The Parsha Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
575 episodes - English - Latest episode: 17 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].
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Episodes
Parshas Pekudei (Rebroadcast)
February 27, 2022 15:59 - 34 minutes - 15.6 MBThe final parsha in the Book of Exodus wraps up the account of the construction of the Tabernacle, and its vessels and vestments. Again and again we read the refrain that everything was done precisely how God commanded Moses. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]
Vayakhel – Heart Donor
February 23, 2022 06:11 - 1 hour - 28.1 MBLAST CHANCE to support The Parsha Podcast and the annual TORCH fundraiser at giveTORCH.org Every donation will be TRIPLED Show your support for TORCH and the Parsha Podcast and donate to the annual fundraiser at giveTORCH.org – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]
Parshas Vayakhel (Rebroadcast)
February 20, 2022 05:45 - 1 hour - 27.8 MBAfter the Torah delineates the instructions to assemble the materials for the construction of the Tabernacle in Parshas Terumah and the creation of the vestments of the high priest in Parshas Tetzaveh, Parshas Vayakhel outlines the implementation those plans: The massive fundraising efforts, and the actual building of the Tabernacle and its vessels under the […]
Special: An Interview About My New Book, Upon A Ten-Stringed Harp
February 17, 2022 13:49 - 36 minutes - 16.7 MBIn 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 consider contributing to our annual fundraiser at giveTORCH.org.
Ki Sisa – Counting and Duking the Nation & Annual Fundraiser (giveTORCH.org)
February 16, 2022 18:02 - 52 minutes - 24 MBPlease support The Parsha Podcast and the annual TORCH fundraiser at giveTORCH.org Every donation will be TRIPLED Show your support for TORCH and the Parsha Podcast and donate to the annual fundraiser at giveTORCH.org – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – The […]
Parshas Ki Sisa (Rebroadcast) & TORCH Fundraiser (giveTORCH.org)
February 13, 2022 18:56 - 1 hour - 35.7 MBPlease support The Parsha Podcast and the annual TORCH fundraiser at giveTORCH.org Every donation will be TRIPLED Show your support for TORCH and the Parsha Podcast and donate to the annual fundraiser at giveTORCH.org – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]
Tetzaveh – What’s In A Name
February 08, 2022 06:23 - 1 hour - 29.1 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 – The Mystery of the Menorah
February 02, 2022 18:23 - 1 hour - 28.2 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 – Hearing Sinai
January 27, 2022 03:27 - 53 minutes - 24.4 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 – Deathrow and Jethro
January 19, 2022 02:44 - 56 minutes - 25.7 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 – Songworthy Sequels
January 12, 2022 17:53 - 44 minutes - 20.4 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. […]
Bo – Climbing Mount Exodus
January 05, 2022 04:38 - 57 minutes - 26.5 MBThe 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 miracles never before seen in history: we saw our masters […]
Vaeira – The Endurance Expedition
December 28, 2021 06:14 - 1 hour - 28.3 MBAs the tag team representing God in the Exodus, Moshe and Aaron pull off some incredible miracles and feats in this week’s Parsha. When they are formally introduced and their pedigree is laid out, a very interesting praise is bestowed upon them. Upon analysis, we find the identical praise conferred upon many of the great […]
Shemos – Make Your Move
December 22, 2021 03:27 - 55 minutes - 25.3 MBOur Parsha is a difficult one to read. Our nation was enslaved, tormented, oppressed, and murdered by the Egyptians. Although we don’t see the salvation in our Parsha, the chess pieces of the redemption are set into place. In this edition of the Parsha Podcast, we study several themes of the Parsha that can improve […]
Vayechi – Brotherly Love: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
