TORAH 101 - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

How exactly can man influence all the worlds, all the spheres, all the dimensions, and all the realms? Our Sages compare the human to the soul of the world. We have the levers that determine what happens to all of created existence. But what is the mechanism of that? How precisely does man actualize his mission of being created in the image of God? What is the interrelationship between the soul of the world (us) and the world? In the fourth installment of the study of the magisterial work Nefesh HaChaim, we learn the mechanism of man’s influence ov...

The more important someone is the greater the impact of their actions. The maneuver of a general changes the course of a campaign; a mistake of the general can imperil the entire army; a brilliant stroke of the general can achieve unexpected victory. A simple foot soldier has a much smaller impact. Adam was created in the image of Elokim. His capacity to impact is enormous. In the third installment of our study of the magisterial work, Nefesh HaChaim, we learn about the frightening and astounding consequences of the outsized leverage bestowed upon Adam and those who spiritually resemble A...

Adam was created in the image of God. He was given vast influence over God’s creations. What is the mechanism of this power? What is the mechanism of Adam’s ability to influence God’s creations? How is Adam able to move worlds? The answer gets to some of the deepest secrets of them all. Not all of God’s creations are created equal. Some are spiritually loftier than others. What is the relationship though of all of God’s creations? How are they connected? In this podcast, we learned the secret of the concatenation of God’s creations an...

“And God made man in His image. In the image of God (Elokim) He made him.” The majority of the secrets of the Kabbalistic esoterica are hidden in these cryptic words, but the magisterial work, Nefesh HaChaim, authored by Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, begins by explaining a profound understanding of these words. There is indeed some overlap between man and God. God is the source of all power, the source of all vitality, and He endowed man with some of that power. We have the ability to move worlds. We have the ability to make cosmic transformation. In this very...

As a very young man, Rambam wrote a commentary on the entire Mishnah. He prefaces his commentary with a sprawling and magisterial introduction which covers vast subjects related to Torah, oral and written, the history of the transmission, and the mechanism of Mishnah and Talmud. He ends his introduction with an explanation of the rationale behind his commentary and a fascinating set of appendices and heuristics.

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The Mishnah was at the end of the canonization of the Oral Torah. The Tosefta, the Sifra and Sifri soon followed. 300 years after Rabbi Judah the Prince canonized the Mishnah, the Babylonian Talmud was canonized. In this penultimate episode on Rambam’s magisterial introduction to Mishnah, we learn all about the Talmud: how it was written, how it was canonized, and what it includes. We learn the four objectives of the Talmud and the secret as to why some of the teachings in the Talmud are very difficult to decipher.

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The Order of Purity is the longest of the Six Orders of Mishnah and by far the most foreign to us. The overwhelming majority of the laws of this order of Mishnah are only applicable in Temple times. different sources of impurity although our overview will be very brief, we will learn about the various different degrees of impurity, the various different means of conveying that impurity, the various different ramifications of each level of impurity, and the various different ways to remedy the impurity. We will not be fully educated about all the different laws of purity and...

Unfortunately, none of us have ever witnessed or participated in a sacrifice. Ever since the Temple was destroyed more than 1,950 years ago, our nation has been bereft of a central component of our religious life. Our nation, and truly the whole world, can only be in an optimal state when the presence of God resides in our midst. We hope and pray that the Temple will be restored and rebuilt on Temple Mount in Jerusalem very soon. Then we will merit to offer sacrifices: communal and personal, obligatory and optional, daily and episodic. In this edition of this podcast...

Human interactions can often times get messy. There are myriads of circumstances that require courts and judgements. The Fourth Order of Mishnah contains the books of law and judgement and, surprisingly, the authoritative work on ethics: Chapters of the Fathers (Pirkei Avos). This podcast will help you gain a brief overview on the Books of this Order, but never forget that this overview is barely scratching the surface. Very talented, intelligent, and diligent scholars in the yeshiva toil for years and years over a single one of these books. There is an infinite amount of wisdom in each one...

