The Ethics Podcast
Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
The Ethics Podcast is dedicated to exploring the authoritative book of Jewish Ethics, the Book of Mishnah titled “Ethics of our Fathers”. This book, called “Pirkei Avos” in Hebrew, is nearly 2,000 years old, and it is a compendium of the ethical aphorisms of the great Sages of Jewish history circa 300 BCE – 200 CE. Each episode begins with a biographical sketch of the Mishnah’s author culled from the Mishnaic, Talmudic, and Midrashic Literature, and shares some of the timeless lessons and applications of the teaching. Please email any questions, comments, or feedback to rabbiwolbe@gmail.com.
Shiurim
- Pleasure (6.6.18)
Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain are hardwired i mpulses . We all want to feel good and to avoid feeling bad. Perhaps surprisingly, the Torah fully embraces this principle. The reason why we were created, we are told, is so that we
- Human Fallibility and What to do About it (1.1)
Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
The first mishna of Pirkei Avos begins with attributing the first 900 years of the line of transmission of the Torah from Moshe at Sinai until the Men of the Great Assembly. The second sections is three teachings of those great men. What is
- 48 Ways to Wisdom – #1: Study (6:6:1)
Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Torah is unlike other intellectual pursuits. Torah is the word of God and it is intended to fundamentally transform a person. It is not just another academic, philosophical, or intellectual discipline, it is a way to upgrade man from beast
- How to be a Peacemaker (1:11-12)
Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
One of the great legendary figures in Jewish history, Hillel, instructs us to follow the ways of Aaron: To love peace and to pursue it, and to love people and bring them near to Torah. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Please cons
- Extreme Measures (4:4)
Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
My wise grandmother, of blessed memory, used to quip, “Everything in moderation.” That sagacious advice is, in fact, the backbone of Rambam’s understanding of proper character. In every trait, there are two polar extremes, and both are not
- Excessive Schmoozing with Women (1:5)
Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
In the fifth mishna we learn about the proper ways to interact with others, especially those less fortunate, in a pious and peril-free manner. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a dona
- The Comprehensive Wisdom (5:26)
Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
The Torah is the Almighty’s wisdom. Just as the Almighty is infinite, His Torah is likewise infinite. In this remarkable Mishnah, we are trained to view Torah in its proper light. We learn about the multidimensional nature of Torah, how to
- New 2025 Initiative: The Book of Ethics (1.1)
Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
The first mishna of Pirkei Avos begins with attributing the first 900 years of the line of transmission of the Torah from Moshe at Sinai until the Men of the Great Assembly. The second sections is three teachings of those great men. What is
- Levity (6.6.21)
Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Life is serious. Pursuit of wisdom is the pursuit of truth. Pursuit of wisdom is the pursuit of understanding the Divine (to the best of our abilities). To access wisdom, we have to be very serious. But a little bit of levity – when done pr