Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe Podcast Collection

The Book of Bamidbar ends on a bit of a surprising note. The final chapter of our book revisits the somewhat technical narrative relating to the inheritance of the ancestral lands of a man named Tzelafchad. This man from the tribe of Menashe died without sons, and in chapter 27 of the book of numbers we learned that his lands will be apportioned to his daughters in lieu of male heirs. One may have...

This week we conclude the Book of Numbers with a double-Parsha, the sole double-Parsha of this calendar year. Of the myriad of interesting subjects found in our Parsha is the long and detailed negotiations between Moshe and the tribes of Reuben and Gad. These tribes sought to permanently settle on the East Bank of the Jordan and not on its Western side, in Canaan proper. For 42 verses, the Torah r...

Questions are arguably the most potent tool by which to open up a complex subject. Asking questions on a given matter; asking many, diverse questions, analyzing and probing the issue from all angles, helps open portals of understanding that can deepen your appreciation and your perception of the matter. Our Sages were masters of the art of the question. If we want to deepen our connection with the...

This year, the Book of Numbers ends with a double parsha – Mattos and Masei. We learn about the laws of vows and oaths; the miraculous war with Midian; the unusual request of the tribes of Gad and Reuben; the Torah delineates the 42 different places that the Nation encamped for their 40 year sojourn; and we gain closure to the saga of the daughters of Tzelaphchad. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –...

Pinchas, Aaron's grandson, did a valorous and zealous act of bravery when he skewered the prince of the tribe of Shimon and stopped the plague from wiping out the entire nation. What motivated Pinchas' behavior? What attributes were at play during his act of zealotry? This question is answered in a comment in Rashi in our Parsha. We learn how qualities and attributes that are present in antecedent...

Although a paternal grandson of Aaron the Kohein, Pinchas was not initially - prior to his heroic act of martyrdom - a Kohein. The law stated that only Aaron and his sons were to be anointed as Kohanim. All sons born to Kohanim subsequently were to be Kohanim, but Pinchas who was alive at the time of anointing of Aaron and his sons was excluded from this exalted fraternity. When he zealously ended...

What is our relationship with our studies? For some (many?) studying Torah is very important. It is a great priority. But is it the permanent fixture of a person's life? That designation is applied to the few. In this way to wisdom, we learn about the transformative nature of rendering Torah study the primary focus of a person's life, and also learn about the proper approach for plumbing the depth...

Pinchas was a man of action, a zealot who avenged God’s vengeance and was handsomely rewarded for it. In this parsha we read about his reward, Moses’ succession plan, the methods through which the Land will be divided, and another census is done. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreac...

In every generation there are malevolent forces seeking to destroy the Jewish people. They have never been successful, nor will they ever be. The Almighty always protects our people and ensures our continuity. Most of the time we are completely unaware of the mortal dangers that the Almighty thwarted on our behalf. The canonical example of this phenomenon is the story of our Parsha , when the grea...

Our nation has no shortage of enemies. This is not new. Even in antiquity, our nation was always a target. Laban, Jacob's father-in-law, try to smothered the Jewish Nation in its infancy. I'm this week's Parsha, to fearsome, shadowy figures try to do the same. Balak, king of Moab, commissions Bilaam, master sorcerer and prophet, to curse and decimate the nation. Although their diabolical scheme fa...

Truth and peace are often incompatible. A peaceful solution to a problem is often not truthful; unvarnished truth is rarely diplomatic. In way number 40 to acquire wisdom we learn how we must deploy truth and peace in the right manner, in the right fashion, to the right person, at the right time - and how this leads to deepening the integration and assimilation of Torah within ourselves. – – – – –...

After the Jewish nation trounced the mighty kingdoms of Sichon and Og in last week's parsha, the comparatively smaller and weaker kingdom of Moab resorted to unconventional warfare to attack the nation by hiring the prophet of the nations, a wily and devious character named Bilaam, to curse the Jews. It did not work out as planned. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – DONATE to TORCH: Pleas...

Two giants passed away in this week's Parsha: Moshe two elder siblings, his sister Miriam and his brother Aaron - two of the great leaders and benefactors of the nation - both die in Parshas Chukas. In this special Parsha podcast we share two profound insights relating to the death, mourning, and aftermath of these two deaths. We discuss the extraction of water from a rock and how it differs from...

Not everyone is a saint. In fact, the verse testifies that there is no righteous person in the land who does only good and never sins. So everyone is a sinner, to one degree or another. How ought we relate to sinners? What do we do when we see people behaving in an inappropriate fashion? In way number 39 we learn about the imperative for judging others favorably and how this can yield wonderful be...

In this week's parsha, we read about a highly unusual mitzvah: The Red Heifer, when an entirely red cow is burned together with a motley concoction of ingredients, and the resultant ashes are used to sprinkle on people that came into contact with dead people in order to purify them from their spiritual contamination. We also learn about the passing of Miriam and Aaron, and the multiple battles tha...

We all have weaknesses. Nations, as well, have witnesses. When the Almighty sought to give the Torah to the Jewish people at Sinai, He first offered it to all the nations. When they asked what was included in it, God revealed to them how the Torah disallowed that particular weakness that that particular Nation had. What is the Jewish weakness? What is our kryptonite? When we study the story of Kor...

Debate and disagreement are part of the human condition. We are all unique and we all see the world differently. It should come as no shock, therefore, that disagreements exist between different people. Our nation has made debate into a favorite pastime - just visit any Yeshiva and you will see what I mean. But why must we debate? And what are the pillars of a productive debate? In this week's pod...

Everyone is going through something. Everyone has difficulties in life. That is the human condition. It is also all by design. But we are instructed to empathize with others in whatever challenge they may be undergoing. We are supposed to help them bear their burden. We are supposed to identify with their pain, validate it, and try to do whatever we can to suffer alongside them. This quality is th...

In this week’s parsha, Moshe and Aaron’s first cousin, a man named Korach, launches a rebellion claiming that Moshe is guilty of nepotism in appointing his brother as High Priest. What ensued should give one serious pause before engaging in any similar sort of divisive activities. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donat...

Prior to initiating the war of conquest of the land of Canaan, the nation did the prudent thing: they undertook a reconnaissance mission to scout out the enemy defenses. Moshe selected 12 righteous men, one from each tribe, to traverse the land and inspect it from the inside. The result was a catastrophic disaster: the scouts brought a devastating report about the land, prompting the people to los...

One of the most unfortunate events in our history is chronicled in this week's Parsha. The nation was on the doorstep of entering the Land of Canaan and actualizing the promise made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In an effort to not to rely on Divine miracles, Moshe commissioned 12 righteous men to reconnoiter the Land. The report that they returned with was devastating, eventually leading to the n...

We have made enormous strides in our pursuit of a deep, and comprehensive study of Rambam's 13 principles of faith. We have plumbed the depths of these 13 tenets of our religion to the best of our ability. This podcast marks the final installment of this series. In it we explore some of the various quandaries and uncertainties regarding Resurrection. While our exploration of the 13 principles has...

The Jewish people were on the cusp of entering the Land of Canaan, and made a prudent, but ultimately tragic, decision: To send a contingent of scouts to reconnoiter the Land, to examine its vulnerabilities and weaknesses in order to best plan the conquest. Unfortunately, the report of the scouts sent the nation into a tailspin and caused them to remain in the Wilderness for 40 years. – – – – – –...

After nearly a year at Sinai, the nation is on the move: in perfect formation, each tribe perfectly positioned and oriented, the nation finally departed the site of the Sinai Revelation. Following the cloud, the nation traveled. In this very special Parsha podcast, we go deep and deeper in trying to plumb the depths of the Torah to the best of our abilities. The first segment revolves around the n...