Torah 101 · Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

101

#15: The Singularity of God

May 6, 2019

53:33

The Second Principle of Jewish Faith declares that God is One. But not like one of a pair; and not like one of a group; and not like one person that can be divided into many [smaller] units; and not like a thing which is numerically one but can be infinitely divided, rather He – God, may […]

102

#14: Faith vs. Emunah: Understanding the Difference between Intellectual and Instinctual Belief in God

Apr 22, 2019

55:45

The Thirteen Principles of Faith are the foundations of our religion. Just as the foundation of a structure is indispensable for ensuring the integrity of the building; these principles are necessary prerequisites for Jewish faith. But just as is the case in a building, the foundations are in the background – no one resides in […]

103

#13: Does God’s Creation of the Universe Conflict with the Principle of God’s Perfection?

Apr 8, 2019

51:32

This podcast attempts to reconcile a knotty philosophical dilemma: The First Principle of the Thirteen Principles of Faith teaches us that God, Creator of heaven and earth, is Omniscient, Omnipresent, and Perfect. If God is Perfect and lacks nothing, then why did He create the universe? Intellect only acts when seeking a certain outcome. There […]

104

#12: The Thirteen Principles of Jewish Faith: God as Creator and Sustainer

Mar 14, 2019

58:08

The clearest, most universally accepted articulation of the Principles of Jewish Belief are the Rambam’s Thirteen Principles of Faith. This list of Thirteen Principles were codified in his commentary on Mishnah in the introduction to Chapter 10 of the book of Sanhedrin; they were also added into Jewish Liturgy in the Ani Maamin and Yigdal […]

105

#11: Lost in Transmission: What Happens When Errors Occur in Oral Torah

Jan 4, 2017

1:06:45

The Jewish nation is entrusted with the task of preserving and perpetuating the Torah mistake-free. We have previously seen the vast ordinances in place to prevent errors. Yet humans are fallible and mistakes happen. What happens if/when things go awry? Contact: Website: RabbiWolbe.com; Twitter: @RabbiWolbe; Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; Email: [email protected]. Podcasts Links iOS: This Jewish […]

106

#10: Codifying the Oral Torah

Dec 28, 2016

54:17

At the end of the second century of the common era a fateful decision was made to commit the Jewish Law, known as Mishna, to writing. What prompted this dramatic change? What are the unique methodologies employed in this project? Contact: Website: RabbiWolbe.com; Twitter: @RabbiWolbe; Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; Email: [email protected].

107

#9: Clear and Convincing Evidence to the Error-Free Transmission of the Oral Torah

Dec 22, 2016

58:16

The integrity of Jewish law, and by extension the dream of a great Jewish destiny, hinged upon the accurate transmission of an enormous body of law orally for 1400 years. Indeed, a fundamental principle of Jewish faith is that the same Torah given to Moses has been passed down to us mistake-free. How is the transmission of […]

108

#8: Why Moses Didn’t Simply Write Down the Oral Torah?

Dec 15, 2016

52:12

For nearly a millennia and a half, the entire corpus of Oral Torah was transmitted orally from generation to generation; parents to their children and teachers to their students. Moreover, a fierce prohibition was established to prevent its writing and codification in a finalized canonized format. What are the benefits for maintaining it in that […]

109

#7: Introduction to Oral Torah

Dec 8, 2016

48:16

What are the four components of Oral Torah? What are the four elements of the Oral Torah that are not sourced in the Written Torah? What are some of the classical pieces of evidence proving the existence of the Oral Torah? This is the place to begin if you want to understand Oral Torah. —— […]

110

#6: Incontrovertible Evidence to the Divinity of the Torah

Nov 30, 2016

38:36

We explore the intricate interrelationship between written and oral Torah and determine that the creation of such a labyrinthine tapestry is beyond the capacity to man. ——– This podcast was recorded live at the TORCH Centre in Houston, TX. Please visit torchweb.org for program details and to make a donation. If you enjoy this podcast please subscribe […]

111

#5: An Unprecedented Eternal Nation

Nov 22, 2016

45:10

We explore some predictions in the Torah that have come true and ponder how a human author could have known the future. ——– This podcast was recorded live at the TORCH Centre in Houston, TX. Please visit torchweb.org for program details and to make a donation. If you enjoy this podcast please subscribe and check out my […]

112

#4: The Cognitive Dissonance to the Veracity of the Torah and why Sinai Denial is on Shakier Intellectual Grounds than Holocaust Denial

Nov 2, 2016

44:15

We face internal resistance to the notion of a God-given Torah because that can create a divide between our beliefs and behaviors. How do we respond to the tumult caused by this revelation? ——- This podcast was recorded live at the TORCH Centre in Houston, TX. Please visit torcweb.org for program details and to make a […]

113

#3: Implications of the Authorship of the Torah

Oct 30, 2016

46:28

Why it matters who wrote the Torah. ——- This podcast was recorded live at the TORCH Centre in Houston, TX. Please visit torcweb.org for program details and to make a donation. If you enjoy this podcast please subscribe and check out my other podcasts: This Jewish Life – long form deep dives into critical Torah topics and The […]

114

#2: The Fallacy of the Bible Critics

Oct 16, 2016

45:12

We continue our dissection of the various options regarding the authorship of the Torah. ——- This podcast was recorded live at the TORCH Centre in Houston, TX. Please visit torcweb.org for program details and to make a donation. If you enjoy this podcast please subscribe and check out my other podcasts: This Jewish Life – long form […]

115

#1: Who Wrote the Torah

Oct 7, 2016

49:16

The authorship of the Torah is a highly consequential matter to clarify. If it is – as Jews have traditionally believed – the word of God, then it holds eternal absolute value for all. If it is not the word of God then it is no different than any other ancient document. What are the positions […]

Torah 101 · Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

Torah 101 Â - הרב יעקב וולבה

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