The Ethics Podcast · Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

101

Beloved (6.6.30 Intro)

Mar 6, 2024

17:50

Torah was not given to angels. Torah was given to humans. One way to expand our ability to acquire Torah is by enhancing our humanity. The more human we are, the more we are a worthy receptacle of Torah. But what does it mean to be a human? – – – – – – – […]

102

Sense of Mission (6.6.29)

Feb 5, 2024

30:11

We love Torah. Torah study is our national pastime and obsession. It is enjoyable; it is fun; it is interesting — but to acquire it – we have to now that it is imperative: It is as indispensable as water, oxygen and bread. – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

103

Making Fences (6.6.28)

Nov 15, 2023

29:52

Humans are fallible. We are imperfect, yet we are tasked with being the stewards and the guardians of the perfect. We hold the Almighty’s Torah in our hands. We are tasked with perpetuating it from generation to generation and with rendering rulings in line with the will of God. The only way that we can […]

104

Joyous With Your Lot (6.6.27)

Nov 1, 2023

24:57

There is an unequal distribution of talents, gifts, abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Everyone is different. Everyone is their own world. This applies both in the spiritual domain and in the material/physical domain. A believer who understands that the Almighty gives everyone exactly what they need must be joyous with their lot. Your lot is exactly […]

105

Know Your Place (6.6.26)

Oct 25, 2023

39:38

The greatest pedagogues of history – the Sages of the Mishnah – codified “knowing your place” as a means to acquire Torah, to acquire wisdom. What exactly is intended with knowing your place? In this Ethics Podcast we share three life-changing approaches. – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

106

Accepting Affliction (6.6.25)

Aug 21, 2023

39:47

Life is full of nuisances. For many – maybe all – life inevitably contains some pain, suffering, and affliction. How we approach these situations is a central element of our religion and theology. Our Sages revealed to us that accepting affliction is a means to achieve wisdom. It is one of the 48 ways to […]

107

Trust Sages

Aug 7, 2023

44:03

Our primary responsibility as humans and as Jews is to develop and deepen our faith in the Creator. Can we have faith in man? Can we have faith in a mortal? In the 24th way to achieve and acquire wisdom, we learn about the concept of having faith in our Sages. What does it mean […]

108

Good Heart (6.6.23)

Jul 24, 2023

30:12

Although the study of Torah is ostensibly a cognitive pursuit, there are many qualities that are not cognitive nature that facilitate and enable the study of Torah. In this way to acquire wisdom, way #23, we learn about what it means to have a good heart , and how that serves as a means to […]

109

Anger Suppression (6.6.22)

Jul 12, 2023

20:44

Anger is part of the human experience. When things agitate us, we get frustrated and have a tendency to lash out, to berate, to say things that we may regret. In this ethics podcast, we learn about the virtue of being slow to anger and how it can help supercharge our pursuit of wisdom. – […]

110

Levity (6.6.21)

Jun 21, 2023

29:43

Life is serious. Pursuit of wisdom is the pursuit of truth. Pursuit of wisdom is the pursuit of understanding the Divine (to the best of our abilities). To access wisdom, we have to be very serious. But a little bit of levity – when done properly and in the right context – can be helpful. […]

111

Conversation (6:6:20)

Jun 8, 2023

41:05

We are speaking beings. In fact, the central differentiation between humanity and animals is the capacity of verbal communication. The judgment that we face in Heaven is largely about how we deployed our superpower, our speech. The greatest mitzvos are performed with speech and some of the most grievous transgressions are also a product of […]

112

Sleep (6.6.19)

May 31, 2023

50:42

We all need to sleep. All humans, irrespective of their intelligence, their physical prowess, their wealth, must lay down in a comatose state for several hours a day and sleep. Sleep is also enjoyable. There’s something seductively delicious about sleep. What is the Torah’s attitude on sleep? Why did the Almighty design us that we […]

113

Pleasure (6.6.18)

May 10, 2023

35:59

Pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain are hardwired impulses . We all want to feel good and to avoid feeling bad. Perhaps surprisingly, the Torah fully embraces this principle. The reason why we were created, we are told, is so that we can become receptacles of pleasure. Our only disagreement with other philosophies is […]

114

Moderation (6:6:17)

May 1, 2023

44:41

Our resources are finite. We must engage in trade-offs, deciding what pursuits to prioritize over others. This, of course, is all well known. But it’s more complicated: by design, we feel drawn to seek out and pursue goals that are potentially harmful and that can overtake your life. Balance is key. – – – – […]

115

Worldliness (6.6.16)

Apr 17, 2023

32:14

The central conflict of our lives orients around our relationship with the physical world in which we currently inhabit: the Torah teaches us that the objective of life is to optimize for the benefit and betterment of the soul, and to prepare for Olam Haba. The Yetzer Hara is engineered to make us believe that […]

116

48 Ways to Wisdom: Mishnah (6:6:15)

Mar 29, 2023

24:39

The oral Torah is vast, comprehensive, and multi-layered. One of its layers is known as Mishnah. What is Mishnah, how was it organized and codified, and why does it prepare us for wisdom? In this Ethics Podcast we learn all about Mishnah and it’s indispensability and power. – – – – – – – – […]

117

48 Ways to Wisdom: Scripture (6:6:14)

Mar 21, 2023

22:27

Our works of Scripture are all prophetic, each written with varying degrees of prophecy. When we study Scripture we are encountering the word of God. But what is the objective of the study of Scripture? Why does Scripture pave the way to wisdom? In this Ethics Podcast we discover what Scripture is, how it ought […]

118

48 Ways to Wisdom #13: Equilibrium (6:6:13)

Mar 15, 2023

23:59

Humans are not monolithic. Each one of us is unique and have a unique take on every life situation. The truth is even more granular: even within a single person, there is not uniformity. We are all internally conflicted, sometimes thinking like this and sometimes like that, sometimes feeling like this and sometimes feeling like […]

119

48 Ways to Wisdom #12: Engaging Students (6:6:12)

Feb 22, 2023

20:12

One of the most rewarding things a person can do is to teach others. But beyond the feeling of gratification that comes with teaching, When you are able to educate and enlighten other people with your knowledge, you learn a lot from the process. Teaching others is a fantastic way to study yourself. – – […]

120

48 Ways to Wisdom – #11: Friendly Critique (6:6:11)

Feb 13, 2023

20:51

Humans are not perfect. Only God is. We are fallible. We are mistake-prone. Yet our mission and mandate is to discover truth. That is achieved, chiefly, via the study of Torah. The Almighty embedded truth and understanding of God in the Torah that He gave to us. But even our pursuit of Torah must be […]

121

48 Ways to Wisdom – #10: Apprenticeship (6:6:10)

Jan 9, 2023

33:00

Our glorious tradition was perpetuated from generation to generation, from teacher to student, from parent to child, for thousands of years. One of the ways to acquire wisdom is by studying under the tutelage of a great Sage. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

122

48 Ways to Wisdom – #9: Purity (6:6:9)

Dec 21, 2022

25:16

Our sages tell us that one of the ways to acquire wisdom is with purity. What exactly is purity and why would it be a means through which we can acquire wisdom? In this Ethics Podcast we explore the subject of purity with profound depth. – – – – – – – – – – […]

123

48 Ways to Wisdom – #8: Joy (6:6:8)

Aug 2, 2022

19:09

Joy is an underappreciated aspect of the life of a Jew. One can imagine that you can fulfill all of your religious and spiritual obligations without living joyously. Upon examination of the sources we discover that Jewish life is inextricably linked with joy. It is critical and indispensable. In our Mishnah we also learned that […]

124

48 Ways to Wisdom – #7: Humility (6:6:7)

Jul 26, 2022

16:55

Humility is one of the attributes most associated with acquisition of wisdom. Moses was the humblest of men. Sinai was an unassuming, lowly mountain. But what exactly is humility and why does it correlate with wisdom? In this Ethics podcast we plumb the depths of humility and its association with wisdom. – – – – […]

125

48 Ways to Wisdom – #6: Fear (6:6:6)

Jul 11, 2022

26:09

Fear of Heaven is – together with Love of God – one of the two pillars of our spiritual life. Fear of God is one of the central themes of our spiritual and religious life. We are also told that it is a necessary precondition for Torah mastery. – – – – – – – […]

