The Parsha Podcast · Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

651

Parshas Pekudei (Rebroadcast)

Feb 27, 2022

34:03

The final parsha in the Book of Exodus wraps up the account of the construction of the Tabernacle, and its vessels and vestments. Again and again we read the refrain that everything was done precisely how God commanded Moses. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

652

Vayakhel – Heart Donor

Feb 23, 2022

1:01:21

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

653

Parshas Vayakhel (Rebroadcast)

Feb 20, 2022

1:00:50

After the Torah delineates the instructions to assemble the materials for the construction of the Tabernacle in Parshas Terumah and the creation of the vestments of the high priest in Parshas Tetzaveh, Parshas Vayakhel outlines the implementation those plans: The massive fundraising efforts, and the actual building of the Tabernacle and its vessels under the […]

654

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.

655

Ki Sisa – Counting and Duking the Nation & Annual Fundraiser (giveTORCH.org)

Feb 16, 2022

52:30

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

656

Parshas Ki Sisa (Rebroadcast) & TORCH Fundraiser (giveTORCH.org)

Feb 13, 2022

1:17:59

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

657

Tetzaveh – What’s In A Name

Feb 8, 2022

1:03:38

Our Sages tell us that each one of us is unique and has a unique mission to fulfill. Humans are not fungible, moist, robots that can be swapped for each other. Each one of us is our own world. We must each say: “the world was created for me.” But how do we discover our […]

658

Parshas Tetzaveh (Rebroadcast)

Feb 6, 2022

56:25

In a natural continuation to Parshas Terumah, in Parshas Tetzaveh we learn about the instructions to build the Tabernacle. Whereas last week the focus was on the edifice itself and its vessels, this week we will orient primarily on the special garments that the priests wore in the Tabernacle, and of course subsequently in the […]

659

Terumah – The Mystery of the Menorah

Feb 2, 2022

1:01:37

This week’s Parsha marks the beginning of the Torah’s detailing of the Tabernacle and its vessels and operations. This subject makes up the bulk of the remaining narrative of Exodus, and Leviticus contains much of the laws related to the Tabernacle. We have never witnessed the Tabernacle, nor it’s successor, the Temple in Jerusalem. The […]

660

Parshas Terumah (Rebroadcast)

Jan 30, 2022

52:28

One of the fundamental principles of Jewish philosophy is the idea of “Kedushah”, holiness. Holiness, according to the Jewish definition, is when the physical and spiritual worlds meet. In no location in the world is holiness more present than the Temple, and its predecessor, the “Mishkan”, the Tabernacle. In this week’s parsha we read about […]

661

Mishpatim – Hearing Sinai

Jan 27, 2022

53:19

The Sinai Revelation was the most significant event in all of human history, certainly in all of Jewish history. Our nation experienced what no other people has experienced: we heard God speaking the Ten Commandments from amidst the fire and thick cloud on the mountain, and survived to tell the tale. This event – as […]

662

Parshas Mishpatim (Rebroadcast)

Jan 23, 2022

59:05

Parshas Mishpatim marks a stark change in the rhythm and pace of the Torah narrative. The preceding 17 Parshas contained a total of 41 mitzvos; this week we begin learning the Torah laws en masse. In this single parsha alone we have 53 mitzvos (only three parshas have more mitzvos). Beyond the varied laws, this parsha […]

663

Yisro – Deathrow and Jethro

Jan 19, 2022

56:06

The eponymous protagonist of our Parsha – Moshe’s father-in-law, Jethro – makes three appearances in the Torah. His story, at first glance, seems wholly unremarkable. His greatest claim to fame was the fact that Moshe married his daughter. But the Torah revisits this interesting and compelling character again and again, and his narrative is positioned […]

664

Parshas Yisro (Rebroadcast)

Jan 16, 2022

1:05:59

The most significant event in all of human history is the Revelation at Sinai, which occurs in Parshas Yisro. Prior to that monumental experience and the conveyance of the Ten Commandments, Moshe’s father in law, Jethro, arrived at the camp and makes an important suggestion for improving the efficiency of the judicial process. – – […]

665

Beshalach – Songworthy Sequels

Jan 12, 2022

44:39

The Exodus marked the severing of the Jewish people from their former masters, the Egyptians. With plagues and miracles, the Almighty extracted the Israelites from bondage. That all happened in last week’s Parsha. You would expect that our nation would move on to other pursuits and challenges, but our Parsha begins with the Egyptians again. […]

666

Parshas Beshalach (Rebroadcast)

Jan 9, 2022

1:03:51

Parshas Beshalach may be the most action-packed parsha in the Torah. After the Exodus, God directed the people to not take the shortest route to the Land in order to facilitate the great miracle of the Splitting of the Sea and the final destruction of the Egyptians. After those unprecedented miracles, the trouble began: Twice […]

667

Bo – Climbing Mount Exodus

Jan 5, 2022

57:49

The Exodus from Egypt was the founding event of our people. Our nation had been in Egypt for more than two centuries and we had become acculturated into the Egyptian way of life. Over the year of the Exodus process, our nation was privy to miracles never before seen in history: we saw our masters […]

668

Parshas Bo (Rebroadcast)

Jan 2, 2022

1:00:25

After the first seven Plagues of Egypt related in last week’s parsha, Pharaoh and his people were still unwilling to release the Children of Israel. In Parshas Bo, the miracles and wonders of the Almighty intensified, culminating in the Death of the Firstborn and the Exodus from Egypt. – – – – – – – […]

669

Vaeira – The Endurance Expedition

Dec 28, 2021

1:01:52

As the tag team representing God in the Exodus, Moshe and Aaron pull off some incredible miracles and feats in this week’s Parsha. When they are formally introduced and their pedigree is laid out, a very interesting praise is bestowed upon them. Upon analysis, we find the identical praise conferred upon many of the great […]

670

Parshas Vaeira (Rebroadcast)

Dec 26, 2021

1:00:59

Our Parsha begins in the middle of the dialogue between Moses and God. Moses’ initial foray into saving the nation has gone horribly awry. Instead of alleviating the pain of the Jewish nation; his intervention exacerbated it, and he returned to the Almighty asking for an explanation. In His response, God tells Moses that he […]

671

Shemos – Make Your Move

Dec 22, 2021

55:10

Our Parsha is a difficult one to read. Our nation was enslaved, tormented, oppressed, and murdered by the Egyptians. Although we don’t see the salvation in our Parsha, the chess pieces of the redemption are set into place. In this edition of the Parsha Podcast, we study several themes of the Parsha that can improve […]

672

Parshas Shemos (Rebroadcast)

Dec 19, 2021

59:45

The Book of Exodus begins with the Egyptians cunningly enslaving their Hebrew subjects: mandating that they work in backbreaking labor, killing their male sons, and trying to stamp out their spirit and curb their population. But God heard their cries and saw their suffering and dispatched the greatest of all men, Moses, a reluctant leader, […]

673

Vayechi – Brotherly Love: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Dec 16, 2021

1:01:44

Family is everything. If you are fortunate enough to have siblings, parents, and children you know that there are bonds of kinship and brotherhood (and sisterhood, of course) between family members are strong and often unbreakable. This is not something new. When Jacob was on his deathbed he shared with his sons his final thoughts […]

674

Parshas Vayechi (Rebroadcast)

Dec 12, 2021

52:31

Parshas Vayechi is the final portion of the Book of Genesis. Jacob is about to die and he tends to his affairs: He assures that he will not be buried in Egypt and will instead be interred in the Cave of Machpelah, he blesses Joseph and his sons, and he blesses/rebukes his twelve sons. – […]

675

Vayigash – A Clash Of Kings

Dec 8, 2021

1:03:29

Amongst the sons of Jacob were two kings: Judah and Joseph. Joseph was viceroy of Egypt. He was a king in his lifetime. Judah was never crowned as King in his lifetime, but his descendants make up the monarchy of the Jewish people. David, Solomon, all the kings of Judah, and even King Messiah are […]

676

Parshas Vayigash (Rebroadcast)

Dec 5, 2021

55:25

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. – – – – – – – – – – […]

677

Mikeitz – Joseph’s Crime

Dec 2, 2021

1:04:38

Joseph is one of the all-time heroes of Jewish history. His strength of character was legendary, his faith was unflappable, and his storyline remains an inspiration for generations. Yet he was harshly criticized for making a huge blunder. The Midrash at the beginning of this week’s Parsha tells us that he relied to heavily on […]

678

Parshas Mikeitz (Rebroadcast)

Nov 28, 2021

1:05:03

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 […]

679

Vayeishev – Pebbles and Diamonds

Nov 24, 2021

59:09

A pebble and a diamond are similar in one way: they are both rocks. That’s where the similarities end. A diamond is precious and valuable. Diamonds are things that we recite the poems over, and name, and write Wikipedia pages about, and adorn the crowns of Kings and Queens. Pebbles get stuck in your tires […]

680

Parshas Vayeishev (Rebroadcast)

Nov 21, 2021

1:06:01

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 […]

681

Vayishlach – Not Reddy to Change

Nov 17, 2021

45:01

Parshas Vayishlach is an action-packed parsha. After a tension-filled 20 years with Laban, Jacob has to dodge bullets for another parsha. Esau wants to kill him. The angel tries to strike at him the entire night. His daughter Dina is kidnapped and raped, and his sons slaughter the perpetrating city in rage. The bulk of […]

682

Parshas Vayishlach (Rebroadcast)

Nov 14, 2021

1:00:57

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. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

683

Vayeitzei – Fortune Favors the Bold

Nov 10, 2021

55:21

Jacob’s accomplishments in our Parsha are remarkable. At the onset of our parsha, Jacob is a 77 year old bachelor without a penny to his name. Having been robbed clean of all his possessions, Jacob undertook the grandest, most ambitious initiative in human history: the founding of the Jewish nation. In our parsha, he pulls […]

684

Parshas Vayeitzei (Rebroadcast)

Nov 7, 2021

1:03:08

Parshas Vayeitzei follows Jacob as he is fleeing from his murderous brother Esau and travels to Charan to the house of Laban, his wily and deceptive uncle, and marries multiple wives and fathers 12 children. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

685

Toldos – Abraham’s Torah

Nov 3, 2021

50:24

Was Abraham the first Jew? Did Abraham observe the laws of the Torah? The Torah dedicates a huge amount of attention to Abraham and his family. The laws of Torah were conveyed at Sinai to Moshe, Abraham’s great-great-great-grandson. How much of that, if any, did Abraham have? In this special edition of the Parsha Podcast […]

686

Parshas Toldos (Rebroadcast)

Oct 31, 2021

1:06:32

In Parshas Toldos we meet twin boys that are polar opposites: Esau, beloved by his father Isaac, is a man of the fields; while Jacob is loved by his mother Rebecca and prefers to dwell in the tents of scholarship. These two children will spawn nations and ideals that diverged from each other even before […]

687

Chayei Sarah – The Transformation of Eliezer

Oct 27, 2021

58:34

Eliezer was Abraham’s right hand man. He was in charge of all of Abraham’s affairs. According to the Talmud, Eliezer was the consummate student of Abraham, drawing from Abraham’s wellsprings of Torah and sharing it with others. In our Parsha, Eliezer was the central protagonist. Eliezer was conscripted by Abraham to travel east to Aram […]

688

Parshas Chayei Sara (Rebroadcast)

Oct 24, 2021

56:23

Some of the highlights of this week’s parsha: Immediately after the Binding of Isaac, Sarah passed away at the age of 127, and soon afterward Abraham had to procure a burial spot for her. In addition, Abraham sent his trusted confidante, Eliezer, to his hometown to find a spouse for Isaac. – – – – […]

689

Vayeira – Exodus From Sodom

Oct 20, 2021

56:50

For the third time in the Torah, we read about destruction. Previously, the Flood destroyed the world save Noah and family, and the Dispersal ended the universal civilization, and in our parsha we read about the overturning of Sodom and Gomorrah. The timing of Sodom’s destruction is really interesting. Our Sages said that it happened […]

690

Parshas Vayeira (Rebroadcast)

Oct 17, 2021

1:07:14

This week’s parsha features several iconic episodes: Abraham was visited by God as he was recuperating from his circumcision, and concurrently engaged in superlative kindness with three angels masquerading as pagan travelers; Abraham was informed that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were about to be destroyed and was unsuccessful in interceding on their behalf; […]

691

Lech Lecha – Applying for a Name Change

Oct 13, 2021

45:08

Abraham and Sarah undergo seismic changes in our Parsha. Their names get changed as does their destiny. Originally, they were barren, but in our Parsha, the founding Patriarch and Matriarch are told that they will bear a son, Isaac. The mechanics of how this transformation occurred, however, is a bit of a head scratcher. Our […]

692

Parshas Lech Lecha (Rebroadcast)

Oct 10, 2021

1:02:06

In this week’s parsha, Abraham is instructed to move to Israel, is given divine promises that he will be the father of many nations; his children will be as numerous as the dust of the earth and the stars of the heaven, a son Ishmael is born, and he is commanded to circumcise his foreskin […]

693

Noach – Company Loves Misery

Oct 5, 2021

45:14

Our Parsha marks a nadir in the story of mankind. Humanity sunk to such spiritual lows that the Almighty decided to destroy the world and start over with just Noah and his family as humanity’s progenitors going forward. What were the conditions of the Flood’s survivors after spending a year in the Ark? In this […]

694

Parshas Noach (Rebroadcast)

Oct 3, 2021

56:55

In this week’s parsha: Noah and his family build an Ark as a refuge from an extinction-level Flood brought by God to destroy the world’s sinners. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Please email me at [email protected] with any questions or […]

695

Bereishis – Making Partner

Oct 1, 2021

52:10

What connection do we have with Genesis? In our parsha, God creates the world in six days and ceases to create of day seven, on Shabbos. What exactly does this have to do with us is a great mystery. In this inaugural edition of the sixth cycle of the Parsha Podcast , we share two […]

696

Parshas Bereishis (Rebroadcast)

Sep 30, 2021

1:12:33

With praise and appreciation to the Almighty, we begin another year of Torah study and a new cycle of the Parsha Podcast. This year, we will reupload the previous year’s podcast which covered the entire Parsha in each episode each week, and we will, please God, record a second weekly episode that will delve deeply […]

697

Vezos Habracha – Antidotes to Mediocrity

Sep 26, 2021

46:17

In the Torah’s final Parsha, and indeed, in its final words, we say goodbye to the greatest human to have ever lived. With the passing of Moshe, the Torah ends, and on Simchas Torah- the day that we finish the yearly Torah cycle – we roll the scroll back to the very beginning and begin […]

698

Parshas Vezos HaBeracha (Rebroadcast)

Sep 19, 2021

51:22

The final parsha of the Torah details the blessings that Moshe conveyed to the tribes of Israel immediately prior to his passing, and the Torah ends with the description of the death, burial, and eulogy of Moshe. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

699

Ha’azinu – Small Step for Eaglet

Sep 14, 2021

46:23

The Song of Ha’azinu is a richly textured tapestry with layered meaning and subtleties. Our Sages tell us that t incorporates all of Jewish History. In its 613 words, it incorporates all of Torah as well. And it is arguably the most difficult Torah portion to decipher and unpack. In this special penultimate podcast of […]

700

Jonah: Studying the Yom Kippur Reading on a Deeper Level (Rebroadcast)

Sep 13, 2021

2:05:32

On Yom Kippur afternoon, we read the 48-verse Book of Jonah, which tells of a renegade prophet, Jonah, who defies the directive of God and refuses to castigate the people of Nineveh and instead escapes from God to Tarshish – with mixed results. A simple reading of the story reveals a tale of repentance, both of […]

The Parsha Podcast · Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

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