A great corpus of Torah law governs the relationships between men and women. The Second Order of Mishnah contains books on the initiation of marriage, on marital responsibilities, on the annulment of marriage via divorce, on the suspected adulteress, and on levirate marriages. The Order also contains two seemingly unrelated books: a book on vows and oaths and a book on the laws of a Nazir. In this podcast we explore the nature of these books, and earn some basic literacy in this massive portion of Oral Torah.

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The Jewish calendar is studded with days of great importance. Each week we relive Genesis by celebrating the holy Shabbos. At half-year intervals are the mega festivals of Sukkos and Pesach (Passover). There’s also Shavuos, Rosh Hashanah, and the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. The second Order of Mishnah orients around all these days of importance. In this podcast we learn about the content of the 12 books of this Order, and also sample a teaching from each book.

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The Mishnah is a massive, sprawling, and utterly comprehensive canon of Torah law. Spanning 60+ books over 6 Orders, the Mishnah includes all the laws of the Torah. To study it all would take a very long time. To know it all, takes a lifetime. In this podcast, we try to gain an appreciation for the general concepts of Mishnah, beginning in the Order of Planting (Agriculture).

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DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!

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Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com

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What makes up Oral Torah? What are the different types of information included in the Mishnah? In part 3 of the authoritative, magisterial, and comprehensive introduction to Mishnah offered by Rambam, we learn about the five different components of oral Torah, two that come all the way back from the times of Moshe, and three components developed by the Sages over the centuries since. Since. We also learn about the origin and the nature of disputes, and how those disputes do not indicate gaps in tradition or forgetfulness. We learn about the nature of laws deemed “laws from Moshe at Si...

The veracity of prophecy is a critical component of our philosophy. But how do we know if a prophecy claimant is legit? How do we differentiate between real prophets and fraudulent ones? In our second installment on Rambam’s introduction to his commentary on Mishnah, we explore the four different categories of prophecy, the limitations of allowable prophecy, how prophets are vetted, and why prophecy cannot resolve Torah disputes.

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The Torah was given to us by God with absolute perfection. A unique feature of that is the dual formats of Torah: written and oral. In this interesting and informative podcast, we begin the study of Maimonides’ magisterial introduction to his commentary on Mishnah. He begins by tracing the history of oral Torah all the way back to Moshe, he outlines the methods by which Moshe conveyed the Torah to the nation, and addresses the inadmissibility of prophecy in adjudicating Torah dilemmas. Torah is no longer in the heavens. We have other ways of settling uncertainties.

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Spiritual pleasure is vastly, infinitely greater than physical pleasures, and are completely imperceivable by bodies. Only if you work assiduously to develop a sensory connection with your soul, can you begin to taste it. The ultimate venue of spiritual pleasure is known as Olam Haba, the world to come. What about other venues of reward? What about Paradise, Resurrection, and the days of Messiah? How do those rewards featured in the Literature fit into the system of reward and pleasure of Jewish eschatology? In the third and final installment of Rambam’s magisterial essay, we explore the other venues of...

There is great confusion about what the ultimate reward for righteousness and the ultimate punishment for wickedness are. Rambam’s magisterial essay is designed to provide clarity in these lofty matters of eschatology. In part 2, we learn all about the concept of spiritual pleasure. Our bodies are very finely attuned to experiences of pain and pleasure. We discover that our souls are equally sensitive to pain and pleasure, though our default distance from the soul makes us fail to perceive it in a sensory way. Spiritual pleasure is inaccessible by default, but there is a way to experience it. It...

In his commentary to Mishnah, Rambam (Maimonides) offers a fascinating overview of the subjects of the Afterlife, Resurrection, Messiah, Paradise, and Olam Haba (the world to come). This is arguably the single greatest essay on these exotic, esoteric, and arcane subjects. In this podcast, we address the first section of this magisterial essay. We read about the many different and varied opinions as to what the ultimate reward for righteousness is. We read about the whole notion of seeking ulterior motives for mitzvos and whether that is good or not. The third part of this section of the essay...

