Jewish Podcast

SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts

Parsha: Vezos Haberacha – An Offer You Can Refuse

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

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 all refused. Only our people accepted. What is the salience of this anecdote? Why must we be told about God’s offer of the Torah to the other nations? Why, in fact, was the offer rejected? In this final episode of year six of the partial podcast, we learn about this offer and what it teaches us about the essential difference between our nation and the other nations, and what Torah is designed to do to us.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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!

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter

SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts

Sukkos Roundtable with the TORCH Podcasters

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

In honor of the festival of Sukkot, I gathered together with some of my TORCH podcaster colleagues to chat about the festival, it’s meaning, and lessons. Each one of us got an opportunity to share an idea on the festival, and to promote our respective podcast(s). In a decision that compromised the audio quality, we recorded inside a Sukkah, exposed to the elements and to all manner of ambient noise. If you are interested in being a fly on the wall of our Sukkah and can tolerate a suboptimal audio experience, this podcast is for you.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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!

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter

SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts

Parsha: Parshas Vezos Haberacha (Rebroadcast)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

The final parsha of the Torah details the blessings that Moshe conveyed to the tribes of Israel immediately prior to his passing, and the Torah ends with the description of the death, burial, and eulogy of Moshe.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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!

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter

SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts

Parsha: Haazinu – Torrential Torah

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

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, dew, stormy, windy, showers, and soft droplets. Our Sages explained that Torah is comparable to the many varieties of rain and precipitation. What is Torah all about? How do we benefit from it? Why can’t we always see it’s impact? What is at stake as we approach Torah study? This sweeping episode we survey the many ways in which Torah is related to the many varieties of precipitation.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in loving memory and leilui nishmas Mindel bas Reb Tzvi Hersh, the mother of our dear friend, Dr. Paul Block. Mindel, known as Mili, was a remarkable woman who overcame a tremendously hard youth to build an incredible legacy, meriting to hold her great-great-grandchildren. Beloved by all who knew her, Mili will be sorely missed. May her Soul be elevated in Heaven.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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!

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter

SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts

Parsha: Parshas Haazinu (Rebroadcast)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Still in the final day of Moshe’s life, he conveys to the nation a 43-verse Song predicting the contours of Jewish history, both past, present, and future. The patterns are familiar to the readers of Deuteronomy and even casual observers and students of Jewish history: The nation is recipients of tremendous divine goodness, yet they become corpulent and rebel against God. Consequently, God allows the nations to feast upon the people, but despite the harsh and painful torment and suffering, we continue to exist. The Song ends with a vivid description of the Messianic reclamation.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in loving memory and leilui nishmas Miriam bat Avraham whose first yahrzeit will be this Shabbat. May her Soul be elevated in Heaven.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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!

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter

SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts

The Alchemy of Yom Kippur

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Yom Kippur is the greatest day of the year. The name of book of Talmud that orients around Yom Kippur is Yoma, meaning “Day.” This is The Day when everything changes. On this day, the Almighty is close to us. On this day, He extends purification and forgiveness to us. On this day, God purifies us from all of our sins. This is the day when we can transform ourselves in an outsized, asymmetric manner. On this day, a small effort goes a very, very, long way. This day is like an elevator: with one push of the button we can ascend to heavenly heights! But it demands some work on our part. Yom Kippur is a magical, alchemical day, but it is conditional on us doing our part. In this special pre-Yom Kippur podcast, we lay out what are the costs that we need to pay to earn the alchemy of Yom Kippur. The price may be steep, but compared to what we get for it, it is the opportunity of a lifetime. This is not the day to squander. In this podcast, we learn what we need to do.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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!

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter

SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts

The Secret of the Scapegoat

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

One of the most mysterious elements of the Yom Kippur ceremony is the scapegoat ceremony. The High priest took two identical male goats and made a lottery, one was offered as a sacrifice to God in the Temple, and the other one was a scapegoat, upon which the sins of the nation were conferred and whose destiny was to be chucked off a cliff in barren desert. this was a central part of the Yom Kippur services when the Temple was extant, and even today it is incorporated into the Mussaf prayer on this holiest of days. What is the meaning of the scapegoat? What is the secret of the scapegoat? What lessons can we glean from this process that will enhance our understanding of Yom Kippur and what we are supposed to be trying to do? In preparation for Yom Kippur, we explore and examine this strange – frankly baffling – ritual, and uncover insights that get to the heart of what Yom Kippur is and how we can make the most of it.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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!

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter

SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts

Jonah: Studying the Yom Kippur Reading on a Deeper Level (Rebroadcast)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

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 the protagonist, Jonah, and of the people of Nineveh. But our Sages let us in on a secret that the Book of Jonah contains a hidden, kabbalistic story embedded beneath the story – which also teaches us powerful, topical messages for the Day of Atonement.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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!

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter

SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts

Parsha: Vayeilech – Career Capstone

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

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 successor, Joshua. When we study the Torah’s description of Moshe’s final die, we discover an interesting pattern that appears one other place in the Torah, a discovery that reveals a new insight into the lives and purpose of the great exemplars of our past.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

This Parsha Podcast is dedicated by Michael and Lana Kutsaya in loving memory of Michael’s mother, Tamila bat Moshe, who passed away a few weeks ago. She was a remarkable woman, with an indomitable spirit, and she will be sorely missed. May her Soul be elevated in Heaven.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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!

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter

SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts