Ep. 61: Joshua: Disciple Par Excellence of Moses

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Joshua was the undisputed leader of the Jews after the passing of Moses. Even during Moses’ lifetime, Joshua played an important role as Moses’ aide and confidante and protegé. Among his many accomplishments: He led the war effort and vanquished the Amaleks immediately after the Exodus; He was Moses’ right hand man in his lifetime, and never departed from his side, in fact he remained at the foot of Mount Sinai for the duration of the 40 days that Moses had ascended to Heaven, and joined Moses as they returned to the camp to find the Jews celebrating the Golden Calf; Joshua was one of the twelve leaders of the nation tasked with the responsibility of scouting out the Land, and together with Caleb, was one of the two righteous spies who did not slander the Land; When Moses asked the Almighty to choose a successor, the Almighty instructed him to select Joshua, a man of spirit to designate and strengthen as his successor; After Moses passed, Joshua immediately leads the conquest of the Land of Canaan/Israel and the 7 mighty nations and 31 different kings which are united against them. Part One of our study of Joshua will orient around his role in the Torah as Moses’ trusted disciple.

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This Jewish History Podcast is dedicated in loving memory of Danny Savitsky, Daniel Barnett Ben Yehuda and Amy. May his soul have an ascendancy 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!

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.

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.

Parshas Vayigash

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Twenty two years have passed since Jacob and Joseph were separated. Ever since Joseph was torn away from him, Jacob was bereft of prophecy and inconsolable. In Parshas Vayigash this long saga comes to an end and Jacob is finally reunited with his long-lost son.

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This Parsha Podcast is sponsored in honor of Mordechai and Bina Statfeld – longtime friends, dedicated podcast listeners, and strong supporters of TORCH.

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!

What is Ayin Hara (Evil Eye) and why is it Dangerous? (Jew&A with Rabbi Yaakov Cohen)

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The words “Ayin Hara” are firmly ensconced in the Jewish lexicon. From a young age we are trained to exclaim “keinahara” and “bli ayin hara”, after describing, hearing about, or witnessing something wonderful. What is an ayin hara, why is it dangerous, and how can we mitigate or counteract its damage? Join me and my colleague Rabbi Yaakov Cohen as we seek answers.

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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!

Parshas Mikeitz

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Parshas Mikeitz continues the narrative of Joseph in Egypt. We pick up his story two years after his failed attempt at earning a reprieve via his cellmate, Pharaoh’s butler, who was about to be reinstated to his post as Pharaoh’s side. Joseph is languishing in a dungeon for a crime he did not commit; after being sold to a foreign land as a slave by his own brothers. By the end of the Parsha, Joseph is firmly ensconced as Pharaoh’s viceroy, and is amidst a long back and forth with his brothers who are in town to procure provisions during a fierce famine.

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Chanukah Podcasts:

The History of Chanukah: Hellenism, Heroism and Hasmoneans

Chanukah: A Primer

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This Parsha Podcast is sponsored by Ben and Abby Feferman in appreciation of Rabbi Aaron Hoch and Rabbi Tzvi Sytner of the Village Shul in Toronto for bringing so much light into our community.

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!

Chanukah: A Primer

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About 2,200 years ago, the Jewish Nation faced an existential threat: The Assyrian Greek Empire led by Antiochus and his Hellenist henchmen undertook a concerted campaign to systematically eradicate the Jewish religion. They sought to make the Jews forget the Torah and depart from the mitzvos; they defiled the Temple; they harassed the Jewish daughters; and they banned the observance of many mitzvos on pain of death. But the Almighty did not forsake His people. He stood up for them in their time of sorrow; He waged their wars; He judged the judgement; He avenged their vengeance; and aided the Jews to total victory over their Greek overlords. To remember that miracle, and the miracle of the oil that lasted 8x its intended length, the Sages established the 8-day holiday of Chanukah. In this podcast we survey the history, themes, and laws of Chanukah.

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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!

