Category Archives: History

Ep. 50: The Story of King David (Part Two: David, King of Israel)

Podcast (history): Download (Duration: 1:06:17 — 34.5MB)

David is now the undisputed king of Israel, but before him lay several key tasks: Of course the various Philistine and Canaanite tribes continue to be a pest, and David must subdue them to create lasting stability. Most importantly, however, David needs to corral the tribes of Israel who were formerly loyal to Saul and Ish Boshes and unite them as one nation under his leadership. At the onset of his rule, David sets out to accomplish these tasks. His rule will be triumphant, but riddled with sad, tragic, and puzzling episodes.

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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:

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Email: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com.

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The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.

Ep. 49: The Story of King David (Part One: Rise to Monarchy)

Podcast (history): Download (Duration: 48:03 — 26.0MB)

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King David was anointed as the second king of Israel by the prophet Samuel and is considered the archetype of the Jewish king who earned the mantle of monarchy for his descendants forever. He authored the Psalms, which until this day are the ultimate manifestation of the Jewish soul yearning for its Creator and praying and beseeching Him for mercy. In part one of our treatment of this transcendental figure, we follow David’s rise to monarchy as chronicled in the Book of Samuel and intersperse it with lessons and insights and more details from the Talmud.
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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:

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The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.

Ep. 48: The History of the Jewish Calendar (Plus Annual Fundraising Appeal at GiveTORCH.org)

Podcast (history): Download (Duration: 58:37 — 33.3MB)

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Annual Appeal

To my dear listeners,
At TORCH we have a simple philosophy: We give stimulating and engaging and relevant Torah teachings every day. But there is one day a year that we ask our friends, students, supporters and partners to give to TORCH. Today is that day. Today we will, please God, raise the bulk of our yearly budget at GiveTORCH.org. To sweeten the deal, a special group of donors agreed to QUADRUPLE every donation made today to GiveTORCH.org. For 24 hours your donation to support Jewish education in Houston and throughout the world, to support a wide variety of Torah podcasts, to support sending dozens of students to Israel, is amplified 4X. Please visit GiveTORCH.org right now to make your contribution. Thank you. Thank you for being loyal listeners to The Jewish History Podcast and for supporting me and TORCH.
Warmly,
Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

The history of the Jewish calendar may sound boring, complex and cumbersome, but the truth is that it is utterly fascinating for many reasons: For one, learning about how they managed the calendar offers a window into the way our ancestors operated thousands of years ago. Secondly, it demonstrates the Jewish perspectives of role of human arbiters to clarify and decide halacha. Some of the stories surrounding the calendar highlight the genius and cleverness of the sages in the ways that they navigated and overcame significant hurdles that could have wreaked havoc on the nation. Sadly, in this arena we also come face to face with the devastating consequences of internal division and discord and how dangerous it can be when there are treasonous actors trying to sabotage the nation from within.

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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:

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The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.

Ep. 47: The Purim Story

Podcast (history): Download (Duration: 59:14 — 32.0MB)

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The Purim Story begins with King Achashverosh, the Persian king who ruled from Hodu until Cush (India until Ethiopia), making a massive feast for all the ministers and noblemen of Persia and Media that lasted for 180 days. Soon afterwards Achashverosh partners with the wicked Haman to annihilate the entire Jewish nation. In this podcast we tell the story of Purim as told in the Book of Esther, the associated Talmudic sources, and embellished by discoveries in archaeology.

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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 Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.

Ep. 46: The Purim Backstory

Podcast (history): Download (Duration: 37:48 — 21.2MB)

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Purim is a holiday celebrated by Jews worldwide on the 14th day of the month of Adar, and in Jerusalem and walled cities on the fifteenth day of Adar. It commemorates the story of the salvation of the Jewish nation from the genocidal plans of Haman and Achashveirosh in Persia. How did the Jews end up living under the Persians in the middle of the Middle East? How did the nation that entered and conquered Israel/Judea under Joshua end up in Persia? In this podcast we will tell the backstory of the Purim story and next episode will feature the actual Purim miracle as told in the Book of Esther and the related sources in classical Jewish Literature.
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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 Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.

Ep. 45: A History of Tefillah (Jewish Prayer), Liturgy, and the Siddur

Podcast (history): Download (Duration: 1:13:02 — 41.0MB)

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Prayer is a central aspect of Jewish life. The second mishnah in Pirkei Avos identifies the three pillars that uphold the world, one of them being prayer. Prayer also occupies a large part of Jewish observance: we pray thrice daily, four times on Shabbos, Rosh Chodesh, holidays and festivals, and five times on Yom Kippur, amounting to well over 1000 annual prayers. Prayer is also a major lever of influence in the Torah and the Tanach, and there are many stories of our antecedents employing this tool of worship. In this podcast we will explore the history and origins of Jewish prayer, survey instances of prayer in the Bible and the Talmud, see its various dimensions and themes, and learn how prayer reached its current form.
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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 Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.

Ep. 44: Jerusalem: A History of the Holy City from the Bible to Bibi

Podcast (history): Download (Duration: 1:14:35 — 39.3MB)

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The ancient and historic city of Jerusalem is the most contested piece of real estate on the planet. For Jews, it is the center of the world; it is the hallowed grounds upon which Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob treaded and prayed; it was the site of the two Temples, and of the long-awaited third Temple. In this podcast, we outline the Jewish people’s religious and theological connections to Jerusalem and trace the millenia-long history of the holy city.

This lecture was recorded live in Harrisburg, PA as part of a three-lecture visit to the capital of Pennsylvania.

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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 Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.

Ep. 43: The History of Chanukah: Hellenism, Heroism and Hasmoneans

Podcast (history): Download (Duration: 48:44 — 26.2MB)

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The holiday of Chanukah commemorates the triumph of the Maccabean Revolt over the oppressive regime of Antiochus IV and the Seleucid Empire. In this podcast we tell the story of this miraculous victory of the weak over the mighty; the few over the many; the pure over the impure; and the righteous over the wicked.

NEW PODCAST – Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.

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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 Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;

Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.

Ep. 42: Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel (Part Two: The Mussar Ideology)

Podcast (history): Download (Duration: 48:30 — 26.1MB)

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The burgeoning yeshiva movement today, and indeed the fact that yeshivos did not go extinct a century ago, is due to Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, known the world over as the Alter of Slabodka, more than any one person. He was the first to combine two of the greatest movements of the 19th century into one, formidable, potent, and unstoppable force, when he opened the first Mussar yeshiva, thereby marrying the modern yeshiva framework of Volozhin with the powerful Mussar movement of Reb Yisrael Salanter. This is part two which will focus primarily on his pedagogical methodologies and how he succeeded in molding such illustrious disciples.

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This podcast is Is sponsored by Josh Blackman in honor of his parents, Iris Hershenson and Jaimie Blackman

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, Android, and Stitcher:

Podcasts Links:

This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics: iOS, Android, Stitcher;

The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: iOS, Android, Stitcher;

The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parshas: iOS, Android, Stitcher;

TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah: iOS, Android, Stitcher;

Eternal Ethics – Drawing Powerful Lessons from Pirkei Avos: iOS, Android, Stitcher.

Ep. 41: Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel (Part One: The Slabodka Revolution)

Podcast (history): Download (Duration: 51:30 — 27.9MB)

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Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, known the world over as the Alter of Slabodka, was and is the greatest builder of Torah of the last several centuries. The burgeoning yeshiva movement today, and indeed the fact that yeshivos did not go extinct a century ago, is due to him more than any one person. He was the first to combine two of the greatest movements of the 19th century into one, formidable, potent, and unstoppable force, when he opened the first Mussar yeshiva, thereby marrying the modern yeshiva framework of Volozhin with the powerful Mussar movement of Reb Yisrael Salanter. This is part one which will focus primarily on the path that he took to building his eponymous yeshiva in Slabodka.

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This podcast is dedicated in honor of Jeffrey and Beth Yarus.

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, Android, and Stitcher:

Podcasts Links:

This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics: iOS, Android, Stitcher;

The Jewish History Podcast – Telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples: iOS, Android, Stitcher;

The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly Analysis and Exploration of the Parshas: iOS, Android, Stitcher;

TORAH 101 – An Intellectual’s Introduction to Torah: iOS, Android, Stitcher;

Eternal Ethics – Drawing Powerful Lessons from Pirkei Avos: iOS, Android, Stitcher.

Ep. 40: Rabbi Chaim Soloveichik and the Brisker Method of Talmudic Analysis

Podcast (history): Download (Duration: 58:02 — 32.7MB)

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Rabbi Chaim Soloveichik, the scion of a prestigious rabbinical family, was the father of a new penetrating, incisive, and brilliant approach to Talmudic study and analysis that took the Yeshiva world by storm and is now ubiquitously accepted in the Yeshiva world. In addition to those accomplishments, he was also the paragon of kindness. In this podcast we tell the story of the man, and the method that revolutionized Talmudic study in the yeshiva world.

Torah Discoveries Podcast:

A podcast by Rabbi Zvi Selevan explaining Torah through discoveries in history, archaeology, geography, and science
Website: http://torahdiscoveries.com/
Link to podcast on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/torah-discoveries/id1294158935?mt=2

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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:

Ep. 39: Rabbi Yisrael Salanter and the Mussar Movement

Podcast (history): Download (Duration: 1:16:23 — 42.0MB)

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By the 1840s, ferocious winds of changes were sweeping through the Jewish nation, and leaving wreckage and carnage in the wake of their consuming vortexes. The spiritual standing of the nation was under assault from without and vulnerable from within. Several great, innovative leaders rose up and created movements aimed at rebuffing the threats. In this podcast, we tell the remarkable story of Reb Yisrael Salanter and his Mussar Movement.

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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:

Podcast Links Android: