The Jewish History Podcast

Shiurim

• Ep. 55: Techeiles: The History of the Mysterious Blue Dye and its Fringe Benefits

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The word “Techeiles” is mentioned dozens of times in the Torah, and is a subject that appears in many places in the Talmud and associated literature. Techeiles is both a color and a material , namely wool dyed with this color, but to fulfil

• Ep. 73: Rabbi Avraham Grodzinsky: The Exemplar of Slabodka

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Rabbi Avraham Grodzinski was the last head of the Slabodka Yeshiva in Lithuania. He was primary disciple of the Alter of Slabodka, and his successor after the Alter moved to Chevron, heading the yeshiva until WW2 broke out, and even leading

• Ep. 33: Great Jewish Personalities: Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (Ramchal)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (1707-1746) was a transformative paragon of Kabbalah, Mussar and Jewish theology. Despite living a short and tumultuous life, Ramchal’s writings and teachings were astonishingly prolific, and many of his books bec

• Ep. 62: Joshua and the Conquest of Canaan

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  After the death of Moses, Joshua was tasked with the leadership of the people and with the invasion, conquest, and division of Canaan. Precisely 3 days after the 30-day mourning period of Moses, the invasion commenced with a rapid flurry of

• Ep. 59: The Blueprint of Jewish History

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The oft-repeated refrain “history repeats itself” is especially true with respect to the stories of the forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as conveyed in the Book of Genesis. Our Sages have made the bold claim that everything that happ

• Ep. 13: A History of Hanukkah: Hellenism, Heroism and Hasmoneans

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  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 o

• Ep. 21: The Early Geonic Era

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The story of the Geonim takes shape at about the same time as the Islamic Empire overruns much of the world, bringing the majority of Jews under their rule. Under the relatively tolerant rule of the Caliphate, the Jewish world flourished an

• Ep. 57: A History of Kabbalah (Part Two: The Arizal and His Era)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  In the 16th century, the city of Safed in Northern Israel became host to one of the greatest collections of Torah Sages ever assembled, none more transformative or influential as Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, known as the Arizal. Though he lived a

• Ep. 65: The Era of the Judges (Part Three: Samson the Mighty) + ANNUAL FUNDRAISER

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Support TORCH and The Jewish History Podcast TODAY during our only annual fundraiser. https://www.charidy.com/torch/History EVERY DONATION IS QUADRUPLED Today, TORCH needs your help!! Today YOU can support the thousands of Jewish Houstonian

• Ep. 34: Great Jewish Personalities: The Gaon of Vilna

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Rabbi Eliyahu the son of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Kramer (1720-1797), known to all as the Gaon (genius) of Vilna, or simply the “Gaon”, was a legendary and towering figures of Jewish history. While he nev er headed a yeshiva, held rabbinic offic

• Ep. 52: The History of the Sanhedrin (Part Two: From Yavneh Onward)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  After the Temple and Jerusalem were destroyed, the Sanhedrin at Yavneh became the epicenter of Jewish life. Though the pride of the nation – The Holy Temple in Jerusalem which was standing for 420 years – was destroyed, and tens or perhaps

• Ep. 2: Homeland, Hegemony and Hostility: Jewish History from Joshua to the (Second) Downfall of Jerusalem

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The Torah end with the death of Moshe. The greatest human and leader of all time is no longer there to lead them. How will the Jews fare in his absence? In this expansive episode of The Jewish History Podcast with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe we tell

• Ep. 14: Dialogue, Discourse and Disputation: When Rabbis and Romans Debate

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The multi-century Roman occupation of Judah spurred much intercourse between the Jews and their overlords. One particular arena of interactions was in the realm of theological and philosophical discourse. The Romans were enamored with the J

• Ep. 80: The Arab-Israeli Conflict: A Historical Background

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The Arab-Israeli conflict is front and center on the world stage today. The barbaric October 7th terrorist attacks – where more than a thousand innocent Jewish civilians were slaughtered, thousands more wounded, and hundreds were taken host

• Ep. 6: Great Jewish Personalities: Rabbi Akiva

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Rabbi Akiva was one of the most legendary and heroic figures in Jewish history. His story and accomplishments continue to inspire. In this podcast we explore the remarkable and riveting life story of this great man. ———- This podcast was re

• Ep. 12: Great Jewish Personalities: Rabbi Eliezer

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Rabbi Eliezer Ben Hurkenus was among the greatest of the students of Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai. In the words of his teacher, Rabbi Eliezer on one side of the scale would outweigh all the other scholars and sages of Israel on the other side

• Thanks a Million!

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Of all the episodes that I have recorded over the years, this will be perhaps the most unique one. For one, it will be released simultaneously on all 6 channels that I am fortunate enough to host: The Parsha Podcast, The Jewish History Podc

• Ep. 51: The History of the Sanhedrin (Part One: From Moshe until the Destruction of the Second Temple)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The Sanhedrin, the highest halachic authority in the Land comprised of the 71 greatest scholars in the Jewish world, was the Supreme Court of the Jewish Nation. It was founded by Moshe about a year after the Revelation at Sinai and continue

• Ep. 27: Great Jewish Personalities: Ramban (Nachmanides)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Rabbi Moshe Ben Nachman was one of the towering figures of Medieval Jewish world, whose impact was unmatched in his lifetime, and whose volumenous and diverse writings continue to educate and inspire – and indeed shape Jewish life – 750 yea

• Ep. 25: A History of Christian Anti-Semitism Part 1

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  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: The past 1,000 years of Jewish life in C

• Ep. 49: The Story of King David (Part One: Rise to Monarchy)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  King David was anointed as the second king of Israel by the prophet Samuel and is considered the archetype of the Jewish king who earned the mantle of monarchy for his descendants forever. He authored the Psalms, which until this day are th

• Ep. 22: The Middle and Late Geonic Era

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The Geonic Era spanned for more than 400 years. During this time, the great Yeshivas in Babylon, Sura and Pumpedisa, were universally recognized as the epicenter of Jewish life. Its heads, known as Geonim, together with the political leader

• Ep. 66: The Yom Kippur War (Part One: Prelude to War)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  On October 6th, 1973 – on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar – a c oordinated, surprise attack was launched on the State of Israel by its two great adversaries: Egypt in the South and Syria in the North. The Yom Kippur War w

• Ep. 76: JC in Jewish Sources: Exploring the Censored Text

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  As we approach the end of December, I chose to experiment by doing something a bit different in examining the Jewish take on the Christian hero and on early Christianity. When we look at the Talmudic sources on the matter we find that our v

• Ep. 16: The Dead Sea Scrolls: Their Story and Significance

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The most significant archaeological find of the 20th century, and arguably of all-time, was made in Israel, in 1947. Discovered accidentally by a Bedouin shepherd in caves overlooking the Dead Sea, the Dead Sea Scrolls, as they became known

• The History of Chanukah: Hellenism, Heroism and Hasmoneans (Rebroadcast)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The holiday of Chanukah 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 o

• Ep. 71: Chazon Ish: The Founding Father of the Modern Yeshiva World (Part Two: Making the Spiritual Desert Bloom)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  In 1933, Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz – the Chazon Ish – moved to British Mandate Palestine. Prior to his departure, the recognized leader of the Torah world, Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky of Vilna had sent a letter to the leaders of the Yi

• Ep. 24: Great Jewish Personalities: Rambam (Maimonides)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  “From Moshe till Moshe no one arose like Moshe” This epithet is engraved on the tombstone of Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon, better known as Rambam or Maimonides, and sheds light on the enormity of his impact and influence upon the Jewish people. T

• Ep. 8: Great Jewish Personalities: Rabbi Meir

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Rabbi Meir was a foundational scholar of the Mishnaic era. In fact, an unattributed mishna are his teachings and he is the third most oft-cited rabbi in the Talmud. In this podcast we explore the remarkable and tragic life story of this gre

• Ep. 50: The Story of King David (Part Two: David, King of Israel)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  David is now the undisputed king of Israel, but before him lay several key tasks: Of course the various Philistine and Canaanite tribes continue to be a pest, and David must subdue them to create lasting stability. Most importantly, however

• TORCH Fundraiser: A Conversation with our Board President, Dan Kullman

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Please support The TORCH Podcasts and the annual TORCH fundraiser at giveTORCH.org Every donation will be TRIPLED Show your support for TORCH and the TORCH Podcasts and donate to the annual fundraiser at giveTORCH.org – – – – – – – – – – –

• Ep. 68: The Yom Kippur War (Part Three: The Tide Turns)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The Yom Kippur War is – at least from a military perspective – a tale of two conflicts: The early stages of the war were completely one-sided, with the combined Arab armies of Syria and Egypt dominating the battlefields and making huge gain

• Ep. 36: Rabbi Moshe Sofer (Chasam Sofer) and his Hardline Response to Haskalah

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The Haskalah movement that swept through European Jewry in the 19th Century, brought about several different responses from what became known as the Orthodox communities. In Hungary, Rabbi Moshe Sofer, known by the name of one his books as

• Ep. 19: The Late Amoraic Era: The Giants of Babylon and the Writing, Codification and Sealing of the Talmud

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The Babylonian Talmud was the culmination of several hundred years of Amoraic scholarship. In shorthand it is known as “the discussions of Abaye and Rava” because these two titans contributed more to its arranging than any others. In this p

• Ep. 39: Rabbi Yisrael Salanter and the Mussar Movement

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  By the 1840s, ferocious winds of changes were sweeping through the Jewish nation, and leaving wreckage and carnage in the wake of their consuming vortexes. The spiritual standing of the nation was under assault from without and vulnerable f

• Ep. 37: Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch and Torah Im Derech Eretz

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  19th Century German Jewry was faced unprecedented, hitherto unseen threats to its continuity. Due to the rise of Reform and the Haskalah movements bent on drawing Jews away from Torah, coupled with the circumstances – the Emancipation and t

• Ep. 47: The Purim Story

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The Purim Story begins with King Achashverosh, the Persian king who ruled from Hodu until Cush (India until Ethiopia), making a massive feast for all the ministers and noblemen of Persia and Media that lasted for 180 days. Soon afterwards A

• Ep. 78: The History and Development of Oral Torah (Part 2: Hasmoneans, Herod, and Hillel)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The Second Temple Era was an eventful time for the Jewish People and the perpetuation of Torah. Over the course of the Second Commonwealth our nation was blessed with great legends, such as Ezra, Shimon Ben Shetach, and Hillel, but the Nati

• Ep. 45: A History of Tefillah (Jewish Prayer), Liturgy, and the Siddur

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Prayer is a central aspect of Jewish life. The second mishnah in Pirkei Avos identifies the three pillars that uphold the world, one of them being prayer. Prayer also occupies a large part of Jewish observance: we pray thrice daily, four ti

• Ep. 7: Great Jewish Personalities: Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The life, writings and legacy of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai has seen a sensational resurgence in recent years. The annual pilgramage to his gravesite during the week of his hilula attracts more than 500,000 visitors. In this podcast we explore

• Ep. 38: Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin and the Mother of all Yeshivos

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  To see pictures of the devastation of the TORCH Centre please visit http://rabbiwolbe.com/harvey/ To make a donation to the rebuilding of the TORCH Centre please visit rebuildtorch.com Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin was a man of extraordinary char

• Ep. 64: The Era of the Judges (Part Two: Gideon and Yiftach)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  We pick up the story of the Judges after the miraculous destruction of the enemies of Israel – Yavin and his star general Sisera were vanquished, peace reigned for forty years, but as we have seen previously, the period of the Judges is mar

• Ep. 18: The Middle Amoraic Era: Setting the Stage for the Babylonian Talmud

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The writing of the Babylonian Talmud was the most significant human project of all time. But it was not the first time that the writing of the Talmud was attempted. In northern Israel, during the third and fourth centuries, the Jerusalem Ta

• Ep. 40: Rabbi Chaim Soloveichik and the Brisker Method of Talmudic Analysis

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Rabbi Chaim Soloveichik, the scion of a prestigious rabbinical family, was the father of a new penetrating, incisive, and brilliant approach to Talmudic study and analysis that took the Yeshiva world by storm and is now ubiquitously accepte

• Ep. 43: The History of Chanukah: Hellenism, Heroism and Hasmoneans

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The holiday of Chanukah 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 o

• Ep. 74 – Chacham Ovadia Yosef: Part One – The Prince of Torah

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, known the world over as “Chacham Ovadia” or simply “Maran”, was one of the most important rabbinical personalities of the 20th Century. His career accomplishments were staggering: He was a To rah scholar of absolute unma

• Ep. 53: The Ten Lost Tribes: History, Legends, and Folklore

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The story of the Ten Lost Tribes is shrouded in mystery, replete with legends and folklore. At its core it is one of the greatest tragedies of Jewish history. It began with the worst schism and civil war in our history. The rift persisted f

• Ep. 35: Emancipation, Haskalah, and Reform: The Zeitgeist of 1800s European Jewry

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The 19th Century was a tumultuous time of fundamental change, opportunity, and upheaval for the Jewish people. For centuries, the Jews of Europe were subject to systemic marginalization: They were second-class citizens, were not granted equ

• Ep. 72: Chazon Ish: Part Three – On Politics and the Conflict of Religion and State

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Please support TORCH and The Jewish History Podcast TODAY during our only annual fundraiser giveTORCH.org Support The Jewish History Podcast – https://www.charidy.com/torch/History EVERY DONATION IS QUADRUPLED Today, TORCH needs your help!!

• Ep. 84: Two-State Solution Part 2: A Century of Doomed Proposals

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Straddling the Mediterranean Sea is a very special sliver of land: The land of Israel. The land of Canaan; Palestine; The Holy Land – there are a lot of names that this land is called by. This is the land to which Abraham was instructed to

• Ep. 56: A History of Kabbalah (Part One: Fom Sinai to Safed)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Kabbalah is part of the corpus of Oral Torah – like the Mishnah, the Talmud and Halacha – that was given to Moshe at Sinai and transmitted from generation to generation, but unlike the revealed Torah which was disseminated as widely as poss

• Ep. 23: Great Jewish Personalities: Rashi

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The era succeeding the Geonic Era is the Era of the Rishonim. During this time, the Ashkenazic (Germanic) and Sephardic (Spanish) communities were separated due to the geopolitical instability resulting from the constant wars between the Mu

• Ep. 9: Great Jewish Personalities: Rabbi Judah the Prince

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The impact that Rabbi Judah the Prince had on Jewish life was so vast that he is referred to in the Talmud as simply “Rabbi”. In this podcast we explore the remarkable life and accomplishments of this great man. ———- This podcast was record

• Ep. 86: Chofetz Chaim: A Portrait

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The Chofetz Chaim, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Hakohen Kagan, was one of the most renowned and influential Jews of modern times. He did not serve in any official capacity, and his influence reverberated the world over. His personal piety was legenda

• Ep. 44: Jerusalem: A History of the Holy City from the Bible to Bibi

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The ancient and historic city of Jerusalem is the most contested piece of real estate on the planet. For Jews, it is the center of the world; it is the hallowed grounds upon which Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob treaded and prayed; it was the sit

• Ep. 48: The History of the Jewish Calendar (Plus Annual Fundraising Appeal at GiveTORCH.org)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Annual Appeal To my dear listeners, At TORCH we have a simple philosophy: We give stimulating and engaging and relevant Torah teachings every day. But there is one day a year that we ask our friends, students, supporters and partners to giv

• Ep. 5: Chaos, Cataclysm and Consolidation: Jewish History in The Modern Era

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The Modern Era was a whirlwind of activity for the Jewish people, not all of it positive. The story takes us to Tzfat in northern Israel where a unique community of Torah giants shape the future of our nation. It moves to Poland and the Ukr

• Ep. 61: Joshua: Disciple Par Excellence of Moses

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Joshua was the undisputed leader of the Jews after the passing of Moses. Even during Moses’ lifetime, Joshua played an important role as Moses’ aide and confidante and protegé. Among his many accomplishments: He led the war effort and vanqu

• Ep. 17: The Early Amoraic Era

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The Amoraim were the Rabbis and Torah leaders of the 3rd to 5th Century. This era began after the compilation and sealing of the Mishnah, the canon of Jewish laws. Their collective task was to explicate, clarify and ultimately codify the Ta

• Ep. 83: Two-State Solution Part 1: The Peril and Naivete of Promoting a Palestinian State

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Is a two-state solution a viable way to finally resolve the Israel Palestine conflict? Many in the international community believe that it is the only solution. After the horrific massacres of October 7th, 2023, the international community