This Jewish Life - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

Straddling the Line Between Reliance on God and Personal Responsibility 20.07.2015 1:06:28 ↓

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 […]

The History of Jewish Settlement in Israel 15.06.2015 50:46 ↓

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 […]

Tikkun Olam: The Mission Statement of the Jewish People 20.05.2015 48:06 ↓

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?

Mother’s Day Special: Lessons in Gratitude and Appreciation 11.05.2015 1:21:02 ↓

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 […]

Q&A: Execution for Shabbos Desecration? 11.05.2015 28:40 ↓

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.

Q&A: Angels and Feminism 11.05.2015 24:41 ↓

A discussion that began by examining what exactly an angel is gracefully meandered into a different topic.

Q&A: Evolution and Age of the Universe 11.05.2015 19:55 ↓

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 […]

Israel: Bible to Bibi 30.04.2015 1:16:25 ↓

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

Reflections of Genesis Part 3: Jacob 30.04.2015 1:04:29 ↓

*TORCH Breakneck through the Bible, BJC Houston 4/28/2015

The Ugliest Guy Ever 30.04.2015 1:16:03 ↓

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 […]

Yom HaAtzmaut Special: How Israel Unites Jews of all kinds 30.04.2015 1:14:41 ↓

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 […]

Purity, Spiritual Contamination and Leprosy: Understanding Tazria and Metzora 30.04.2015 1:07:26 ↓

*Congregation Beth Yeshurun 4/23/2015