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Pleasure (6.6.18)

Podcast (pirkeiavos): Download (Duration: 35:59 — 16.5MB)

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Pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain are hardwired impulses . We all want to feel good and to avoid feeling bad. Perhaps surprisingly, the Torah fully embraces this principle. The reason why we were created, we are told, is so that we can become receptacles of pleasure. Our only disagreement with other philosophies is regarding the nature of said pleasure. In this Ethics Podcast episode we explore the subject of pursuit of pleasure, both spiritual and physical.

This Ethics Podcast was originally released on the Ethics Podcast on May 9, 2023

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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!

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Vayeitzei – Red and White Blew it

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 51:50 — 23.7MB)

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Jacob was one of the greatest people who have ever lived. He triumphed over angels. He had angels do his bidding. His visage is etched into God’s throne of glory. He is considered the choicest of the forefathers, the one who merited bearing twelve sons who spawned the twelve tribes of Israel. His life was a series of challenges. His twin brother Esau was his polar opposite and, at this point, was out to kill him. His father-in-law was the wily trickster Laban who sought to deceive him at every turn. Jacob had a mesmerizing impact on his surroundings. His departure from a place was palpable. He had the ability to extract sparks of holiness from inanimate objects. But there were two people whom Jacob was unable to influence: the Red Esau, and the White Laban. In this podcast, you find out how and why they blew it.

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This Parsha podcast is dedicated in loving memory of Will Sukenik, Avraham Ben Velvel who passed away recently. Will was a titan of a man, an exceptionally generous person, and a remarkable leader in the Jewish community. May his Soul be elevated in Heaven

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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!

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Moderation (6:6:17)

Podcast (pirkeiavos): Download (Duration: 43:13 — 19.8MB)

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Our resources are finite. We must engage in trade-offs, deciding what pursuits to prioritize over others. This, of course, is all well known. But it’s more complicated: by design, we feel drawn to seek out and pursue goals that are potentially harmful and that can overtake your life. Balance is key.

This Ethics Podcast was originally released on the Ethics Podcast on Apr 30, 2023

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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!

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Vayeitzei – Rock and Roll (5784)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 50:04 — 22.9MB)

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Jacob undergoes a meteoric transformation in our Parsha. At the onset, Jacob is a 77-year-old penniless bachelor fleeing from his brother Esau’s wrath. When the Pasha concludes, Jacob is at the helm of a veritable empire. He has 12 children with his four wives, is enormously wealthy, and is heading back to encounter Esau’s rage. How did Jacob manage to accomplish such a magnificent transformation? In this special retro edition of the pasha podcast, we explore the wondrous narrative and storyline of Jacob in our Parsha.

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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!

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The Three Types of Disciples

Podcast: Download (Duration: 53:19 — 24.4MB)

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Nothing is as critical to one’s spiritual development as to finding our a good teacher.A good teacher can educate, can inform, can direct, can inspire, can place a student on the right path for them. But how does a student integrate the teachings and the guidance of their teacher within themselves? What are the different ways in which a person in which a pupil can process and digest the teachings of their master? Abraham had three primary students: Lot, Eliezer, and Isaac. When we examine how each of these proteges exhibited the teachings of Abraham, we learn of the three different types of students.

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Please email me at rabbiwolbe@gmail.com with any questions or comments

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Worldliness (6.6.16)

Podcast (pirkeiavos): Download (Duration: 32:14 — 14.8MB)

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The central conflict of our lives orients around our relationship with the physical world in which we currently inhabit: the Torah teaches us that the objective of life is to optimize for the benefit and betterment of the soul, and to prepare for Olam Haba. The Yetzer Hara is engineered to make us believe that improving our standing in this world is what we should strive for. What is the correct balance? How much should we be invested in our standing in this world, and how much should we focus on our pursuit of eternity? In way to wisdom #15, we discover the answer.

This Ethics Podcast was originally released on the Ethics Podcast on Apr 16, 2023

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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!

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Parshas Vayeitzei (Rebroadcast)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 1:03:08 — 28.9MB)

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Parshas Vayeitzei follows Jacob as he is fleeing from his murderous brother Esau and travels to Charan to the house of Laban, his wily and deceptive uncle, and marries multiple wives and fathers 12 children.

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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!

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48 Ways to Wisdom: Mishnah (6:6:15)

Podcast (pirkeiavos): Download (Duration: 24:39 — 11.3MB)

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The oral Torah is vast, comprehensive, and multi-layered. One of its layers is known as Mishnah. What is Mishnah, how was it organized and codified, and why does it prepare us for wisdom? In this Ethics Podcast we learn all about Mishnah and it’s indispensability and power.

This Ethics Podcast was originally released on the Ethics Podcast on Mar 28, 2023

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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!

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Toldos – Infertile Crescent

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 59:09 — 27.1MB)

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Why were the patriarchs and matriarchs infertile? Why did Isaac favor Esau? Why did Isaac require delicacies to bless Esau? Why does the Torah offer an extended narrative of Isaac and wells – digging wells, wrestling with wells that got plugged up, quarreling over wells, naming cities after wells? Why does anti-Semitism exist? These are some of the questions addressed in this very interesting and provocative Parsha podcast. Join us as we go backstage in Parshas Toldos.

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This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in loving memory and leilui nishmat Yehuda Ben Yehhaskel Tabibian who passed away recently. May his soul be elevated in heaven.

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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!

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48 Ways to Wisdom: Scripture (6:6:14)

Podcast (pirkeiavos): Download (Duration: 22:27 — 10.3MB)

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Our works of Scripture are all prophetic, each written with varying degrees of prophecy. When we study Scripture we are encountering the word of God. But what is the objective of the study of Scripture? Why does Scripture pave the way to wisdom? In this Ethics Podcast we discover what Scripture is, how it ought to be studied, and why it primes us for wisdom.

This Ethics Podcast was originally released on the Ethics Podcast on Mar 21, 2023

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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!

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Toldos – Smoking Camels (5784)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 59:12 — 27.1MB)

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Two very different boys are born in this week’s Parsha. Esau, the older one, is ruddy and hairy and looking for trouble. Jacob, the younger one, is wholesome and righteous. The beginning of our Parsha describe the unusual events surrounding the conception and birth of these two boys. When we read it on a superficial level, it does not immediately resonate. What is the deeper messages behind the birthing narrative? In this very special edition of the Parsha Podcast, we explore the prayer of Isaac and Rebecca that led to her conceiving, the two fabrics that Esau is compared to, and the recurring theme of camels in the narrative surrounding this family. This is a podcast that you will enjoy and remember.

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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!

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

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