode, Rabbi Wolbe explains the theory and the practice of prayer and addresses all the philosophical problems with prayer, and gives us the key to getting our prayers answered.
We all have those moments in life where we are galvanized to change ourselves, our community or the entire world. However, only a select few people actually take the inspiration to the finish line. In this episode, Rabbi Wolbe delineates the fundamental key point that distinguished the great ones from the common-folk. (לע”נ שלמה בן חיים זצ”ל)
Our intellect is our most potent of assets. It is what distinguishes us from animals and what enables us to overcome our challenges. Learn the how what and why of maximizing your intellectual power in this episode
What is Mussar and how did it come about? Those questions, coupled with anecdotes and lessons, are the content of this episode.
If we are to believe the statistics, the majority of marriages today end up in divorce. The Torah outlines the five components to a Happy, Harmonious and Stable Marriage , each beginning with the letter “C”. In this episode, Rabbi Wolbe delineates and elucidates these key principles.
Can we really learn real life lessons in our relationships from angels. Indeed we can, and Rabbi Wolbe shows us how.
All Jews know that we do not believe in Jesus, but not many know why. In this episode, Rabbi Wolbe outlines the reasons why Jew do not believe in Jesus, have not done so in the past and will not in the future.
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