This Jewish Life · Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

301

Rosh Hashana Reading (2nd day – Genesis Chapter 22: The Binding of Isaac)

Sep 14, 2020

54:36

On the second day of Rosh Hashana, we read the Torah section of Genesis chapter 22 that tells the very famous and quite troubling episode of the Binding of Isaac. Abraham – the same Abraham who railed against the ways of child sacrifice of the pagans – is instructed by God to take Isaac – the same Isaac […]

302

Rosh Hashana Reading (1st day – Genesis Chapter 21)

Sep 13, 2020

59:55

The Torah readings for the two days of Rosh Hashana were not arbitrarily chosen. There are very good reasons why on the first day of Rosh Hashana we read Genesis chapter 21, which tells of the conception and birth of Isaac, and the banishment of Ishmael, his brush with death, and his salvation. In this […]

303

Rosh Hashana Reading (1st day – Genesis Chapter 21)

Sep 13, 2020

59:55

The Torah readings for the two days of Rosh Hashana were not arbitrarily chosen. There are very good reasons why on the first day of Rosh Hashana we read Genesis chapter 21, which tells of the conception and birth of Isaac, and the banishment of Ishmael, his brush with death, and his salvation. In this […]

304

Thanks a Million!

Sep 9, 2020

32:31

Of all the episodes that I have recorded over the years, this will be perhaps the most unique one. For one, it will be released simultaneously on all 6 channels that I am fortunate enough to host: The Parsha Podcast, The Jewish History Podcast, The Mitzvah Podcast , This Jewish Life, The Ethics Podcast, and […]

305

Thanks a Million!

Sep 9, 2020

32:31

Of all the episodes that I have recorded over the years, this will be perhaps the most unique one. For one, it will be released simultaneously on all 6 channels that I am fortunate enough to host: The Parsha Podcast, The Jewish History Podcast, The Mitzvah Podcast , This Jewish Life, The Ethics Podcast, and […]

306

The Shabbat Gift

Aug 19, 2020

46:46

The laws of Shabbat are vast and seemingly draconian. A study of its laws reveal a comprehensive governance of every aspect of our lives on Shabbat. The Talmud even declares that greetings one’s fellow on Shabbat is “barely permitted.” To an outsider looking in, the laws of Shabbat are crippling and limiting. The Talmud offers […]

307

The Shabbat Gift

Aug 19, 2020

46:46

The laws of Shabbat are vast and seemingly draconian. A study of its laws reveal a comprehensive governance of every aspect of our lives on Shabbat. The Talmud even declares that greetings one’s fellow on Shabbat is “barely permitted.” To an outsider looking in, the laws of Shabbat are crippling and limiting. The Talmud offers […]

308

An Invitation to The Afterlife (4:21-2)

Aug 4, 2020

1:10:09

We all recognize that we will eventually die. Each of us know that there will come a point in time where our body and Soul separate and go their own way. The body will return to its origin, the dust, and the Soul will return to its Heavenly roots. What happens to our Soul in […]

309

An Invitation to The Afterlife (4:21-2)

Aug 4, 2020

1:10:09

We all recognize that we will eventually die. Each of us know that there will come a point in time where our body and Soul separate and go their own way. The body will return to its origin, the dust, and the Soul will return to its Heavenly roots. What happens to our Soul in […]

310

The Essence of Tisha B’Av

Jul 22, 2020

31:30

Tisha B’Av (The Ninth of Av) is the saddest day in the Jewish calendar. On this day, the Spies returned from scouting the Land and spooked the Nation with their evil report prompting the Nation to needlessly bewail their fate the entire night. As retribution, God pledged: “You cried on this night for no reason, […]

311

The Essence of Tisha B’Av

Jul 22, 2020

31:30

Tisha B’Av (The Ninth of Av) is the saddest day in the Jewish calendar. On this day, the Spies returned from scouting the Land and spooked the Nation with their evil report prompting the Nation to needlessly bewail their fate the entire night. As retribution, God pledged: “You cried on this night for no reason, […]

312

Bamidbar and Shavuos: The Indispensability of each Jew

May 21, 2020

56:24

Parshas Bamidbar is the Torah portion that we read immediately prior to Shavuos, the Festival of the Giving of the Torah, each year. In this special episode, we offer a mind-bending idea to ponder the connection between Shavuos and Parshas Bamidbar. To aid with visualizing the contents of this unique episode, please download the accompanying […]

313

Bamidbar and Shavuos: The Indispensability of each Jew

May 21, 2020

56:24

Parshas Bamidbar is the Torah portion that we read immediately prior to Shavuos, the Festival of the Giving of the Torah, each year. In this special episode, we offer a mind-bending idea to ponder the connection between Shavuos and Parshas Bamidbar. To aid with visualizing the contents of this unique episode, please download the accompanying […]

314

Spiritual Opportunism: A Special Shiur for Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe’s Yahrtzeit

Apr 12, 2020

26:14

It has been 15 years since my illustrious grandfather, Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe, passed away, on the first day of Chol HaMoed Pesach 2005. In this special shiur to mark his yahrtzeit, we speculate the ways that he became great and take a very valuable lesson on how to become great ourselves during this coronavirus pandemic. […]

315

Spiritual Opportunism: A Special Shiur for Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe’s Yahrtzeit

Apr 12, 2020

26:14

It has been 15 years since my illustrious grandfather, Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe, passed away, on the first day of Chol HaMoed Pesach 2005. In this special shiur to mark his yahrtzeit, we speculate the ways that he became great and take a very valuable lesson on how to become great ourselves during this coronavirus pandemic. […]

316

The Four Sons of the Seder: Strategies to Motivate all types of Children

Apr 2, 2020

49:16

The Torah provides four verses that describe the appropriate conversations fathers should have with their sons on Pesach Eve. The Haggadah explains that each conversation refers to a different type of son. There is a distinct dialogue with the wise son, the wicked son, the simple son, and the son who does not know how […]

317

The Four Sons of the Seder: Strategies to Motivate all types of Children

Apr 2, 2020

49:16

The Torah provides four verses that describe the appropriate conversations fathers should have with their sons on Pesach Eve. The Haggadah explains that each conversation refers to a different type of son. There is a distinct dialogue with the wise son, the wicked son, the simple son, and the son who does not know how […]

318

The Essence of Pesach

Mar 29, 2020

1:11:33

The Festival of Pesach is described as, “The time of our Freedom”, and “The Festival of Matzos.” What is the essence of these days? What is the distinct power that we can tap into over the course of this 8-day Festival? In this special pre-Pesach episode, we learn the central point of the Festival that […]

319

The Essence of Pesach

Mar 29, 2020

1:11:33

The Festival of Pesach is described as, “The time of our Freedom”, and “The Festival of Matzos.” What is the essence of these days? What is the distinct power that we can tap into over the course of this 8-day Festival? In this special pre-Pesach episode, we learn the central point of the Festival that […]

320

Plagues, Epidemics, and Quarantines in Jewish Philosophy

Mar 23, 2020

1:29:02

We are living in extraordinary times and facing unprecedented challenges: The coronavirus is upending everyday life in a way that we have never seen in our lifetime. People are scared, people are quarantined, markets are plummeting, schools are off, shuls and yeshivos are shuttered, no one can get toilet paper or bottled water – our […]

321

Plagues, Epidemics, and Quarantines in Jewish Philosophy

Mar 23, 2020

1:29:02

We are living in extraordinary times and facing unprecedented challenges: The coronavirus is upending everyday life in a way that we have never seen in our lifetime. People are scared, people are quarantined, markets are plummeting, schools are off, shuls and yeshivos are shuttered, no one can get toilet paper or bottled water – our […]

322

A Grandson Remembers: Reflections, Stories, and Lessons of Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe

Mar 3, 2020

1:08:38

My grandfather, Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe, was one of the 20th Century’s most important rabbis. But unlike many of his contemporaries, he had a very unusual path to becoming the transformative Torah Sage that he became. In this very special and personal podcast episode, I share several never-before-told stories about his life and I speculate several […]

323

A Grandson Remembers: Reflections, Stories, and Lessons of Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe

Mar 3, 2020

1:08:38

My grandfather, Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe, was one of the 20th Century’s most important rabbis. But unlike many of his contemporaries, he had a very unusual path to becoming the transformative Torah Sage that he became. In this very special and personal podcast episode, I share several never-before-told stories about his life and I speculate several […]

324

Age of the Universe: Can Torah and Science be Reconciled?

Feb 19, 2020

42:36

According to Jewish tradition, 2020 is the year 5780. Science estimates the age of the universe to be somewhere between 13.8-15.4 billion years. In this podcast, we will share a brilliant reconciliation sourced from centuries-old Kabbalistic books. The Shema Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-shema-podcast/id1498489422 Daf Yomi Breakneck Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daf-yomi-breakneck-with-rabbi-elchanan-shoff/id1494823922 TORCH Shabbat Light Switch Cover Please visit our website torchweb.org to […]

325

Age of the Universe: Can Torah and Science be Reconciled?

