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Ethics of the Fathers: Spiritual Pipes (1.2)

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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”.

Ethics of the Fathers: Introduction (1.1)

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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.

Grounds for Marriage: Combating Selfishness

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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.

Why didn’t God create the world in one instant?

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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.

The malleability of Halacha and the integrity of it’s transmitters

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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?