The Parsha Podcast · Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

201

Toldos – Jacob’s Heist

Nov 28, 2024

1:04:38

We are told to respect the will of our parents. Certainly, if your parent is righteous, it is severely inappropriate to violate their will. All the more so if your parent is one of the greatest men who have ever lived. But Jacob violates the will of Isaac. Isaac wants to give a prophetic blessing […]

202

Toldos – Twin Powers (5783)

Nov 26, 2024

59:42

Our Parsha features two very different twins. After decades of infertility, Isaac and Rebecca are blessed with twins, identical twins the Sages emphasize, who could not be more different: Jacob dwelled in the tents of Torah, eventually becoming the third and final Patriarch of our nation, and Esav was a man of the field, a trapper, a […]

203

Chayei Sarah – Reverse Repentance

Nov 21, 2024

1:08:33

Sarah was Abraham’s life partner. She was his superior as a prophetess. She accompanied him in all his journeys. In the aftermath of the Binding of Isaac, she died. How did the Binding contribute to her demise? What exactly was Saran’s role in orchestrating her sudden death? In this Parsha Podcast we explore the very […]

204

Parshas Chayei Sarah (Rebroadcast)

Nov 17, 2024

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. – – – – […]

205

Vayeira – Five Languages of Laughter

Nov 14, 2024

1:07:07

Isaac is the most mysterious of the forefathers. His storyline does not have the same rich and dramatic narrative as Abraham and Jacob. What lessons we are supposed to learn from Isaac is an equally confounding mystery. In this very special podcast, we explore a fascinating motif that recurs throughout the Parsha: laughter, and suggest […]

206

Vayeira – The Struggle Is Real (5783)

Nov 12, 2024

57:30

How do we respond when we are faced with challenges? What are we supposed to think when the path before us seems unsteady and laden with dangers? Our Parsha contains some of the most memorable and iconic stories of the whole Torah. It begins with the single greatest documented episode of hospitality, and it ends […]

207

Lech Lecha – Abraham’s Fellow Travelers

Nov 7, 2024

1:06:31

Abraham seems to always be journeying. In last week’s Parsha he traveled from his birthplace of Ur to Charan. This week the Parsha begins with Abraham’s journey to Canaan. He traveled there with his family, he traversed the land in every direction; and when famine strikes, he went down to Egypt and returns. Abraham’s journey […]

208

Lech Lecha – A Lot of Testing (5783)

Nov 5, 2024

55:46

Abraham was the most consequential human in all of history. He began the process of fixing the world and humanity. Amid a cesspool of idolatry, Abraham emerged as a beacon of faith. When the entire world had forgotten about its Creator, Abraham restored faith in God to the world. Our Parsha follows Abraham in his […]

209

Noach – Cured Ham

Oct 31, 2024

53:05

After spending a year in the ark, Noah and his family exited it to find an empty and desolate world. The sinners who dominated the world before the flood were gone as were basically everything else. The animals, not including token representatives of each species, were gone. The trees, the grass, the plants – everything […]

210

Noach – The Flood and The Fish (5783)

Oct 29, 2024

58:13

The Flood was a disaster for all the Earth’s inhabitants, humans and animals alike. With the exception of Noah and his family and the animals safely housed in the Ark, all the land-based animals died in the Flood. But not the fish. The fish were completely unaffected by the Flood. The sources maintain that the […]

211

Parshas Noach (Rebroadcast)

Oct 27, 2024

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. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts […]

212

Bereishis – Genealogies of Genesis

Oct 23, 2024

1:04:48

With gratitude to the Almighty for all the goodness that He has bestowed upon us, we hereby begin again with the book of Genesis with year nine of the Parsha podcast. Who would have believed that we would have been able to study the weekly Parsha together for so long?! In this episode, we study […]

213

Bereishis – Cain’s Discovery (5783)

Oct 22, 2024

47:30

Welcome to Year Nine (!) of The Parsha Podcast. Each week will feature, with the help of the Almighty, three episodes, two ones from previous years and a new one: On Sunday, the Parsha Rebroadcast that covers the whole Parsha in about an hour will be released. On Tuesday, we will release the episode from […]

214

Parshas Bereishis (Rebroadcast)

Oct 21, 2024

1:12:33

With praise and appreciation to the Almighty, we begin year 9 of the Parsha Podcast (5785). This year, we will re-upload the Parsha Rebroadcast episode which covers the entire Parsha each Sunday, re-release the 7th cycle’s episode (5783) for each respective Parsha each Tuesday, and we will, please God, record and release a new weekly […]

215

Vezos Haberacha – Family Above (Almost) Everything

Oct 20, 2024

54:32

The final Parsha of the Torah tells of Moshe’s deathbed blessing to the tribes. For the duration of the Torah, Moshe has been constantly criticizing and reprimanding the nation. Praising the people is something that he does only on his last day. After Moshe blesses the nation, he ascends the mountain and passes away. The […]

216

Vezos Haberacha – An Offer You Can Refuse (5782)

Oct 15, 2024

45:32

The final Parsha of the Torah contains the blessing of Moshe to the nation, his death, burial, and eulogy. Rashi tells us that his blessing began with a recounting of the offer of the Torah to the Nations and to Israel. Before the Sinai Revelation, God offered the Torah to every other Nation, and they […]

217

Haazinu – Trees with 70 Branches

Oct 2, 2024

55:35

Parshas Hazinu is one of the most fascinating, poetic, and richly profound Parshas in the Torah. It is also arguably the most mysterious one. The majority of the Parsha is the Song of Haazinu, an intricate tapestry of prophecies that encapsulate the grand scope of Jewish history. The commentators on this Parsha strive to even […]

218

Haazinu – Torrential Torah (5782)

Sep 30, 2024

44:01

The Song of Haazinu, the third of three Songs on the Torah, tells the story of the Jewish people, past, present, and future. It speaks of high points and nadirs, this world and the next, devastation and reclamation. In this podcast we examined the Song’s beginning. Moshe compares his words and his speech to rain, […]

219

Nitzavim Vayeilech – Like Clockwork

Sep 26, 2024

49:57

We are not machines. We are humans. And that’s messy. We have all sorts of struggles doing the right thing. We are influenced by a myriad of impulses, inclinations, and predispositions. We don’t operate like clockwork. There are other things that always follow a prescribed pattern: The sun always rises in the East and sets […]

220

Vayeilech – Career Capstone (5782)

Sep 25, 2024

45:31

On the last day of Moshe’s life, he accomplished a lot. He wrote 13 copies of the Torah, one per tribe and one to be permanently stationed in or near the Ark, he spoke words of comfort to the people, and he formally passed the baton of leadership of the nation to his disciple and […]

221

Nitzavim – The Penitent Manifesto (5782)

Sep 23, 2024

1:00:10

Repentance is one of God’s greatest gifts to mankind. When we blunder; when we err; when we create distance and barriers between us and God, we are afforded the ability to rectify and restore our previous pristine state. But repentance, at first glance, seems nightmarishly hard. To change demands an admission that we are flawed; […]

222

Ki Savo – Gaze from Heaven

Sep 19, 2024

1:05:56

Blessings and curses. That is the dominant theme of our Parsha. We read the admonition of Deuteronomy – 98 bone-chilling curses that will befall our people in the event that we repudiate our covenant with God. Blessings and curses appear a second time: the nation is instructed to assemble at Mount Gerizim and mount Ebal […]

223

Ki Savo – Clinging to Gold (5782)

Sep 17, 2024

50:55

On the surface, Bikkurim appears to be an ordinary, tithe-like Mitzvah. When the first fruits of a season’s crop begin to sprout, you designate them as Bikkurim, and eventually bring them to Jerusalem with much pomp and ceremony. Upon closer examination, this mitzvah is associated with all kinds of surprising people: When we bring the […]

224

Ki Seitzei – Conscience Cleanser

Sep 12, 2024

49:43

Of the motley potpourri of subjects featured in Parshas Ki Seitzei are several fascinating mitzvos that we address in this week’s Parsha podcast. We begin with a fascinating analysis of the law of the beautiful captive woman. We proceed with a heartening insight based upon the wayward and rebellious son. Finally, we offer a sharp […]

225

Ki Seitzei – The Payoff Pitch (5782)

Sep 10, 2024

43:18

What is the nature of the conflict of life? How, indeed, are we suspended between good and bad, between mitzvos and sin, between the evil and good inclinations? The Almighty designed the world based upon the principle of free will, meaning that we all have the choice of how to live our lives and what […]

226

Shoftim – Government-in-Exile

Sep 5, 2024

58:41

We begin the month of Elul on the Parsha Podcast with style, flair, and panache. It starts with some sweet, sweet vindication as we share a citation that legitimizes the philosophy of a brief, truncated, intensive effort to ascend the spiritual ladder, in lieu of a slow and steady and incremental ascent. We then proceed […]

227

Shoftim – Hill To Die On (5782)

Sep 3, 2024

48:09

Our Parsha contains the instructions for how to conduct war. We are told that we must extend peace overtures before launching an attack, we are told about the special nature of the Canaanite wars, and we are prohibited from felling fruit-bearing trees in order to make siege works. This podcast discusses the very unusual way […]

228

Reeh – Idle Tree, Idle Warship, and Falls Profits

Aug 29, 2024

1:00:23

The Torah spends a lot of time cautioning us against idolatry. As the nation is about to cross over the Jordan and enter Canaan, they are repeatedly warned to not fall prey to the idolatrous practices of the indigenous population. Instead, they must shatter the idolatrous altars, destroy idolatrous infrastructure, obliterate idolatrous paraphernalia , uproot […]

229

Reeh – Steak Your Claim (5782)

Aug 27, 2024

51:58

The criminal treated most severely under Torah law is the Meisis, a personal tries to entice others to do idolatry. Attempting to persuade people to repudiate God is more severe than any other crime in Torah law. This discovery is the basis of a stunning observation followed by a critical call to action. And this […]

230

Eikev – Shock and Awe

Aug 22, 2024

1:08:18

Flashy achievements make the news. Great triumphs, awesome deeds, transcendent moments grab our attention and seize our imagination. Humdrum acts fail to stir excitement. But when we are devising a strategy for how to prepare our ladder of ascension, it may be ill-advised to pursue quantum leaps of greatness. In fact the most effective process […]

231

Eikev – Well-Heeled (5782)

Aug 20, 2024

1:02:04

If the Almighty promises to give you a blessing, your ears should perk up. If God promises to give you abundance, health, prosperity, fertility, security, and all manner of blessing, your question should be – what must I do to be deserving of this? Our Parsha begins with such a promise. In the event that […]

232

Vaeschanan – Get a Life

Aug 15, 2024

1:05:16

Moshe was Joshua’s teacher. By any measure, Moshe was a greater leader of the nation than Joshua was. Moshe was the sun to Joshua’s moon. But Moshe was unable to lead the nation across the Jordan; a feat that Joshua pulled off. How did Joshua the acolyte manage to outshine and upstage the master? That […]

233

Vaeschanan – Linked to Sinai (5782)

Aug 12, 2024

52:51

Although he was the paradigmatic leader of all time, Moshe was barred from crossing the Jordan River and entering the Land. Joshua his student was to succeed him and lead the Nation into the Promised Land. Why was Moshe not allowed to enter? For the sin of striking the rock instead of speaking to it. […]

234

Parshas Vaeschanan (Rebroadcast)

Aug 11, 2024

1:04:11

This week’s parsha continues Moshe’s monologue to the nation in the weeks preceding his passing. He begins by recounting his repeated efforts in trying to convince God to rescind His decree that Moshe not enter the Land; Moshe then begins the retelling of the Torah; and we read many warnings and predictions about proper behavior […]

235

Devarim – Citizen of Heaven

Aug 8, 2024

52:23

A year after the Exodus Moshe dispatched a contingency of dignified men to scout the land of Canaan prior to the Nation’s invasion. It was a catastrophic debacle. The scouts returned with a devastating, slanderous report about the Land, prompting the nation to bewail needlessly all night, and condemning the nation to 40 years of […]

236

Devarim – Withholding Judgment (5782)

Aug 6, 2024

50:39

Parshas Devarim begins the Book of Deuteronomy, the final installment of the Pentateuch. Moshe is destined to pass and he gathers the nation to prepare them for the day after. How will the nation endure after they lose the greatest leader the world has ever known? How will they survive and flourish after Moshe is […]

237

Mattos & Masei – Order of Sisters

Aug 1, 2024

51:35

The Book of Bamidbar ends on a bit of a surprising note. The final chapter of our book revisits the somewhat technical narrative relating to the inheritance of the ancestral lands of a man named Tzelafchad. This man from the tribe of Menashe died without sons, and in chapter 27 of the book of numbers […]

238

Mattos & Masei – Contrarian Guide (5782)

Jul 30, 2024

49:24

This week we conclude the Book of Numbers with a double-Parsha, the sole double-Parsha of this calendar year. Of the myriad of interesting subjects found in our Parsha is the long and detailed negotiations between Moshe and the tribes of Reuben and Gad. These tribes sought to permanently settle on the East Bank of the […]

239

Pinchas – Eggs Not Cheese

Jul 25, 2024

57:09

Pinchas, Aaron’s grandson, did a valorous and zealous act of bravery when he skewered the prince of the tribe of Shimon and stopped the plague from wiping out the entire nation. What motivated Pinchas’ behavior? What attributes were at play during his act of zealotry? This question is answered in a comment in Rashi in […]

240

Pinchas – Staying Hungry (5782)

Jul 23, 2024

41:07

Although a paternal grandson of Aaron the Kohein, Pinchas was not initially – prior to his heroic act of martyrdom – a Kohein. The law stated that only Aaron and his sons were to be anointed as Kohanim. All sons born to Kohanim subsequently were to be Kohanim, but Pinchas who was alive at the […]

241

Balak – Donkey Gait Keeper

Jul 18, 2024

57:23

In every generation there are malevolent forces seeking to destroy the Jewish people. They have never been successful, nor will they ever be. The Almighty always protects our people and ensures our continuity. Most of the time we are completely unaware of the mortal dangers that the Almighty thwarted on our behalf. The canonical example […]

242

Balak – A Single Point (5782)

Jul 16, 2024

52:12

Our nation has no shortage of enemies. This is not new. Even in antiquity, our nation was always a target. Laban, Jacob’s father-in-law, try to smothered the Jewish Nation in its infancy. I’m this week’s Parsha, to fearsome, shadowy figures try to do the same. Balak, king of Moab, commissions Bilaam, master sorcerer and prophet, […]

243

Chukas – Mourning Clouds

Jul 11, 2024

54:27

Two giants passed away in this week’s Parsha: Moshe two elder siblings, his sister Miriam and his brother Aaron – two of the great leaders and benefactors of the nation – both die in Parshas Chukas. In this special Parsha podcast we share two profound insights relating to the death, mourning, and aftermath of these […]

244

Chukas – Between a Rock and a Wet Place (5782)

Jul 9, 2024

48:46

Parshas Chukas contains some of the most interesting and iconic sections of the Torah. It begins with the mysterious red cow, a blush bovine whose burnt ashes are part of the cleansing cocktail needed to purify the impure. Afterwards, we read about the death of Miriam and its aftermath, including the cessation of the well […]

245

Korach – The Jewish Kryptonite

Jul 4, 2024

50:05

We all have weaknesses. Nations, as well, have witnesses. When the Almighty sought to give the Torah to the Jewish people at Sinai, He first offered it to all the nations. When they asked what was included in it, God revealed to them how the Torah disallowed that particular weakness that that particular Nation had. […]

246

Korach – Debating Back to Sinai (5782)

Jul 2, 2024

45:54

Debate and disagreement are part of the human condition. We are all unique and we all see the world differently. It should come as no shock, therefore, that disagreements exist between different people. Our nation has made debate into a favorite pastime – just visit any Yeshiva and you will see what I mean. But […]

247

Shelach – Prophylactic Phylacteries

Jun 27, 2024

1:01:36

Prior to initiating the war of conquest of the land of Canaan, the nation did the prudent thing: they undertook a reconnaissance mission to scout out the enemy defenses. Moshe selected 12 righteous men, one from each tribe, to traverse the land and inspect it from the inside. The result was a catastrophic disaster: the […]

248

Shelach – Enter Via the Window (5782)

Jun 25, 2024

1:00:50

One of the most unfortunate events in our history is chronicled in this week’s Parsha. The nation was on the doorstep of entering the Land of Canaan and actualizing the promise made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In an effort to not to rely on Divine miracles, Moshe commissioned 12 righteous men to reconnoiter the […]

249

Behaaloscha – Honeymoon Phases

Jun 20, 2024

59:38

After nearly a year at Sinai, the nation is on the move: in perfect formation, each tribe perfectly positioned and oriented, the nation finally departed the site of the Sinai Revelation. Following the cloud, the nation traveled. In this very special Parsha podcast, we go deep and deeper in trying to plumb the depths of […]

250

Behaaloscha – Follow the Cloud (5782)

Jun 18, 2024

58:36

Traveling in the wilderness was not simple. The nation was guided by the clouds of Glory. When the clouds of Glory would depart from a top of the Tabernacle, that signaled it was time to go and the nation decamped and began to move. Where to? No one knew ahead of time. Wherever the cloud […]

The Parsha Podcast · Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

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