Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe Podcast Collection

What happens after we die is an endlessly fascinating – or terrifying – topic. In our exploration of the Afterlife we have covered vast grounds: We’ve spoken about death and the various types of death; we’ve spoken about the reckoning and accounting that a person must submit before the Heavenly tribunal; we have been made aware of some of the travails that the body undergoes in the grave; we’ve le...

As the Book of Deuteronomy draws to its conclusion, the narrative makes a transition: Moshe finishes conveying the mitzvos to the nation, and sets up his final parting message to the people. First, he commands the nation to perform several elaborate ceremonies on the very first day that they cross the Jordan River; then he conveys a scathing, terrifying list of curses that will befall the people i...

What is the nature of the conflict of life? How, indeed, are we suspended between good and bad, between mitzvos and sin, between the evil and good inclinations? The Almighty designed the world based upon the principle of free will, meaning that we all have the choice of how to live our lives and what to prioritize. In this special Bar Mitzvah edition of the Parsha Podcast, we learn about the varyi...

The Jewish holiday calendar is not evenly distributed. Mush of our Festivals are clumped together in one month, followed by a long winter with few special days, none of them of Biblical origin. Our Sages explain that the clustering of the High Holidays and the Festival of Sukkot is no coincidence. These days constitute one, continuous process. Over the course of the Festival season we are building...

Paradise and Purgatory, “Gehenom” and “Gan Eden” in Hebrew, are two potential destinations of the soul after a person dies. The righteous ones who have lived their lives in complete compliance with the rules, instructions, and guidance of the Torah are brought to Paradise, a venue of sublime, spiritual pleasure. The wicked who have sullied their Souls with sin during their lifetimes must undergo a...

In the parsha that contains the most mitzvos of any of the 54 Torah sections (a staggering 74 mitzvos), we read about the wayward and rebellious son, the requirement to build a fence around your roof to prevent tragedy, two episodes that we are mandated to remember, and many, many more interesting and insightful mitzvos. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Please email me at  rabbiwolbe@gm...

These 40 days from the beginning of the month of Elul, the final month in the Jewish calendar, and Yom Kippur are the most powerful days of the year. These 40 days coincide with the 40 days that Moshe was in Heaven for the third 40 day stint when he received the second set of Tablets inscribed by the “finger of God.” Our Sages tell us that this month is “Days of  Ratzon “, days of goodwill, days o...

Our Parsha contains the instructions for how to conduct war. We are told that we must extend peace overtures before launching an attack, we are told about the special nature of the Canaanite wars, and we are prohibited from felling fruit-bearing trees in order to make siege works. This podcast discusses the very unusual way that soldier conscription is done. Seemingly, there are cavernous loophole...

Death is a inescapable part of human life. It was not always like that. Prior to Adam’s sin in the Garden, man was destined to live forever. As a result of his consumption from the Tree of Knowledge Good and Evil, Adam condemned humanity to undergo a necessary purification and cleansing process achieved with death. As we progress in our study of the 13 Principles of Faith as codified by Maimonides...

This week we learn the laws governing all kinds of leaders: The parsha begins by detailing the laws of judges, the jurisdiction of the Sanhedrin, the Supreme Court, and what happens to rebellious judges; we read about the unique laws related to kings; there are more laws pertaining to the Kohanim; and we find the means of vetting professed prophets and what happens to the six kinds of false prophe...

The criminal treated most severely under Torah law is the Meisis , a personal tries to entice others to do idolatry. Attempting to persuade people to repudiate God is more severe than any other crime in Torah law. This discovery is the basis of a stunning observation followed by a critical call to action. And this episode we make an argument that the most important element of our agenda ought to b...

This week’s parsha marks a transition in the Book of Deuteronomy: it is no longer primarily about admonishment and rebuke and warnings, instead we read a bevy of mitzvos – some repetitions and some new ones that have hitherto not been mentioned. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Please email me at  rabbiwolbe@gmail.com  with any questions or comments – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –...

If the Almighty promises to give you a blessing, your ears should perk up. If God promises to give you abundance, health, prosperity, fertility, security, and all manner of blessing, your question should be – what must I do to be deserving of this? Our Parsha begins with such a promise. In the event that we steadfastly and here to a certain category of mitzvos, the Almighty promises to give us all...

We pick up where we left off last week amid Moshe’s speech to the nation before his passing, and as in the previous few weeks, Parshas Eikev is jam packed with insights and timeless lessons. Moshe pivots between looking back on the conduct of the nation in the preceding 40 years and admonishing them for their misdeeds, and gazing forward to the conquest of Canaan and the secrets to making their se...

Although he was the paradigmatic leader of all time, Moshe was barred from crossing the Jordan River and entering the Land. Joshua his student was to succeed him and lead the Nation into the Promised Land. Why was Moshe not allowed to enter? For the sin of striking the rock instead of speaking to it. Our Parsha begins with Moshe retelling how he pleaded with God, without success, to have this decr...

Where does the soul come from and to where is it going? This is a question that we don’t think about often, but it is of vital importance if we want to spiritually succeed in life. In this sprawling episode – originally recorded in 2016 and only released now – we examine the soul, what it must accomplish in this world, and the consequences thereof. The subject matter of this podcast makes up a lar...

This week’s parsha continues Moshe’s monologue to the nation in the weeks preceding his passing. He begins by recounting his repeated efforts in trying to convince God to rescind His decree that Moshe not enter the Land; Moshe then begins the retelling of the Torah; and we read many warnings and predictions about proper behavior and the consequences of abandoning Torah and mitzvos. This is a parsh...

Parshas Devarim begins the Book of Deuteronomy, the final installment of the Pentateuch. Moshe is destined to pass and he gathers the nation to prepare them for the day after. How will the nation endure after they lose the greatest leader the world has ever known? How will their survive and flourish after Moshe is no longer in their midst? In this podcast we dissect Moshe’s opening message to the...

Joy is an underappreciated aspect of the life of a Jew. One can imagine that you can fulfill all of your religious and spiritual obligations without living joyously. Upon examination of the sources we discover that Jewish life is inextricably linked with joy. It is critical and indispensable. In our Mishnah we also learned that it is a means via which we can access Torah wisdom. – – – – – – – – –...

In Temple times, every military-age male Jew was required to contribute a half shekel coin to the Temple coffers each year. These donations would fund the yearly supply of communal sacrifices and other related expenses in the Temple. The annual head tax would also serve the vital function of determining the population size. Counting Jews per capita is prohibited and these coins served as a proxy....

5 weeks before his passing, Moses gives a three-parsha-long speech to the nation, which constitutes his last will and testament. He begins with a retrospective of the history of the nation over the past 40 years since the Exodus – subtly rebuking the nation, guiding them, admonishing them, ensuring that they don’t repeat their mistakes of yore. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Sponsorsh...

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...

Humility is one of the attributes most associated with acquisition of wisdom. Moses was the humblest of men. Sinai was an unassuming, lowly mountain. But what exactly is humility and why does it correlate with wisdom? In this Ethics podcast we plumb the depths of humility and its association with wisdom. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Sponsorship:  Please consider sponsoring a podcast...

The most satisfying aroma ever experienced in the history of humanity was the product of the incense offered in the Temple twice every day. A concoction of 11 different spices, mixed with precise proportions and with an irreplicable formula, the wafting aroma permeated Jerusalem and it’s environs. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Sponsorship:  Please consider sponsoring a podcast by mak...

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. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –...