Category Archives: Torah 101

#45: The Immutability of Torah

In Principle #8 of the 13 Principles of faith, we learned that the Torah is divine. In our exploration of that Principle, we probed many aspects of the idea of the Divinity of Torah, ranging from the history of Torah, to the components of Torah, to Oral Torah, to Rabbinic law, and culminating with the imperative of Torah study. The study of Principle #8 was the subject of the last 17 episodes of the TORAH 101 podcast. In this episode, we cover Principle #9, namely that the Torah is immutable and unchangeable, in one session. What does this mean? How do we reconcile a fixed and immutable Torah with the vast corpus of rabbinic law and edicts? What are the scriptural and logical proofs that the Torah was given only once? And we also explore the ramifications of this principle vis-à-vis other religions that claim otherwise.

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#44: Torah Study: The Soul’s Panacea

Why is our nation so obsessed with Torah? Why do we make such an emphasis on it? What benefits do we as individuals and does society at large accrue with Torah study? In this sweeping episode we explore this fundamental question. We begin with the big picture by outlining some of the critical benefits that the world receives when we study Torah and proceed to share what we as individuals gain with Torah study. There is no way to listen to this podcast and not emerge with a renewed appreciation for Torah study and an urge to sit down and study.

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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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#43: Torah Fusion

Torah study in not just another discipline; it’s a relationship. Our Sages compare the relationship of the Jew to Torah as that of a husband and wife. It’s deep, intimate, and special. Just as husband and wife can unite to create something new, the objective of Torah study is to transform the person and create something new from this experience. In this sweeping episode, we describe the nature of how Torah study is framed in Jewish literature and how it can fundamentally transform the ones fortunate enough to develop a relationship with it.

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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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#42: Torah Study: Our National Pastime

For the Jewish people. Torah is not just a corpus of law, of an accounting of our past, or even the ancient heritage of our people. Torah and an obsession with Torah study have been the defining characteristics of our nation since its inception. Torah is what we stand for;  it’s what we do; it’s who we are. Torah Study is the bedrock of our culture, it is our national pastime. In this special edition of the TORAH 101 podcast, we document the history of our national love affair with Torah study.

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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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#41: Immanent Proofs for the Divinity of the Torah + TORCH Fundraiser

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Can we find evidence for the divinity of the Torah? Is there proof that the Torah is from God? That is the question that we are pondering on the TORAH 101 podcast recently. In the previous episodes we examined Torah as an outsider and asked the question, “can this be written by man?” In this life-changing episode we plunge deep into the heart of Torah and examine it from within. When immerged in the center of Torah, an entirely different picture emerges. From an immanent perspective, the divinity of the Torah stares at us in the face. Are we brave enough to look?

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#40: The Case for the Divinity of Torah

The most important question we must ask is, “who wrote the Torah?” The consequences of this question are vast: If the Torah is divine, then its laws are obligatory and immutable; if the Torah is a hoax, then studying it and obeying its laws are ultimately a waste of time. If the Torah is legit, then we can be comforted that our efforts are not in vain; if its a fabrication then we have all been duped. In this podcast we approach the subject from various angles and demonstrate the overwhelming evidence pointing to the Torah being the handiwork of the Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth.

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#39: What is Kabbalah?

Kabbalah, the hidden, mystical parts of the Torah, is arguably the most misunderstood area of Torah. It is a subject rife with misconceptions and misinterpretations; it is also a subject that is bursting with charlatans seeking to take advantage of the gullible masses. In this sweeping episode, we try to understand what, exactly, Kabbalah is, what is its role in Torah, what are the rules and prerequisites to study Kabbalah, and we talk about its quite interesting history. This episode is a must listen if you want an understanding of what Kabbalah is.

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This TORAH 101 podcast is dedicated in honor of a dear friend of mine and of TORCH from Dallas, TX, who wishes to remain anonymous. Thank you so much for your support and friendship!

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#38: What is Halacha?

With all the development and codification of Oral Torah that went into the Talmud, one areas was still incomplete: Halacha. Halacha refers to the practical application of Torah law, and despite the tremendous efforts invested in the Talmud in clarifying all the Torah laws, only an accomplished scholar would be able to extract the practical halacha from the Talmud. It is too confusing, it is too cumbersome, it is too vast, it is written in a terse, intricate way, the language is foreign; distilling the practical halacha from the Talmud is monstrously difficult. But thankfully, some of the greatest minds in history dedicated their lives to doing that for all of us. This podcast is the story of the writing and codification of Halacha.

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This TORAH 101 podcast is sponsored in honor of Dina Bat Esther by her family. We thank them for their support of TORCH and the TORCH Podcasts.

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#37: What is Aggadah?

The Talmud is comprised of two general formats: The Halachic portions (known in Talmudic parlance as, “shemaytza“), and the non-Halachic portions which are called “Aggadah”, or “Aggadata” or “Hagada”. These two parts of the Talmud cannot be more different: whereas in the Halachic portions the objective of the authors was to reveal their true meaning, in the Aggadic portions the objective was to conceal the true meaning. What is included in the Aggadah? Why was it written in this cryptic way? What are some examples of Aggadic teachings? How, indeed, must it be studied? In this comprehensive introduction to Aggadah we learn the answers to these and other questions.

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TORAH 101

#36: What is Talmud?

The Talmud, or how it is often called, “Gemara”, is an ancient set of books written as commentary and elaboration of Mishnah. Despite being 1500 years old, the Talmud is still studied today by millions of people worldwide. In this podcast we get educated in what exactly the Talmud is? Why are there two versions of Talmud, the Babylonian Talmud and the Jerusalem Talmud? What are the differences between the two? What role does it play in the development and canonization of Oral Torah? How exactly does the Talmud elaborate upon the Mishnah?

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#35: What is Mishnah?

For 1500 years, Oral Torah was just that: Oral. It was not committed to canonized writing. Circa 200 CE, that changed. Under the leadership of Rabbi Judah the Prince, the Nasi of the Sanhedrin, and the greatest Sage of his day, the laws of Oral Torah were codified and canonized in a series of 63 books called “Mishnah”. What was this process like? Under what authority was this decision made? How was the final work shaped to maintain the style and flavor of Oral Torah?

Please email me at rabbiwolbe@gmail.com 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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#34: Torah Under Siege: The Grounds for Codification of Oral Torah

The final century of the Second Temple and the one that followed its destruction were pivotal ones of Jewish history. It was an era replete with absolute Torah giants – Hillel the Elder, Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai, Rabban Gamliel of Yavneh and his colleagues, Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Akiva and his students, among many other giants – but it was also a time of unprecedented challenges. Several times over these centuries, the Nation was hanging on a thread. The great Rabbis were targeted, the Great Sanhedrin was threatened, the Nation was attacked and dispersed. Over the course of this time, the conditions of the Nation deteriorated to the point that it was clear to our leaders that unless something drastic was done, the Nation as we know it would cease to exist. In this podcast we talk about the conditions that led to the fateful decision to write down the Mishna and to codify the Oral Torah.

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