The Parsha Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
590 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 days ago - ★★★★★ - 95 ratingsThe Parsha Podcast with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe was started in 2016 with the goal of making the weekly Parsha accessible and useful. Every Sunday, the Parsha Podcast will feature an hour-long podcast outlining the story, narratives and major themes of that week’s Parsha and offer a selection of valuable and interesting insights from it. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, two more episodes that focuses on one idea, theme, or comment on the Parsha will be released. Please send comments or questions to [email protected].
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Behaaloscha – Honeymoon Phases
June 20, 2024 02:50 - 59 minutes - 27.3 MBAfter nearly a year at Sinai, the nation is on the move: in perfect formation, each tribe perfectly positioned and oriented, the nation finally departed the site of the Sinai Revelation. Following the cloud, the nation traveled. In this very special Parsha podcast, we go deep and deeper in trying to plumb the depths of […]
Behaaloscha – Follow the Cloud (5782)
June 18, 2024 03:32 - 58 minutes - 26.8 MBTraveling 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 to? No one knew ahead of time. Wherever the cloud […]
Nasso – Gordian Knot
June 14, 2024 06:01 - 52 minutes - 24.1 MBParshas Nasso is the longest Parsha in the Torah by verses. In this very special Parsha podcast we explore three different elements of the Parsha: We offer a deep examination of the banishment of the various impure people from the camp; a profound approach to the system of change featured in the Nazir; and a […]
Nasso – The Fourth Crown (5782)
June 11, 2024 03:02 - 58 minutes - 26.8 MBOur Parsha contains the interesting law of the Nazir. A Nazir is someone who has accepted upon themselves a vow to abstain from wine, haircuts, and contact with the dead for a given period, typically 30 days. The details of this law are featured in our partial and elaborated upon in appropriately named book of […]
Bamidbar – Legion of God
June 06, 2024 03:53 - 53 minutes - 24.6 MBAt first glance, the subject matter of Parshas Bamidbar is quite bland and technical. It talks of a census, and the orientation of the tribes in the camp, and the various responsibilities of the different levite families. These are not typically subjects that grab our attention. But we are trained to go deeper and deeper […]
Bamidbar – Autopsy of Giants (5782)
June 04, 2024 03:50 - 48 minutes - 22.1 MBOur Parsha recounts – for the third time hitherto in the Torah – the episode of the untimely death of Aaron’s two eldest sons, Nadav and Avihu. These two young priests were destined for greatness. Moshe believed that they were in fact greater than him and Aaron. Yet they brought an unauthorized sacrifice and died […]
Parshas Bamidbar (Rebroadcast)
June 02, 2024 16:49 - 56 minutes - 26 MBWe 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 read about the banners of the tribes and their assigned encampments, the transference of […]
Bechukosai – Impractical Torah?
May 30, 2024 03:23 - 1 hour - 27.5 MBTorah is absolutely vast. It is a veritable ocean. And we are privileged to be able to study it and immerse ourselves in it. Those of us who have had the great privilege of studying in Yeshiva know that there’s nothing as delightful and as wonderful as the intensive study of Torah. But how practical […]
Bechukosai – Self-Assembly Kit (5782)
May 28, 2024 04:01 - 53 minutes - 24.5 MBWhy was our soul sent to this world? What was lacking for it in Heaven? That is not an easy question to answer. There are other hard questions to ponder: why are we so obsessed with Torah? How is Torah beneficial for mankind? In this superb episode of the Parsha Podcast, we discover a higher […]
Parshas Bechukosai (Rebroadcast)
May 26, 2024 03:56 - 51 minutes - 23.5 MBIn two chapters in the Torah (Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 28) we read about the positive consequences of obeying the Torah and heeding its laws; and the terrible, painful consequences of disobeying the Law. Though reading this week’s Torah portion is scary and a tad depressing, the truth is that this framework is the secret to […]
Behar – Intractable Land
May 23, 2024 02:50 - 1 hour - 28.4 MBThe Land of Israel is special: It is the land of God. All other lands were given by God to humanity. The land of Israel He reserved for himself. The Torah gives us comprehensive laws regarding every element of our life. Many of the laws are only applicable in the land of Israel. The commentaries […]
Behar – The Jubilant 50’s (5782)
May 21, 2024 03:40 - 1 hour - 27.6 MBBeing a farmer in antiquity was a hard job. Without any mechanized tools and plows, farming demanded a great deal of sweat and toil. But what choice did you have? If you want to feed your family, you need to work the land. Then comes the Shemitah. Every 7th year, the farmers in the Land […]
Emor – Simulated Martyrdom
May 16, 2024 02:36 - 1 hour - 33.9 MBHumans have a very important role to play in God’s world. The Almighty created a world in which He is obfuscated. It is possible to live a whole life without acknowledging the one, singular reality of existence: God. The world was designed with the capacity for that reality being ignored. But we are here to […]
Emor – Spiritual Fingerprint (5782)
May 14, 2024 03:32 - 1 hour - 29.5 MBThe Kohanic family is the most prestigious and sanctified family in our nation. Direct descendants of the legendary Aaron, this family was consecrated as the priests of our nation. They oversee the temple and its operations, they do the service of the Temple, they process the sacrifices – they are the spiritual leaders of our […]
Kedoshim – Loving the Unlovable
May 09, 2024 03:36 - 51 minutes - 23.7 MBSome people are easy to love. They are good people. They have a good character. They are righteous and noble and pleasant. People like that are very lovable. But there are other people. The second group of people are very hard to love. They may have a very execrable character. They may have very unlikable […]
Kedoshim – The Superhuman Imperative (5782)
May 07, 2024 03:30 - 46 minutes - 21.2 MBOur 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 week’s Parsha everyone has to be together. When we examine the reasons […]
Acharei Mos – Fleshy Onesie
May 02, 2024 03:35 - 55 minutes - 25.4 MBThe first verse of our Parsha revisits a tragic event from the past. The Torah tells us that after the death of Aaron’s sons Nadav and Avihu, Moshe was instructed to command Aaron about the prohibition against entering the Holy of Holies unauthorized. What is the significance of the tragic demise of Aaron’s two sons […]
Acharei Mos – A Consequential Life (5782)
May 01, 2024 03:24 - 54 minutes - 25.1 MBThe verse in our Parsha makes a big promise: if you adhere to the Mitzvos and statutes and laws of the Torah you will be granted life. Life is what we all so deeply covet. Torah and Mitzvos are the ways to get it. But it doesn’t seem to bear out in the real world. […]
Metzora – Barbarians at the Gate
April 18, 2024 03:26 - 1 hour - 28.1 MBThe Metzora (one stricken with tzaraas) is unwelcome in polite society. Even impolite society doesn’t want anything to do with him. They must leave the camp. They must be alone, in seclusion, in isolation outside of the camp. They may not have close interaction with others. Others don’t even want to have any interaction with […]
Metzora – 21st Century Prophecy (5782)
April 16, 2024 03:15 - 1 hour - 30.9 MBHow 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 close to the Almighty and very elevated spiritually – every sin would register as a […]
Parshas Metzora (Rebroadcast)
April 14, 2024 03:15 - 51 minutes - 23.5 MBA metzora is someone who is stricken with the tangible illness of tzaraas caused by a variety of sins, most notably the sin of lashon hara, evil talk and slander. Last week we read about two varieties of this illness: when it strikes a person’s garment or body; the bulk of our parsha orients around […]
Tazria – Temporarily Embarrassed Millionaires
April 11, 2024 03:27 - 41 minutes - 18.8 MBLike 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 stricken with a wide range of skin afflictions that qualify as tzaraas. […]
Tazria – Torah In A Box (5782)
April 09, 2024 04:17 - 53 minutes - 24.3 MBThe bulk of our Parsha deals with the inapplicable laws of purity and impurity, but we also told about a Mitzvah that is very much applicable today: circumcision. When a baby boy is 8 days old, they are circumcised and thereby entered into the Covenant of Abraham. What is the meaning behind this Mitzvah? Why, […]
Parshas Tazria (Rebroadcast)
April 07, 2024 04:15 - 50 minutes - 23.1 MBA 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 that comes as a result of sin. What is purity and impurity and […]
Shemini – Spiritual Cholesterol
April 04, 2024 03:46 - 52 minutes - 24.2 MBKosher food is good for you. Non-kosher food is bad. That much we learned in our parsha. But why? Why is kosher food good? In this exquisite podcast, we Go deep and deeper in trying to understand. We discover how non kosher food serves as a form of spiritual cholesterol that creates blockages imperiling our […]
Shemini – Aaron’s Credentials (5782)
April 02, 2024 03:02 - 45 minutes - 21 MBIn our Parsha Aaron is promoted to become the high priest. Previously, Moshe served as high priest in an interim role, henceforth Aaron and his descendants will serve as the nation’s emissaries before God. Why was Aaron chosen? What were his qualifications? What were the events in his life that rendered him worthy of such […]
Parshas Shemini (Rebroadcast)
March 31, 2024 03:02 - 53 minutes - 24.6 MBAfter 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 was erected for good, and a Heavenly fire consumed the various sacrifices offered upon the Altar and the […]
Tzav – Runaway Brain
March 28, 2024 03:13 - 54 minutes - 24.8 MBThe subject matter of Parshas Tzav is – like Parshas Vayikra – sacrifices. Before today you may have thought that sacrifices are a boring snooze fest. In this Parsha Podcast your perception of Parshas Tzav and sacrifices will be permanently transformed. In the podcast we share three deep and powerful insights: How to sheath the […]
Tzav – Ready, Steady, Fire! (5782)
March 26, 2024 03:59 - 44 minutes - 20.4 MBA 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 have a fire atop the altar. Although the fire is needed for the processing of […]
Parshas Tzav (Rebroadcast)
March 24, 2024 16:13 - 58 minutes - 26.9 MBIn continuation of the themes of last week, Parshas Tzav details the procedures of processing many of the sacrifices enumerated in Parshas Vayikra, teaches us about new sacrifices, and we read about the seven days of inauguration of the Tabernacle. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]
Vayikra – Cainitis and Abelitis
March 21, 2024 04:02 - 42 minutes - 19.5 MBTORCH 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 giveTORCH.org The website for the Fundraiser is giveTORCH.org Click and donate to support the Parsha Podcast in 2024 We need your […]
Vayikra – From Each According to His Ability (5782) + TORCH Campaign
March 19, 2024 04:06 - 52 minutes - 24.2 MBTORCH 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 giveTORCH.org The website for the Fundraiser is giveTORCH.org Click and donate to support the Parsha Podcast in 2024 We need your […]
Parshas Vayikra (Rebroadcast) + TORCH Annual Fundraising Drive
March 17, 2024 16:53 - 53 minutes - 24.3 MBTORCH 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 giveTORCH.org The website for the Fundraiser is giveTORCH.org Click and donate to support the Parsha Podcast in 2024 We need your […]
Pekudei – Autopilot Disengaged
March 14, 2024 02:12 - 54 minutes - 24.7 MBTORCH 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 giveTORCH.org The website for the Fundraiser is giveTORCH.org Click and donate to support the Parsha Podcast in 2024 We need your […]
Pekudei – Bold Initiatives Checklist (5782) + TORCH Fundraiser Appeal
March 11, 2024 22:25 - 1 hour - 35.4 MBTORCH 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 giveTORCH.org The website for the Fundraiser is giveTORCH.org Click and donate to support the Parsha Podcast in […]
Parshas Pekudei (Rebroadcast) and annual Fundraiser at giveTORCH.org
March 10, 2024 14:59 - 38 minutes - 17.7 MBOur 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 giveTORCH.org The website for the Fundraiser is giveTORCH.org Click and donate to support the Parsha Podcast in 2024 We […]
Vayakhel – The Third Path
March 07, 2024 04:29 - 56 minutes - 26 MBThere are three ways to achieve transcendental greatness: There is the path of intense practice and training in your desired field of excellence; there is the path of Bezalel who was endowed with supernatural abilities and preordained to greatness; and there is a third path — the path of the ascension of heart. In our […]
Vayakhel – Heart Donor (5782)
March 05, 2024 05:07 - 58 minutes - 26.6 MBThe Torah’s narrative surrounding the Tabernacle is not one-and-done an cut-and-dried. The Torah does not simply tell us that a Tabernacle was built with the requisite materials. Instead of a succinct detailing of the Tabernacle, the Torah tells the Tabernacle narrative in a sprawling and often repetitive fashion over the course of five Parsha sections. […]
Ki Sisa – Augmenting Shabbos
February 29, 2024 04:36 - 51 minutes - 23.4 MBThe final instructions for the construction of the Tabernacle are conveyed at the beginning of this week’s parsha. After Moshe is told to appoint Bezalel as the head overseer of this enormous project, the Torah cautions us against constructing the tabernacle on Shabbos. Although we are required to build the Tabernacle, and we are inclined […]
Ki Sisa – Counting and Duking the Nation (5782)
February 27, 2024 05:05 - 42 minutes - 19.4 MBThe golden calf is one of the most inexplicable events in the Torah. What went wrong? Who is to blame? In this special edition of the Parsha Podcast we propose a novel idea that threads throughout the entire Parsha. We emerge from this episode with a greater appreciation of the indivisibility of our nation. – – […]
Tetzaveh – The Golden Bovine
February 22, 2024 04:41 - 57 minutes - 26.2 MBThis 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 of the priests. In this special edition of the Parsha Podcast we go deep and […]
Tetzaveh – What’s In A Name (5782)
February 20, 2024 04:42 - 1 hour - 28.4 MBOur 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.” But how do we discover our […]
Terumah – Cherub-Picking
February 15, 2024 04:57 - 57 minutes - 26.4 MBThe Tabernacle was a portable Temple in which the presence of God dwelled. Our Parsha begins with the fundraising effort to be conducted in the Wilderness where the nation was asked to donate the required materials for the construction of the Tabernacle, it’s vessels, and the vestments of the high priest. In this enjoyable Parsha […]
Terumah – The Mystery of the Menorah (5782)
February 13, 2024 04:50 - 58 minutes - 26.8 MBThis week’s Parsha marks the beginning of the Torah’s detailing of the Tabernacle and its vessels and operations. This subject makes up the bulk of the remaining narrative of Exodus, and Leviticus contains much of the laws related to the Tabernacle. We have never witnessed the Tabernacle, nor it’s successor, the Temple in Jerusalem. The […]
Mishpatim – Blind Determination
February 08, 2024 04:54 - 1 hour - 27.9 MBImmediately after the Sinai Revelation, the Torah begins telling us many of the laws. In this Parsha podcast we focus on two of the laws: the famous verse of “an eye for an eye”, and the requirement to aid your enemy when his donkey is struggling under its load. As is our mandate in year […]
Mishpatim – Hearing Sinai (5782)
February 06, 2024 04:30 - 43 minutes - 20.1 MBThe Sinai Revelation was the most significant event in all of human history, certainly in all of Jewish history. Our nation experienced what no other people has experienced: we heard God speaking the Ten Commandments from amidst the fire and thick cloud on the mountain, and survived to tell the tale. This event – as […]
Yisro – Splitting the Heaven
February 01, 2024 05:17 - 56 minutes - 25.8 MBThe 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 ideas: one on the unique route that Jethro took to the truth; one on the particular […]
Yisro – Deathrow and Jethro (5782)
January 30, 2024 04:42 - 55 minutes - 25.5 MBThe eponymous protagonist of our Parsha – Moshe’s father-in-law, Jethro – makes three appearances in the Torah. His story, at first glance, seems wholly unremarkable. His greatest claim to fame was the fact that Moshe married his daughter. But the Torah revisits this interesting and compelling character again and again, and his narrative is positioned […]
Beshalach – Bones to Pick
January 25, 2024 04:36 - 57 minutes - 26.5 MBThe Exodus is finally here. After 210 years in Egypt – enslaved, tormented, and oppressed – the nation is leaving with great pomp and ceremony. There is an apparently curious factoid about the Exodus: in the third verse of our Parsha, the Torah tells us that Moshe secured the bones of Joseph, and transported them […]
Beshalach – Songworthy Sequels (5782)
January 23, 2024 03:15 - 43 minutes - 19.7 MBThe 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 nation would move on to other pursuits and challenges, but our Parsha begins with the Egyptians again. […]