Category Archives: Podcasts

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts

#100: Second Order of Mishnah (Festivals)

Podcast (torah101): Download (Duration: 1:05:21 — 29.9MB)

Subscribe: RSS

The Jewish calendar is studded with days of great importance. Each week we relive Genesis by celebrating the holy Shabbos. At half-year intervals are the mega festivals of Sukkos and Pesach (Passover). There’s also Shavuos, Rosh Hashanah, and the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. The second Order of Mishnah orients around all these days of importance. In this podcast we learn about the content of the 12 books of this Order, and also sample a teaching from each book.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts

Parshas Eikev (Rebroadcast)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 59:14 — 27.1MB)

Subscribe: RSS

We pick up where we left off last week amid Moshe’s speech to the nation before his passing, and as in the previous few weeks, Parshas Eikev is jam packed with insights and timeless lessons. Moshe pivots between looking back on the conduct of the nation in the preceding 40 years and admonishing them for their misdeeds, and gazing forward to the conquest of Canaan and the secrets to making their settlement peaceful, prosperous, and secure.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts

Vaeschanan – Two of Hearts

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 1:06:38 — 30.5MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Even believers are incapable of understanding God. It’s supremely logical to observe that our wonderful world – our wonderful universe – certainly had a Creator, but how can we connect with God? How can we develop a relationship with Him? In our Parsha, we are commanded to develop emotions of love and fear towards God, emotions that ought to be expressed when performing mitzvos. But how can we love God when we mortal, finite humans are inherently precluded from even understanding the Infinite? In this wonderful, if text and source heavy, podcast, we learn about the secret of love (of God), sometimes known as the secret of two hearts.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts

Vaeschanan – Jordan Rules (5783)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 59:08 — 27.1MB)

Subscribe: RSS

As a result of Moshe’s sin of striking the rock, he was barred from crossing over the Jordan River and entering the Land of Canaan. In Moshe’s speech to the nation, he recounts how he petitioned God to have this decree rescinded. When studying Moshe’s prayer to enter the Land, we discover several incredible insights about the nature of prayer, the efficacy of prayer, and what it takes to accomplish world-changing things.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts

Parshas Vaeschanan (Rebroadcast)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 1:04:11 — 29.4MB)

Subscribe: RSS

This week’s parsha continues Moshe’s monologue to the nation in the weeks preceding his passing. He begins by recounting his repeated efforts in trying to convince God to rescind His decree that Moshe not enter the Land; Moshe then begins the retelling of the Torah; and we read many warnings and predictions about proper behavior and the consequences of abandoning Torah and mitzvos. This is a parsha replete with iconic verses and big themes!

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts

Biblical Longevity

Podcast: Download (Duration: 50:31 — 23.1MB)

Subscribe: RSS

We all want to live long. But how long is a long life? Centenarians are still rare. Global life expectancy is around 70 years old. In healthier, richer countries, maybe 80. But when you open up Scripture, you find ages an order of magnitude larger. Adam lived to 930. Methuselah to 969. How do we understand the radical difference in the ages of the ancients? What changed from then till now? Why did God shrink the average life expectancy? This question intrigued many of our sages, and in this very fun and interesting podcast, we explore some of the ideas that they shared.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts

Devarim – Wellsprings of Beer

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 1:00:16 — 27.6MB)

Subscribe: RSS

There are many levels of Torah. There are many ways to acquire Torah, 48 by the calculation of our Sages. The human with the greatest understanding of Torah was obviously Moshe, the one who received Torah directly from God. In our Parsha we get a stunning description of the profound depth of Moshe’s understanding of Torah. When we plumb the matter further, we discover all sorts of secrets. There are actually 50 dimensions of Torah. The 48 ways to acquire Torah are only for the first 48 levels. Moshe’s understanding went to the 49th level. Each level is a profound wellspring, be’er (באר) in Hebrew.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in honor of the person without whom there would never have been a Parsha Podcast. In honor of my mother, she should live and be well, on the occasion of her milestone birthday. May you have many more happy returns in good health. May Hashem send you a complete and total refuah Sheleimah, and may we gather for your next milestone birthday in happiness and harmony.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts

Devarim – Middling East (5783)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 57:25 — 26.3MB)

Subscribe: RSS

In his speech to the Nation, Moshe revisits the episode of the Spies that occurred 39 years prior. When the nation was on the verge of entering the Land, Moshe commissioned 12 distinguished men to reconnoiter the Land and to share their findings with the nation. It was a debacle and a fiasco. As a result of the report, the nation abandoned hopes to enter the land. They became defeatist and lapsed in their faith. As a result, the nation was condemned to remain in the wilderness for 40 years. Now, when the nation is on the verge of entering the land once again, Moshe revisits this story. In his retelling, he reveals some startling details that completely upend our understanding of this pivotal event. In this Parsha Podcast we study and probe the shocking accusation that the nation made as a consequence of the Spies’ report.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts

Tisha Bav: Why We Mourn

Podcast: Download (Duration: 40:09 — 18.4MB)

Subscribe: RSS

The ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av is the saddest day of the Jewish calendar. All manner of calamities and tragedies and disasters befell our people on this day. On this day the nation was condemned to wonder in the wilderness for 40 years. On this day both Temples were destroyed. On this day, the last stronghold of the Jewish rebellion in Betar was destroyed. Over the millennia, many more calamities occurred on this most inauspicious day. It is a day of fasting and mourning. What exactly are we mourning about? What is the purpose of mourning? What ought we to do on this day? In this special podcast we learn about the essence of the sadness of this day, and what we can do about it.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts

Parshas Devarim (Rebroadcast)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 49:44 — 22.8MB)

Subscribe: RSS

5 weeks before his passing, Moses gives a three-parsha-long speech to the nation, which constitutes his last will and testament. He begins with a retrospective of the history of the nation over the past 40 years since the Exodus – subtly rebuking the nation, guiding them, admonishing them, ensuring that they don’t repeat their mistakes of yore.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts

Mattos Masei – Greatness and Anti-Greatness

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 56:19 — 25.8MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Accidents are unfortunate. Accidents that lead to death are a catastrophe. Among the myriad of subjects discussed in this week’s double Parsha is the law of the accidental murderer. When someone kills accidentally, they are punished by being confined to certain cities from which they mustn’t leave. These cities of refuge serve as open-air prisons, which the accidental murderers must remain until the death of the high priest. In this very special and interesting Parsha podcast, we explore the fascinating connection between the death of the high priest and the release of accidental murderers, and ponder the over-representation of murderers on the East side of the Jordan River versus the West.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts