This Jewish Life · Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

51

Unmasking the Purim Story

Mar 9, 2025

48:44

Please support the TORCH Podcasts by donating to our annual fundraiser at giveTORCH.org This is our only annual fundraiser. Every donation is DOUBLED! Support the TORCH Podcasts by visiting giveTORCH.org right now and making a generous donation! This is the LINK for the Fundraiser. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

52

The Fiercest Obstacle to Greatness + 2025 TORCH Fundraiser

Mar 4, 2025

53:41

Please support the TORCH Podcasts by donating to our annual fundraiser at giveTORCH.org This is our only annual fundraiser. Every donation is DOUBLED! Support the TORCH Podcasts by visiting giveTORCH.org right now and making a generous donation! This is the LINK for the Fundraiser. – – – – – – – – – – – […]

53

More Secrets of the Month of Shevat with Rabbi Shmuel Botnick

Feb 10, 2025

58:53

The month of Shevat is associated with a tribe of Asher and corresponds to the letter Tzadik (צ) and its zodiac sign is a bucket. So much is told to us by the Kabbalists. But what is the secret of this month? What is the energy that permeates this month? What are the particular ways […]

54

How to Raise Good Children Part 2

Jan 27, 2025

1:01:36

We all want to raise good children. We want our children to be healthy and balanced and good and righteous. The Torah is full of powerful lessons on how to raise good children. In part two of our series on parenting, we explore the unique relationship of Isaac and Esau, how Jacob admonished his children, […]

55

How to Raise Good Children

Jan 20, 2025

55:29

It is incumbent upon parents to raise their children well, but how exactly do you do that? Babies are not born clutching parenting manuals. This is especially problematic for us Jews. We must raise our children to be upstanding, productive, stable, and healthy adults like all other parents. However, we have an additional responsibility: we […]

56

Chanukah Capstone with Rabbi Shmuel Botnick

Dec 30, 2024

1:21:17

There is no superficiality in Judaism. Everything is multi-layered, multifaceted, multidimensional. That seems to be particularly true with respect to the festival of Chanukah. Chanukah is a rabbinic holiday, and it is the very last mitzvah that we received. There are many oddities that separate this mitzvah from all others. The roots of this festival […]

57

The Light of Chanukah

Dec 23, 2024

53:45

Everyone loves the festival of Chanukah. There’s something so wonderful and enchanting about this festival and its iconic mitzvah, the lighting of the Menorah. But what is the menorah truly about? We all, of course, know the story of the miraculous oil that lasted for 8 days. But what is at the heart of the […]

58

The Dina Dilemma

Dec 16, 2024

54:37

Not all twins are identical in every way. Jacob and Esau were as different from each other as two humans can possibly get. When Rebecca got wind of Esau’s plans to murder Jacob, she sent them away. After being apart from his twin for more than 30 years, Jacob and Esau had a fateful reunion. […]

59

Simple Reasons to Believe

Dec 9, 2024

30:03

What is your elevator pitch for the existence of God? That is a question that was posed to dozens of successful and accomplished people. They were asked to write a short, concise, elevator-trip-length essays on why they believed. These essays were compiled into a wonderful book titled “Elevator pitches for God.” The creators of this […]

60

Midrash: An Introduction

Dec 2, 2024

1:02:50

Students of the Almighty’s holy Torah are familiar with the term midrash. It refers to a series of books that serve as commentaries on the Torah and on other holy writings. But where does the Midrash come from? What authority does it have? What about the comments in the Midrash that seem outlandish and totally […]

61

Thanksgiving in Jewish Philosophy and Ethics

Nov 24, 2024

44:27

Gratitude is one of the most, if not the most, important values in our religion. In fact, our sources tell us that the reason why God created His creation was to enable us to express our gratitude. But what if what we receive is a mixed bag of good and bad? Must we also express […]

62

Ask the Rabbi: Modest Prayer; Teenage Girl Advice; Youthful Skills; and Religious Difficulties

Nov 17, 2024

55:41

Today’s podcast is a wild card. This past Shabbos I was invited to join a panel of rabbis to answer a series of interesting questions submitted by high school students from the all-girls high school in Houston. In this special episode I share some of the fascinating questions and some of what I said – […]

63

How To Actualize Potential (Abraham Shows the Way)

Nov 10, 2024

55:16

Abraham’s storyline in the Torah is curiously: There are some parts of his life that are told in detail, while other seemingly important events are omitted entirely. What we discover is that the storyline of Abraham serves as a prototype for how to actualize our potential. In this very special podcast, we dissect Abraham’s story […]

64

Your Vote Matters

Nov 3, 2024

43:29

It’s election season in America. Your vote matters. Even if you don’t live in the swing state, it is recommended that you vote and exercise your civic right and duty. There is another area where you need to vote. The other area is much more consequential. The effects of how you vote in that area […]

65

Glimpsing Into Adam’s Book

Oct 28, 2024

45:38

Serious people face a serious problem: once you understand that the Almighty created you for a purpose, and that purpose is completely unique to you – there is no one else who can fulfill whatever it is that you must fulfill- you recognize the imperative to discover your personal mission. But how do you find […]

66

Tablets and Tabernacle: The Revelation of Sukkos

Oct 15, 2024

58:56

The Jewish holidays are not evenly spaced out. They appear in bunches. A mere five days after Yom Kippur comes the seven-day (truthfully nine when you tally everything) Festival of Sukkos (appendaged by Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah). The next Festival (excluding the Rabbinic holidays of Chanukah and Purim) does not occur for six months. […]

67

The Six Impetuses for Repentance

Oct 6, 2024

1:02:42

Repentance draws a person out of darkness into eternal light. It transforms the penitent into a completely new person. But how exactly does repentance work? How do you repent? What are the various elements and facets of repentance? The authoritative book on these questions, Shaarei Teshuva, the Gates of Repentance, was written in the 13th […]

68

The Gates of Repentance

Sep 29, 2024

50:27

The Ten Days of Repentance are upon us. In just a few days is the Day of Judgment, Rosh Hashanah. These powerful high holidays culminate with the climax of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. What exactly is repentance though? How are we supposed to think about repentance? In this very special podcast, we study […]

69

The Root Cause of Anti-Semitism and How to Solve it: The Torah’s Surprising View

Sep 9, 2024

43:15

Jew hatred is not a new phenomenon. Ever since our people were founded — and truthfully even beforehand — we have been the recipients of unprecedented, enmity and hostility. Why are God’s chosen people uniquely targeted? What is the underlying reason for anti-Semitism? Why are we not more accepted into and tolerated by the general […]

70

The Name of Messiah

Aug 7, 2024

49:53

Seven things were created before the world was created. That much we are told in the Talmud. What is the significance of this collection of things that preceded the world? When we analyze the list, moreover, we read how the name of Messiah is included amongst it. What exactly is the name of Messiah? Is […]

71

Mysteries of the Torah Scroll

Jun 17, 2024

55:31

The festival of Shavuos marks the anniversary of the most momentous and consequential event in all of human history: the Sinai Revelation. A mere 50 days after the Exodus, the nation coalesced around the mountain and witnessed when no other people has had witnessed prior or since: They heard the Ten Commandments directly from the […]

72

Five Fascinating Questions

Jun 3, 2024

55:22

Questions can be unsettling. Questions can cause dissonance. Questions can be painful. But questions can also be illuminating. They can open up new portals of insight and perspective. Questions are a central part of Torah study. Much of the Talmud is written in a question and answer format. The Passover seder is marked by the […]

73

The Infinity of Torah

May 13, 2024

1:10:40

The Torah is effectively infinite. It is longer than the land and broader than the seas. God is infinite and unfathomable; He gave us His Torah in order for us to connect with Him. Torah is, in fact, accessible to us, but we never arrive at the end point of Torah. It’s infinite. Moreover, the […]

74

On Elevator Pitches for G-d with Bruce Licht and Ron Kardos

Apr 3, 2024

54:22

Many (most?) people believe in God. Believers accept the reality that the world, the universe, finite existence is the handiwork of an infinite God. Why do people believe? What evidence do believers have? These are some of the questions that my dear friends, Ron Kardos and Bruce Licht, sought to have answered. They conceived of […]

75

The Profound Purim Secret with Rabbi Shmuly Botnick

Mar 21, 2024

1:02:34

TORCH Fundraiser — support the This Jewish Life Podcast Our organization, TORCH, does only one fundraiser a year, and that is happening right now at giveTORCH.org. This is a matching campaign and every donation will be DOUBLED. Please support the This Jewish Life Podcast right now at giveTORCH.org The website for the Fundraiser is giveTORCH.org Click and donate to […]

76

The Peerless Brilliance of Biblical Hebrew + TORCH Fundraiser

Mar 12, 2024

1:02:13

TORCH Fundraiser — support the This Jewish Life Podcast Our organization, TORCH, does only one fundraiser a year, and that is happening right now at giveTORCH.org. This is a matching campaign and every donation will be DOUBLED. Please support the This Jewish Life Podcast right now at giveTORCH.org The website for the Fundraiser is giveTORCH.org Click and donate to […]

77

On Visiting Wartime Israel with Dr. Alan Kritz

Feb 19, 2024

1:19:09

Our nation is at war. Our brothers and sisters are in combat in Gaza, displaced from their homes in the north and the south of Israel, traumatized from the atrocities of October 7th, and of course there are 100 plus hostages still in Gaza. Our nation is experiencing pain and challenge the likes of which […]

78

Ten Pious Men and One Prostitute

Feb 10, 2014

35:52

When the Torah presents us with parallel stories of people with radically different priorities and spiritual statuses who faced similar challenges with counter-intuitive results, clearly there is an important lesson for us.

79

Man, Judaism and the pursuit of Pleasure Part 3

Feb 10, 2014

1:32:53

We continue with enlightening and sobering guidance from the Torah regarding happiness and Love.

80

Man, Judaism and the pursuit of Pleasure Part 2

Feb 10, 2014

1:26:41

In part 2 we dissect the nature of the different types of Pleasures and explain the Torah’s view on the pros and cons of simple physical pleasures.

81

Man, Judaism and the pursuit of Pleasure Part 1

Jan 20, 2014

1:24:49

We begin this first of a multiple part exposition of major items in Jewish Life, Philosophy and Practice with a controversial but logical conclusion and a question. The conclusion: Life can only have meaning if God exists. The question: When you accept the Jewish definition of God you accept that God lacks nothing; so for […]

82

The Overachiever’s Secret

Jan 19, 2014

39:20

The term “overachiever” should not be mistakenly conferred onto people who achieve greatness; greatness can result from great intellect, opportunity and circumstance, overachievers are those who achieve beyond what their peers in circumstance and ability achieve. What is their secret, and how can we emulate them?

83

G-d through history

Jan 13, 2014

1:21:04

In this wide ranging discussion on God and his active participation in history, we ask, and attempt to answer, questions like these: How did 600k Jews mobilize and leave Egypt at a moments notice? Where was God during the Holocaust, Inquisition, the Chmielnicki massacres of 1648? Why does God not do miracles miracles every day? […]

84

Adam and Eve: A Model Marriage?

Jan 7, 2014

1:17:16

In several places in Jewish Literature and practice we present Adam and Eve as a prototype of a relationship worth emulating. There is only one slight problem with that – Adam and Eve did not seem to have a stable relationship, much less an idyllic and harmonious one. What could the Torah possibly mean when […]

85

The Four Kinds

Jan 7, 2014

48:13

In 8 (!) instances in the Torah we are commanded with a seemingly unachievable task of “Thou shall walk in the ways of God”. The Talmud explains that this commandment instructs us to emulate God in our own behavior and activities – “Just as God is Merciful, you too be merciful; just as God is […]

86

There has got to be a reason why Adam was formed on Shabbos, Eve!

Dec 18, 2013

1:29:51

Join Rabbi Wolbe as he explores and examines several peculiar curiosities about the forbearer of mankind, Adam. Why was man the only creature created as a single individual; why didn’t create a flock, tribe, gaggle or pride of humans? Why did Adam not have Torah, and how could he possibly have succeeded in his challenge […]

87

The Alchemy of Self-Reinvention: The process of transforming something common into something special.

Dec 15, 2013

50:45

Ancient alchemists professed to turn lead into gold. For the past three millennium, the Jewish people have made an equally audacious claim: man is not beshackled by negative character; we can change, fix, perfect and purify our character traits. In this class we learn the process of how we go about transforming ourselves.

88

Tackling Temptation: Can we possibly succeed against life’s most formidable foe?

Dec 15, 2013

1:04:56

In this class Rabbi Wolbe sets out to demystify and unlock the secrets of one of mankind’s greatest challenges and struggles: temptation. Culling from an array of ancient Judaic texts we will begin with defining, demarcating and delineating the anatomy of temptation; focusing on the reason why forbidden fruit (or carbs) is so alluring and […]

89

Inspiration for Yom Kippur 2013 II

Dec 15, 2013

42:48

90

Inspiration for Yom Kippur 2013

Dec 15, 2013

41:13

91

Smorgasbord of Jewish Philosophy

Dec 15, 2013

1:24:31

If you are interested in a wide ranging discussion on many relevant topics in Jewish thought and wisdom with a healthy sprinkling of decidedly irrelevant yet fascinating tidbits of Jewish knowledge, this is the class for you!

92

Why G-d should be a priority in our lives

Dec 15, 2013

37:27

93

Chessed (Kindness): The catalyst for greatness

Dec 15, 2013

35:53

94

Forgiving the unrepentant: How to overlook the misdeeds of others

Aug 21, 2013

52:51

95

Troubleshooting relationships: What you can do when things go wrong

Aug 21, 2013

43:31

96

Is Judaism still Relevant?

Aug 21, 2013

37:00

Rabbi Wolbe outlines the three reasons why Judaism is exceedingly important.

97

How can G-d command us to have an emotion?

Jul 15, 2013

51:23

Three times in the Torah we are commanded to love someone or something. How is that reasonable?

98

Jewish Life Cycles: From Bar Mitzvah to Grave

Jul 10, 2013

1:12:45

Jewish Perspective: Puberty > Coming of age > Adolescence > Dating and Courtship > Marriage > Divorce > Parenting > Mid-life crisis > Dying like a Jew > Jewish Burial > תחית המתים (Resuscitation of the dead).

99

Understanding the Jewish Calendar

Jul 10, 2013

1:06:54

Learn about the Jewish perspective in time, and how we can tap into the same spiritual entities that existed in yesteryear. This fascinating idea joins another: the coexistence of a Lunar month and a solar year in the Jewish calendar. Lastly, learn the meaning of the various Jewish holidays and significant times in the calendar […]

100

What does Judaism really say about Moshiach (Messiah)

Jul 10, 2013

1:01:53

Curious to know when Moshiach is coming? Can we – and should we – calculate his arrival? Think you’ve got what it takes to be Moshiach? Rabbi Wolbe answers these questions and outlines the qualifications needed for one to be crowned Moshiach and the accomplishments that Moshiach will achieve. Additionally, in this class we hear […]

This Jewish Life · Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

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