December 16, 2021 18:54 - 1 hour - 28.3 MBFamily is everything. If you are fortunate enough to have siblings, parents, and children you know that there are bonds of kinship and brotherhood (and sisterhood, of course) between family members are strong and often unbreakable. This is not something new. When Jacob was on his deathbed he shared with his sons his final thoughts […]
Vayigash – A Clash Of Kings
December 08, 2021 04:49 - 1 hour - 29.1 MBAmongst the sons of Jacob were two kings: Judah and Joseph. Joseph was viceroy of Egypt. He was a king in his lifetime. Judah was never crowned as King in his lifetime, but his descendants make up the monarchy of the Jewish people. David, Solomon, all the kings of Judah, and even King Messiah are […]
Mikeitz – Joseph’s Crime
December 02, 2021 17:51 - 1 hour - 29.6 MBJoseph is one of the all-time heroes of Jewish history. His strength of character was legendary, his faith was unflappable, and his storyline remains an inspiration for generations. Yet he was harshly criticized for making a huge blunder. The Midrash at the beginning of this week’s Parsha tells us that he relied to heavily on […]
Vayeishev – Pebbles and Diamonds
November 24, 2021 21:07 - 59 minutes - 27.1 MBA 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 adorn the crowns of Kings and Queens. Pebbles get stuck in your tires […]
Vayishlach – Not Reddy to Change
November 17, 2021 03:27 - 45 minutes - 20.6 MBParshas Vayishlach is an action-packed parsha. After a tension-filled 20 years with Laban, Jacob has to dodge bullets for another parsha. Esau wants to kill him. The angel tries to strike at him the entire night. His daughter Dina is kidnapped and raped, and his sons slaughter the perpetrating city in rage. The bulk of […]
Vayeitzei – Fortune Favors the Bold
November 10, 2021 21:32 - 55 minutes - 25.3 MBJacob’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 initiative in human history: the founding of the Jewish nation. In our parsha, he pulls […]
Toldos – Abraham’s Torah
November 03, 2021 05:53 - 50 minutes - 23.1 MBWas Abraham the first Jew? Did Abraham observe the laws of the Torah? The Torah dedicates a huge amount of attention to Abraham and his family. The laws of Torah were conveyed at Sinai to Moshe, Abraham’s great-great-great-grandson. How much of that, if any, did Abraham have? In this special edition of the Parsha Podcast […]
Chayei Sarah – The Transformation of Eliezer
October 27, 2021 18:53 - 58 minutes - 26.8 MBEliezer was Abraham’s right hand man. He was in charge of all of Abraham’s affairs. According to the Talmud, Eliezer was the consummate student of Abraham, drawing from Abraham’s wellsprings of Torah and sharing it with others. In our Parsha, Eliezer was the central protagonist. Eliezer was conscripted by Abraham to travel east to Aram […]
Vayeira – Exodus From Sodom
October 20, 2021 01:22 - 56 minutes - 26 MBFor the third time in the Torah, we read about destruction. Previously, the Flood destroyed the world save Noah and family, and the Dispersal ended the universal civilization, and in our parsha we read about the overturning of Sodom and Gomorrah. The timing of Sodom’s destruction is really interesting. Our Sages said that it happened […]
Lech Lecha – Applying for a Name Change
October 13, 2021 20:44 - 45 minutes - 20.7 MBAbraham and Sarah undergo seismic changes in our Parsha. Their names get changed as does their destiny. Originally, they were barren, but in our Parsha, the founding Patriarch and Matriarch are told that they will bear a son, Isaac. The mechanics of how this transformation occurred, however, is a bit of a head scratcher. Our […]
Noach – Company Loves Misery
October 05, 2021 20:33 - 45 minutes - 20.7 MBOur Parsha marks a nadir in the story of mankind. Humanity sunk to such spiritual lows that the Almighty decided to destroy the world and start over with just Noah and his family as humanity’s progenitors going forward. What were the conditions of the Flood’s survivors after spending a year in the Ark? In this […]
Bereishis – Making Partner
October 01, 2021 18:01 - 52 minutes - 23.9 MBWhat connection do we have with Genesis? In our parsha, God creates the world in six days and ceases to create of day seven, on Shabbos. What exactly does this have to do with us is a great mystery. In this inaugural edition of the sixth cycle of the Parsha Podcast , we share two […]
Vezos Habracha – Antidotes to Mediocrity
September 26, 2021 21:58 - 46 minutes - 21.2 MBIn the Torah’s final Parsha, and indeed, in its final words, we say goodbye to the greatest human to have ever lived. With the passing of Moshe, the Torah ends, and on Simchas Torah- the day that we finish the yearly Torah cycle – we roll the scroll back to the very beginning and begin […]
Parshas Vezos HaBeracha (Rebroadcast)
September 19, 2021 15:38 - 51 minutes - 23.5 MBThe final parsha of the Torah details the blessings that Moshe conveyed to the tribes of Israel immediately prior to his passing, and the Torah ends with the description of the death, burial, and eulogy of Moshe. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]
Haazinu – Small Step for Eaglet
September 14, 2021 16:36 - 46 minutes - 21.2 MBThe Song of Ha’azinu is a richly textured tapestry with layered meaning and subtleties. Our Sages tell us that t incorporates all of Jewish History. In its 613 words, it incorporates all of Torah as well. And it is arguably the most difficult Torah portion to decipher and unpack. In this special penultimate podcast of […]
Ha’azinu – Small Step for Eaglet
September 14, 2021 16:36 - 46 minutes - 21.2 MBThe Song of Ha’azinu is a richly textured tapestry with layered meaning and subtleties. Our Sages tell us that t incorporates all of Jewish History. In its 613 words, it incorporates all of Torah as well. And it is arguably the most difficult Torah portion to decipher and unpack. In this special penultimate podcast of […]
Jonah: Studying the Yom Kippur Reading on a Deeper Level (Rebroadcast)
September 13, 2021 05:16 - 2 hours - 57.5 MBOn 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 results. A simple reading of the story reveals a tale of repentance, both of […]
Parshas Ha’Azinu (Rebroadcast)
September 12, 2021 02:29 - 58 minutes - 26.5 MBStill 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 and students of Jewish history: The nation is recipients of tremendous divine goodness, yet they […]
Vayeilech – Man on a Mission
September 10, 2021 16:15 - 37 minutes - 17.2 MBMoshe has been the leader of the Jewish people since before the Exodus. Over the course of these forty years, Moshe has led the people through high times and low ones; through a split sea and the Sinai Revelation and countless rebellions. In our Parsha, Moshe hands off the reins of power to Joshua. The […]
A Mystical Approach To The Rosh Hashana Readings ft. Rabbi Shmuly Botnick
September 02, 2021 16:25 - 1 hour - 30.4 MBAs is true by Shabbos and all Festivals, on the two days of Rosh Hashana we read sections from the Torah and a supplemental reading from Tanach, the Haftorah. At first blush, the four readings of Rosh Hashana have no direct connection to the Festival. One day one, the Torah portion that we read is […]
Nitzavim – Drawbridge Of The Soul
September 01, 2021 05:29 - 45 minutes - 20.6 MBWith the entire nation gathered on his final day of life, Moshe warns the people against being seduced by idolatry. The nation, Moshe reveals, is particularly vulnerable to idolatry because of the people whose land through which we have traversed. We saw the Egyptian fascination with idolatry. We saw the various other nations obsession with […]
Parshas Nitzavim & Vayeilech (Rebroadcast)
August 29, 2021 04:11 - 1 hour - 46.8 MBOn the final day of Moshe’s life, he gathered the entire nation – men, women, children, and according to the Talmud, all souls of future Jews – to pass them through a final covenant with God. The parsha also contains the prophetic predictions of the Messianic times, and it ends with a simple, binary choice: […]
Ki Savo – Maniacal Determination
August 25, 2021 18:07 - 40 minutes - 18.7 MBOur parsha contains perhaps the most difficult Torah portion to read and digest: The Tochacha (Admonition). In it we are told the consequences of our deeds. If obey the Almighty and hearken to His commandments, He will reward us with bountiful blessings. Should we deviate from Him and repudiate His Torah, however, He promises to […]
Ki Seitzei – A Lifetime A Day
August 18, 2021 05:29 - 53 minutes - 24.6 MBThe Midrash in our parsha calculates that the Torah contains 613 mitzvos, 248 positive mitzvos, where the Torah commands us to do something proactive, and 365 negative mitzvos, where we are instructed to refrain from transgressing the Almighty’s will. These figures are not coincidental. They are precisely targeted to enable us to accomplish our life’s […]
Shoftim – Gateways to Great Pursuits
August 11, 2021 15:45 - 50 minutes - 23.1 MBJustice 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 the bailiff is in charge of implementation. This two-tiered model is not limited to […]
Re’eh – Look at Me
August 04, 2021 07:26 - 50 minutes - 23.2 MBMoshe 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 curse is the repudiation of said commandments. In this special edition of the Parsha […]
Parshas Re’eh (Rebroadcast)
August 01, 2021 16:56 - 1 hour - 27.7 MBThis 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 mentioned. – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]
Eikev – Cheat Code for Life
July 30, 2021 05:41 - 46 minutes - 21.2 MBThe Torah contains a lot of details regarding what the Almighty expects of us. A verse in our parsha purports to get to the bottom line of what – in one sentence – does God actually want of us. But after reading the verse we emerge with more questions than answers. While ostensibly touting simplicity […]
Va’eschanan – Entry Denied
July 21, 2021 00:47 - 59 minutes - 27.2 MBMoshe 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 visualize the Land from atop a mountain. The dialogue between Moshe […]
Devarim – Man of Words
July 14, 2021 06:24 - 49 minutes - 22.5 MBAt the end of Moshe’s life, he gathers the entire nation for his parting message to the nation. The Midrash makes a remarkable contrast between Moshe’s beginning and end of his tenure: When God initially commanded Moshe to save his brethren from enslavement in Egypt, Moshe protested by saying that he is not a man […]
Mattos & Masei – Talent Incubator
July 08, 2021 03:32 - 47 minutes - 21.9 MBOur 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 High Priest nor a Jewish court of laws that adjudicates as per the laws […]
Pinchas – Eternal Promotion
June 29, 2021 07:12 - 49 minutes - 22.5 MBOver the course of the 40 years since the Exodus, the Nation was lead by Moshe and Aaron, the King and High Priest respectively. In our Parsha, successors are designated for both posts. Due to his valiant heroism of the end of last week’s portion, Pinchas is promoted to being a kohein. He would go […]
Balak – Some Men Are From Mars
June 25, 2021 05:36 - 45 minutes - 20.6 MBOur parsha contains an attempted genocide. Bilaam, the prophet of the idolaters, a man of prodigious ability an skill, dedicates himself with tenacity and persistence to curse and destroy the people. Although his three attempts at cursing the nation backfire when he is compelled by God to bless the nation instead, the parsha ends with […]
Parshas Balak (Rebroadcast)
June 20, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 27.9 MBAfter the Jewish nation trounced the mighty kingdoms of Sichon and Og in last week’s parsha, the comparatively smaller and weaker kingdom of Moab resorted to unconventional warfare to attack the nation by hiring the prophet of the nations, a wily and devious character named Bilaam, to curse the Jews. It did not work out […]
Chukas – Inglorious Origins
June 18, 2021 16:47 - 33 minutes - 15.5 MBThe red cow is the Torah’s most mysterious mitzvah. We are told to take a completely red cow and slaughter it, and burn it’s body together with a concoction of other ingredients, the ashes of which become the potion to purify people who have come into contact with dead people. If that doesn’t make sense […]
Parshas Chukas (Rebroadcast)
June 13, 2021 17:26 - 1 hour - 27.9 MBIn this week’s parsha, 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 with dead people in order to purify them from their spiritual contamination. We […]