Category Archives: Parsha

Vayikra – Vicarious Sacrifice

Sacrifices sound like a cheat code: You sin and you rebelled against God and your soul gets tarnished. By the strict letter of the law, sin ought to be an executable offense. But God has mercy: Bring a sacrifice and slaughter the animal and you will be expiated. Instead of you dying, the animal will in your stead. Sin is easily remedied with a sacrifice. But how is that fair? If I sinned, I need to atone for it myself. How does sacrificing the animal solve the problem? In this special edition of The Parsha Podcast we discover an answer that can change your life

This Parsha Podcast is sponsored by Aaron Findley in honor of his son’s Bar Mitzvah, Andrew son of Aaron and Judith.

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Vayakhel Pekudei – On Giants’ Shoulders feat. Akiva Wolbe

Bezalel was the architect of the most consequential building project of all time. He was tasked with the responsibility of building the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, the dwelling place for God on this earth. What special skills did Bezalel have that primed him to undertake this ambitious project? Why was Bezalel chosen for this task? When we examine his story and pedigree we find some interesting patterns.

This episode is guest hosted by my eldest son, Akiva, whose Bar Mitzvah is this week. The Parsha Podcast is a family, and I want to make sure that all the family that will not be able to be physically present in Houston for the Bar Mitzvah will still be able to partake in the festivities.

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Parshas Vayakhel & Pekudei (Rebroadcast)

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After the Torah delineates the instructions to assemble the materials for the construction of the Tabernacle in Parshas Terumah and the creation of the vestments of the high priest in Parshas Tetzaveh, Parshas Vayakhel outlines the implementation those plans: The massive fundraising efforts, and the actual building of the Tabernacle and its vessels under the auspices of Bezalel, and Parshas Pekudei wraps up the account of the construction of the Tabernacle, and its vessels and vestments. Again and again we read the refrain that everything was done precisely how God commanded Moses.

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Ki Sisa – Hold Your Fire + TORCH Fundraiser

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Our nation commits the most grievous sin of our history in this week’s parsha. A mere 40 days after we experienced the national revelation at Sinai, the nation made the Golden Calf and began to worship it. How did such a catastrophe happen? When we examine the sin very carefully we find a pattern that repeats itself all over Jewish history and literature and that contains a timeless lesson that will change your life!

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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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Parshas Ki Sisa (Rebroadcast) + Annual TORCH Fundraiser

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This week’s parsha contains several instructions related to the Tabernacle, but the majority of the parsha is dedicated to arguably the most shocking and troubling episode in the whole Torah, the Golden Calf. Forty days after the nation reached the pinnacle of human accomplishment – a national revelation at Sinai – the same nation committed what seems on the surface to be idolatry.

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Tetzaveh – The Great Collaboration

Besides being brothers, Moshe and Aaron were both leaders of the Jewish people: Moshe was the king and Aaron was the high priest. These brothers had different, but complimentary, skills and characteristics, that were each independently necessary for the nation. In this special edition of The Parsha Podcast, we do a very deep dive into the nation of Moshe’s leadership vs. Aaron’s, how they complimented and completed each other.

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This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in the merit of a speedy and complete recovery of Yisrael Ben Aviva, the son of a dear friend and longtime member of the Parsha Podcast family who is going into a very serious heart surgery as this episode is released. If you have a few moments, please say a prayer for Yisrael Ben Aviva for a successful surgery and a complete and total recovery with no lingering effects

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Terumah – 3 Points Behind the Ark

In the epicenter of the Tabernacle, in the Holy of Holies, was the Ark of the Covenant. This golden vessel was the receptacle of the Tablets, both the First Tablets which Moshe shattered at the foot of Mount Sinai in the aftermath of the sin of the Golden Calf, and the Second Tablets which endured. In this special edition of The Parsha Podcast, we share three powerful observations and lessons about the Ark.

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This Parsha Podcast is sponsored by my dear friend Bill Koen in loving memory of and leiluei nishmas Michael ben Schmuel and Yehudit, whose yahrzeit falls out this week. May his soul be elevated in Heaven.

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Mishpatim – Crowning Achievement

The end of our Parsha revisits the Sinai Revelation of Parsha Yisro and recounts some of the preparations for the Ten Commandments. In the negotiations and deliberations in the runup to Sinai, the Nation declares that they will do and they will listen to all the commandments. This statement, we will do and we will listen, became the rallying cry of our people. Our Nation committed itself to God before we knew what that entailed. In this special edition of the Parsha Podcast, we explore this very powerful and consequential declaration.

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Yisro – Jethro’s Epiphany

The protagonist of our parsha, Jethro, underwent a long and fruitful spiritual journey. When the journey began, Jethro was a idolater who worshipped every pagan deity in the world. At its conclusion, Jethro was give great distinction as a believer in God and a purveyor of His Torah. What went into that transformation? What is the anatomy of Jethro’s change? In this special; episode of The Parsha Podcast we demonstrate the three vital components to Jethro’s transformation.

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This Parsha Podcast is sponsored by my friend and longtime listener Adam Chuckrow in recognition of completing his second year of being Shomer Shabbos. On behalf of the entire podcast audience we wish you a hearty congratulations on this momentous milestone. You are a true inspiration.

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Beshalach – Bread of Angels

Parshas Beshalach is arguable the most action-packed Parsha in the Torah. It starts with the Jews hightailing out of Egypt – only to have Pharaoh follow in hot pursuit, and it ends with the nation’s first war. In between these two bookends, there are all kinds of interesting things that happen. In this special podcast episode, we explore the common denominator of the events in our parsha and demonstrate how they serve as a bridge connecting the Exodus of last week’s Parsha to the Revelation upcoming next week.

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Bo – The Ember of Abraham

The Jewish nation was in the dumps. They had spent hundreds of years in Egypt, and the possibility of ever leaving and reconstituting as an independent nation, the dream of Abraham, was long abandoned. But something dramatic happened. The Almighty unleashes Ten Plagues on Egypt and with the Death of the Firstborn, the Egyptians usher the nation out. Freedom was achieved at last. How did the Jews get it? In what merit did the nation deserve to be redeemed? In this special edition of the Parsha Podcast, we unveil a new approach to understanding the enslavement, the Exodus, and what it means to be a descendent of Abraham.

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This Parsha Podcast is dedicated by me in honor of my wife, Chaya, whose birthday is today. On behalf of the entire Parsha Podcast family we wish her a happy and hearty birthday, and many happy returns.

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Vaeira – Pharaoh’s Education

The Jewish people undergo a stunning transformation in our Parsha: It begins with the nation walling in misery; when Moshe offers a plan for salvation, they cannot even hear his comforting message. Yet very quickly they merit a miraculous Exodus, and only fifty days later they experience national prophecy at Sinai. How did this happen? How did the nation learn the lessons and absorb the teachings needed to become the nation of God? In this special edition of the Parsha Podcast we lay out a framework for understanding the importance and significance of the Ten Plagues.

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This Parsha Podcast is sponsored by my dear friend Jeff Yarus in honor of his wife Beth on the occasion of her birthday

On behalf of the entire Parsha Podcast family, we wish her a hearty happy birthday and wish her many happy returns

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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!

SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts

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