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Biblical Longevity

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We all want to live long. But how long is a long life? Centenarians are still rare. Global life expectancy is around 70 years old. In healthier, richer countries, maybe 80. But when you open up Scripture, you find ages an order of magnitude larger. Adam lived to 930. Methuselah to 969. How do we understand the radical difference in the ages of the ancients? What changed from then till now? Why did God shrink the average life expectancy? This question intrigued many of our sages, and in this very fun and interesting podcast, we explore some of the ideas that they shared.

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Concentric Realms of Holiness (5:7)

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For 800+ years our nation had a Temple in Jerusalem. The Temple was a special place. It contained the vessels described in Scripture, it was the site of annual, national pilgrimages, it is where the high priest did the Yom Kippur service each year, it was the epicenter of the nation and it’s rebuilding has been the national yearning of our people for the last 1950 years. The Mishnah tells us that the Temple was grounds for ever-present, ongoing miracles. 10 miracles to be precise. Why was the Temple the place where miracles happened? What is the lesson for us who have never seen the temple? In this Ethics podcast we ponder the essence of the Temple, what it stood for, and how it’s miracles pertain to us.

This Ethics Podcast was originally released on the Ethics Podcast on Jun 7, 2021

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DONATE: 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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Devarim – Wellsprings of Beer

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 1:00:16 — 27.6MB)

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There are many levels of Torah. There are many ways to acquire Torah, 48 by the calculation of our Sages. The human with the greatest understanding of Torah was obviously Moshe, the one who received Torah directly from God. In our Parsha we get a stunning description of the profound depth of Moshe’s understanding of Torah. When we plumb the matter further, we discover all sorts of secrets. There are actually 50 dimensions of Torah. The 48 ways to acquire Torah are only for the first 48 levels. Moshe’s understanding went to the 49th level. Each level is a profound wellspring, be’er (באר) in Hebrew.

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This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in honor of the person without whom there would never have been a Parsha Podcast. In honor of my mother, she should live and be well, on the occasion of her milestone birthday. May you have many more happy returns in good health. May Hashem send you a complete and total refuah Sheleimah, and may we gather for your next milestone birthday in happiness and harmony.

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DONATE: 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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Faith and Fear (5:6)

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Fear of God and Faith in God are both laudable qualities worthy of great people. Both, of course, are mitzvos as well. Which one is loftier? At first glance, fear of God can only be built upon an edifice of faith and thus it would be a loftier level. But when we examine the issue critically, we find something very surprising.

This Ethics Podcast was originally released on the Ethics Podcast on Jun 1, 2021

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DONATE: 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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Devarim – Middling East (5783)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 57:25 — 26.3MB)

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In his speech to the Nation, Moshe revisits the episode of the Spies that occurred 39 years prior. When the nation was on the verge of entering the Land, Moshe commissioned 12 distinguished men to reconnoiter the Land and to share their findings with the nation. It was a debacle and a fiasco. As a result of the report, the nation abandoned hopes to enter the land. They became defeatist and lapsed in their faith. As a result, the nation was condemned to remain in the wilderness for 40 years. Now, when the nation is on the verge of entering the land once again, Moshe revisits this story. In his retelling, he reveals some startling details that completely upend our understanding of this pivotal event. In this Parsha Podcast we study and probe the shocking accusation that the nation made as a consequence of the Spies’ report.

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DONATE: 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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Miracles at the Sea (5:5)

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Ten is a very significant number in Jewish numerology and philosophy. The previous teachings in this chapter revolve around tens and the present Mishnah teaches that the Exodus was marked by a series of ten miracles for the Jews and ten plagues for the Egyptians whilst in Egypt and ten additional miracles for the Jews and ten additional plagues for the Egyptians at the splitting of the sea. What are these miracles and what is the significance of them happening twice?

This Ethics Podcast was originally released on the Ethics Podcast on Apr 26, 2021

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DONATE: 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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Tisha Bav: Why We Mourn

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The ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av is the saddest day of the Jewish calendar. All manner of calamities and tragedies and disasters befell our people on this day. On this day the nation was condemned to wonder in the wilderness for 40 years. On this day both Temples were destroyed. On this day, the last stronghold of the Jewish rebellion in Betar was destroyed. Over the millennia, many more calamities occurred on this most inauspicious day. It is a day of fasting and mourning. What exactly are we mourning about? What is the purpose of mourning? What ought we to do on this day? In this special podcast we learn about the essence of the sadness of this day, and what we can do about it.

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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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Parshas Devarim (Rebroadcast)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 49:44 — 22.8MB)

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5 weeks before his passing, Moses gives a three-parsha-long speech to the nation, which constitutes his last will and testament. He begins with a retrospective of the history of the nation over the past 40 years since the Exodus – subtly rebuking the nation, guiding them, admonishing them, ensuring that they don’t repeat their mistakes of yore.

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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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Spiritual Epigenetics (5:4)

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The story of our forefather Abraham is told in great detail in the Torah. We read about his challenges and triumphs, travails, and travels. The Mishnah calculates that Abraham underwent ten distinct divine tests and succeeded in all of them. What are the nature of these ten tests and what do they portend to us? The answers are surprising and enlightening.

This Ethics Podcast was originally released on the Ethics Podcast on Apr 11, 2021

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DONATE: 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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Mattos Masei – Greatness and Anti-Greatness

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 56:19 — 25.8MB)

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Accidents are unfortunate. Accidents that lead to death are a catastrophe. Among the myriad of subjects discussed in this week’s double Parsha is the law of the accidental murderer. When someone kills accidentally, they are punished by being confined to certain cities from which they mustn’t leave. These cities of refuge serve as open-air prisons, which the accidental murderers must remain until the death of the high priest. In this very special and interesting Parsha podcast, we explore the fascinating connection between the death of the high priest and the release of accidental murderers, and ponder the over-representation of murderers on the East side of the Jordan River versus the West.

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DONATE: 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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Greedy When Others are Fearful (5:2-3)

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Ten generations elapsed both from Adam to Noah and from Noah to Abraham. The trend over those generations was away from God and into idolatry. At the end of each of these groups of ten generations came a great Tzadik. But Noah and Abraham were different classes of a Tzadik and the results are decidedly different. How does the Almighty treat generations of sinners? What opportunities are present for the righteous immersed in a sinful generation? We discover the answers and more in this special edition of The Ethics Podcast.

This Ethics Podcast was originally released on the Ethics Podcast on Mar 8, 2021

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DONATE: 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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Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com

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