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Balak – Ruthless and Ruthful Determination

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Balak, King of Moab, and Bilaam, sorcerer extraordinaire, hatched a plot to annihilate the Jewish people. Had their plan been successful, there would not have been even a single survivor. And they almost pulled it off. In fact, absent a Divine intervention, the glorious Jewish Nation would have been toast. What gave them such power? Where did Bilaam’s preternatural ability come from? In this wonderful Parsha podcast we uncover the secrets of Bilaam and discover what it takes to harness this extraordinary force ourselves. Do you have what it takes?

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This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in loving memory of Addison ben Ruth, the father of our dear friend Pat Billman. Addison passed away a few weeks ago at the age of 103. He was a remarkable man who will be sorely missed. May his soul be elevated in Heaven.

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Benediction Malediction (4:24)

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Shmuel HaKattan was one of the legends of Jewish history. The Talmud testifies on him that had his generation been worthy, he would have been a full-fledged prophet. Notwithstanding his generation, Shmuel Hakattan did merit lower grade prophecies in his life. He was commissioned by Rabban Gamliel to compose the blessing against the heretics, a blessing that we recite thrice daily. In his Mishnah we discover that he was not motivated by hatred of the heretics. To the contrary, he loved them and sought their repentance and restoration.

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Angry and Irrational (4:23)

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Who controls a person? That is arguably the most important question there is. As Jews we are trained to adopt the Almighty God as our Master. With the Creator governing our life via His Torah, we are on the correct path to fulfill our life’s duty. But the Talmud reveals that there is an impostor jockeying for that role. The Yetzer Hara is a foreign god seeking to supplant God from within us to to commandeer that post. Once the foreign god is sitting on the throne within us, its directives will b e obeyed with religious zeal and we are heading down a path of devestation and destruction.

This Ethics Podcast was originally released on the Ethics Podcast on Aug 17, 2020

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#98: Components of Oral Torah

Podcast (torah101): Download (Duration: 1:03:29 — 29.1MB)

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What makes up Oral Torah? What are the different types of information included in the Mishnah? In part 3 of the authoritative, magisterial, and comprehensive introduction to Mishnah offered by Rambam, we learn about the five different components of oral Torah, two that come all the way back from the times of Moshe, and three components developed by the Sages over the centuries since. Since. We also learn about the origin and the nature of disputes, and how those disputes do not indicate gaps in tradition or forgetfulness. We learn about the nature of laws deemed “laws from Moshe at Sinai”, and how they differ from the accepted explanations from Moshe at Sinai. We also learn why dissenting opinions that are overruled are still included in in the Mishnah. In short, a delightful and profound exploration of the Oral Law included in the Mishnah.

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Parshas Balak (Rebroadcast)

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After the Jewish nation trounced the mighty kingdoms of Sichon and Og in last week’s parsha, the comparatively smaller and weaker kingdom of Moab resorted to unconventional warfare to attack the nation by hiring the prophet of the nations, a wily and devious character named Bilaam, to curse the Jews. It did not work out as planned.

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An Invitation to The Afterlife (4:21-2)

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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.

This Ethics Podcast was originally released on the Ethics Podcast on Aug 4, 2020

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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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Chukas – Bold and Boulder

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When the nation needed water, they found it in a most unexpected place: Moshe struck a rock and it began to spew forth enough water for the entire nation. Why was there water inside the rock? Why when Jacob needed water, he removed the rock blockading it? Why didn’t he find water inside the rock too? Water and rocks are often connected, but sometimes the water is found beyond the rock and other times the water is embedded inside the flinty stone. This distinction reveals the two different ways to contend with adversity. When we examine the opening subject of our Parsha, the strange protocol of the red heifer, we see a pattern of the multiple methods of transformation.

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Chukas – Methods of Transformation (5783)

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In the first of this week’s double parsha, we read about the death of two giants: Miriam and Aaron, Moshe’s older sister and brother, pass away. Our sages tell us that the death of the righteous serves as an atonement in a way similar to sacrifices. Just as sacrifices atone, so too does the death of the righteous. But why does the death of the righteous provide atonement? Why is the sacrifice used to convey this principle specifically the red heifer, the most unusual of sacrifices? In this delectable Parsha podcast, we discover critical elements, growth, change, and transformation.

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Lion’s Tail (4:20)

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The author of this Mishnah served as the rabbi of Rome. While all his colleagues were coalesced together in the great Torah centers of Israel, Rabbi Masya Ben Charash led the small community and academy in the epicenter of impurity. How he got there is certainly a tantalizing question. In this teaching he guides us in making career choices, ensuring relationship harmony, and how to be a pleasant amiable person.

This Ethics Podcast was originally released on the Ethics Podcast on Jul 6, 2020

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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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Demystifying Chareidi Opposition to IDF Enlistment

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Perhaps the most controversial and divisive subject that dominates Israeli society today is the question of the blanket army exemption given to Yeshiva students. Someone whose Torah is their profession is entitled to defer and ultimately bypass mandatory constriction to the IDF. What is the rationale for this exemption? Why are the ultra-orthodox (Chareidi) communities so adamantly opposed to serving in the army? Don’t they know the imperative to help contribute towards the safety and protection of the nation? Don’t they know the chastisement that Moshe levied on the tribes of Reuben and Gad when they asked to stay on the East Bank of the Jordan? What are the ways by which these seemingly intractable gaps can be bridged? In this podcast we attempt to demystify the subject of Chareidi refusal to enlist in the IDF.

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This special podcast is dedicated in loving memory of R’ Shlomo Ben Avigdor Moshe and R’ Yitzchak Yaakov ben Eliyahu. And it should be a merit for all their descendants.

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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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Environment Makes the Man (4:18)

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Rabbi Elazar Ben Aruch was the most promising student of Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai. Unfortunately, his potential was not actualized, and in fact he forgot his Torah. In this autobiographical Mishnah, he shares with us the reason why his greatness did not pan out.

This Ethics Podcast was originally released on the Ethics Podcast on Jun 24, 2020

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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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