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This Jewish Life - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

English, Judaism, 1 season, 415 episodes, 3 days, 18 hours, 52 minutes
About
Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Torah Lectures
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Book of Jonah: Studying the Yom Kippur Reading on a Deeper Level (Chapter 1)

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 […]
10/6/20191 hour, 10 minutes, 35 seconds
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Insights from the Rosh Hashana Torah Reading (2nd day – Genesis Chapter 22: The Binding of Isaac)

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 […]
9/29/201955 minutes, 1 second
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Insights from the Rosh Hashana Torah Reading (1st day – Genesis Chapter 21)

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 […]
9/23/20191 hour, 3 minutes, 28 seconds
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Elul: Making the Most out of these Favorable Days

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 […]
9/4/201936 minutes, 25 seconds
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What God Actually Wants

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, […]
8/20/201949 minutes, 59 seconds
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The Three Weeks: A Primer (Rebroadcast)

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 […]
7/21/201952 minutes, 20 seconds
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Shavuot: A Primer

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 […]
6/2/201950 minutes, 27 seconds
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Lag BaOmer: A Primer

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 […]
5/22/201953 minutes, 18 seconds
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How we Navigated Having a Child on Shabbos and a Framework for Raising Children Well

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 […]
4/15/201957 minutes, 7 seconds
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Four Sons, Three Steps: A Template to Wisdom from the Passover Haggadah

One of the highlights of the Haggadah is the four different discussion that parents have with the four different sons, the wise son, the wicked son, the simple son, and the son who does not know how to ask. In this podcast a novel approach is suggested wherein these four sons are not four different […]
4/9/201942 minutes, 3 seconds
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Purim: A Primer

The festival of Purim commemorates the story of salvation that our nation experienced in Persia more than two thousand years ago. Haman the heir of Amaleik schemed a plot to eradicate the entire Jewish people in one randomly selected day, the 13th day of Adar. But the Almighty would have none of it. In His […]
3/18/20191 hour, 19 minutes, 2 seconds
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A Conversation About Kosher with Rabbi Nosson Dubin

The Jewish community of Houston, TX is fortunate to have Rabbi Nosson Dubin, a true expert on all things kosher, as its Rabbinic Administrator for the Houston Kashrus Association, the agency tasked with overseeing kosher establishments and furthering kosher options in Houston. Beyond his local role in the Houston Kashrus scene, Rabbi Dubin is also the founder […]
3/7/201952 minutes, 54 seconds
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The Shema: Condensing Jewish Philosophy into Six Words (Or Three Paragraphs)

The Shema prayer is arguably the most well-known prayer of them all. It is the first words that we teach our children, and the last ones uttered by a Jew in their tenure in this world. A Jewish life is bookended by recitations of the Shema. Yet it seems to me that while people are […]
2/21/20191 hour, 1 minute, 11 seconds
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How to Overachieve

There is a learnable quality the underpins every transformational change and improvement that humanity has achieved. It is what separates the people who are inspired to change and actually implement grand ideas from the common folk who do not influence the world for the better. – – – – – – – – – – – […]
1/23/201946 minutes, 35 seconds
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What is Ayin Hara (Evil Eye) and why is it Dangerous? (Jew&A with Rabbi Yaakov Cohen)

The words “Ayin Hara” are firmly ensconced in the Jewish lexicon. From a young age we are trained to exclaim “keinahara” and “bli ayin hara”, after describing, hearing about, or witnessing something wonderful. What is an ayin hara, why is it dangerous, and how can we mitigate or counteract its damage? Join me and my colleague […]
12/10/201842 minutes, 42 seconds
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Chanukah: A Primer

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; […]
12/2/201848 minutes, 44 seconds
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The Art of War with the Yetzer Hara

The Yetzer Hara is the villain of our life. It’s other names are the “satan” and the “angel of death”. It seeks to undermine us and inhibit us from accomplishing our life’s mission. thankfully, the Sages of the Talmud offered us a multitude of strategies and tactics to combat and resist this deadly force. In […]
11/14/201848 minutes, 8 seconds
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Sukkos: A Primer

“’In a Sukkah shall you dwell for seven days’ – The Torah is instructing us to leave our permanent dwelling and move into a temporary dwelling.” (Talmud Sukkah 2a). A mere five days after Yom Kippur, we are instructed to abandon our permanent home and move into a makeshift hut and live there for seven […]
9/19/201842 minutes, 40 seconds
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The Key to Meaningful Prayer

Prayer is a central tenet of our religion, and comprised a hefty chunk of its rituals. The Mishna (Pirkei Avos 1:2) delineates the three things upon which the world stands – meaning that without it the world would cease existing – and lists prayer together with Torah study and kindness. Yet prayer is a mitzvah that […]
9/16/201838 minutes, 59 seconds
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Ten Days of Repentance: A Primer

Yom Kippur marks the final day of the Ten Days of Repentance. On this day all our efforts are focused on repenting and earning atonement for all our sins and getting sealed into the Book of Life for the upcoming year. In this podcast we analyze the notion of repentance in general, the difference between […]
9/12/201852 minutes, 40 seconds
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Rosh Hashana: A Primer

Rosh Hashana is both the day of judgement on our deeds of the previous year and the day of new hopes and new beginnings for the year to come. The responsibilities – and the opportunities – of the day are so significant that we must be ready and prepared for it. In this podcast we […]
8/29/201854 minutes, 56 seconds
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Shavuos: A Primer

Shavuos marks the time of the giving of the Torah and the climax of the nation building that began with the Exodus. In this podcast we offer a broad overview of the meaning of this Festival and its various themes. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]
5/13/20181 hour, 2 minutes, 59 seconds
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The 10 Commandments of Jewish Parenting

Jewish parents a double responsibility: We must raise mature, healthy children who will turn into productive adults, and to instill within our children the values of Torah and Judaism. Though this is a second obligation, as Jews we also benefit from the Torah’s guidelines of how to educate them, and in this podcast we hope to convey […]
5/4/201847 minutes, 46 seconds
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Pesach Pedagogical Pointers: Parenting Lessons from the Haggadah’s Four Sons

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 […]
3/28/201850 minutes, 45 seconds
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Pesach: A Primer

Pesach marks the foundational event of our nation’s history. The Exodus that happened on the days of Pesach is the rationale of the Jewish holidays nad festivals, including the weekly Shabbos, and is invoked in many mitzvos. In this podcast we explore the story of Pesach and discover what it says about what we stand […]
3/27/201858 minutes, 1 second
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Reflections on Loss, Tragedy, and Bereavement: An Interview with Esther Kaplan

Esther Kaplan (née Wolbe), along with her husband AJ, experienced the worst nightmare parents can undergo when their adorable and perfect son Shlomo passed away only 16 weeks into his life. In this intimate and stirring conversation Esther shares the story of Shlomo’s life and opens up about how parents absorb and process such an […]
3/19/20181 hour, 6 minutes, 17 seconds
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How to be a Great Leader (and Spouse) – Recorded Live at the Kotel in Jerusalem

In the last portions of Exodus, the Torah details the incredible fundraising efforts to assemble the materials needed to build the Mishkan. It records that the nesi’im, the presidents of the tribes, donated the stones for the Kohein Gadol’s Choshen and Ephod, Breastplate and apron-like garment. Rashi notes that the Torah is also conveying a veiled criticism about these people […]
3/14/201821 minutes, 21 seconds
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Purim: A Primer

Purim is a holiday marking the salvation of the Jews in Persia from the genocidal plans of Haman and his cohorts. Every 14th and 15th day of Adar, Jews worldwide read the Book of Esther which tells the story, give gifts to the poor and to their friends, and partake in a lavish and festive […]
2/25/201856 minutes, 46 seconds
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A Mussar Approach to the #MeToo Revelations

Over the past several months, there have been revelations, accusations, and allegations of sexual misconduct by celebrities of all types, which spawned movements and hashtags and a national conversation on these issues. In this podcast we offer a Mussar approach to these revelations.  – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]
2/6/201829 minutes, 47 seconds
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The State of the Jewish Nation

In response to an incredible story that happened over the weekend, we explore the state of the Jewish nation in 2018 and chart our progress towards acheiving our destiny and Tikkun Olam. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Please […]
1/21/201828 minutes, 50 seconds
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Mussar Masters During the Holocaust: Portraits of Valor, Faith, and Martyrdom (Recorded Live in Harrisburg, PA)

Mussar is the tool that we can use to integrate Torah into ourselves and change our character. A Mussar master is someone who is spiritually alive. In this special lecture, we try to tell a story of how Mussar masters operated during the inferno that engulfed European Jewry during the Holocaust. By recounting the heroic […]
1/3/20181 hour, 20 minutes, 16 seconds
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Hesped (Eulogy) on the Gadol Hador (Greatest of the Generation), Rav Ahron Leib Shteinman zt”l

This week, the Gadol Hador, Rav Ahron Leib Shteinman zt”l, passed away at the age of 104. In this eulogy, we try to capture a brief portrait of this remarkable and inspirational leader. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Please […]
12/15/201722 minutes, 43 seconds
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Chanukah – Small Miracles

When reading about the story and the miracles of Chanukah, the most prominent and memorable one seems to be the military victory of a small ragtag guerrilla army over the mighty Greeks. Yet the mitzvah commemorating the events revolves around the miracle of the oil, a seemingly insignificant miracle in comparison. In this podcast, we offer 3 […]
12/13/201724 minutes, 49 seconds
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The Eternal Consequences of Actions

In the span of one parsha, Reuben makes a grave blunder while Joseph avoids one. In their analysis of these two episodes, our Sages provide us with a powerful tool to ensure that our own actions are righteous and just and as accurate as possible. – – – – – – – – – – […]
12/10/201726 minutes, 24 seconds
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The Three Preconditions to Spiritual Pleasures

The Torah has been described by many Jewish sources as a guide to accessing spiritual pleasure. While it is true that there are many laws that restrict pleasure, the net benefit of the Torah is that through it we can experience deeper and more sophisticated, spiritual pleasures. What is spiritual pleasure? What are the conditions […]
11/21/201743 minutes, 15 seconds
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Dating, Courtship, and Spousal Selection: A Comprehensive Torah Attitude

Chapter 24 of Genesis contains a comprehensive narrative of the courtship and marriage of Isaac and Rebecca. Traditionally, this chapter served as the comprehensive guide of the Torah’s attitude of how to select a suitable spouse. In this podcast, we quickly run through the story and find relevant and insightful tips on how to find […]
11/7/20171 hour, 8 minutes, 51 seconds
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Eternal Ethics: A **New Podcast** on Pirkei Avos

Dear friends, it is with great joy and delight that I present you with my brand new podcast, Eternal Ethics. In this podcast we will journey through the ancient book of Mishna, Pirkei Avos, a book containing God’s wisdom on Ethics and Character development as conveyed at Sinai. But don’t let the title fool you. […]
10/23/201730 minutes, 44 seconds
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Enveloped by God: Understanding the Festival of Sukkos

The Festival of Sukkos has many moving parts: There is the mitzvah to dwell in a Sukkah for seven days; we are commanded to shake the Four Species on Sukkos; and there is a fascination with the Seventy Nations of the world and their ultimate downfall. In this podcast, we offer a comprehensive perspective of […]
10/10/201744 minutes
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The Great Loophole (Repentance)

Teshuva (Repentance) can be an intimidating and daunting task. Entire volumes are filled with its components and nuances. In this podcast we shine light on a different aspect of Teshuva: Its easy, eminently achievable, and all the factors are in place to enable us to do it. – – – – – – – – […]
9/28/201733 minutes, 16 seconds
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Maximizing Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur is associated with prayer and liturgy that we may not understand, very long services and, of course, fasting. Unfortunately, most people are unaware of the power, meaning and opportunity of the day. In this podcast we go back to the very first Yom Kippur. What happened on that day and how is it […]
9/25/201757 minutes, 9 seconds
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The Core Theme of Rosh Hashana

Rosh Hashana is the anniversary of the creation of man. It is also the Day of Judgement. What are the various elements and themes of the day and how do they interrelate? – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Please […]
9/19/201735 minutes, 44 seconds
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The Novelty Principle

What is the secret to novelty? How can we inject a feeling of newness and freshness into our life, our relationships, and our Torah? In this podcast we combine a series of Talmudic teachings to outline a path to living with newness in every area of our lives. Please consider making a donation to rebuilding […]
9/11/201752 minutes, 36 seconds
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Lessons I’ve learned from studying a page of Talmud daily

For the past 40 days, I have participated in “Daf Yomi”, literally “daily page”, a nationwide effort to study the Talmud, one page per day, finishing it every seven and a half year cycle. In this podcast I delineate several powerful and poignant teachings from these 40 pages of Talmud, including the surprising attitude God has to […]
8/25/201755 minutes, 52 seconds
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Critic’s Choice: How to Rebuke Effectively

Besides being a critical mitzvah, to rebuke or criticize someone who is acting improperly is a vital skill that every leader (boss, parent) needs to know how to wield effectively. Our sages tell us that there are two ways to criticize, one that works and one that does not. The critic can only choose one. […]
7/27/201742 minutes, 55 seconds
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The Vehicle of Life

The tension that exists between our body-identity and soul-identity is comparable to a ride in a vehicle with two potential drivers. By default, our body is in the driver’s seat, and our soul is locked in the trunk. Through Torah and mitzvos we can increase the influence that the soul has on our life’s journey and […]
7/6/201752 minutes, 40 seconds
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When Ignorance Is Bliss

Our sages debate what is greater Torah study or actions of mitzvos. In this podcast we probe the the question of knowledge vs. action, insight vs. doing, what we know vs. what we do, and draw critical insights that are broadly applicable for all of Torah. – – – – – – – – – – […]
6/27/201750 minutes, 39 seconds
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The Dangers of Discord, Division and Disunity

Disagreements and arguments are a fixture of human interactions; but they needn’t result in division and strife. In this podcast we learn the secret of how to engage in argumentation the right way. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]
6/20/201754 minutes, 24 seconds
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Fringe Benefits

Regarding seven mitzvos our Sages declare that each is equal to all the other mitzvos. They are: Rejecting idolatry; Shabbos; living in Israel; charity; circumcision; Torah study; and tzitzis. In this podcast we first address the question of what does it mean that a single mitzvah is equivalent to all 613 mitzvos? Next we probe […]
6/16/201732 minutes, 43 seconds
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The Core of Greatness

In this podcast we reveal the secret key to unlocking the transformational power of Torah. What is the one critical quality needed to ensure that we achieve greatness? This Torah talk is dedicated in the merit of the pure Neshama of שלמה ע”ה בן יבדל”א ר’ אברהם יוחנן שליט”א. – – – – – – – […]
6/13/201749 minutes, 57 seconds
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Testimony at Sinai

The Revelation at Sinai is the most significant event in all of human history. In an event never repeated, God spoke to a nation who heard with their ears and saw with their eyes, and survived. In this podcast, we examine the experience at Sinai, and it’s significance for providing evidence for the legitimacy of […]
5/30/201757 minutes, 11 seconds
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Shavuos, The Time of the Giving of the Torah

In the liturgy of the festival, Shavuos is labeled as “the time of the giving of the Torah.” On Shavuos we only received 10 mitzvos out of an eventual 613. How then can it be the time of the giving of the entire Torah? In this podcast we propose five solutions to that question, and thereby provide […]
5/17/201729 minutes, 14 seconds
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Understanding God Through Torah

Jews are required to love God. How can we love an entity that we have a hard time defining? Rambam addresses this question and informs us of a solution that will change our relationship with God and Torah. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]
5/10/201729 minutes, 14 seconds
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The Jewish Obsession: Our Nation’s Love Affair with Torah Study

Torah study is the greatest mitzvah. The sources write that it is equivalent to the other 612 combined. The Talmud notes that the study of Torah is greater than saving lives. In the hierarchy of mitzvos, Torah study stands alone. In this podcast we probe why. This Torah class is dedicated .לעילוי נשמת אטא רבקה בת ישעיהו […]
5/3/201721 minutes, 32 seconds
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The Pesach Puzzle: Explaining Exodus via Genesis and Deuteronomy

The Exodus is the most oft-referenced event in Jewish life. Twice daily we invoke it in the Shema, and every Shabbos holiday is characterized as “a remembrance for the exodus of Egypt”. Why is the exodus so central to Jewish life? In this podcast we explore that question and many others regarding the Exodus story and […]
4/5/201734 minutes, 31 seconds
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Prayer: Understanding the Craft of Emunah

ANNUAL APPEAL: We are right now running our annual campaign at giveTORCH.com. If you enjoy the podcasts and want to support our work – please go to giveTORCH.com and donate to the cause. SHOW NOTES: Prayer is a comprehensive part of the Jewish day. We pray for amaterial, spiritual, physical, and health matters, we pray for the […]
3/22/201728 minutes, 14 seconds
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The Emunah Landscape

Our sages note that many different levels of Emunah exist. In this podcast we delineate the acheivable levels of Emunah, and examine several teachings from the Talmud in the prism of the Emunah of its authors. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]
3/15/201727 minutes, 50 seconds
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The Emunah Migration

The sources are in agreement that cognitive and intellectual faith alone is insufficient. To properly fulfill his requirements, man must find a way to have the Emunah penetrate into his behavior and perspective. Why is this so critical and how it is done? – – – – – – – – – – – – […]
3/8/201729 minutes, 2 seconds
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The Pursuit of Faith: 4 Paths to Rudimentary Emunah

The first of the Ten Commandments instructs us to gain basic faith. The last one, “Thou Shall No Covet”, is a reflection of a much more advanced variety of Emunah. In this episode, we stress the importance to not rely solely on emotional or societal basis for our basic Emunah, and instead to pursue a […]
2/28/201734 minutes, 35 seconds
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Emunah in the Prism of the Afterlife

In previous episodes we have established that Emunah is the core objective of life. In this episode we explore some of the Jewish perspectives on the matter. We delve into our role in this world, our inhibitors to greatness, and what we have in store for us after death. – – – – – – […]
2/21/201756 minutes, 58 seconds
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Faith of the Farmer

Regarding three people we are told in the Talmud that they are people of limited faith: Noah, who entered the Ark as a result of the water; a person who prays loudly; and a person who has food for today and not for tomorrow and says ‘what will I eat tomorrow?’. Further, the Talmud declares […]
2/14/201725 minutes, 19 seconds
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The Two Variants of Emunah

Emunah, faith, is a critical mitzvah that headlines the Ten Commandments. But truthfully, Emunah is more than an isolated mitzvah; it is the objective of all the mitzvos. – – – – – – – – – – – – – Contact: Website: RabbiWolbe.com; Twitter: @RabbiWolbe; Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; Email: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com. Podcasts Links iOS: This […]
2/7/201727 minutes, 45 seconds
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Bo – Climactic Exodus

The Ten Plagues reach their crescendo in Parshas Bo. After Pharaoh’s repeated intransigence, he undergoes a series of humbling miraculous plagues that prompt him to evict the Jews from his land. Contact: Website: RabbiWolbe.com; Twitter: @RabbiWolbe; Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; Email: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com. Podcasts Links iOS: This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics; The Jewish […]
1/29/20171 hour, 14 minutes, 51 seconds
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Vanquishing the Villain Part 3: The Shema and The Powers of Contemplation of Death

We are told by our Sages that reciting the Shema and contemplating our own demise are powerful tools to defeat the powers of the Yetzer ra. How does this all work? Contact: Website: RabbiWolbe.com; Twitter: @RabbiWolbe; Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; Email: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com. Podcasts Links iOS: This Jewish Life – In-Depth Analysis into Critical Torah Topics; The […]
1/26/201730 minutes, 36 seconds
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Deconstructing the Greatest Man Ever: A Character Analysis of Moshe

Moshe was the humblest man ever, the greatest prophet of all time, and the only documented person to time-travel. In this episode, we gather many teachings regarding Moshe and construct a comprehensive framework to understand his character, greatness and accoomplishments. Contact: Website: RabbiWolbe.com; Twitter: @RabbiWolbe; Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; Email: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com. Podcasts Links iOS: This […]
1/18/201737 minutes, 7 seconds
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Vanquishing the Villain Part 2: Spiritual Antibiotics: How Torah Protects and Saves

The Talmud (Brachos 5a) delineates 4 methods to eliminate the greatest threat to our life, the Yetzer Ra. In this podcast, we examine and explore the second approach, that Torah study protects and shields from sin. Contact: Website: RabbiWolbe.com; Twitter: @RabbiWolbe; Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; Email: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com. Podcasts Links iOS: This Jewish Life – In-Depth […]
1/12/201728 minutes, 5 seconds
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Vanquishing the Villain Part 1: Agitating the Yetzer Ra with the Yetzer Tov

We have previously seen (HERE and HERE) what the Yetzer Ra is and how to combat it. In this podcast, we will learn about the four methods to not only combat it but to defeat it entirely. Contact: Website: RabbiWolbe.com; Twitter: @RabbiWolbe; Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; Email: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com. Podcasts Links iOS: This Jewish Life – […]
1/5/201731 minutes, 18 seconds
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JC in the Talmud: Examining the Censored Text

Unlike what most imagine, the Sages of the Talmud wrote very little regarding Christianity and JC. The little that was included was censored by the Christian authorities in the Middle Ages. Thankfully, copies of those parts of the Talmud remain. In this podcast, we explore with a fine toothed comb these statements. Contact: Website: RabbiWolbe.com; […]
12/26/201646 minutes, 38 seconds
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The History of Hanukah: Hellenism, Heroism and Hasmoneans **New JEWISH HISTORY PODCAST**

The holiday of Hanukkah commemorates the triumph of the Maccabean Revolt over the oppressive regime of Antiochus IV and the Seleucid Empire. In this podcast we tell the story of this miraculous victory of the weak over the mighty; the few over the many; the pure over the impure; and the righteous over the wicked. Please SUBSCRIBE to […]
12/25/201641 minutes, 32 seconds
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Ammunition Against Adversaries: Nine Tactics to Combat the Yetzer Ra

We have previously established in the podcast titled Know Your Enemy that the Yetzer Ra (evil inclination) created illusionary, fake pleasures. This allows for many unexpected methods in combatting it. In this podcast, we outline nine different approaches in battling our nefarious foe culled from sources in the Talmud and associated literature. SOURCE SHEET: sources-ammunitionagainstadversaries – – – […]
12/22/201637 minutes, 7 seconds
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Know Your Enemy: Learning the Modi Operandi of the Yetzer Ra

Jewish sources focus extensive energies on the battle man must undertake with their Yetzer Ra (evil inclination). In several sources we learn that this battle is the crucial determinant of success or failure in this world. In this podcast we explore the various sources depicting the nature of the Yetzer ra and the manners by […]
12/20/201632 minutes, 44 seconds
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Two Worlds and the Tension Between them

In Mesilat Yesharim Chapter 1, Ramchal outlines a general principle that humanity is created for their state in Olam Haba (the next world) and not for their state here. We analyze, clarify and try to make sense of this idea in this podcast. Note: The class participants were particularly engaged in asking questions and in contributing […]
12/18/201648 minutes, 23 seconds
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Gateway to Eternity: Resurrection of the Dead as Reunification of Body and Soul, and as Reinvention of the Body/Soul Paradigm

A central tenet of Jewish philosophy is the belief in the resurrection of the dead. Death is not final; the dead will yet walk the land. The details of resurrection are a bit trickier. What is the nature of this life? Is it merely an undoing of death and a resumption of life as we know […]
12/12/201654 minutes, 58 seconds
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Rungs to Righteousness: Bridging our Invisible and Tangible Realities

The Talmud teaches that all mitzvos share a common objective – the acquisition of faith. Why is faith so difficult to achieve and how do mitzvos engender faith?
12/7/201632 minutes, 48 seconds
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Conflicted Man: How Esau Sought Sin in Utero and what it means for our Pursuit of Righteousness

We attempt to unravel a famous philosophical paradox: The Talmud teaches that a child only receives a yetzer ra at birth, yet Esav was pining for idolatry while in utero. How does that work and what does it mean for our pursuit of righteousness? If you enjoy this podcast please subscribe to The Parsha Podcast – […]
11/30/201635 minutes, 13 seconds
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Why God Told Abraham to Slaughter Isaac

Abraham is presented in different lights throughout Jewish literature. Traditionally, he is the founder of monotheism and the father of the religions that espouse it. The Torah presents him not as a figure of faith but as a paragon of kindness. Paradoxically, Abraham acts in a supremely unkind fashion by banishing Ishmael and attempting filicide […]
11/23/201635 minutes, 54 seconds
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Reconciling Kindness and Child-Sacrifice **NEW PARSHA PODCAST**

Please **SUBSCRIBE** to the new Parsha Podcast feed: For iOS Click HERE For Android Click HERE
11/15/20161 hour, 20 minutes, 48 seconds
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The Secret of the Sukkah

We are instructed to sit in a Sukkah for the seven days of the holiday of Sukkos. What is the meaning behind this strange mitzvah? Why must we leave our climate-controlled homes and move into a sukkah that resembles huts in third world countries? Why is this mitzvah so powerful that it is used as a […]
10/19/201642 minutes, 57 seconds
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The Greatest Day (Yom Kippur)

Yom Kippur is a challenging day. It is associated with prayer and liturgy that we may not understand, very long services and, of course, fasting. As a result, most people are unaware of the power, meaning and opportunity of the day. In this podcast we go back to the very first Yom Kippur. What happened on […]
10/10/201656 minutes, 41 seconds
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God’s Kingdom: The Core Elements of Rosh Hashana

Rosh Hashana means the beginning of the year. This day was selected because it is the anniversary of the creation of Adam. The day is also called the day of judgement because all people are judged on this day as well. What is the connection between these two and how can we make the most […]
10/2/201647 minutes, 11 seconds
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Understanding the Suffering of the Righteous

The question of “why bad things happen to good people” is an exceedingly difficult philosophical dilemma to grapple with. We believe that God is in absolute control of everything that happens in the world. We also believe that He is Just. Yet we see so much injustice all around us. In this podcast we explore […]
10/2/201637 minutes, 38 seconds
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The Greatest Trait (Humility)

Humility is the trait associated with the greatest prophet and leader of all time, Moses. What exactly is humility and why is it such a critical characteristic?
9/26/20161 hour, 48 seconds
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Can Reliance on God Pay the Bills?

We believe that God is in total control of everything. Can we rely upon Him to feed our family? Would that be considered negligence? What are the parameters of faith and reliance on God vs. personal responsibility? ——- This podcast was recorded live at the Kollel of Houston Torah Center. Please visit torcweb.org for program details […]
9/22/201645 minutes, 4 seconds
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The Ten Commandments of Parenting for Contemporary Parents

Parenting is the most rewarding – and difficult – job we will ever have. Thankfully the Torah teaches us how to be effective parents. Listen and learn the top ten critical elements of successful pedagogy. ——- This podcast was recorded live at the Temple Beth Torah in Humble, TX. Please visit torcweb.org for program details and […]
9/19/201644 minutes, 55 seconds
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Journey to Eternity: The Surprising Truth about What Happens After You Die

Death is a future that we all share. What happens after someone dies depends on the life they lived. If they were righteous they merit entry to Olam Haba. When is Olam Haba and how is it related to the resurrection of the dead? What is the link between this world and the next one? Listen […]
9/13/201644 minutes, 24 seconds
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5 Paths to Perfection (Pirkei Avos 2:9)

Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai tasked his five students with an interesting mission. He instructed them to go and find which path should a person cling to. They went and researched and returned, each with a different formula. What exactly is the goal of such an experiment? What does an evil eye mean and how does […]
9/12/20161 hour, 5 minutes, 48 seconds
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Introduction to Self

Who are you? That unusual question is an example of what we ought to be asking ourselves if we seek character perfection and ethical refinement, says Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (Ramchal) in his short book “derech eitz chaim”. The truth is that it is a bit more difficult to answer than we would imagine. But […]
9/12/201653 minutes, 56 seconds
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Three Paths to Eternity: How Mitzvahs Bring us to Olam Haba

Jewish sources are unanimous: by observing the mitzvahs a Jew merit entry to Olam Haba. Less clear is how exactly that works. In this podcast we explore the three different approaches outlined in various sources in Jewish writings. ——– Website: RabbiWolbe.com Twitter: @RabbiWolbe Facebook: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe Email: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com
9/8/201632 minutes, 5 seconds
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Yoke of Torah: The Benefits of Total Commitment

The Mishna (Chapters of the Fathers 3:5) declares: רבי נחוניה בן הקנה אומר, כל המקבל עליו עול תורה, מעבירין ממנו עול מלכות ועול דרך ארץ; וכל הפורק ממנו עול תורה, נותנין עליו עול מלכות ועול דרך ארץ. “Rabbi Nechunya ben Hakana says: whoever accepts upon themselves the yoke of Torah, the yoke of the kingdom and […]
9/6/20161 hour, 13 minutes, 57 seconds
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The Multidimensionality of Torah

The Talmud and related rabbinic writings are replete with disagreements that impact  the practical application of Torah, known as Halacha. What are the safety ordinances to prevent the perversion of Halachic practice? Is it possible that over the course of history something went awry and there is some element of Halacha that was forgotten or corrupted along the way […]
8/31/20161 hour, 15 minutes, 35 seconds
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What is Olam Haba: Exploring the Enigmatic Sources

A universally accepted principle of Judaism is that the Almighty gives reward for observance of Torah and mitzvos and punishment for their nonobservance. What exactly that reward and punishment consist of is a great unknown to most. In this first of three podcasts on the subject we investigate some puzzling sources regarding Olam Haba – […]
8/31/201656 minutes, 49 seconds
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The Codification of the Oral Torah: The History, Methodology and Philosophy of Canonizing the Mishna, Talmud and Halacha

Previously (see HERE) we have elaborated on the 1500 years of uninterrupted conveyance of the Oral Torah in its entirety from one generation to the next. Towards 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. This began a […]
8/29/20161 hour, 8 minutes, 28 seconds
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Rabbi Akiva’s Great Principle

The great sage of the Mishnaic era, Rabbi Akiva, taught that the mitzvah of loving your fellow as yourself is a great principle of Torah. Can this mitzvah be understood that we are obligated to love everyone with the same degree of love that we have for ourselves or perhaps does loving your fellow as yourself […]
8/29/201652 minutes, 5 seconds
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Business Competition and Disclosures in Halacha

In this podcast we explore several contemporary halachic dilemmas relation to business competition and disclosures. What are the parameters of opening a business establishment in an area or industry that will cripple or eliminate competitors? How much of the defects in a product or service must a seller disclose? Can someone deceive potential employers by dyeing their […]
8/29/20161 hour, 19 minutes, 55 seconds
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The Hundred Years’ War: Winning our Lifelong Battle with our Yetzer Ra

Man’s lifelong struggle with their Yetzer Ra is the premier challenge that a person faces in their life. What are the best strategies and tactics to assure victory? In this podcast we examine several telling Talmudic passages that create a roadmap to success in our ultimate test.
8/22/20161 hour, 27 minutes, 38 seconds
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A Soul, A Yetzer Ra and Their Lifelong Conflict

