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Recently in the news it was reported that an engineer from Google, tasked with developing Artificial Intelligence or A.I., asserted that the A.I. had become self-aware. This idea has been the storyline for a litany of sci-fi movies for decades. In this episode we are joined by the great and awesome, “Average Rabbi,” Rabbi Bucsko to explore this topic with us through the lens of Torah.
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These 40 days from the beginning of the month of Elul, the final month in the Jewish calendar, and Yom Kippur are the most powerful days of the year. These 40 days coincide with the 40 days that Moshe was in Heaven for the third 40 day stint when he received the second set of Tablets inscribed by the “finger of God.” Our Sages tell us that this month is “Days of Ratzon“, days of goodwill, days of desire. In this special podcast, we identify the central element of these days and discover the ways to unlock the unlimited power of Elul.
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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 that soldier conscription is done. Seemingly, there are cavernous loopholes to allow soldiers to desert in mass numbers. We suggest a new homiletic approach to understand the lesson behind the very strange soldier selection process.
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DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
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Death is a inescapable part of human life. It was not always like that. Prior to Adam’s sin in the Garden, man was destined to live forever. As a result of his consumption from the Tree of Knowledge Good and Evil, Adam condemned humanity to undergo a necessary purification and cleansing process achieved with death. As we progress in our study of the 13 Principles of Faith as codified by Maimonides, we proceed to study the nature of death and the judgment and cleansing that it kickstarts.
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DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
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This week we learn the laws governing all kinds of leaders: The parsha begins by detailing the laws of judges, the jurisdiction of the Sanhedrin, the Supreme Court, and what happens to rebellious judges; we read about the unique laws related to kings; there are more laws pertaining to the Kohanim; and we find the means of vetting professed prophets and what happens to the six kinds of false prophets.
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
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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 episode we make an argument that the most important element of our agenda ought to be a concerted effort to try to draw our brethren towards God. This week’s exquisite insight deals with steak and why we eat it.
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This week’s parsha marks a transition in the Book of Deuteronomy: it is no longer primarily about admonishment and rebuke and warnings, instead we read a bevy of mitzvos – some repetitions and some new ones that have hitherto not been mentioned.
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Please email me at rabbiwolbe@gmail.com with any questions or comments
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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 we steadfastly and here to a certain category of mitzvos, the Almighty promises to give us all these blessings. The precise identity of the mitzvos that engender those blessings is somewhat obscure. In this very special edition of the Parsha Podcast, we explore what our Sages mean when they talk about “mitzvos that people tend to trample upon with their heels.” If we follow their guidance, we will emerge well-heeled in more ways than one.
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This Parsha Podcast in loving memory and leilui nishmas Ronit bat Elimelech – whose yahrzeit is today. May her neshama experience an aliyah to the highest heights through these words of Torah.
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Please email me at rabbiwolbe@gmail.com with any questions or comments
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We pick up where we left off last week amid Moshe’s speech to the nation before his passing, and as in the previous few weeks, Parshas Eikev is jam packed with insights and timeless lessons. Moshe pivots between looking back on the conduct of the nation in the preceding 40 years and admonishing them for their misdeeds, and gazing forward to the conquest of Canaan and the secrets to making their settlement peaceful, prosperous, and secure.
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Please email me at rabbiwolbe@gmail.com with any questions or comments
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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. Our Parsha begins with Moshe retelling how he pleaded with God, without success, to have this decree revoked. In this special edition of the Parsha Podcast we explore the intricacies of the question of Moshe entering the Land, learn the essence of our personal relationship with Torah, and discover the critical – life and death – importance of the relationship between Torah teacher and student.
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This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in loving memory and leilui nishmas Yehudit bat Yehoshua Mordecai and Leah, Judith Cantor – the mother of our dear friend Mark Cantor – who passed away last week at the age of 93. She was a remarkable woman, a scion of an illustrious rabbinic family — May her soul be elevated in Heaven.
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Please email me at rabbiwolbe@gmail.com with any questions or comments
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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
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