126

48 Ways to Wisdom – #5: Awe (6:6:5)

Jul 4, 2022

35:06

The next way to acquire Torah is with awe. Specifically, awe for a great Torah sage. Why would a Sage inspire awe? Why would this be a method to acquire Torah? In this fascinating episode we explore the wonderful world of awe-inspiring Torah Sages. – – – – – – – – – – – […]

127

48 Ways to Wisdom – #4: Process (6:6:4)

Jun 27, 2022

11:01

What happens when you absorb information? How do you process it? The fourth way to develop wisdom talks about the intuition of the heart. The heart is the venue in which we take what we learn, absorb, and encounter and add it to our understanding of the world. Information must not be relegated to the […]

128

48 Ways to Wisdom – #3: Articulate (6:6:3)

Jun 13, 2022

14:03

The mouth is our superpower. Through it we convey ideas and articulate thoughts. The third way to wisdom is to arrange our lips. This entails using our mouth in a powerful and strategic fashion. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

129

48 Ways to Wisdom – #2: Listen (6:6:2)

May 25, 2022

26:49

The second way to wisdom is to listen with your ears. In this podcast you will learn about the power of learning via listening. Audio learning is more impactful than visual learning. The Almighty gave us two ears and only one mouth; we have to listen twice as much as we talk. – – – […]

130

48 Ways to Wisdom – #1: Study (6:6:1)

May 17, 2022

38:19

Torah is unlike other intellectual pursuits. Torah is the word of God and it is intended to fundamentally transform a person. It is not just another academic, philosophical, or intellectual discipline, it is a way to upgrade man from beast to angel. This very special Mishnah tells us that Torah needs to be acquired, and […]

131

Pushing the Envelope (6:5)

May 10, 2022

23:37

The Torah scholar plays a significant role in the world. We believe that the reason why the Almighty created the world was for Torah study. We also believe that absent Torah study, the world would cease to exist. The Torah scholar is truly indispensable for the world’s continuity. What ought to be the Torah scholar’s […]

132

We Have Been Blessed With a Baby Boy

Mar 20, 2022

40:55

With deep appreciation to the Almighty for all the goodness that He has bestowed upon us, I’m happy to share that my wife, Chaya, and I were blessed with a beautiful baby boy on Monday, March 14. Thank God, both Mom and baby are doing fabulous! In this special edition of the podcast, I share […]

133

Torah and Asceticism (6:4)

Mar 14, 2022

39:28

Food is delicious and we desire it from the first day that we are alive. How does our pursuit of food – and physical and material indulgences in general – impact our pursuit of our spiritual agenda and Torah? In this Mishnah we discover several approaches to understanding the interrelationship between physical indulgences and pursuit […]

134

Honor Thy Spiritual Father and Mother (6:3)

Feb 28, 2022

40:02

Torah study is the greatest of pursuits. Consequently, you are eternally indebted to anyone who bestows upon you Torah. In this fascinating Mishnah, we learned about the supreme holiness of Torah and how is forever alters the one who studies it. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

135

Peasant to Prince (6:2)

Feb 21, 2022

46:03

Studying Torah is the greatest Mitzvah. That is well-known. In this Mishnah, we learn about the perils of neglecting Torah study. Along the way we discover the polarity Jews since Sinai, we discover the secret of Jewish continuity, and we learn all about what Torah is supposed to do to us. – – – – […]

136

Special: An Interview About My New Book, Upon A Ten-Stringed Harp

Feb 17, 2022

36:28

In conjunction with our annual fundraiser this week at giveTORCH.org (every donation is tripled), we are releasing a special interview conducted by the TORCH Board President, Dan Kullman, about my new book, Upon A Ten-Stringed Harp. Please consider contributing to our annual fundraiser at giveTORCH.org.

137

Super-Fusion (6:1) & TORCH Fundraiser (giveTORCH.org)

Feb 14, 2022

1:14:31

Please support The Ethics Podcast and the annual TORCH fundraiser at giveTORCH.org Every donation will be TRIPLED Show your support for TORCH and The Ethics Podcast and donate to the annual fundraiser at giveTORCH.org – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

138

Pain and Gain (5:27)

Jan 24, 2022

34:58

We believe in reward and punishment. We believe that the Almighty will dispense reward for those who do good and punishment for those whose actions thus warrant. How does the dispensement of reward and punishment work? That, of course, is something that only God knows precisely, and only God can make those evaluations. That said, […]

139

The Comprehensive Wisdom (5:26)

Dec 27, 2021

39:46

The Torah is the Almighty’s wisdom. Just as the Almighty is infinite, His Torah is likewise infinite. In this remarkable Mishnah, we are trained to view Torah in its proper light. We learn about the multidimensional nature of Torah, how to find answers to all of our questions in the Torah, the secrets and the […]

140

Designing The Ideal Life (5:25)

Dec 20, 2021

1:14:53

What does it take to live a great life? How would such a life be structured? This Mishnah is a masterclass in unpacking the subject. What you are about to enjoy is an exquisite array of insights and ideas on human development, pedagogy and education, how to utilize your brain, and how to design an […]

141

High and Mighty (5:23-4)

Dec 13, 2021

39:24

What forces must we use to try to bring about our life mission? Our mandate is to fulfill the will of the Almighty. He expects great things of us and created us for that purpose. In this thrilling Mishnah, we learned about the various different forces and powers that we must marshal to accomplish our […]

142

Abraham’s Academy (5:22)

Dec 6, 2021

28:58

The founder of our nation was Abraham our patriarch. He was a paragon of faith and kindness, and also exhibited every positive character trait. By contrast, Bilaam the sorcerer was the anti-Abraham. He harbored every negative trait. In this mission we are told that both of these people are teachers. We must choose if we […]

143

Multi-Level-Marketing of Mitzvos (5:21)

Nov 9, 2021

37:22

Every mitzvah that we do benefits us for all eternity. Our Sages reveal to us that each Mitzvah creates an advocate who vigorously fights on our behalf and defends us in front of the Heavenly court. Mitzvos are great assets to have. In this podcast, we discover that there is a way to game the […]

144

How to Have a Good Argument (5:20)

Nov 2, 2021

27:42

Argumentation has become a lost art. Our society promotes uniformity and consensus, a monochromatic society where divergent ideas are shunned. This approach is antithetical to Torah. Our religion does not believe that your thinking should be outsourced to others. We do not believe that everyone ought to follow others like a flock of sheep. At […]

145

Plummeting in Love (5:19)

Oct 11, 2021

34:25

Love is a fickle emotion. It is something that changes seemingly randomly. Why is love not fixed in place? What is the secret to enduring love? In this exquisite Mishnah we discover the inner workings of how love works and what determines its stability. We also read a terrifying account of how people’s spiritual standing […]

146

How to Boost Your Intelligence (5:15-8)

Oct 5, 2021

51:36

There are different types of people in the world. Just as our faces are not identical, our perspectives and abilities and innate qualities differ. Regarding a host of things, our Sages tell us that there are four distinct character types. In this wide-ranging Ethics Podcast we discuss memory tips, how to boost your intelligence, the […]

147

Realms of Rage (5:14)

Aug 17, 2021

42:39

Anger is a sentiment that we all feel sometimes. What triggers our rage? What does our anger say about us? What is the connection between anger and faith? Why does the Talmud declare that getting angry is tantamount to idolatry? Why does the Talmud foretell that those who get angry are destined for all manner […]

148

Generosity and Miserliness (5:13)

Aug 11, 2021

26:19

In the question of generosity and miserliness, our Mishnah tells us that there are four kinds of people. Interestingly, a group that we would view quite innocuously is labeled as Sodom-like. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Sponsorship: Please consider […]

149

Individual Prophecy and Collective Punishment (5:10-12)

Jul 6, 2021

47:00

In ancient times, our nation benefitted from the service of prophets. The primary responsibility of a prophet was to rebuke and admonish the people when they veered off course from the proper path that the Almighty has planned for them. But what now? Prophecy has been extinct for more than 2300 years. How do we […]

150

The Seven Keys to Wisdom (5:9)

Jun 28, 2021

33:37

What separates a wise person from someone who has to potential to be a wise person but has not actualized it? In the words of our Sages, such a person who has not cultivated their wisdom is a “Golem”, and there are seven key differences between a Golem and a wise person. In this very […]

The Ethics Podcast · Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

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