“Against your will you are formed; against your will you are born; against your will you live; against your will you die; and against your will you are destined to give an accounting and a reckoning before the King of kings, the Holy One, Blessed is He” (Pirkei Avot 4:22). This Mishnah outlines the five […]
8/7/20161 hour, 14 minutes, 22 seconds
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The Temple in Jerusalem and its Sacrifices in Jewish Life, Thought and Destiny

The Second Temple was destroyed 1,946 years ago by Titius and the Romans. Yet the Temple never left our collective consciousness. We invoke it in our prayers, mourn its destruction and hope and yearn for its return. Why do we need a Temple and what is the meaning behind sacrifices?
7/25/20161 hour, 19 minutes, 49 seconds
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The Transmission of the Oral Torah without Mistakes

A fundamental principle of our religion is that the Torah that we have today is the same as the Torah given by God to Moses. Is this a dogmatic belief a leap of faith? How can we be assured that there was no corruption of the Oral Torah over the 1500 years that it was […]
7/20/20161 hour, 3 minutes, 33 seconds
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Nine Reasons why the Oral Torah was not Codified for 1500 Years

3300 years ago, over a period of 40 years, Moses gave the Jewish nation the Torah that he received from God. It consisted of a Written Torah and an Oral Torah together. For 1500 years the Oral Torah was maintained as such; faithfully and accurately transmitted exclusively orally from generation to generation. Beginning with the publication […]
7/19/201655 minutes, 16 seconds
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A Biographical Sketch and A Character Analysis of Jacob and his Wives

Jacob is termed in Jewish literature as the “choicest of the forefathers”. What were his defining character traits? What were the dominant episodes and themes of his life? What does his journey teach us about Jewish history? We answer these questions and ponder the qualities of his illustrious wives and their collective eternal legacies in this […]
7/10/20161 hour, 42 minutes, 8 seconds
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Oral Torah: An Introduction

In this first of a series on Oral Torah we begin with asking the very basic questions: What is the Oral Torah comprised of? How does the Oral Torah relate to the Written Torah? How can we be certain of its veracity? Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 19
7/10/201654 minutes, 59 seconds
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A Biographical Sketch and A Character Analysis of Isaac and Rebecca

The Torah is scant on details regarding the lives of Isaac and Rebecca. Their story does not include a great many anecdotes of their challenges nor does it highlight their accomplishments and greatness. To the contrary, the Torah seems to harshly criticise Isaac as in when it is said that he preferred Esau because he made […]
7/4/20161 hour, 25 minutes, 50 seconds
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Proofs of Divinity of Torah Part 7

In this 7th and final episode of our examination of the evidence to try and determine if the Torah is indeed the unadulterated word of God, we explore the interrelationship of the Written and Oral Torah and ask if such cohesion and precision can be the product of a human. PART 1: http://rabbiwolbe.com/the-torah-as-a-divine-document-an-analysis-of-higher-bible-criticism-and-why-the-authorship-of-the-torah-matters/ PART 2: http://rabbiwolbe.com/a-traditional-jewish-response-to-higher-bible-criticism-part-2/ PART 3: http://rabbiwolbe.com/the-millions-of-eyewitness-testimonies-to-the-veracity-accuracy-and-historicity-of-the-torah/ […]
6/29/201651 minutes, 30 seconds
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Inspiration to Perspiration: Simple Instructions to Change the World

Every person who has ever changed the world, from the great Sage Rabbi Akiva to Travis Kalanick the founder of UBER, has been guided by two core life skills. These two learnable qualities are the underpinnings of every transformational change and improvement that humanity achieved. They are what separates the people who are inspired to […]
6/28/20161 hour, 11 minutes, 52 seconds
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A Biographical Sketch and A Character Analysis of Abraham and Sarah

Abraham and Sarah are the biological, theological and ideological forebears of our nation. The story of their lives and accomplishments is the story of the Jewish people and, more broadly, the story of human progress and morality throughout history. What propelled them to greatness? What methods did they employ to disseminate their message? What is […]
6/27/20161 hour, 31 minutes, 2 seconds
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Is Believing in the Supernatural Irrational? How to Build a Rational Life Philosophy

This part 6 of the Proofs of Torah series, and Part 17 of the Torah Series overall. In this podcast we analyze and investigate select Torah verses and ponder the feasibility of human authorship. Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 17
6/24/201654 minutes, 53 seconds
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Three Avenues to Eternity

Performance of Mitzvahs earns a person a portion in Olam Haba. How does that work? In this podcast we examine various Jewish sources that establish the three distinct ways someone can achieve Olam Haba via mitzvahs.
6/19/20161 hour, 35 minutes
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Overwhelming Evidence to the Divinity of the Torah and its Ramifications

The reality of the Torah being divine and immutable can be agitating and frankly a bit terrifying. As the word of God, every word of the Torah is true and obligatory, and that may trigger cognitive dissonance if we do not behave in a way that reflects that reality. It is vital to recognize that only two […]
6/15/201656 minutes, 10 seconds
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Why Shavuos is The Holiday of the Giving of the Torah

Shavous is the date when the Jews stood at the foot of Mount Sinai and heard the Ten Commandments. Ten mitzvahs out of the 613 that they would ultimately receive is only 3% of the total. Why would this day be enshrined as the day of receiving the Torah when they actually received only a small fraction […]
6/8/20161 hour, 14 minutes, 47 seconds
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Spiritual Shortcuts to Greatness: How to Change the World in One Hour

The Talmud records three episodes where individuals acquired Olam Haba in one instant. In these stories we learn a formula for accomplishing the work of a lifetime in one day.  Let us be prepared to seize the once in a lifetime opportunities to dramatically transform our world with one act of selfless dedication and commitment! […]
6/7/20161 hour, 4 minutes, 27 seconds
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Innovating the Torah Nation: Why Some Changes to Jewish Life and Practice Succeed while Others Fail

Torah, in its Oral and Written formats, has and always will be the national pastime of the Jewish nation. Traditionally, it has been the yearnings of young Jews and chief determinant of greatness of Jewish Leaders. Over the course of Jewish history there have been several movements that challenged that belief and attempted to alter the […]
6/5/20161 hour, 46 minutes, 50 seconds
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The Millions of Eyewitness Testimonies to The Veracity, Accuracy and Historicity of the Torah

The binary question of the authorship of the Torah is the most critical question that every Jew must encounter in their lives. The answer to that question governs every action and decision that we will be making afterwards. Unfortunately, most people do not ever investigate and ponder that question properly. In Part 3 of our […]
6/2/201651 minutes
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The Golden Ticket Revisited: How Mitzvahs Make Eternal Legacies

A fundamental core belief of our nation is that observance of mitzvahs bring a person to Olam Haba – imprecisely translated as the afterlife. How exactly does that work?
6/1/20161 hour, 23 minutes, 38 seconds
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A Traditional Jewish Response to Higher Bible Criticism Part 2

We continue in our efforts to expose the fallacies of the claims of the Bible Critics. It indeed is preposterous to be intellectually honest and well informed on the issues and believe that their conclusions hold water. Part One: http://rabbiwolbe.com/the-torah-as-a-divine-document-an-analysis-of-higher-bible-criticism-and-why-the-authorship-of-the-torah-matters/ Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 13
5/26/201655 minutes, 55 seconds
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Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice: An Analysis of the Jewish Legal and Ethical Arguments for and against Fetal Termination

5/23/20161 hour, 8 minutes, 18 seconds
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The Torah as a Divine Document: An Analysis of Higher Bible Criticism and why the Authorship of the Torah Matters

This is the first lecture that revolves around the question of who wrote the Torah and how can we prove our conclusions. In the first session we clarify what the traditional belief is regarding the authorship of the Written and Oral Torah and engage with contemporary critics who question it. Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi […]
5/23/20161 hour, 1 minute, 50 seconds
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Creating New Worlds with Torah

This is the last of 11 lectures on why Jews study Torah. Part 1: http://rabbiwolbe.com/the-jewish-obsession-with-torah-study/ Part 2: http://rabbiwolbe.com/torah-study-jewish-intimacy/ Part 3: http://rabbiwolbe.com/filling-gaps-in-our-spiritual-avatar-how-torah-study-angelifies-humans/ Part 4: http://rabbiwolbe.com/think-how-torah-study-unleashes-our-most-potent-power/ Part 5: http://rabbiwolbe.com/the-only-antidote-to-the-deadliest-disease-the-battle-of-torah-and-the-yetzer-ra/ Part 6: http://rabbiwolbe.com/reversing-birth-how-torah-enables-us-to-reverse-the-curse-of-life/ Part 7: http://rabbiwolbe.com/the-four-ways-that-torah-connects-us-to-our-creator/ Part 8: http://rabbiwolbe.com/conquering-the-endgame-how-torah-study-engenders-character-change-and-transformation/ Part 9: http://rabbiwolbe.com/humanitys-sole-hope-how-torah-guides-the-world-to-its-destiny-and-saves-it-from-destruction/ Part 10: http://rabbiwolbe.com/for-it-is-our-life-how-torah-sustains-our-better-half/   Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 11
5/23/201653 minutes, 35 seconds
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The Greatest Force of Progress in Human History

5/22/201649 minutes, 23 seconds
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The Shabbat Prayers, Meaning and Structure

5/15/20161 hour, 45 minutes, 3 seconds
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The Three Loves: The Torah’s Timeless Guidance to Obtaining, Maintaining and Deepening our Relationships

5/9/20161 hour, 40 minutes, 14 seconds
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Rashi: A Biographical Sketch of The Consummate Teacher of Israel

4/17/20161 hour, 45 minutes, 50 seconds
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For it is our Life: How Torah Sustains our Better Half

Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 10
4/13/201655 minutes, 20 seconds
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Humanity’s Sole Hope: How Torah Guides the World to it’s Destiny and Saves it from Destruction

Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 9  
3/30/201652 minutes, 53 seconds
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Conquering the Endgame: How Torah Study Engenders Character Change and Transformation

Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 8
3/29/201653 minutes, 53 seconds
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Does Judaism Really go through the Mother: Demystifying Patrilineal and Matrilineal Descent

3/29/201614 minutes, 34 seconds
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Sinai 2.0: How Purim Reinvigorated our Nation and Lessons of Love and Relationships

3/22/201653 minutes, 59 seconds
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Life, Death and Suicide: A Jewish Perspective in the Face of Tragedy

3/16/201645 minutes, 14 seconds
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Food and Eating in Jewish Philosophy: More than Bagels and Deli

3/16/201657 minutes, 20 seconds
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Rabbi Akiva Ben Yosef: A Biographical Sketch

3/14/20161 hour, 31 minutes, 13 seconds
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The Four Ways that Torah Connects us to our Creator

Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 7
3/4/201652 minutes, 9 seconds
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Reversing Birth: How Torah Enables us to Reverse the Curse of Life

Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 6
2/25/201647 minutes, 45 seconds
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The Three Atheists: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

2/25/20161 hour, 11 minutes, 58 seconds
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The Only Antidote to The Deadliest Disease: The Battle of Torah and the Yetzer Ra

ת”ר ושמתם סם תם נמשלה תורה כסם חיים משל לאדם שהכה את בנו מכה גדולה והניח לו רטיה על מכתו ואמר לו בני כל זמן שהרטיה זו על מכתך אכול מה שהנאתך ושתה מה שהנאתך ורחוץ בין בחמין בין בצונן ואין אתה מתיירא ואם אתה מעבירה הרי היא מעלה נומי כך הקב”ה אמר להם לישראל בני […]
2/17/201650 minutes, 21 seconds
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Alei Shur Vaad: Emunah Part 3

2/17/201642 minutes, 22 seconds
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A Traditional Response to Higher Bible Criticism

In the 19th Century a collection of German scholars promulgated a theory as to the authorship of the Torah- the Documentary Hypothesis. How does it differ from the traditional Jewish perspective and can we reconcile their evidence? In this podcast Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe presents a traditional Jewish response to Bible Criticism.
2/15/20161 hour, 17 minutes, 23 seconds
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Think: How Torah Study Unleashes our most Potent Power

Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 4
2/10/201646 minutes, 37 seconds
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Bridging the Unbridgeable: How Torah, Mitzvahs and Science bring us to Emunah – Special Guest Lecture by Eric L. Pines

Eric L. Pines, Esq. is a member of the Maryland, California, and Texas State Bars, and founder of Pines Federal, a law firm specializing in Employment Law for Government and Military Employees. Mr. Pines’ firm represents federal employees from all branches of the U.S. Military (Army, Navy, Air Force) and the VA as well as other federal agencies. Mr. […]
2/7/20160
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Filling Gaps in our Spiritual Avatar: How Torah Study Angelifies Humans

Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 3
2/3/201642 minutes, 15 seconds
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God, Faith and Emunah Part 5

with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
1/31/20161 hour, 31 minutes, 48 seconds
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God, Faith and Emunah Part 4

with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
1/27/20161 hour, 40 minutes, 51 seconds
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Torah Study: Jewish Intimacy

Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 2
1/27/201652 minutes, 3 seconds
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The Jewish Obsession with Torah Study

Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 1
1/27/201647 minutes, 50 seconds
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Jewish Philosophy Throughout History

Christian Support Of Zionism, Messianism and Anti Semitism
1/27/20161 hour, 2 minutes, 50 seconds
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Are You Allowed to kill someone on Shabbos to prevent him from committing an nonconsensual illicit activity?

1/27/201640 minutes, 14 seconds
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Alei Shur Vaad: Emunah Part 2

1/19/201657 minutes, 58 seconds
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God, Faith and Emunah Part 3

with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
1/19/20161 hour, 20 minutes, 55 seconds
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God, Faith and Emunah Part 2

with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
1/12/20161 hour, 35 minutes, 55 seconds
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Alei Shur Vaad: Emunah Part 1

1/12/201634 minutes, 16 seconds
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Vaad: Seder Part 5

1/12/201631 minutes, 5 seconds
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God, Faith and Emunah Part 1

with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
1/7/20161 hour, 59 minutes, 37 seconds
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Why Jews Reject JC

12/23/201558 minutes, 5 seconds
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Vaad: Seder Part 4

12/23/201510 minutes, 1 second
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JC in The Talmud: What ancient Jewish sources say and don’t say about the Christian Messiah

12/21/20152 hours, 3 minutes, 38 seconds
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Core Beliefs of Judaism Part 8

with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
12/16/20151 hour, 2 seconds
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Core Beliefs of Judaism Part 7

with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
12/16/20151 hour, 1 minute, 34 seconds
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Great Visionaries: How Moses and Abraham Inspired Generations of Great Jewish Leaders

12/16/20151 hour, 19 minutes, 57 seconds
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Written Torah, Oral Torah, Talmud and Halacha: What are they and how do they work?

12/8/20151 hour, 54 minutes, 28 seconds
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Core Beliefs of Judaism Part 6

Purpose of creation, centrality of Free Will, meaning of Chosen People and Tikkun Olam and an understanding of the Jewish perception of Anti-Semitism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe.
12/3/201551 minutes, 59 seconds
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Lessons in Jewish Leadership

12/3/201552 minutes, 7 seconds
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Vaad: Seder Part 3

12/3/201520 minutes, 57 seconds
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Jews in Israel: The Complete History From Bible to Bibi

11/30/20152 hours, 2 minutes, 7 seconds
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Core Beliefs of Judaism Part 5

The Nine Levels of Faith and how we understand pain in the face of a Benevolent God with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe.
11/25/201558 minutes, 33 seconds
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Vaad: Seder Part 2

11/25/201511 minutes, 7 seconds
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Are we Better Off: Retreading the Multi-Year Debate between the Schools of Hillel and Shammai

The rabbis taught: for two and a half years the academies of Shammai and Hillel debated, these arguing “it is preferable for man to not be created more than to be created”, and these arguing “it is preferable for man to be created more than to not be created”. They counted (voted) and concluded: “it […]
11/23/20151 hour, 47 minutes, 33 seconds
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The Nine Levels of Faith Part 1

11/23/20151 hour, 17 minutes, 58 seconds
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Core Beliefs of Judaism Part 4

with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
11/19/20151 hour, 1 minute, 4 seconds
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Core Beliefs of Judaism Part 3

with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
11/19/201554 minutes, 35 seconds
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How is this Religion different from all other Religions: How Judaism is an Evidence-based Faith (Part 3)

The Talmud declares that someone who rejects the legitimacy of the Written Torah as being written by Moses as per the dictation of the Almighty has no portion in the World to Come. If someone accepts the Torah at large but argues that a single verse is not Divine – they have no portion in […]
11/8/20151 hour, 39 minutes, 50 seconds
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Vaad: Seder Part 1

11/8/201522 minutes, 23 seconds
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Core Beliefs of Judaism Part 2

with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
11/8/201555 minutes, 38 seconds
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Core Beliefs of Judaism Part 1

with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
11/3/20151 hour, 2 minutes, 24 seconds
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Blessings in Jewish Literature and Thought

11/3/20151 hour, 17 minutes, 57 seconds
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Count Your Blessing 100X Daily: A Primer On Vibrant Jewish Living

11/3/20151 hour, 50 minutes, 3 seconds
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The Ten Commandments in Jewish Thought and Philosophy

10/22/20151 hour, 57 minutes, 45 seconds
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Are We Truly Better Off?

10/22/20151 hour, 52 minutes, 20 seconds
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What is Torah?

10/22/20151 hour, 8 minutes, 52 seconds
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Sukkah (Life): A Temporary Residence

10/4/20151 hour, 22 minutes, 39 seconds
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The Themes, Meanings, Liturgies and Rituals of Yom Kippur

9/20/20151 hour, 42 minutes, 12 seconds
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Yom Kippur In Modern Times: How to Have The Most Meaningful Yom Kippur Ever

9/17/20151 hour, 22 minutes, 5 seconds
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Who Will Live and Who Will Die: Why Jews Are Obsessed With Death

9/17/201551 minutes, 57 seconds
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High Holiday: The Themes, Meanings, Liturgies and Rituals of Rosh Hashana

9/17/20152 hours, 2 minutes, 37 seconds
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A Fiery Poolside BBQ-Talk Pre-Rosh Hashana 2015

Wake Up From Your Slumber!!!
9/17/201513 minutes, 16 seconds
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Oral & Written Torah, The Talmud and Their Interrelationship

9/17/20151 hour, 55 minutes, 49 seconds
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The Shema Part 2

9/17/20151 hour, 47 minutes, 19 seconds
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The Shema Part 1

9/17/20151 hour, 48 minutes, 58 seconds
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How is this Religion different from all other Religions: How Judaism is an Evidence-based Faith (Part 2)

The Talmud declares that someone who rejects the legitimacy of the Written Torah as being written by Moses as per the dictation of the Almighty has no portion in the World to Come. If someone accepts the Torah at large but argues that a single verse is not Divine – they have no portion in the […]
9/17/20151 hour, 56 minutes
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Olam Haba in Jewish Sources

9/17/20151 hour, 1 minute, 33 seconds
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Shema Yisrael: The Clarion Call for Greatness

8/10/20151 hour, 59 minutes, 30 seconds
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Life as the Child of a Billionaire

8/6/20151 hour, 29 minutes, 2 seconds
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The Magical Jewish Potion

8/6/20151 hour, 48 minutes, 6 seconds
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Charity and Tithing: The Jewish Perspective on Compounding Wealth

8/6/20151 hour, 51 minutes, 40 seconds
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Straddling the Line Between Reliance on God and Personal Responsibility

If God decides and knows everything, what do I have to lose by walking through a highway blindfolded? God makes people sick. If so, should we try to undo that via prayer? Perhaps he should only pray and not seek medical attention? Can someone be obese and guzzle steaks and say “if the Almighty wants me to die then […]
7/20/20151 hour, 6 minutes, 28 seconds
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31 Sins of the Tongue: The Critical Importance of Guarding one’s Mouth from Evil Talk

7/20/20151 hour, 30 minutes, 3 seconds
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The History Of Israel Part 2: From the Babylonians to Bibi

7/16/20151 hour, 5 minutes, 4 seconds
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Why We Study Torah Part 3

7/16/20151 hour, 32 minutes, 13 seconds
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The History of Israel Part 1: Abraham to the Downfall of the Kingdom of Israel

6/26/20151 hour, 3 minutes, 51 seconds
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Resurrection of the Dead in Jewish Thought and Literature

6/26/20151 hour, 21 minutes, 15 seconds
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Tikkun Olam in Jewish Thought and Literature

6/26/20151 hour, 50 minutes, 20 seconds
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The National and Personal Mission of the Jews

6/26/20151 hour, 51 minutes, 58 seconds
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Why Jews Circumcise?

