Category Archives: Holidays

Chanukah: A Primer

About 2,200 years ago, the Jewish Nation faced an existential threat: The Assyrian Greek Empire led by Antiochus and his Hellenist henchmen undertook a concerted campaign to systematically eradicate the Jewish religion. They sought to make the Jews forget the Torah and depart from the mitzvos; they defiled the Temple; they harassed the Jewish daughters; and they banned the observance of many mitzvos on pain of death. But the Almighty did not forsake His people. He stood up for them in their time of sorrow; He waged their wars; He judged the judgement; He avenged their vengeance; and aided the Jews to total victory over their Greek overlords. To remember that miracle, and the miracle of the oil that lasted 8x its intended length, the Sages established the 8-day holiday of Chanukah. In this podcast we survey the history, themes, and laws of Chanukah.

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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 PodcastsAndroidStitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher.

Sukkos: A Primer

“’In a Sukkah shall you dwell for seven days’ – The Torah is instructing us to leave our permanent dwelling and move into a temporary dwelling.” (Talmud Sukkah 2a). A mere five days after Yom Kippur, we are instructed to abandon our permanent home and move into a makeshift hut and live there for seven days. In addition we are commanded to shake the Four Species on Sukkos; and there is a fascination with the Seventy Nations of the world and their ultimate downfall. The question can be raised: On Yom Kippur we successfully gained atonement and have been cleansed from all traces of sin and imperfection. What about our character is yet imperfect that we must fix with the mitzvah of the Sukkah?

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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 PodcastsAndroidStitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher.

Ten Days of Repentance: A Primer

Yom Kippur marks the final day of the Ten Days of Repentance. On this day all our efforts are focused on repenting and earning atonement for all our sins and getting sealed into the Book of Life for the upcoming year. In this podcast we analyze the notion of repentance in general, the difference between the repentance of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, and learn some timely tactics to ensure that we make the most of this incredibly auspicious day.

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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.

Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:

Podcasts Links:

This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher.

Rosh Hashana: A Primer

Rosh Hashana is both the day of judgement on our deeds of the previous year and the day of new hopes and new beginnings for the year to come. The responsibilities – and the opportunities – of the day are so significant that we must be ready and prepared for it. In this podcast we delve into the essence of the day and the ways to maximize its potency.

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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.

Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:

Podcasts Links:

This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher.

Tisha B’Av – The Silver Lining of Tragedy

Tisha B’av is the saddest day of the Jewish calendar. Over the millennia, scores of unfortunate events happened to our nation on this inauspicious day. Why is this day so totally designated for bad things, what is the significance of the Temples for us today living in 2018, and what are we supposed to feel during the time of Tisha Bav?

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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.

Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:

Podcasts Links:

This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher.

Shavuos: A Primer

Shavuos marks the time of the giving of the Torah and the climax of the nation building that began with the Exodus. In this podcast we offer a broad overview of the meaning of this Festival and its various themes.

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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.

Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:

Podcasts Links:

This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher.

Pesach: A Primer

Pesach marks the foundational event of our nation’s history. The Exodus that happened on the days of Pesach is the rationale of the Jewish holidays nad festivals, including the weekly Shabbos, and is invoked in many mitzvos. In this podcast we explore the story of Pesach and discover what it says about what we stand for as a nation.

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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.

Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:

Podcasts Links:

This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher.

Purim – A Mitzvah to get Drunk

Besides the four mitzvos of the day, the Talmud states that a person has to get drunk on Purim “until he does not know the difference between Haman is cursed and Mordechai is blessed”. What is the meaning behind this bizarre practice?

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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.

Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:

Podcasts Links:

This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher.

Purim: A Primer

Purim is a holiday marking the salvation of the Jews in Persia from the genocidal plans of Haman and his cohorts. Every 14th and 15th day of Adar, Jews worldwide read the Book of Esther which tells the story, give gifts to the poor and to their friends, and partake in a lavish and festive holiday banquet. What is the history of the holiday and what are some of its themes?

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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.

Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:

Podcasts Links:

This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher.

Purim – Love-Inducing Miracles

The Talmud (Shabbos 88a) teaches that in the aftermath of the Purim miracles the Jewish people re-accepted the Torah out of love. What was so special about the miracles of Purim that fostered this profound love and what lessons can we learn from it?

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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.

Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:

Podcasts Links:

This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher.

Chanukah – Small Miracles

When reading about the story and the miracles of Chanukah, the most prominent and memorable one seems to be the military victory of a small ragtag guerrilla army over the mighty Greeks. Yet the mitzvah commemorating the events revolves around the miracle of the oil, a seemingly insignificant miracle in comparison. In this podcast, we offer 3 explanations as to why that is the case, and use them to deepen our understanding of the holiday and its meaning.

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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:

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

Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes, Android, and Stitcher:

Podcasts Links:

This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;

Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe : Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher.

Enveloped by God: Understanding the Festival of Sukkos

The Festival of Sukkos has many moving parts: There is the mitzvah to dwell in a Sukkah for seven days; we are commanded to shake the Four Species on Sukkos; and there is a fascination with the Seventy Nations of the world and their ultimate downfall. In this podcast, we offer a comprehensive perspective of the Festival that also explains its intimate relationship with Yom Kippur and the enigmatic Shmini Atzeres.

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Please consider making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!

Contact:

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

Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW all my podcasts on iTunes and Android:

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:

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