The Parsha Podcast

Shiurim

• Parshas Vayikra (Rebroadcast) + TORCH Annual Fundraising Drive

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  TORCH Fundraiser Our organization, TORCH, does only one fundraiser a year, and that is happening right now at giveTORCH.org . This is a matching campaign and every donation will be DOUBLED. Please support the Parsha Podcast right now at giv

• Tzav – Ready, Steady, Fire! (5782)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  A lot of things are needed for the Temple and the Tabernacle to function properly. There are all kinds of prerequisites, protocols, procedures, and rituals that must be followed. One of the most surprising ones is the requirement to always

• Haazinu – Antidote to Vacuousness

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  On the final day of Moshe’s life, he conveys the Song of Haazinu to the nation. In this masterful prophetic Song, the Torah overviews Jewish history, past, present, future, and Messiah. In this penultimate parsha podcast we focus on what ha

• Parshas Re’eh

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  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 menti

• Vayeitzei – Fortune Favors the Bold

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Jacob’s accomplishments in our Parsha are remarkable. At the onset of our parsha, Jacob is a 77 year old bachelor without a penny to his name. Having been robbed clean of all his possessions, Jacob undertook the grandest, most ambitious ini

• Parshas Shemini

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  After months of preparation and building, and a week of inauguration, the nation was anticipating the climax of the Tabernacle experience: When God finally rested His Presence upon the people’s handiwork. On the eighth day the Tabernacle wa

• Pekudei – Bold Initiatives Checklist

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The most ambitious initiative ever undertook in the history of mankind was the construction of the Tabernacle. Think about it: humans are getting together with the intent of constructing a residence for God on this Earth. And they pull it o

• Shelach – Prophylactic Phylacteries

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  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

• Ki Savo – Gaze from Heaven

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Blessings and curses. That is the dominant theme of our Parsha. We read the admonition of Deuteronomy – 98 bone-chilling curses that will befall our people in the event that we repudiate our covenant with God. Blessings and curses appear a

• Shoftim – Hill To Die On

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  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-be

• Parshas Chayei Sarah

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Some of the highlights of this week’s parsha: Immediately after the Binding of Isaac, Sarah passed away at the age of 127, and soon afterwards Abraham had to procure a burial spot for her. In addition, Abraham sent his trusted confidante, E

• Jonah: Studying the Yom Kippur Reading on a Deeper Level (Rebroadcast)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  On Yom Kippur afternoon, we read the 48-verse Book of Jonah, which tells of a renegade prophet, Jonah, who defies the directive of God and refuses to castigate the people of Nineveh and instead escapes from God to Tarshish – with mixed resu

• Parshas Ki Seitzei (Rebroadcast)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  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

• Behaaloscha – Follow the Cloud (5782)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Traveling in the wilderness was not simple. The nation was guided by the clouds of Glory. When the clouds of Glory would depart from a top of the Tabernacle, that signaled it was time to go and the nation decamped and began to move. Where t

• Ki Seitzei – Roadmap to Victory

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The Yetzer Hara is described in Jewish Literature as a skillful and dangerous enemy that we must make war with. And unless we devise a comprehensive strategy, our enemy will triumph. How does a winning battle plan look like? In this unique

• Parshas Shemini (Rebroadcast)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  After months of preparation and building, and a week of inauguration, the nation was anticipating the climax of the Tabernacle experience: When God finally rested His Presence upon the people’s handiwork. On the eighth day the Tabernacle wa

• Vayeira – Abraham’s Three Protégés (5781)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Abraham was the most influential person in human history. He changed the tides of history, he popularized Monotheism in the world, he is the father of many nations, and fittingly his story is told at considerable length in the Torah. In thi

• Parshas Chukas & Balak (Rebroadcast)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  In Parshas Chukas, 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 wi

• Behaaloscha – The Eyes of the People

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Our parsha contains an unusual sequence: The nation is about to leave Sinai, and Moshe makes a prolonged, and unsuccessful, appeal to his father in law, Jethro, to remain with him. Then there is the strange episode of the backwards-facing N

• Korach – Debate and Switch

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Cousins don’t always agree on everything. Korach and Moshe had a disagreement, a debate. Moshe was instructed by God that the nation is limited to one high priest, Aaron. Korach argued that the entire nation is entirely holy, and why can’t

• Parshas Mikeitz (Rebroadcast)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Parshas Mikeitz continues the narrative of Joseph in Egypt. We pick up his story two years after his failed attempt at earning a reprieve via his cellmate, Pharaoh’s butler, who was about to be reinstated to his post as Pharaoh’s side. Jose

