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48 Ways to Wisdom #13: Equilibrium (6:6:13)

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Humans are not monolithic. Each one of us is unique and have a unique take on every life situation. The truth is even more granular: even within a single person, there is not uniformity. We are all internally conflicted, sometimes thinking like this and sometimes like that, sometimes feeling like this and sometimes feeling like that, etc. It doesn’t have to be like that. There is a way to reach equilibrium.

This Ethics Podcast was originally released on the Ethics Podcast on Mar 14, 2023

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Parshas Toldos (Rebroadcast)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 1:06:32 — 30.5MB)

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In Parshas Toldos we meet twin boys that are polar opposites: Esau, beloved by his father Isaac, is a man of the fields; while Jacob is loved by his mother Rebecca and prefers to dwell in the tents of scholarship. These two children will spawn nations and ideals that diverged from each other even before they were born.

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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 #12: Engaging Students (6:6:12)

Podcast (pirkeiavos): Download (Duration: 20:12 — 9.2MB)

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One of the most rewarding things a person can do is to teach others. But beyond the feeling of gratification that comes with teaching, When you are able to educate and enlighten other people with your knowledge, you learn a lot from the process. Teaching others is a fantastic way to study yourself.

This Ethics Podcast was originally released on the Ethics Podcast on Feb 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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Chayei Sarah – Age of the Matriarchs

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 59:47 — 27.4MB)

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Sarah lived a relatively long life. She passed away at the age of 127 after learning about the Binding of Isaac. Our Parsha begins with her passing, eulogy, and burial in the Cave of the Patriarchs. Just as when the sun sets in one area, it automatically rises in some other place, with the passing of Sarah came the rise of a comparably bright light: Rebecca. In this edition of the Parsha podcast, we explore the legacy of Sarah, the age of Rebecca at her marriage, and examine the founding families of our people.

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This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in loving memory and leilui nishmas David Gedaliah ben Efraim, the unforgettable David Genecov, of blessed memory, whose third yartzeit was today. 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 – #11: Friendly Critique (6:6:11)

Podcast (pirkeiavos): Download (Duration: 20:51 — 9.5MB)

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Humans are not perfect. Only God is. We are fallible. We are mistake-prone. Yet our mission and mandate is to discover truth. That is achieved, chiefly, via the study of Torah. The Almighty embedded truth and understanding of God in the Torah that He gave to us. But even our pursuit of Torah must be done properly. There are ways to corrupt the study of Torah as well. In this 11th way to wisdom we discover the imperative of gaining the perspectives of others. We cannot do it alone.

This Ethics Podcast was originally released on the Ethics Podcast on Feb 13, 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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Chayei Sarah – Buried Alive (5784)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 42:03 — 19.2MB)

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Sarah died at the age of 127. Abraham negotiated with the Hittites for the purchase of a burial plot, the Cave of Machpelah. The objective of the purchase of the Cave of Machpelah was to bury the dead. These three facts are featured at the beginning of our Parsha. On the surface these facts seem wholly unremarkable. In year 8 of the Parsha Podcast we try to go beneath the surface, behind the veneer, into the subtext of the Parsha and to discover the secrets — the deep secrets — contained in the substrate. Is there a deeper meaning of Sarah’s age at death? Why is the role of the Hittites in facilitating Abraham’s purchase revisited so man times in the Torah? Why does the Torah repeat numerous times that the objective of Abraham’s purchase to bury the dead? In this Parsha Podcast we discover some wonderful and deep insights.

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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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Living a Torah Life (Alei Shur Introduction to The First Gate)

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Torah is not supposed to be a detached, academic study. The Almighty gave us a Torah as the authoritative guide for living the most elevated and rich life possible. The Creator of all of created existence endowed humanity with with the guidance for how to live a most meaningful and uplifting life. The First Gate of Alei Shur is dedicated to living a life of Torah and the Introduction to The First Gate will infuse us with deep desire to learn about how to live a Torah life. We also get a glimpse of some of the structure of the Work and how its four Gates act as a ladder of ascent.

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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!

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

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48 Ways to Wisdom – #10: Apprenticeship (6:6:10)

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Our glorious tradition was perpetuated from generation to generation, from teacher to student, from parent to child, for thousands of years. One of the ways to acquire wisdom is by studying under the tutelage of a great Sage.

This Ethics Podcast was originally released on the Ethics Podcast on Jan 8, 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 Chayei Sarah (Rebroadcast)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 56:23 — 25.8MB)

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Some of the highlights of this week’s parsha: Immediately after the Binding of Isaac, Sarah passed away at the age of 127, and soon afterward Abraham had to procure a burial spot for her. In addition, Abraham sent his trusted confidante, Eliezer, to his hometown to find a spouse for Isaac.

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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 – #9: Purity (6:6:9)

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Our sages tell us that one of the ways to acquire wisdom is with purity. What exactly is purity and why would it be a means through which we can acquire wisdom? In this Ethics Podcast we explore the subject of purity with profound depth.

This Ethics Podcast was originally released on the Ethics Podcast on Dec 20, 2022

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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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Vayeira – Sodium and Gomorrah

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 1:09:33 — 31.8MB)

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Abraham was the paragon of faith. He was also the paragon of kindness and hospitality. When he was 99 years old and only three days removed from a very painful and debilitating circumcision surgery, Abraham launched into a frenzied act of superlative hospitality to three travelers (who later turned out to be angels). These twin attributes worked synergistically. Abraham used his hospitality to advance his lifelong mission of disseminating the Name of God in the world and publicizing the Name of God to all. The Parsha is studded with other iconic episodes and narratives: Abraham’s intercession on behalf of the sinners of Sodom and Gomorrah; Lot’s kindness in Sodom and Gomorrah; the overturning of those cities and the rendering of Mrs. Lot into a pillar of salt; Lot’s incestuous tryst with his daughters spawning the forbearer of Messiah; the birth and maturation of Isaac; the banishment of Ishmael; and of course, the Binding of Isaac. In this edition of the Parsha podcast, we study the Parsha and then take a tour backstage.

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This Parsha Podcast is sponsored by Steve Horak in honor of his wife becoming a doctor – Dr Elena Silberman Scott, and in honor of his niece Emily Silberman becoming bat mitzvah, and in honor of his granddaughter Levy Schwartz Messing‘s first birthday.

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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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