Feb 19, 2020

42:36

According to Jewish tradition, 2020 is the year 5780. Science estimates the age of the universe to be somewhere between 13.8-15.4 billion years. In this podcast, we will share a brilliant reconciliation sourced from centuries-old Kabbalistic books. The Shema Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-shema-podcast/id1498489422 Daf Yomi Breakneck Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daf-yomi-breakneck-with-rabbi-elchanan-shoff/id1494823922 TORCH Shabbat Light Switch Cover Please visit our website torchweb.org to […]

326

Kindling the Jewish Soul: Understanding the Deeper Meaning of the Menorah: (Recorded Live in Thornhill, Ontario, Canada)

Dec 26, 2019

53:57

This unique podcast was recorded live at the Aish Thornhill Community Shul on the third day of Chanukah 5780. In the talk we suggest a cogent and unified explanation of the festival of Chanukah, and specifically, of the menorah candles. We begin by noting the many differences between the Chanukah candles and the other rabbinic mitzvah […]

327

Kindling the Jewish Soul: Understanding the Deeper Meaning of the Menorah: (Recorded Live in Thornhill, Ontario, Canada)

Dec 26, 2019

53:57

This unique podcast was recorded live at the Aish Thornhill Community Shul on the third day of Chanukah 5780. In the talk we suggest a cogent and unified explanation of the festival of Chanukah, and specifically, of the menorah candles. We begin by noting the many differences between the Chanukah candles and the other rabbinic mitzvah […]

328

Chanukah: History, Laws, and Customs

Dec 23, 2019

47:31

About 2,200 years ago, the Jewish Nation faced an existential threat: The Assyrian Greek Empire led by Antiochus and his Hellenist henchmen undertook a concerted campaign to systematically eradicate the Jewish religion. They sought to make the Jews forget the Torah and depart from the mitzvos; they defiled the Temple; they harassed the Jewish daughters; […]

329

Chanukah: History, Laws, and Customs

Dec 23, 2019

47:31

About 2,200 years ago, the Jewish Nation faced an existential threat: The Assyrian Greek Empire led by Antiochus and his Hellenist henchmen undertook a concerted campaign to systematically eradicate the Jewish religion. They sought to make the Jews forget the Torah and depart from the mitzvos; they defiled the Temple; they harassed the Jewish daughters; […]

330

Why Gratitude Matters + FREE TORCH Gift

Dec 3, 2019

53:12

Gratitude is a character trait that is universally lauded. In Torah Literature it is, of course, a central characteristic of the righteous, and even the secular world has adopted it as an admirable virtue. But when we examine the Torah sources we discover that gratitude is not only about being nice and pleasant, it lies […]

331

Why Gratitude Matters + FREE TORCH Gift

Dec 3, 2019

53:12

Gratitude is a character trait that is universally lauded. In Torah Literature it is, of course, a central characteristic of the righteous, and even the secular world has adopted it as an admirable virtue. But when we examine the Torah sources we discover that gratitude is not only about being nice and pleasant, it lies […]

332

Book of Jonah Part Two: Studying the Yom Kippur Reading on a Deeper Level (Chapters 2-4)

Oct 28, 2019

1:05:51

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 […]

333

Book of Jonah Part Two: Studying the Yom Kippur Reading on a Deeper Level (Chapters 2-4)

Oct 28, 2019

1:05:51

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 […]

334

Book of Jonah: Studying the Yom Kippur Reading on a Deeper Level (Chapter 1)

Oct 6, 2019

1:10:35

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 […]

335

Book of Jonah: Studying the Yom Kippur Reading on a Deeper Level (Chapter 1)

Oct 6, 2019

1:10:35

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 […]

336

Insights from the Rosh Hashana Torah Reading (2nd day – Genesis Chapter 22: The Binding of Isaac)

Sep 29, 2019

55:01

On the second day of Rosh Hashana, we read the Torah section of Genesis chapter 22 that tells the very famous and quite troubling episode of the Binding of Isaac. Abraham – the same Abraham who railed against the ways of child sacrifice of the pagans – is instructed by God to take Isaac – the […]

337

Insights from the Rosh Hashana Torah Reading (2nd day – Genesis Chapter 22: The Binding of Isaac)

Sep 29, 2019

55:01

On the second day of Rosh Hashana, we read the Torah section of Genesis chapter 22 that tells the very famous and quite troubling episode of the Binding of Isaac. Abraham – the same Abraham who railed against the ways of child sacrifice of the pagans – is instructed by God to take Isaac – the […]

338

Insights from the Rosh Hashana Torah Reading (1st day – Genesis Chapter 21)

