Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

Shiurim

• Wrestling with Innate, Unchangeable flaws: The Keturah Method

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Our character traits fall into three categories: The ones that are easily changeable with minimal effort. The ones that can be changed, but it requires much more intense and concerted effort because they are much more deeply rooted. The cha

• #81: Supernatural Resurrection

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The subject of resurrection was hotly debated in times of yore. The Talmud records a series of debates between great rabbis and their Roman contemporaries about the this subject. When we probe the matter more deeply, we discover that the Ro

• Chayei Sarah – Unselfish Spouses (Rebroadcast)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Telling the story of this week’s parsha while gleaning insights and lessons from it. The topics discussed in this episode: The Death, Bereavment and Burial of Sarah – [0:00] The Cave of the Machpelah – [14:23] Eliezer’s Oath, Eligibility Te

• High and Mighty (5:23-4)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  What forces must we use to try to bring about our life mission? Our mandate is to fulfill the will of the Almighty. He expects great things of us and created us for that purpose. In this thrilling Mishnah, we learned about the various diffe

• Re’eh – Look at Me

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Moshe begins our parsha by presenting the Nation with a choice: See, I have placed before you today blessing and curse. And he continues to state that the blessing is the steadfast observance of the commandments of the Almighty, while the c

• Getting Rich Doing What You Love (4:11)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Which is a greater inhibitor of Torah study, being rich or being poor? You would imagine that both conditions would distract someone from dedicating their time to Torah study. In this Mishnah we find an answer to this question and consequen

• Noach – Secret Of Invincibility (5784)

  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

• Why Jews Reject JC

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Listen to Why Jews Reject JC by Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe, from This Jewish Life.

• Circumcision (#2)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  In Genesis Chapter 17 we read about the second mitzvah in the Torah, and the first one commanded to our forefather, Abraham, is to circumcise all Jewish males. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Sponsorship: Please consider sponsor

• Vayishlach – Twin Tussles (Rebroadcast)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Telling the story of this week’s parsha while gleaning insights and lessons from it. The topics discussed in this episode: Jacob’s Preparation for the Encounter with Esau – [0:00] Jacob’s Fears: Of Loss of Merits, Of Esau and Of Esau’s “Bro

• Ki Seitzei – Lessons for Living (Rebroadcast)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Parshas Ki Sietzei maintains a continuous flow of mitzvos and guidance for the nation on the doorstep to Israel. Its beginning shares a powerful lesson as to how Torah and its mitzvos are the tools given to the Jewish nation to combat the w

• Purim Roundtable with the TORCH Podcasters

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  In preparation for the upcoming festival of Purim, my colleagues and I gathered together for a roundtable discussion about the power and meaning of the day. It is a joyous day of celebration and revelry, but when we examine it deeply, we di

• Parshas Ha’Azinu (Rebroadcast)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Still in the final day of Moshe’s life, he conveys to the nation a 43-verse Song predicting the contours of Jewish history, both past, present, and future. The patterns are familiar to the readers of Deuteronomy and even casual observers an

• Pinchas – Consistency is Key

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  When the Temple was extant, first thing each morning a Tamid sacrifice was offered, and an afternoon Tamid offering was the last sacrifice of the day. The Midrash reveals to us quite surprisingly that the essence of Torah is encapsulated in

• Shemini – Fires, Foreign and Domestic

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Nadav and Avihu were the crown princes of the Jewish nation. These two sons were slated to succeed Moshe and Aaron. Moshe declared, without hyperbole, that his two nephews, Nadav and Avihu, were greater than he and Aaron. These two sons of

• Know Your Place (6.6.26)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The greatest pedagogues of history – the Sages of the Mishnah – codified “knowing your place” as a means to acquire Torah, to acquire wisdom. What exactly is intended with knowing your place? In this Ethics Podcast we share three life-chang

• Loving Straightness (6.6.33) + 2026 TORCH Fundraiser

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The 2026 annual TORCH fundraiser is happening right now at giveTORCH.org . Every donation is doubled at giveTORCH.org . Every donation is matched at giveTORCH.org Please support TORCH and the Parsha Podcast with a generous contribution righ

• Business Competition and Disclosures in Halacha

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  In this podcast we explore several contemporary halachic dilemmas relation to business competition and disclosures. What are the parameters of opening a business establishment in an area or industry that will cripple or eliminate competitor

• Nuclear Football (5:1)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  How important are we? Do we even matter? What difference does it make if I live of die? What difference can one person make in the grand scope of existence? These are tough existential questions that thinking people grapple with. In this th

• Toldos – Breaking Barriers

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  After nearly two decades of infertility, Isaac and Rebecca conceive, but something does not feel right. Whenever Rebecca passes a house of Torah, she feels her baby stir and get all excited as if he wants to be born. Seemingly, her child is

• Vayishlach – When Hairy met Srully

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Jacob and Esau last saw each other 34 years prior. 34 years ago, Jacob, upon the explicit and prophetically inspired instruction of his mother, usurped the blessings reserved for Esau. Esau was piping mad, and sought vengeance. He wanted to

• Conquering the Endgame: How Torah Study Engenders Character Change and Transformation

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 8

• JC in the Talmud: Examining the Censored Text

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Unlike what most imagine, the Sages of the Talmud wrote very little regarding Christianity and JC. The little that was included was censored by the Christian authorities in the Middle Ages. Thankfully, copies of those parts of the Talmud re

• Parshas Tetzaveh

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  In a natural continuation to Parshas Terumah, in Parshas Tetzaveh we learn about the instructions to build the Tabernacle. Whereas l ast week the focus was on the edifice itself and its vessels, this week we will orient primarily on the spe

• We Have Been Blessed With a Baby Boy

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  With deep appreciation to the Almighty for all the goodness that He has bestowed upon us, I’m happy to share that my wife, Chaya, and I were blessed with a beautiful baby boy on Monday, March 14. Thank God, both Mom and baby are doing fabul

• Vayeilech – Mission Improbable

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Moshe’s tenure as leader of the Jews was chock full of magnificent accomplishments. He spearheaded the Exodus, he brought the Torah down from Heaven, in his merit came the manna – Moshe’s CV is unparalleled. But now it’s time for him to han

• Rosh Hashana Reading (1st day – Genesis Chapter 21)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The Torah readings for the two days of Rosh Hashana were not arbitrarily chosen. There are very good reasons why on the first day of Rosh Hashana we read Genesis chapter 21, which tells of the conception and birth of Isaac, and the banishme

• 6000 Years, 3 Epochs, 3 Forefathers, 3 Temples and One Eternal Nation: The Talmudic Perspective on World and Jewish History

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  תנא דבי אליהו ששת אלפים שנה הוי עלמא שני אלפים תוהו שני אלפים תורה שני אלפים ימות המשיח (סנהדרין דף צז.) “They taught in the Academy of Elijah: Six thousand years is the world; two thousand chaos, two thousand Torah, two thousand years Mess

• Who was Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and why does Lag Ba’Omer matter?

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Lag BaOmer is the day that marks the Yahrtzeit/Hillula of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, one of the great Sages of the Mishnaic Era. In celebration and recognition of Rabbi Shimon’s accomplishments and stature, the custom is to make it a mini-hol

• Pinchas – Sons of Anarchist

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Korach’s rebellion claimed many victims: Some of the perpetrators were swallowed up in a miraculous sinkhole; some were consumed by a divine fire; and some were killed in a plague. In our Parsha, we discover that the sons of Korach did not

• Tetzaveh – On His Majesty’s Service

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Performing service in the Tabernacle was the domain of the cherished few only. Only Aaron, his four sons, and their subsequent children were eligible. Why couldn’t everyone serve as a priest? That’s a question for modern egalitarian sensibi

• Parshas Ki Savo

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  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

• Yisro – Splitting the Heaven

  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

• Parshas Tazria (Rebroadcast)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  A very large percentage of Torah is dedicated to the laws of purity and impurity. Parshas Tazria deals exclusively with these laws, first with respect to the impurity of a new mother, and second with the impurity of tzaraas a skin disease t

• Ki Sisa – Coronavirus: Three Lessons from the Torah

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The deadly coronavirus (COVID- 19) is dominating the world’s attention. Our Sages teach us that when danger strikes, we must ponder our behavior and search for lessons. We believe that this virus is a message from God. What is the message?

• Loaning the Needy (#66)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Even greater than the mitzvah of giving charity, of helping the needy by giving them a handout, is the mitzvah of loaning them money in their time of financial despair. Although charity may solve a pauper’s problem, a timely loan may preven

• Conversation (6:6:20)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  We are speaking beings. In fact, the central differentiation between humanity and animals is the capacity of verbal communication. The judgment that we face in Heaven is largely about how we deployed our superpower, our speech. The greatest

• The Profound Mystery of Cheshvan with Rabbi Shmuly Botnick

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Rabbi Shmuly Botnick returns to the podcast with his most mind-bending and dynamic contribution hitherto. In this exhilarating roller-coaster of a podcast, Rabbi Botnick weaves the generation of Enosh, the Flood, the placement of Moshe into

• The Secret of the Month of Cheshvan with Rabbi Shmuly Botnick

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Each of the twelve months in the Jewish calendar contain a unique spiritual energy and power. The power of each month, encapsulated in a zodiac sign, is often represented in the holidays, festivals, and noteworthy days of said month. The mo

• Dating, Courtship, and Spousal Selection: A Comprehensive Torah Attitude

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Chapter 24 of Genesis contains a comprehensive narrative of the courtship and marriage of Isaac and Rebecca. Traditionally, this chapter served as the comprehensive guide of the Torah’s attitude of how to select a suitable spouse. In this p

• Mysteries of the Torah Scroll

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The festival of Shavuos marks the anniversary of the most momentous and consequential event in all of human history: the Sinai Revelation. A mere 50 days after the Exodus, the nation coalesced around the mountain and witnessed when no other

• How to Build the Third Temple

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The Temple is a central component of our religion. Ever since it was destroyed by the Romans, our nation has been operating in a suboptimal fashion. Certainly, we have prayers to match the sacrifices of God, and our Torah Academy halls, the

• 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

• Sense of Mission (6.6.29)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  We love Torah. Torah study is our national pastime and obsession. It is enjoyable; it is fun; it is interesting — but to acquire it – we have to now that it is imperative: It is as indispensable as water, oxygen and bread. – – – – – – – – –

• #58: Post-Mortem Judgment and Cleansing

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  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

• Elul: Making the Most out of these Favorable Days

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Elul is the name of the month that precedes Rosh Hashanah and the Days of Awe. The 40 days spanning from the first of Elul until Yom Kippur are the most spiritually auspicious days of the year; during this period we can re-imagine who we ar

• Core Beliefs of Judaism Part 7

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

• Vayechi – Fish Amidst the Land

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Jacob’s life has been extremely chaotic. Forced to tussle with his twin. Jacob’s life got off to a rocky start. Compelled to usurp the blessings, Jacob had to flee. Laban’s house was hardly a refuge – it was 20 years of non-stop contention

• Reeh – Idle Tree, Idle Warship, and Falls Profits (5784)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The Torah spends a lot of time cautioning us against idolatry. As the nation is about to cross over the Jordan and enter Canaan, they are repeatedly warned to not fall prey to the idolatrous practices of the indigenous population. Instead,

• Studying with Intentionality (6.6.44-45)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  What are our intentions when we study? What are we trying to achieve? If we are studying the Almighty’s Torah simply as an exercise in theoretical, abstract learning, we are missing the essence of Torah. In these two ways to wisdom, we lear

• The Golden Calf: A Scriptural Analysis

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  The Jewish attitude to Torah study has always been to not accept the words on a simplistic and superficial level. We view the text of the Torah as having infinite depth and subtle nuances and meanings. In this class we will attempt to disse

• 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

• Metzora – 21st Century Prophecy (5782)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  How involved is God in the day-to-day lives of humanity? What is the nature of divine communication to humanity? The central subject of our Parsha offers a fascinating window into this question. In antiquity – when our people were very clos

• 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

• The Showbreads (#97)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Three vessels resided in the Tabernacle’s/Temple’s Sanctuary: The Menorah, the Golden Alter, and the Table. The top of the table were two stacks of showbreads, six breads on either stack for a total of 12. These breads were ever present ato

• Tetzaveh – The Golden Bovine (5784)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  This week’s Parsha is dedicated to the priestly class: It begins with the oil that the High Priest kindles; it describes in great detail the special vestments that the priests wore; and it proceeds in outlining the process of inauguration o

• 48 Ways to Wisdom #13: Equilibrium (6:6:13)

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Humans are not monolithic. Each one of us is unique and have a unique take on every life situation. The truth is even more granular: even within a single person, there is not uniformity. We are all internally conflicted, sometimes thinking

• Yom HaAtzmaut Special: How Israel Unites Jews of all kinds

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  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 neces

• Mattos & Masei – Talent Incubator

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  Our parsha contains the laws regarding a person who murders someone accidentally. We are told that the accidental murderer must flee to the city of refuge and remain there until the passing of the High Priest. Although we have neither a Hig

• But I’m a Good Person with Dan Kullman

  Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

  When my dear friend, Dan Kullman, asked me to join him on The Shema Podcast to discuss the phenomenon of people saying, “But I’m a good person,” I was not aware of how pervasive such a sentiment is and why discussing it would be interesting