Rabbi W
Rabbi W
22 episodes 1 show
Rabbi Pinchas Wolhendler (“Rabbi W”) is the co-founder and Chief Editor of Toras Avigdor. He serves as a dayan at Beis Horaah Lamdeini Chukecha and delivers daily shiurim in Halacha and Gemara. His shiurim focus on making Torah clear, practical, and relevant to everyday life.
Popular Shows
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Name
Release Date
Duration
1
The Wisdom of Torah — Hakdamah 2
The Wisdom of Torah — Hakdamah 2
Aug 25, 2026
5:30
Chovos Halvavos discusses the various forms of wisdom — one of the great gifts bestowed upon us by Hashem. But he places special emphasis on what he calls “Divine Wisdom.” Torah isn’t merely something to know; our minds and understanding themselves must become part of our service to Hashem. In the podcast, we mentioned a story about this idea. Check out the latest article on the Toras Avigdor Blog to read the story.
2
It’s Not About Bitachon — Hakdamah 1
It’s Not About Bitachon — Hakdamah 1
Aug 24, 2026
5:29
Chovos Halvavos is often thought of as the sefer about bitachon. But it is much more: a profound and comprehensive system of thought that has guided Klal Yisroel for nearly a thousand years. In this series, we will attempt to understand and absorb that system as we make our way through the sefer.
3
What did Hashem Create YOU for? — Hakdamah 21
What did Hashem Create YOU for? — Hakdamah 21
Oct 6, 2026
5:52
Chovos Halvavos challenges the idea of “emunah peshutah” for someone capable of deeper understanding. Relying on the emunah we inherited may be sufficient when a person lacks the ability to investigate further — but someone blessed with a capable mind is expected to use it in the service of Hashem. Rabbeinu Bachya illustrates this with the fascinating parable of the king’s two tax collectors. Hashem doesn’t expect the same thing from everyone; He expects us to use the particular abilities He gave us. And for someone blessed with intelligence, intellectual laziness in matters of emunah is itself a failure to serve Him fully.
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The Sky is Not the Limit —Hakdamah 17
The Sky is Not the Limit —Hakdamah 17
Sep 16, 2026
5:57
Chovos Halvavos explains another reason why the duties of the heart demand serious study. Physical mitzvos are defined and countable — but the obligations of our minds and hearts have no such limits. As Dovid Hamelech tells us, “To every goal I have seen an end, but Your commandment is exceedingly broad.” The more we understand the inner service of Hashem, the more we discover that there is always another level.
5
Discovering the Hidden Wisdom — Hakdamah 20
Discovering the Hidden Wisdom — Hakdamah 20
Oct 5, 2026
6:36
Chovos Halvavos introduces us to Chochmah Hatzfunah — the hidden wisdom of our inner avodas Hashem. Unlike practical halacha, this wisdom lies deep within the heart and must be deliberately uncovered — “like deep water, which a man of understanding draws out.” Rabbeinu Bachya challenges us to examine our priorities in learning: Are we pursuing fascinating questions that may never affect us, while neglecting the middos, thoughts, and inner obligations that shape us every single day?
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Inner Torah Study — Hakdamah 19
Inner Torah Study — Hakdamah 19
Sep 18, 2026
5:41
Chovos Halvavos warns against devoting our limited learning time to subjects that may be fascinating while neglecting the foundations of our emunah. Knowing that Hashem is One because we learned it as children is only the beginning; we are expected to think, investigate, and make these truths our own. Rabbeinu Bachya describes this inner wisdom as “light for the mind and illumination for the soul.” The deeper our understanding of Hashem becomes, the more our emunah becomes not merely something we were taught, but something we truly know.
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Creating the Sefer — Hakdamah 22
Creating the Sefer — Hakdamah 22
Oct 8, 2026
5:45
Chovos Halvavos describes how Rabbeinu Bachya began studying and practicing the duties of the heart, only to discover that the deeper he went, the more there was to learn. Each obligation opened the door to new insights and responsibilities, revealing a world of inner avodah far greater than he had imagined. We discover why Rabbeinu Bachya decided to write Chovos Halvavos — not only to preserve what he had learned, but to hold himself accountable to his own teachings. What began as a personal guide for self-improvement would become a light for generations of Klal Yisroel.
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Motivations for Torah Study — Hakdamah 18
Motivations for Torah Study — Hakdamah 18
Sep 17, 2026
6:31
Chovos Halvavos explains why the duties of the heart have received so much less attention than the practical mitzvos. It isn’t because they’re simple or obvious — in fact, genuine dedication to them has always been the province of relatively few. Rabbeinu Bachya points to an uncomfortable tendency in Torah learning: people may be drawn to subjects that bring recognition, intellectual satisfaction, or prestige, while overlooking obligations that touch them every day. We can master complicated questions that may never arise while neglecting ahavas Hashem, yiras Hashem, kavanah, and the inner avodah for which we are constantly responsible.
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Always Top of Mind — Hakdamah 15
Always Top of Mind — Hakdamah 15
Sep 11, 2026
7:24
Chovos Halvavos teaches that the duties of the heart are different from other mitzvos: they never stop. They apply at every time, in every place, and in every circumstance. But does that mean we must consciously think about Hashem every second of the day? We explore what “constant” really means — and how the way we think about a $100 bill helps explain what it means to make emunah, yirah, ahavah and bitachon part of who we are.
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Introducing the Torah of the Mind — Hakdamah 3
Introducing the Torah of the Mind — Hakdamah 3
Aug 26, 2026
5:22
Chovos Halvavos identifies three gateways to Divine Wisdom: the human intellect, the Written Torah, and the teachings of Chazal. We discover what made Rav Moshe Feinstein’s daas Torah so pure, and are introduced to the fundamental distinction between the duties of our limbs and the hidden duties of our hearts.