Sep 23, 2019

1:03:28

The Torah readings for the two days of Rosh Hashana were not arbitrarily chosen. There are very good reasons why on the first day of Rosh Hashana we read Genesis chapter 21, which tells of the conception and birth of Isaac, and the banishment of Ishmael, his brush with death, and his salvation. In this […]

339

Insights from the Rosh Hashana Torah Reading (1st day – Genesis Chapter 21)

Sep 23, 2019

1:03:28

The Torah readings for the two days of Rosh Hashana were not arbitrarily chosen. There are very good reasons why on the first day of Rosh Hashana we read Genesis chapter 21, which tells of the conception and birth of Isaac, and the banishment of Ishmael, his brush with death, and his salvation. In this […]

340

Elul: Making the Most out of these Favorable Days

Sep 4, 2019

36:25

Elul is the name of the month that precedes Rosh Hashanah and the Days of Awe. The 40 days spanning from the first of Elul until Yom Kippur are the most spiritually auspicious days of the year; during this period we can re-imagine who we are and who we want to be — and transform […]

341

Elul: Making the Most out of these Favorable Days

Sep 4, 2019

36:25

Elul is the name of the month that precedes Rosh Hashanah and the Days of Awe. The 40 days spanning from the first of Elul until Yom Kippur are the most spiritually auspicious days of the year; during this period we can re-imagine who we are and who we want to be — and transform […]

342

What God Actually Wants

Aug 20, 2019

49:59

The Torah is God’s revelation and directives to mankind. In it, He commands, instructs, and guides us in how to behave and what to do in our lives. But what does God really want from us? What’s the bottom line? In an intriguing and provocative verse in Deuteronomy (10:12), Moses asks this question. His answer, […]

343

The Three Weeks: A Primer (Rebroadcast)

Jul 21, 2019

52:20

For the three weeks spanning from the fast of the 17th of Tammuz until the fast of Tisha B’av (9th of Av), the Jewish nation practices collective mourning. This mourning is the result of a collection of calamitous things that has happened to our ancestors during these inauspicious times. What is the background of these […]

344

The Three Weeks: A Primer (Rebroadcast)

Jul 21, 2019

52:20

For the three weeks spanning from the fast of the 17th of Tammuz until the fast of Tisha B’av (9th of Av), the Jewish nation practices collective mourning. This mourning is the result of a collection of calamitous things that has happened to our ancestors during these inauspicious times. What is the background of these […]

345

Shavuot: A Primer

Jun 2, 2019

50:27

Shavuot is described as “The time of the giving of our Torah” in the Festival liturgy; in the Torah and the Talmud, four other names are attributed to the holiday that falls out on the 6th of Sivan. What are the five names of the Festival and what do they connote? Why do we read […]

346

Shavuot: A Primer

Jun 2, 2019

50:27

Shavuot is described as “The time of the giving of our Torah” in the Festival liturgy; in the Torah and the Talmud, four other names are attributed to the holiday that falls out on the 6th of Sivan. What are the five names of the Festival and what do they connote? Why do we read […]

347

Lag BaOmer: A Primer

May 22, 2019

53:18

Lag BaOmer refers to the 33rd day of the Omer, the period connecting the Festivals of Pesach and Shavuot in which we are commanded to count 7 days for 7 weeks in ascending order until the anniversary day of the Sinai experience. What is the significance of the Omer period and why is the 33rd […]

348

Lag BaOmer: A Primer

May 22, 2019

53:18

Lag BaOmer refers to the 33rd day of the Omer, the period connecting the Festivals of Pesach and Shavuot in which we are commanded to count 7 days for 7 weeks in ascending order until the anniversary day of the Sinai experience. What is the significance of the Omer period and why is the 33rd […]

349

How we Navigated Having a Child on Shabbos and a Framework for Raising Children Well

Apr 15, 2019

57:07

This past Shabbos, my wife and I were blessed with a newborn baby girl. As Shabbos-observant Jews, this raised some interesting halachic dilemmas. In the first part of this podcast I tell the story of how we navigated the various problems, and then we pivot to constructing a framework for raising all kinds of children well […]

350

How we Navigated Having a Child on Shabbos and a Framework for Raising Children Well

Apr 15, 2019

57:07

This past Shabbos, my wife and I were blessed with a newborn baby girl. As Shabbos-observant Jews, this raised some interesting halachic dilemmas. In the first part of this podcast I tell the story of how we navigated the various problems, and then we pivot to constructing a framework for raising all kinds of children well […]

This Jewish Life · Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

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