Category Archives: Torah 101

#16: How can Humans have Free Will if God is in Total Control?

Podcast (torah101): Download (Duration: 58:00 — 26.6MB)

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In the previous podcast we discussed the Second Principle of the Thirteen Principles of Faith, that God is the sole Singular Power. How can that precept be reconciled with another pillar of Jewish faith – that man is in control of his own destiny and choices via his free will. Is man in charge or is God in charge? Do we determine our destiny or is it predetermined by God? How can our ability to make free independent choices be reconciled with the Principle that God is the sole Power?

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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: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com.

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

#15: The Singularity of God

Podcast (torah101): Download (Duration: 53:33 — 24.5MB)

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The Second Principle of Jewish Faith declares that God is One. But not like one of a pair; and not like one of a group; and not like one person that can be divided into many [smaller] units; and not like a thing which is numerically one but can be infinitely divided, rather He – God, may He be blessed – is One that there is no comparable oneness. The Principles is indicated in the most famous verse in the Torah: “Hear O Israel, the Lord is God, the Lord is One.” This podcast is intended to explain what is meant by the notion that God is One.

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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!

#14: Faith vs. Emunah: Understanding the Difference between Intellectual and Instinctual Belief in God

Podcast (torah101): Download (Duration: 55:45 — 25.5MB)

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The Thirteen Principles of Faith are the foundations of our religion. Just as the foundation of a structure is indispensable for ensuring the integrity of the building; these principles are necessary prerequisites for Jewish faith. But just as is the case in a building, the foundations are in the background – no one resides in them – in Judaism these principles are vital but are not the object of our spiritual lives. In this podcast we contrast the differences between the fundamental faith that underpins our religion, and the faith that is the lifeblood – the bread and butter – of the religion itself.

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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!

#13: Does God’s Creation of the Universe Conflict with the Principle of God’s Perfection?

Podcast (torah101): Download (Duration: 51:32 — 23.6MB)

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This podcast attempts to reconcile a knotty philosophical dilemma: The First Principle of the Thirteen Principles of Faith teaches us that God, Creator of heaven and earth, is Omniscient, Omnipresent, and Perfect. If God is Perfect and lacks nothing, then why did He create the universe? Intellect only acts when seeking a certain outcome. There was a desired outcome that God did not have; how does that not conflict with this principle of completion, not lacking, sufficing with Himself? Why create angels and galaxies if you don’t need them? Why indeed did God create the world?

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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!

#11: Lost in Transmission: What Happens When Errors Occur in Oral Torah

Podcast (torah101): Download (Duration: 1:06:45 — 34.9MB)

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The Jewish nation is entrusted with the task of preserving and perpetuating the Torah mistake-free. We have previously seen the vast ordinances in place to prevent errors. Yet humans are fallible and mistakes happen. What happens if/when things go awry?

Contact:

Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com.

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:

#10: Codifying the Oral Torah

Podcast (torah101): Download (Duration: 54:17 — 28.1MB)

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At 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. What prompted this dramatic change? What are the unique methodologies employed in this project?

Contact:

Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com.

#9: Clear and Convincing Evidence to the Error-Free Transmission of the Oral Torah

Podcast (torah101): Download (Duration: 58:16 — 29.1MB)

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The integrity of Jewish law, and by extension the dream of a great Jewish destiny, hinged upon the accurate transmission of an enormous body of law orally for 1400 years. Indeed, a fundamental principle of Jewish faith is that the same Torah given to Moses has been passed down to us mistake-free. 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?

Contact:

Website: RabbiWolbe.com;
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe;
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe;
Email: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com.

Podcasts Links iOS:

Podcast Links Android:

#8: Why Moses Didn’t Simply Write Down the Oral Torah?

Podcast (torah101): Download (Duration: 52:12 — 26.2MB)

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For nearly a millennia and a half, the entire corpus of Oral Torah was transmitted orally from generation to generation; parents to their children and teachers to their students. Moreover, a fierce prohibition was established to prevent its writing and codification in a finalized canonized format. What are the benefits for maintaining it in that fashion? In this podcast we enumerate nine distinct reasons to keep Oral Torah oral. We also present a vivid demonstration on the interrelationship of Oral and Written Torah.

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Contact:

Website: RabbiWolbe.com
Twitter: @RabbiWolbe
Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Email: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com

Podcasts Links iOS

Podcast Links Android

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#7: Introduction to Oral Torah

Podcast (torah101): Download (Duration: 48:16 — 24.9MB)

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What are the four components of Oral Torah? What are the four elements of the Oral Torah that are not sourced in the Written Torah? What are some of the classical pieces of evidence proving the existence of the Oral Torah? This is the place to begin if you want to understand Oral Torah.
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This podcast was recorded live at the TORCH Centre in Houston, TX. Please visit torchweb.org for program details and to make a donation.

If you enjoy this podcast please subscribe and check out my other podcasts: This Jewish Life – long form deep dives into critical Torah topics; The Jewish History Podcast – telling the remarkable story of the Jewish People; and The Parsha Podcast – a weekly analysis and exploration of the parsha.

Website: RabbiWolbe.com

Twitter: @RabbiWolbe

Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

Email: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com

#6: Incontrovertible Evidence to the Divinity of the Torah

Podcast (torah101): Download (Duration: 38:36 — 20.2MB)

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We explore the intricate interrelationship between written and oral Torah and determine that the creation of such a labyrinthine tapestry is beyond the capacity to man.
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This podcast was recorded live at the TORCH Centre in Houston, TX. Please visit torchweb.org for program details and to make a donation.
If you enjoy this podcast please subscribe and check out my other podcasts: This Jewish Life – long form deep dives into critical Torah topics; The Jewish History Podcast – telling the remarkable story of the Jewish People; and The Parsha Podcast – a weekly analysis and exploration of the parsha.

Website: RabbiWolbe.com

Twitter: @RabbiWolbe

Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

Email: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com

#5: An Unprecedented Eternal Nation

Podcast (torah101): Download (Duration: 45:10 — 23.6MB)

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We explore some predictions in the Torah that have come true and ponder how a human author could have known the future.
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This podcast was recorded live at the TORCH Centre in Houston, TX. Please visit torchweb.org for program details and to make a donation.
If you enjoy this podcast please subscribe and check out my other podcasts: This Jewish Life – long form deep dives into critical Torah topics; The Jewish History Podcast – telling the remarkable story of the Jewish People; and The Parsha Podcast – a weekly analysis and exploration of the parsha.

Website: RabbiWolbe.com

Twitter: @RabbiWolbe

Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

Email: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com

#4: The Cognitive Dissonance to the Veracity of the Torah and why Sinai Denial is on Shakier Intellectual Grounds than Holocaust Denial

Podcast (torah101): Download (Duration: 44:15 — 22.9MB)

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We face internal resistance to the notion of a God-given Torah because that can create a divide between our beliefs and behaviors. How do we respond to the tumult caused by this revelation?

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This podcast was recorded live at the TORCH Centre 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 podcasts: This Jewish Life – long form deep dives into critical Torah topics; The Jewish History Podcast – telling the remarkable story of the Jewish People; and The Parsha Podcast – a weekly analysis and exploration of the parsha.

Website: RabbiWolbe.com

Twitter: @RabbiWolbe

Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

Email: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com