Parshas Vayeishev

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 1:06:30 — 30.4MB)

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Parshas Vayeishev contains two intersecting, seemingly scandalous, storylines, that after all the dust has settled we can see are harbingers of the Messiah and Redemption: Joseph is hated by his brothers, and is eventually sold by them as a slave after they nearly killed him. By Parsha end, Joseph is languishing in an Egyptian prison after being falsely accused of attempted rape. Judah is also humbled in this week’s Parsha, after cohabiting with his daughter in law who masqueraded as a prostitute. In the moment, these scandals brought shame; but ultimately we can see the Divine Hand manipulating events to effectuate the salvation of the Jewish family and people.

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This Parsha Podcast is sponsored by my dear friends and longtime podcast listeners, Jacob and Megan Kluger, of San Antonio in honor of their children and parents.

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!

Ep. 60: Moses: The Quintessential Jewish Leader

Podcast (history): Download (Duration: 56:52 — 26.0MB)

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Moses was the greatest human of all time. His resume is replete with superlatives: He was the greatest prophet of all time, both qualitatively and quantitatively; He was the humblest man to grace the earth; He ascended to Heaven, negotiated successfully with angels and brought down the Torah and taught it to the Jewish people; He orchestrated the Exodus from Egypt with its concomitant miracles and signs; and according to the Talmud experienced time travel. There is plenty to talk about when analyzing this titanic persona of Jewish history. In this podcast we will zone in on one specific element of Moses’ greatness, his quality as a leader, and construct of model of the archetypal Jewish leader.

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Five Ways to say Thanks:

Donate to TORCH ♥ – https://www.torchweb.org/support.php
Share The Jewish History Podcast with a friend
Download listen or subscribe to one of my other podcasts – The Parsha Podcast, This Jewish Life, Eternal Ethics, TORAH 101
Give The Jewish History Podcast a 5-Star Rating on iTunes
Send me an email at rabbiwolbe@gmail.com

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This Jewish History Podcast is dedicated in honor of Carlos Weil and family. Thank you for your friendship!

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!

Nocturnal Opportunities (3:5)

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Rabbi Chananya ben Chakhinai says: One who stays awake at night, and one who wanders on a road alone, and turns his heart to idleness, behold he is liable with his life.

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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!

Parshas Vayishlach

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After successfully escaping the clutches of his deceptive father in law, Laban, Jacob heads back west to the Land of Canaan, and back to his family. The journey back home was a lot more tumultuous and chaotic than anticipated.

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This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in honor of my dear friend, and friend of TORCH, Howard Schreiber. Thank you for your kindness, generosity, and friendship.

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!

Paging the Divine Presence (3:3-4)

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In successive teachings, our Sages share with us a way to usher ourselves into the Presence of the Almighty. It really is that simple.

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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!

Ep. 59: The Blueprint of Jewish History

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The oft-repeated refrain “history repeats itself” is especially true with respect to the stories of the forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as conveyed in the Book of Genesis. Our Sages have made the bold claim that everything that happened to our forefathers as individuals will be repeated to their children on the national stage. The stories of Genesis are thus a template, a blueprint, of Jewish history. In this podcast we survey some of the major conflicts and episodes of Genesis and see how those themes have played out in Jewish history and speculate how they can guide our approaches to modern day political, cultural, and religious dilemmas.

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This Jewish History Podcast is dedicated in honor of David Askin. Thank you for your friendship and continued support of TORCH throughout the years.

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!

The Art of War with the Yetzer Hara

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The Yetzer Hara is the villain of our life. It’s other names are the “satan” and the “angel of death”. It seeks to undermine us and inhibit us from accomplishing our life’s mission. thankfully, the Sages of the Talmud offered us a multitude of strategies and tactics to combat and resist this deadly force. In this podcast we will try to suggest a general theorem that underpins all of their suggestions.

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This Podcast is dedicated in loving memory of my grandmother, Rebbetzin Rivka Wolbe, a true woman of valor; a princess; a woman of sterling and noble character and stoic resolve.

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!