Popular Shows by Rabbi W

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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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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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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.

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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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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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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.

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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.

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The Mitzvos as Expressions of Gratitude — Hakdamah 8

Sep 1, 2026

5:08

Chovos Halvavos gives us a new perspective on the physical mitzvos we perform: they are expressions of gratitude to Hashem for the physical gifts He gives us. Tefillah, tzedakah, Torah, sukkah, lulav, tzitzis and the other mitzvos become not merely obligations to fulfill, but opportunities to use what Hashem gave us in His service. And why did Rav Avigdor Miller say your lulav should never look like a shower rod? We’ll hear the story.

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Examples of Concealed Mitzvos — Hakdamah 9

Sep 2, 2026

6:46

Chovos Halvavos introduces us to Avodah Hatzfunah — the concealed service of Hashem that takes place within our minds and hearts. Yichud Hashem, genuine emunah, yirah, accepting His service, aligning our desires with His will, and serving Him with conscious intention are all mitzvos that nobody else can see. And what does an ordinary set of clothes have to do with wearing a hospital gown? A powerful lesson in appreciating one of Hashem’s everyday gifts.

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NeuraLink and the Chovos Halvovos — Hakdamah 10

Sep 3, 2026

5:14

Chovos Halvavos demonstrates that the duties of the heart are genuine Torah obligations, rooted in logic, the Written Torah, and the teachings of Chazal. And there’s an even deeper point: no physical action can exist without the mind behind it — which means our physical mitzvos themselves depend upon the concealed service of the heart. What does Neuralink have to do with Chovos Halvavos? Modern technology provides a fascinating illustration of a Torah truth taught nearly a thousand years ago.

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Torah Sources for Mitzvos of the Mind — Hakdamah 11

Sep 6, 2026

6:24

Chovos Halvavos turns to the Written Torah to prove that the duties of the heart are genuine Torah obligations. Loving and fearing Hashem, loving others, avoiding jealousy, hatred and grudges — the Torah doesn’t command only what we do, but also what takes place within our minds and hearts. We also explore what the Torah really means when it speaks about the “heart” — and why it encompasses much more than emotion.

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In Your Mouth and Your Heart — Hakdamah 12

Sep 7, 2026

4:36

Chovos Halvavos teaches that the entire system of mitzvos rests upon what takes place in our minds and hearts. The Torah tells us that serving Hashem is not far away: “It is very near to you — in your mouth and in your heart, to do it.” We explore the progression of beficha, blevavcha, la’asoso — how speaking words of Torah and tefillah can awaken the heart, and ultimately lead to genuine action and avodas Hashem.

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General Statements of the Sages — Hakdamah 13

Sep 8, 2026

5:59

Chovos Halvavos turns to the third gateway — the teachings of Chazal — for the clearest proof that Hashem demands not only our actions, but our minds and hearts: “Rachmana liba ba’i” — Hashem desires the heart. We also discover how something as ordinary as going to work to pay yeshiva tuition can become an ongoing mitzvah — simply by changing what’s going on in our minds.

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More Statements of the Sages — Hakdamah 14

Sep 9, 2026

6:20

Chovos Halvavos brings further proofs from Chazal that the mind and heart are at the center of our avodas Hashem. Pirkei Avos focuses on our inner world, and even Halacha distinguishes between the very same action performed intentionally or unintentionally. We discover how kavanah gives life to our mitzvos — and how something as routine as bentching can be transformed simply by remembering what we’re actually doing.

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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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The Two Obstacles — Hakdamah 16

Sep 15, 2026

5:31

Chovos Halvavos illustrates the constant obligation of the mind with the parable of a servant given two jobs. His work in the fields depends on the season and circumstances, but his service inside the house never stops. So too, physical mitzvos have their times and circumstances, while ahavas Hashem, Yichud Hashem, and our inner service of Hashem accompany us constantly. What gets in the way? Chovos Halvavos identifies two major obstacles: becoming too absorbed in this world, and failing to appreciate the greatness of the One we serve.

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A New Perspective On the Mitzvos — Hakdamah 7

Aug 31, 2026

5:25

Chovos Halvavos begins proving through logic that the duties of the mind are genuine obligations. Physical mitzvos themselves depend on what’s happening inside us — on intention and understanding. And we discover a new perspective on mitzvos: not merely commandments from Hashem to us, but opportunities for us to serve Hashem out of gratitude for everything He has given us.

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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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Nobody Wrote a Chovos Halvavos Until Now — Hakdamah 6

Aug 30, 2026

5:47

Chovos Halvavos reaches a turning point in the Hakdamah: why did Rabbeinu Bachya write this sefer? After surveying the great Torah works that already existed — on Tanach, Halacha, and Emunah — he discovered a surprising omission: there was no comprehensive work devoted to the duties of the heart. Could it be that these inner obligations are merely good advice rather than actual mitzvos? That's the question that sets the stage for what comes next.

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Negative Mitzvos of the Mind — Hakdamah 5

Aug 28, 2026

5:19

Chovos Halvavos introduces the negative obligations of the mind — thoughts and attitudes that the Torah forbids. We discover that even failing to use our minds to recognize Hashem’s wonders can itself be a transgression, and that our service of Hashem extends far beyond our actions to the innermost thoughts of the heart. Today’s episode is sponsored by Shragi Weingarten in honor of Rabbi W.

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The Mitzvos of the Mind — Hakdamah 4

Aug 27, 2026

6:33

Chovos Halvavos explains an important difference between the duties of our limbs and the duties of our hearts. Some physical mitzvos make perfect sense to us, while others we observe simply because Hashem commanded them. The duties of the heart, however, are entirely rooted in understanding — and unlike physical actions, they have no limits. We also begin exploring the great inner obligations that will accompany us throughout the sefer: emunah, bitachon, humility, awe, love of Hashem, and living with the awareness that He is always watching.

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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.

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