• Ha’azinu – Small Step for Eaglet (5781)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The Song of Haazinu is a richly textured tapestry with layered meaning and subtleties. Our Sages tell us that it incorporates all of Jewish History. In its 613 words, it incorporates all of Torah as well. And it is arguably the most difficu

• Tetzaveh – Holy Vestaments (Rebroadcast)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  In Parshas Tetzaveh the Torah outlines the various garments needed for the Kohein Gadol, the instruction to raise the funds for the oil for the Menorah, and the incense Altar. What are some practical lessons we can draw from these special c

• Reeh – Steak Your Claim (5782)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  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 basi

• Noach – Secret Of Invincibility

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  We started this week’s Parsha Podcast by talking about the Tower of Babel episode. We gleaned from that story something absolutely transformational and deep. We then proceeded to talk about the unusual contribution that Noah gave to the peo

• Shemos – Moshe’s Moxie (5783)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The story of the Jewish people in the book of Exodus gets off to a difficult start. The nation is firmly ensconced in Egypt, but their experience there is decidedly unpleasant. They are enslaved, tormented, and systematically oppressed. Thi

• Parshas Behaaloscha

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The Jewish nation has been encamped at Mount Sinai for nearly a year; in this week’s parsha they finally depart from the Mountain of God, and sadly leave gleefully as a child escaping school. This kick starts a series of missteps that carry

• Shoftim – Hill To Die On (5782)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  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-be

• Vayeishev – Pebbles and Diamonds (5782)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  A pebble and a diamond are similar in one way: they are both rocks. That’s where the similarities end. A diamond is precious and valuable. Diamonds are things that we recite the poems over, and name, and write Wikipedia pages about, and ado

• Vaeira – Tangible Fear of God

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Before the seventh and final plague of the parsha, Moshe warns the Egyptians about the forthcoming hail of fire-and-ice. Some of the Egyptians prudently move all their possessions to safety, while others leave them out. The Torah’s labeling

• Tzav – Conceal the Deal

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  A top of the altar were fires that were never extinguished for hundreds of years. What was the nature of these fires? What were they made up of? How are they different than other fires? When we examine the sources, we discovered that there

• Yisro – Splitting the Heaven (5784)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The arrival of Jethro, the preparation for Sinai, and the nature of the Sinai revelation – these are some of the subjects featured in our parsha. In this very special and atypically extemporaneous Parsha podcast, we offer four interesting i

• Bereishis – Microcosm of History (5784)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  In this podcast we attempt to read not just the text but also the subtext of the parsha – to go deep and deeper on three subjects in the first Parsha in the Torah: the Genesis narrative and it’s overarching message, the unusual source for t

• Vaeira – Pharaoh’s Education

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The Jewish people undergo a stunning transformation in our Parsha: It begins with the nation walling in misery; when Moshe offers a plan for salvation, they cannot even hear his comforting message. Yet very quickly they merit a miraculous E

• Noach – Lessons from an Enigma

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  For last year’s podcast on Parshas Noach click HERE . In this podcast we draw three lessons from the Torah’s chracter assesments of Noah. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Please consider making a donation to help fund our Jewish

• Special: An Interview About My New Book, Upon A Ten-Stringed Harp

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  In conjunction with our annual fundraiser this week at giveTORCH.org (every donation is tripled), we are releasing a special interview conducted by the TORCH Board President, Dan Kullman, about my new book, Upon A Ten-Stringed Harp. Please

• Vezos Haberacha 5785 – The Heavenly Verses

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  There was no joy that matches the joy of Torah study, and that Joy is amplified yet further when we have the great privilege of finishing the entire Torah and once again beginning it anew. The final Parsha, though, has a poignant theme to i

• Shoftim – Gateways to Great Pursuits

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Justice is a virtue that we must vigorously pursue. Our Parsha begins by instructing us to establish a court system with judges and bailiffs throughout our gates and tribes. The judge is tasked with determining the merits of every case and

• Tzav – Ashes, Ashes, We all Rise Up

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The beginning of our parsha details the intricate processing of the Olah offerings. The animal is slaughtered, its blood is sprinkled on the Altar walls, it is divided into parts, the parts are elevated to the top of the altar and placed on

• Beshalach – Songworthy Sequels (5782)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The Exodus marked the severing of the Jewish people from their former masters, the Egyptians. With plagues and miracles, the Almighty extracted the Israelites from bondage. That all happened in last week’s Parsha. You would expect that our

• Tetzaveh – What’s In A Name

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Our Sages tell us that each one of us is unique and has a unique mission to fulfill. Humans are not fungible, moist, robots that can be swapped for each other. Each one of us is our own world. We must each say: “the world was created for me

• Parshas Pinchas

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  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

• Pekudei – Zero to Won

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  After four Parshas, the Tabernacle is finally finished this week. Before the Tabernacle is erected though, Moshe provides an audit for all the gold, silver, and copper that was raised for the Tabernacle and identifies where they were used i

• Vayeitzei – Holy Sheeple (5783)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  A large section of our Parsha contains intricate descriptions of Jacob as a shepherd. Initially, he worked for Laban as a shepherd for 7 years for the rights to marry Laban’s younger daughter Rachel. When the 7 years concluded, Laban swindl

• Parshas Bamidbar (Rebroadcast)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  We kickstart the Book of Numbers with a census of the twelve tribes of Israel – not including the tribe of Levi who is counted independently – conducted by Moses, Aaron, and the most distinguished leaders of said tribes. Subsequently, we re

• Shelach – Despising Limitations (5783)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The nation was on the cusp of entering the Land. After about a year at Sinai, the nation was ready to conquer Canaan. The invasion and war of conquest was imminent. Then catastrophe struck. Moshe sent 12 spies to reconnoiter the Land and re

• Vayigash – A Family Descends (Rebroadcast)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Parshas Vayigash begins with Joseph’s dramatic revelation to his brothers and ends with the descent of Jacob and his descendents to Egypt, where they will spend the next several hundred years burgeoning into a great nation. The topics discu

• Tazria – Temporarily Embarrassed Millionaires

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Like much of Leviticus hitherto, tzaraas – the skin malady that is a physical manifestation of a spiritual flaw – is a concept distant from our consciousness. The Torah tells us that when a person commits one of several sins, they can be st

• Kedoshim – The Superhuman Imperative (5782)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Our Parsha begins with an unusual ceremony: Moshe gathers the entire Jewish Nation, men, women, and children, to convey to them the mitzvos of our Parsha. Unlike the rest of the Torah where the nation is conveyed the Law in shifts, in this

• Emor – Sense of Belonging (5781)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Our parsha contains the first recorded instance of capital punishment in Jewish history. A disgruntled man, the son of an Israelite woman and an Egyptian man blasphemed and was executed as a result. What is the significance of this story? W

• Shemini – Eighth Time’s The Charm

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Assembling and disassembling the Tabernacle was a difficult task that Moshe repeated for seven days. Each morning he placed the vertical beams into their silver sockets, and affixed the golden rings on the top of the beams. He placed the ho

• Va’eschanan – Entry Denied (5781)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Moshe was very desirous of entering the Land. The Midrash reveals that he prayed 515 separate prayers to petition God to revoke His ban on Moshe entering the Land. But God said no. You may not enter the Land, though He allowed Moshe to visu

• Purim – Love-Inducing Miracles

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The Talmud (Shabbos 88a) teaches that in the aftermath of the Purim miracles the Jewish people re-accepted the Torah out of love. What was so special about the miracles of Purim that fostered this profound love and what lessons can we learn

• Bo – Climbing Mount Exodus

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The Exodus from Egypt was the founding event of our people. Our nation had been in Egypt for more than two centuries and we had become acculturated into the Egyptian way of life. Over the year of the Exodus process, our nation was privy to

• Parshas Emor (Rebroadcast)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Parshas Emor contains a staggering 56 mitzvos, nearly all of them relating to either to the Kohanim, the priests, or to the Festivals, and the parsha ends with a very unusual episode that happened at Sinai. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

• 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 – – – – – – – – – – –

• Behaaloscha – Kindle Fire

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Aaron the High Priest held a critical leadership role in the nation. A partial list of his jobs: he offered sacrifices, he did the Yom Kippur services which included the annual trip to the Holy of Holies, and he blessed the people. But ther

• Shelach – The Sad Saga of the Spies

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  In Parshas Shelach we read about the disastrous episode of the Spies. These 12 men were initially great leaders of the people, but their libelous report about the Land condemned the Nation to 40 years of wandering in the Wilderness. – – – –

• Pesach Special with Akiva and Yehoshua Wolbe

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  This upcoming Shabbos coincides with the first day of Pesach. Consequently, there is no new Parsha this week. But there will still be a new Parsha Podcast. My dear friend Dan Kullman, host of the Shema Podcast interviewed my two oldest sons

• Vayeitzei – Ladders To/From Heaven

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  On the way to Charan Jacob stopped at Mount Moriah. He spent the night there and the Torah documents his very fateful dream: he saw a ladder suspended between heaven and Earth, upon which Angels of God were ascending and descending. The com