Category Archives: Parsha

Nasso – How to Find Your Life-Mission

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 37:06 — 17.0MB)

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A central tenet of Jewish philosophy is that every individual is unique – a world onto their own – and is entrusted by God with a unique, tailored mission. That principle is found several times in our parsha. But how do we discover what our mission is? In the past, that question would be addressed to prophets. In our non-prophet world, finding our life-mission is much tougher. But our parsha gives us some pointers in that quest too.

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Bamidbar and Shavuos: The Indispensability of each Jew

Podcast: Download (Duration: 56:24 — 25.8MB)

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Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 56:24 — 25.8MB)

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Parshas Bamidbar is the Torah portion that we read immediately prior to Shavuos, the Festival of the Giving of the Torah, each year. In this special episode, we offer a mind-bending idea to ponder the connection between Shavuos and Parshas Bamidbar.

To aid with visualizing the contents of this unique episode, please download the accompanying slideshow and follow along.

600,000 to Sinai Download

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Emor – The Addiction Challenge

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 30:43 — 14.1MB)

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Among the many laws found in our parsha, are the laws governing the Festivals and holidays. Given that we are currently in middle of the Counting of the Omer period spanning from Pesach to Shavuos, in this special episode we presented various ways to maximize this period. We also made a specific challenge to the audience. Are you in? Shoot me an email at rabbiwolbe@gmail.com and let me know.

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Special Pesach Episode – The Seder Night: How to Maximize the Year’s Most Powerful Night

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 59:35 — 27.3MB)

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The first night of Pesach – the second night as well is the Diaspora – is arguably the most important nights of the year. On this night we were redeemed from Egypt, this is the night of the Exodus, this is the night of the death of the firstborn; tonight we became a nation. This night has a rich history as well: Tonight, Abraham defeated the four mighty kings; Isaac blessed Jacob; Jacob was saved from Laban. The Sages explain that on the Seder night there is unlimited potential for personal metamorphosis. Just as the Jewish nation was catapulted from the lowest spiritual nadir to the highest levels of human experience, tonight each one of us can merit a personal Exodus from our own personal Egyptian constrictions. In this special podcast, we discuss various ways to make this year’s Pesach Seder the most powerful one yet.

Tzav – Essential Oxygen

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 34:27 — 15.8MB)

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Among the many sacrifices discussed in the Book of Leviticus, the Korban Todah, the Thanksgiving Sacrifice stands out. The Midrash teaches us that in the future, all sacrifices will cease, with the exception of the Thanksgiving sacrifice. Similarly, all prayers will be discontinued, but the thanksgiving prayer will endure. What is so unique about giving thanks to God?

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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!

Contact Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.orgTwitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com.

Podcasts Links:

This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Mitzvah Podcast – Surveying the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts

Vayikra – Infectious Spirituality

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 33:12 — 15.2MB)

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With the help of the Almighty, we begin a new Book, the Book of Leviticus, Sefer Vayikra. In this special edition of the Parsha Podcast, we read the Ramban’s introduction to the Book, and also analyze a very interesting subject contained within the Book that mirrors the events dominating the world today.

This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in the merit of the complete and total recovery, the refuah sheleimah of Fayga bat Rachel.

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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!

Vayakhel & Pekudei – Sequestered with God

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 40:27 — 18.5MB)

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This week’s double-Parsha begins with a stern warning against desecrating the Shabbos in order to build the Tabernacle. Absent the verse, I would have thought that you must even work on Shabbos to erect the Tabernacle. Why would I think so? Also, why indeed does it not override the Shabbos? In this special edition of the Parsha Podcast, we learn about the essence and redemptive powers of Shabbos.

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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!

Ki Sisa – Coronavirus: Three Lessons from the Torah

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 39:29 — 18.1MB)

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The deadly coronavirus (COVID- 19) is dominating the world’s attention. Our Sages teach us that when danger strikes, we must ponder our behavior and search for lessons. We believe that this virus is a message from God. What is the message? What is He telling us? Of course, only prophets can answer that question definitively, but in this special edition of the Parsha Podcast we offer three suggestions gleaned from our parsha regarding what lessons we should take away from this pandemic.

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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!

Terumah – Apex Holiness

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 32:10 — 14.7MB)

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Our parsha features the greatest bargain in human history: God instructs us to erect a Mashkan, a Tabernacle, for Him, and provided that we follow the rules to a tee, He will dwell amongst us. At Sinai, the nation became God’s Chosen People. What exactly was missing after Sinai that necessitated building the Tabernacle?

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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!

Yisro – Spiritual Metamorphosis

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 27:41 — 12.7MB)

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Moshe’s father in law Yisro is arguably the most unusual character in the Torah. His arrival comes at a very crucial time – sandwiched between the major founding events of our nation – and his contribution is somewhat marginal, yet he is given prime real estate in the Torah: In the run-up to the most significant episode of the Torah, the Revelation at Sinai, we read about Yisro, his sacrifices, his festive banquet, his goosebumps, his declarations, his theological backstory; we discover that he has 7 names. The Torah focuses on his story at length. Why does Yisro matter? What eternal lesson does he impart?

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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!

Bo – 11 Dimensions of Exile

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 39:29 — 18.1MB)

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After centuries of subjugation and servitude, our nation was redeemed from Egypt and taken out by God on the wings of eagles. How long, exactly, were we in Egypt? That is actually quite a tricky question to answer. In this parsha we read how the Egyptian enslavement lasted for 430 years but in Genesis, God promises Abraham that the enslavement will only last 400 years. To make matters more confounding, Rashi gives us three different durations of the enslavement: 210, 193, and 117 years respectively. How long were we there and what is the lesson of all these contradicting figures?

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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!

Contact Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.org
Twitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com.

Podcasts Links:

This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
The Parsha Podcast – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher.
The Mitzvah Podcast – Surveying the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts

Vaeira – The Object of Exile

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 35:55 — 16.4MB)

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In our parsha we read about the first seven of the eventual ten plagues that precipitated the Exodus. But a fundamental question needs to be asked: Why were we enslaved to begin with?
What’s the purpose of enslavement and what’s the purpose of the redemption? Why did our people need to undergo this period of torment, suffering, and enslavement before we could be formed as a nation?

Our nation was founded at the Exodus – why couldn’t there be another way?

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This Parsha Podcast is sponsored by Joseph Hiller in loving memory of his grandparents, Rella bas Tovi and Eliezer ben Avraham. May their souls merit an elevation and an ascension in Heaven

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!