6/26/201550 minutes, 22 seconds
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Why We Study Torah Part 2

6/26/20151 hour, 33 minutes, 42 seconds
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Why We Study Torah Part 1

6/26/20151 hour, 43 minutes, 24 seconds
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Messiah, Resurrection and Olam Haba: Judaism’s End Game

6/22/20152 hours, 3 minutes, 45 seconds
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A Religious and Philosophical Analysis of Free Will and G-d’s Providence

6/15/20151 hour, 57 minutes, 14 seconds
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The History of Jewish Settlement in Israel

It has been more than 3,800 years since God promised Abraham that his children would inherit the Land of Israel, then called Canaan. Ever since that fateful declaration the Land of Israel has not departed the hearts, minds and consciousnesses of Jews worldwide. We have settled, been expelled and resettled the Land multiple times. What […]
6/15/201550 minutes, 46 seconds
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Tikkun Olam: The Mission Statement of the Jewish People

Tikkun Olam is Hebrew for fixing the world. Implied is that we live in a broken world. What about our world is broken? How do we go about fixing it? Why are the Jewish people uniquely suited to accomplish this vital task? What tools are we entrusted with to help us achieve this supreme goal?
5/20/201548 minutes, 6 seconds
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Mother’s Day Special: Lessons in Gratitude and Appreciation

Unfortunately and ironically, we often appreciate the least the people to whom we owe the most. If a total stranger gave you $235,000 – the amount it costs parents to raise a child to the age of 18 – you would be eternally indebted to him/her. But our parents contribution to us extends far beyond […]
5/11/20151 hour, 21 minutes, 2 seconds
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Q&A: Execution for Shabbos Desecration?

The Torah rules that a Jew who desecrates the Shabbat by performing one of the 39 prohibited categories of work is executed. Should we really round up and detain all the Jews driving to shul on Shabbos, try them and execute them? The punishment seems excessive for the crime.
5/11/201528 minutes, 40 seconds
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Q&A: Angels and Feminism

A discussion that began by examining what exactly an angel is gracefully meandered into a different topic.
5/11/201524 minutes, 41 seconds
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Q&A: Evolution and Age of the Universe

A simplistic reading of Genesis, interpolated from Adam to present day, results in a universe that is less than 6,000 years old. Scientific methods date the universe as being 13.8 billion years old, a discrepancy that is decidedly beyond the margin of error. How do we reconcile our faith with what science has empirically concluded? Perhaps a simplistic […]
5/11/201519 minutes, 55 seconds
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Israel: Bible to Bibi

What makes the Holy Land holy and it’s history from 3,800 years ago to modern Israel. *TORCH Bar and Bat Mitzvah Series 2015, Meyerland Minyan 4/27/2015
4/30/20151 hour, 16 minutes, 25 seconds
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Reflections of Genesis Part 3: Jacob

*TORCH Breakneck through the Bible, BJC Houston 4/28/2015
4/30/20151 hour, 4 minutes, 29 seconds
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The Ugliest Guy Ever

Talmud Taanis 20: A Person should always be soft like a reed and not stiff like a cedar. There was a story with Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Shimon who was coming from Migdal Gedor from the house of his Rabbi, and he was riding on a donkey and traveling on the edge of […]
4/30/20151 hour, 16 minutes, 3 seconds
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Yom HaAtzmaut Special: How Israel Unites Jews of all kinds

Patterns in Jewish History, like cliches, repeat themselves. We are told that disunity, discord and disassociation brought down the Second Commonwealth of Israel nearly 2000 years ago. Implied is that unity will be the quality that is necessary to reestablish Jewish sovereignty and stability in Israel. The story of Zionism is one of disparate Jews […]
4/30/20151 hour, 14 minutes, 41 seconds
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Purity, Spiritual Contamination and Leprosy: Understanding Tazria and Metzora

*Congregation Beth Yeshurun 4/23/2015
4/30/20151 hour, 7 minutes, 26 seconds
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The Afterlife in Jewish Thought, Tradition and Literature

We find many references scattered throughout Jewish writings regarding Olam Haba, the next world. What exactly this place is, why we ought to strive to get there and how we go about achieving that goal are matters of immense intrigue and importance. This discussion centers around one of the more peculiar and mysterious Talmudic statements regarding Olam […]
4/30/20151 hour, 54 minutes, 7 seconds
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Reflections of Genesis: Isaac’s Eternal Contribution to Jewish Life

4/27/20151 hour, 3 minutes, 14 seconds
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Why, Pray Tell? The Centrality of Prayer in Jewish Practice and Harnessing it’s Unlimited Power

Moses prayed 515 times to God that He rescind His decree of banning Moses from entering Israel. After this relentless prayer assault Moses ceased praying. Why would Moses stop after 515 and not continue and what does that teach us about the effectiveness of prayer? *Shalom Cypress, April 15, 2015
4/27/20151 hour, 52 minutes, 55 seconds
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The Golden Calf: A Scriptural Analysis

The Jewish attitude to Torah study has always been to not accept the words on a simplistic and superficial level. We view the text of the Torah as having infinite depth and subtle nuances and meanings. In this class we will attempt to dissect and unravel perhaps the most challenging episodes in the Torah: the […]
4/27/20151 hour, 31 minutes, 33 seconds
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Reflections of Genesis: How the Forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob Built the Spiritual Profile of Our Nation

The narratives of Genesis mustn’t be read and understood as important stories or historical context; The Torah in it’s entirety is instructive. The manner in which the Forefathers are presented in the Torah and the content of those narratives and dialogues are reflective of the lessons that they exemplified and perfected that the Torah wants us […]
4/15/20151 hour, 4 minutes, 9 seconds
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Jewish Life Cycles: From Pre-Conception to Post-Mortem and Beyond

What is foretold about man even before conception, and what is significant about that? The Talmud declares that a child studies the entire Torah in utero and as it enters the world an angel strikes it’s mouth and the child forgets it all. What can this possibly mean? What is the nature of the oath administered to […]
4/15/20151 hour, 27 minutes, 43 seconds
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How to get your Prayers Answered: An Exposition on the Philosophical and Practical aspects of Prayer and Liturgy

Jews are obligated to pray to the Almighty 3 times daily and prayer is named by the Mishna as one of the three pillars that uphold the world. Yet the very principle of prayer is somewhat troubling. For example, when someone is sick the Jewish response is to beseech to God to provide a healing […]
4/14/20151 hour, 35 minutes, 15 seconds
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The 13 Core Beliefs of Judaism

Jewish Philosophy enumerates 13 principle beliefs that all Jews must believe in order to be a Jew. BBM – 2015
4/14/20151 hour, 18 minutes, 48 seconds
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The Four Kinds and how Chessed (Kindness) is the Premier Catalyst for Greatness

The trait of Kindness is the recipe for happy and harmonious marriages, the key to great leadership and the principal principle of a man of faith. All these are contingent on Kindness. Find out why.
3/30/20151 hour, 50 minutes, 31 seconds
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The History Of Jewish Central Authority and the Sacred Mission to Transmit the Torah

The tool used by the Jewish people to fulfill their vital mission of Tikkun Olam is the Almighty’s holy Torah. The Torah alone enables us to be successful at the responsibility that only we can and must achieve. This is why preserving and accurately transmitting the Torah is of such paramount importance. If the Jews lose the […]
3/30/20151 hour, 34 minutes, 31 seconds
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The Jewish Mission to Fix the World

Abraham’s greatest contribution was his realization of the existence of the Almighty via the faculties of his own intellect and his commitment to disseminating this God Principle to the masses. Abraham chose God and God in turn chose Abraham to be the progenitor of the people that will collectively complete the sacred mission that Abraham began. […]
3/30/20151 hour, 30 minutes, 13 seconds
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What is the Soul and How do we Harness it’s Supernatural Powers?

Judaism teaches that man is comprised of half body half soul. Our souls are like stars and our body’s earth. We are partially angel and partially beast. Our soul is compared to the Almighty Himself and has unlimited power to propel us to greatness. Will we capitalize on the vast potential or will we falter when […]
3/23/20151 hour, 22 minutes, 43 seconds
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How is this Religion different from all other Religions: How Judaism is an Evidence-based Faith

The Talmud declares that someone who rejects the legitimacy of the Written Torah as being written by Moses as per the dictation of the Almighty has no portion in the World to Come. If someone accepts the Torah at large but argues that a single verse is not Divine – they have no portion in the […]
3/23/20151 hour, 45 minutes, 53 seconds
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Nation of the Book: The 17 Reasons why Jews Study Torah

This presentation was originally entitled: “The Ten Reasons Why Jews Study Torah”, but further research discovered more. The Torah has been the portable homeland of the Jewish people. Torah study has always been our national pastime. Why are we so obsessed with Torah study?
3/9/20151 hour, 47 minutes, 42 seconds
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Kosher 101: BJC Edition

The what, why and how of kosher in the modern era.
3/9/201552 minutes, 30 seconds
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A deeper look into the meaning behind many mitzvahs and profound insights in the mitzvah of tefilin

Tefilin are two black leather boxes containing scrolls of sections of the Torah worn by Jews every day. What are some of the meanings behind this intriguing mitzvah, and how do these ideas dovetail with patterns of the totality of all 613 mitzvahs at large.
3/9/201536 minutes, 20 seconds
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Why does the Torah declare that you are only as Jewish as your mother is?

The discussions of “Who is a Jew?”, and matrimonial vs. patrilineal descent with regards to the status of a child of a mixed marriage have been rife with misconceptions. The popular maxim of Judaism descending from the mother’s side is only partially true; what the Torah does indeed say is significantly more nuanced.
3/9/20158 minutes, 18 seconds
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Potpourri of Jewish Philosophy

A wide ranging discussion of major items in Jewish Philosophy.
3/9/20151 hour, 56 minutes, 50 seconds
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Q&A: How did the People in the Biblical story live so long?

Abraham died when he was 175; Isaac – 180; Jacob – 147; Moses an even 120. How did they live that long? Is there a secret elixir of life that they consumed? What was their diet?
2/24/201525 minutes, 15 seconds
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Q&A: Why do other Religions preach to abide by the Ten Commandments when it’s origins lie in Judaism?

2/24/201510 minutes, 50 seconds
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An Epic Story of Survival and Heroism far away from the Terrible Plight that befell the Jews during the Holocaust

Judaism teaches that God controls, supervises, manipulates and directs Jewish History. While we struggle to understand why the unprecedented genocide of the Holocaust had to happen, we know that God willed it. Of course this raises important and grave questions, which must be examined thoughtfully and sensitively. This class is a recounting of a largely unknown […]
2/23/20151 hour, 24 minutes, 44 seconds
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Q&A How can there be Injustice in the World if there exists an Omnipotent Merciful God?

We tackle the question of theodicy.
2/23/201556 minutes, 25 seconds
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Q&A: Suicide and Euthanasia in Jewish Law

What does Jewish Law say regarding suicide? What about physician assisted suicide? We briefly outline the central element of these laws, although we may revisit it at greater length in the future.
2/23/201510 minutes, 4 seconds
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Moses and Rabbi Akiva on Suffering and Tragedy

The experience of pain and suffering is ubiquitous across all spectrum of human life. All of us, in some capacity, experience difficulties and challenges. Any measure of human suffering creates a dilemma for believers in a just God: How can a just God supervise over injustice? Why do bad things happen to good people? This […]
2/16/20151 hour, 9 minutes, 6 seconds
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Patience: The Gateway to Greatness

Striving for character development and ethical refinement are included in the demands that the Almighty expects from every Jew. The very first step on the path to total character perfection is acquiring and refining our capacity to have patience.
2/9/20151 hour, 53 minutes, 49 seconds
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On the Religious & Political Tension in the State of Israel

Ever since the founding of the Jewish state tension between the political and societal elements in Israel and the religious implications of a Jewish state have existed. In truth, the Zionist dream was hotly divisive across a very broad spectrum of the Jewish world fifty years before Israel’s founding. Recently several issues in the Israeli […]
2/2/20151 hour, 55 minutes, 37 seconds
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Exile and the Emergence of Moses

2/2/20151 hour, 39 minutes, 22 seconds
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Bible, Talmud and Beyond: A Primer On Jewish Literature

2/2/20151 hour, 33 minutes, 3 seconds
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Q&A: Ultra Orthodox Mistreatment of Women

2/2/201519 minutes, 52 seconds
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Q&A: Root Causes Of Antisemitism

2/2/201511 minutes, 2 seconds
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Q&A: Mixing Fish, Meat and Poultry with Cheese

2/2/201514 minutes, 46 seconds
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Q&A: Who Gets Into Heaven?

2/2/201511 minutes, 6 seconds
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Q&A: Jewish Stance on Homosexuality

2/2/201519 minutes, 41 seconds
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Q&A: Nuclear Iran

2/2/201511 minutes, 5 seconds
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Ten Plagues: Ten Faith-Building Tools for Molding a Nation

2/2/20151 hour, 52 minutes, 3 seconds
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Exodus: Redemption as Everlasting Inspiration

2/2/20151 hour, 8 minutes, 11 seconds
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The Simple and Clear Reasons why Jews Reject Jesus and Christianity

Jesus is not, and never was, the Messiah because he fulfilled none of the personal qualifications of Messiah, accomplished none of the necessary requirements of the Messiah and the Messianic Era is clearly not underway. Jesus is not, and never was, divine because assigning godly qualities to a man is anathema for Jews and against […]
12/23/20141 hour, 37 minutes, 34 seconds
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The Mission of Transmission: Why Jews must Believe that the entire Written and Oral Torah is Divine and how that is a Reasonable and Logical

Maimonides, in including this as the ninth of the thirteen principles of faith, makes it abundantly clear: If you do not believe that every word of the Torah is true you have no place in the Jewish people. The Talmud further clarifies (Sanhedrin 99a) that even if someone acknowledges that all the Torah is divine […]
12/23/20141 hour, 12 minutes, 21 seconds
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Lessons in Suffering from Jacob and Joseph

Jacob’s life was a seemingly endless streak of suffering and challenges. His own brother was hellbent on murdering him; his father in law tricked him into marrying the woman whom he did not desire to marry; his father in law also marginalized him professionally. Joseph’s life path follows a similar line: His brothers conspire to […]
12/23/20141 hour, 42 minutes, 21 seconds
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On Love and Relationships: Lessons from the Torah

What does the Torah have to say about love? How can we be required to love God? Why is there an additional mitzvah to love a convert? This class was given in Cypress, TX at Shalom Cypress.
12/23/20141 hour, 33 minutes, 59 seconds
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Ungracious Hosts: The Story of Greek and Roman Oppression of Jews (323 BCE – 66 CE)

At the beginning of the Second Commonwealth Era the Jews were introduced to a reality that they were previously unexposed to; namely living in Israel under foreign rule. With relatively minor exceptions such as the successful Macabbean revolt in 67 BCE and the Bar Kochba Revolt in 132 CE, Israel will be thenceforth dominated by […]
12/9/20141 hour, 22 minutes
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There are Prophets and there is Moses: The Qualifications, Screening and Content of Prophets and the 4 Distinctions between Moses and all other Prophets

Belief in the idea that God communicates to man is an essential principle of our religion. In fact, various elements of prophecy comprise four of the thirteen principles of the Jewish faith that Maimonides enumerates as necessary for inclusion in the religion. What does prophecy mean? How does one become a prophet? How are claims of […]
12/1/20141 hour, 6 minutes, 23 seconds
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God and Man: The Balancing Act of Faith and Personal Responsibility

As Jews we believe that God is not only the Creator of the Universe, but also is constantly sustaining the world with spiritual and physical nourishment and individually supervising all humans. The extent of how involved God is with us in the most minute fashion is revealed when the Talmud declares “A person cannot bend […]
11/24/20141 hour, 39 minutes, 15 seconds
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The Three Transcendentals: How Shabbos, The Sun and using the Restroom Provide Insight into Another World

שלשה מעין עוה”ב, אלו הן: שבת, שמש, ותשמיש. תשמיש דמאי, אילימא תשמיש התטה, הא מכחש כחיש, אלא תשמיש נקבים (ברכות דף נז:) The Talmud does not dispense secrets like gumballs. Therefore the Aggadic secrets of the Talmud are masked in parables, fantastic stories, allusions and the like and only after much toil can one uncover their […]
11/24/20141 hour, 57 minutes, 13 seconds
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Men of the Great Assembly: How a Group of Great Visionaries Built a Thriving Judaism out of the Ashes of a Broken Nation

It is probably impossible for us to truly recognize the enormity of the existential challenges confronting the Jewish people during the beginning of the Second Commonwealth, circa 350 BCE. The nation was still reeling from the trauma of the destruction of the first Temple and the subsequent exile 70 years prior and had just narrowly […]
11/3/20141 hour, 27 minutes, 23 seconds
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When Bad Things Happen To Good People: Jewish Perspectives On Pain, Suffering and Tragedy

Jews are not strangers to suffering. Jewish History is most easily described as an endless litany of expulsion, dispersion, exile, antisemitism, pogrom, Inquisition, Holocaust, blood libels, Autos-da-fé, ghettoization and ceaseless economic and social marginalization. When a person of faith is confronted with suffering – and especially when the sufferer is a person of good moral character – […]
10/27/20141 hour, 47 minutes, 32 seconds
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Judges, Prophets, Monarchs, Sovereignty, Secession, Downfall and Reclamation: The Waxing and Waning Story of Utopia and Maelstrom from Joshua to Ezra

The Jewish Bible consists of 24 books. All 613 mitzvot are instructed in the first five books collectively known as the Torah. The very end of the Torah tells the story of the death of Moses on the doorstep of Israel. The next section of the Bible, collectively known as the Prophets and beginning with the […]
10/21/20141 hour, 45 minutes, 26 seconds
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6000 Years, 3 Epochs, 3 Forefathers, 3 Temples and One Eternal Nation: The Talmudic Perspective on World and Jewish History

תנא דבי אליהו ששת אלפים שנה הוי עלמא שני אלפים תוהו שני אלפים תורה שני אלפים ימות המשיח (סנהדרין דף צז.) “They taught in the Academy of Elijah: Six thousand years is the world; two thousand chaos, two thousand Torah, two thousand years Messiah” (Sanhedrin 97a) The core tenet of the Jews that the world had a […]
10/20/20141 hour, 29 minutes, 16 seconds
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On the Integrity and Accuracy of the Text of the Written Torah

The clear and copious evidence that the Torah is of divine origin (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4) is incontrovertible to all but the most unreasonable of skeptics. In this class we continue the exposition of presenting convincing proofs that the Torah could not be written by man and also explain how the text of the Torah was transmitted […]
10/1/201450 minutes, 18 seconds
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Yom Kippur: A Path to Internal Renaissance

Yom Kippur is a day unlike any other. Every other day of the year our spiritual growth is limited to small steps; like climbing a ladder – we cannot skip any rungs. Yom Kippur is a spiritual cornucopia – 24 hours to make meteoric spiritual ascensions before this golden opportunity expires. In this class we learn how […]
9/29/20141 hour, 30 minutes, 40 seconds
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Archaeological, Textual, Logical and Historical Challenges to the Veracity of the Torah

In the previous three classes in this series we have presented compelling evidence to the veracity and historicity of the Torah as being what it claims to be, i.e. the word of God as dictated to Moses. In this class we discuss some of the common questions that arise when people realize that belief in […]
9/17/20141 hour, 10 minutes, 43 seconds
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Tikkun Olam or what it means to be Jewish

Tikkun Olam, fixing the world, has been the rallying cry of the Jewish national mission for millenia. We live in a flawed and broken world and our people were entrusted with the sacrosanct and vital responsibility of fixing it. In this presentation we discuss where the world’s flaws lie, and, taking a lesson out of […]
9/15/201428 minutes, 20 seconds
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Logic, Evidence and Proofs to the Veracity of the Torah

Only two potential answers really exist to the question of who wrote the Torah: 1. The traditional perspective of it being written by Moses as per the dictation of God. 2. It not being written by Moses as per the dictation of God. In recent times a third option was invented that it was divinely […]
9/11/20141 hour, 18 minutes, 24 seconds
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Tackling Temptation: How to Unleash your Willpower, Unbind your Inhibitors and Unlock your Potential

“I created a yetzer ra (evil inclination) and I created the Torah as an antidote” – (Talmud Kiddushin 30b) The essence of man is his capacity for free will; to make moral decisions; to favor his mind and intellect or to favor his bodily instinct – and the world is the playground where these decisions […]
9/8/20141 hour, 11 minutes, 3 seconds
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Half a Marriage

A guiding principle in Jewish philosophy is that when God does something He does it perfectly. Hence, when God gives us instructions for living, aka the Torah, it is the complete book of instructions, instructions for how to live life and what to do in ever possible life scenario or situation regardless of how remote […]
9/5/201438 minutes, 7 seconds
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An Honest, Reasonable and Rational Examination of the Veracity of the Torah

The debate over the authorship of the Torah is a very important one; and not only for us Jews but the majority of humanity accepts this document as the dictation of God to Moses. In this class we continue our quest to logically assess both sides of the arguments as to the authenticity of the […]
9/3/20141 hour, 22 minutes, 25 seconds
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Are the Miracles, Revelations and Prophecies of the Torah Myths or Realities?

The Torah weaves law and instruction with dialogue and narrative; often miraculous and supernatural events and stories like the Exodus narrative of the Ten Plagues, the splitting of the sea into 12 walkable dry paths and the momentous national prophecy at the foot of Mount Sinai. Supernatural narratives are not unique to our religion; rather […]
8/29/20141 hour, 8 minutes, 9 seconds
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Man of the Millennium: A Biographical Sketch of Maimonides

“From Moshe till Moshe no one arose like Moshe” This epithet which is engraved on the tombstone of Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon, the Rambam, sheds light on the enormity of his impact and influence upon the Jewish people. The mere claim that the Rambam’s contributions and leadership was surpassed only by Moshe Rabbeinu is a testament […]
8/25/20141 hour, 28 minutes, 16 seconds
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A History of the Torah

No mission is as critical to the success of humanity as the mission that began at the Mount Sinai and continues to this very day of transmitting the Torah from generation to generation accurately. After all, the Torah is what differentiates the Jewish people from the nations of the world; it is what we mean […]
8/14/20141 hour, 17 minutes, 6 seconds
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Breakdown of Aggada and Halacha in Talmud and an insight into Talmudic disagreements

There is an important difference between the Aggadic portions of the Talmud – the ethical and philosophical sections, and the Halacha/law portions. Also, learn why the study of the Babylonian Talmud supersedes the study of the Jerusalem Talmud, despite that fact the the latter was written 180 years earlier.
8/11/201420 minutes, 5 seconds
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Jewish Jurisprudence

Learn about some of the fine details about how courts are constructed, how evidence is presented in Jewish courts, and the incredible efforts that the Torah demands from us to ensure that a just verdict is reached.
8/11/20149 minutes, 30 seconds
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What does Judaism say about war and when/how are they supposed to be fought?

8/11/20147 minutes, 28 seconds
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A potpourri of end of life medical issues in Jewish Law

What does Judaism say about organ donations, DNRs and euthanasia?
8/11/20148 minutes, 14 seconds
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Orthodox, Conservative and Reform: What are they and what are the differences.

Historically, the Jewish people remained almost completely free of sectarianism, and that is one of the reasons for our continued survival as a people and as a religion against all odds throughout the millennia. Yet in the 19th Century several modern splinter sects sprang up, namely the Reform, the Conservative, and to a lesser extent, the […]
8/11/201413 minutes, 54 seconds
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What are the six Jewish fast days and what do they commemorate?

Ever wonder why we fast on the saddest day of the Jewish calendar, Tisha b’av, and on the happiest – Yom Kippur? Listen and learn all about the four minor and two major Jewish fasts.
8/11/20146 minutes, 42 seconds
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Breakneck through the Bible (Genesis Chapter 31)

Learn about Jacob informing his wives’ about his proposed clandestine flight away from his father in law’s home. What lessons can we deduce from the peculiar methods Jacob employs when trying to convince Leah and Rachel of the merits of leaving?
8/11/20141 hour, 2 minutes, 10 seconds
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Was Pinchus a psychopath?

In the book of Numbers we read about the heroic actions of Pinchus who avenged God’s fury and murdered a Jewish leader who was publicly fornicating with Midyanite woman. The Torah accords him with much honor for his courageous acts. What is the deal with this? Are we allowed to take the law into our […]
8/11/201413 minutes, 47 seconds
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Why are Jews so obsessed with Torah study?

For more than three millennia now the Jews have remained steadfastly dedicated to Torah study. Even during times when 99% of their non-Jewish neighbors were illiterate, every man, woman and child in the Jewish community was able to read and write – and well versed in Torah. Jewish societies have historically valued Torah knowledge and study […]
8/7/20141 hour, 12 minutes, 25 seconds
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Jewish History and Perspective Part 1 – Abraham to Solomon

7/29/20141 hour, 17 minutes, 48 seconds
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The Three Loves & A Guaranteed Formula To Love And Happiness

What if there was a repeatable and formulaic method to achieving happiness? What if there was a systematic step-by-step instruction manual to acquiring, sustaining and deepening our relationships? Indeed, the manual for living – the Torah – takes our hand and guides us to achieving what we desire most.
7/29/20141 hour, 40 minutes, 45 seconds
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Envy and Faith

Jewish law makes a strange distinction regarding the prohibition of envy: Envy of someone else’s physical, material and intellectual gifts and successes is prohibited, while envy of another’s spiritual achievements are permitted and encouraged. What is the rationale for that distinction and why does it mirror the prohibition of arrogance? We also learn that of […]
7/11/201449 minutes, 35 seconds
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Illuminating and Practical Ancient Wisdom that can save your Relationships

While humans have seemingly progressed, improved and evolved in many areas of life, in the arena of relationships we are comparatively neanderthals, and we are regressing. Surprisingly, a 3300 year old document will succinctly instruct and guide us in four sentences more successfully than all the relationships and self help books in Barnes and Noble.
7/9/201451 minutes, 54 seconds
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The Humble Man with a Mind of a Thousand Men

There is a fine line between arrogance and a keen understanding of the brutal facts; between humility and delusion. Did Moses – the humblest of men – know that he was the Jewish greatest prophet? Is the smartest guy in the room allowed to know that fact without transgressing on the severe sin of גאוה, haughtiness? […]
7/8/20141 hour, 36 seconds
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The Jewish Year

The deeper meaning and insight into the various holidays and festivals in the Jewish calendar.
7/8/20141 hour, 15 minutes, 12 seconds
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Bar Mitzvah and Beyond (Jewish Life Cycles Part 2)

Click HERE for part 1 We continue our exploration of the themes and insights of the progression of a Jewish life.
7/8/20141 hour, 30 minutes, 3 seconds
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Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Soul

The words of our Sages in the Talmud were written with the utmost precision and exactitude. Thus, when encountering perplexing statements in the Talmud (as in the subject of this class) it is a grave error to consider that the authors made a mistake or even to only study the statement superficially without straining to understand […]
6/13/201459 minutes, 24 seconds
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Life Begins Before Conception (Jewish Life Cycles Part 1)

Us Jews are privy to the most valuable thing on Earth: The Almighty’s precious Torah. All too often we neglect to realize the enormity of this reality, but if you stop for a second and truly analyze it you will recognize how astonishing it is. Mere mortal humans, the most fallible and feeble of all […]
6/10/20141 hour, 27 minutes, 48 seconds
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Mussar and the anatomy of change

Human all have a collection of positive and negative character traits. Judaism teaches us that we must perfect our character and acquire all the good characteristics and rid ourselves of our negative character maladies. But religiosity is not the only reason why change is imperative. Relationship breakdown only occurs due to bad character. Proper parenting […]
5/19/20141 hour, 19 minutes, 59 seconds
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Breakneck through the Bible – Spouse Selection (Genesis Chapters 24-25)

Spousal selection is a perplexing and vexing part of life for most people; at least if the rates of failure in marriage are indeed what they are reported to be. The average person does not now where to start, what to do, what to look out for and how not to make a grievous and […]
5/6/20141 hour, 28 minutes, 6 seconds
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The Three Loves

Three times in the Torah we are commanded to experience the emotion of love: “Thou shall love your fellow as yourself” (Leviticus 19, 18) “Thou shall love the foreigner, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 10, 19) “Thou shall love Hashem your God with all your hearts, with all your soul […]
5/5/201452 minutes, 44 seconds
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The Golden Ticket

Every adult Jew is obligated to perform all 248 positive and 365 negative mitzvahs of the Torah. The sheer volume of mitzvahs can seem overwhelming and that raises a question: why would God in His Infinite wisdom see it necessary to task us with the performance of so many mitzvahs? Would not one mitzvah suffice? […]
5/5/201456 minutes, 47 seconds
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A Journey through the Jewish Calendar in Thought and Practice Part 2

Join Rabbi Wolbe and his trustful comrades as they attempt to unlock the wonderful meaning and insight of the Jewish calendar. This presentation will succeed in shattering the childish and simplistic understandings of the Jewish holidays that most of us have harbored since our youth, and infuse the holidays and rituals of the Jewish year […]
5/5/20141 hour, 25 minutes, 59 seconds
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A Journey through the Jewish Calendar in Thought and Practice Part 1

Join Rabbi Wolbe and his trustful comrades as they attempt to unlock the wonderful meaning and insight of the Jewish calendar. This presentation will succeed in shattering the childish and simplistic understandings of the Jewish holidays that most of us have harbored since our youth, and infuse the holidays and rituals of the Jewish year […]
5/5/20141 hour, 27 minutes, 17 seconds
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The 5 C’s of every happy and harmonious marriage

It is well documented that modern humans fail at marriage at alarming rates. In the United States for example, in any given year the amount of divorces are roughly half the amount of marriages pegging the divorce rate around 50%. Shockingly, 5 out of 10 couples who commit to stay married to each other “until […]
5/5/20141 hour, 32 minutes, 12 seconds
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What happens after you die

Thinking and contemplating about our own demise is perhaps the most powerful tool we can use to change the way we think about life. When we realize that we too will swallow that bitter pill of death, our life and values appear in a new light. But what actually happens when we die? And what […]
5/4/20141 hour, 42 minutes, 53 seconds
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The Ten Commandments of Parenting

A parent who brings a child to this world has accepted upon himself/herself the responsibilities of raising that child to be a happy, healthy and stable adult. This axiomatic idiom has been an unfortunate causality of today’s society. In America today only 63% of children grow up together with both biological parents. As Jews we […]
4/28/20141 hour, 40 minutes, 4 seconds
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Going Kosher in Three Easy Steps!

If you are ready to go kosher you have come to the right place. Rabbi Wolbe outlines the three easy step involved in transforming from a kosher novice to complete kosher observance. Kosher has never been simpler.
4/28/201440 minutes, 2 seconds
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Man, Judaism and the Pursuit of Pleasure Part 5

In the finale of the series we seek the greatest pleasure of them all.
4/28/201449 minutes, 21 seconds
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The Torah before Sinai

Rabbi Wolbe addresses an interesting topic: The status of the Torah before it was given. Did Abraham have Torah? Did the Torah exist before the universe did?
2/13/20148 minutes, 15 seconds