Why do bad things happen to good people? What role does Oral Torah play in Jewish life? Why did the Almighty create two worlds, the world of the bodies and the world of the souls? What is the difference between today and the days of Messiah? These are just some of the questions that are raised in the third and final installment on the introduction of the Sefer HaChinuch in this edition of the TORAH 101 Podcast.

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DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.o...

Why did God give us such a precious and holy and profound Torah? Wouldn’t it be enough to give us some simple rules to live by? Why is our nation chosen above all other nations? Shouldn’t all humans be the same? These are some very advanced question and one that our sages reveal deep insights about. In this Torah 101 podcast, we continue our exploration of the classic sources to talk about Torah philosophy and ideology and we continue with the magisterial introduction to Sefer HaChinuch.

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The Sinai Revelation was a mass testimony of faith. The only event of its kind saw God revealing Himself to a nation comprised of millions, who heard and experienced prophecy and lived to tell their children about it. The founding event of our religion is historically unchallengeable and completely unprecedented: There is no other religion that even claims to have a National Revelation at its founding. In this TORAH 101 podcast, we study the introduction of Sefer HaChinuch to learn about the mechanism of believing history, the primacy of tradition over scientific and empirical analysis, and how we can have...

Some atheists are quite intelligent. Some atheists score highly on IQ tests. How can they be so wrong on matters of faith? Where exactly do the atheists go wrong? In this interesting TORAH 101 podcast, we pinpoint the precise area that causes atheists to err. It turns out, a perfectly functioning and competent and capable brain is not enough to arrive at faith. The true cause of faith lies in the heart. If the heart is corrupted, all bets are off.

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We have made enormous strides in our pursuit of a deep, and comprehensive study of Rambam’s 13 principles of faith. We have plumbed the depths of these 13 tenets of our religion to the best of our ability. This podcast marks the final installment of this series. In it we explore some of the various quandaries and uncertainties regarding Resurrection. While our exploration of the 13 principles has been completed, we hope to, with the help of the almighty, continue studying and parsing out various subjects related to our philosophy and religion on this podcast channel. We hope you enjoyed the ri...

It is hard enough for us to keep track of what happens to us in our lifetime; what happens after we die is truly a mystery. But there are timelines that are even murkier: what happens after Messiah? How does the Resurrection unfold? Is Resurrection a one-time thing or are there many different resurrections? What happens to this world when the clock hits the year 6000? Our Sages just tell us that this world can only endure for 6,000 years. That is the endpoint. What happens next? In this very interesting podcast we explore the timeline of Resurrection: we learn about...

In the previous episode, we established that resurrection for the purposes of eternal life in Olam Haba is a process of restoring humanity to the sort of life that matches that of Adam and Eve before their sin. In this podcast episode, we further explore the nature of this resurrection: We identify the primary distinction between Adam and Eve before and after their sin, and lay out what it takes to be included in the rarified fraternity of those who are re-animated back to life – in the format of Adam and Eve before their sin – for eternal living and bask...

What is the point of resurrection? This question has dual meanings: what is the goal of resurrection and what is the point from which resurrection begins? In this very important podcast we answer both questions. What we learn greatly enhances our understanding of resurrection and gives us the faint outlines of the road map that we must follow if we want to be meritorious to be included in the good type of resurrection.

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DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank yo...

The great medieval sage my Maimonides – Rambam – has been guiding us throughout our studies of the 13th principles of faith. This transcendental scholar, who’s magisterial writings are authoritatively accepted amongst the entirety of the Jewish people, was one of our people’s greatest personalities. His writings are enormously influential and authoritative in matters of philosophy and the foundations of our faith. In this episode we go through Rambam’s epistle on Resurrection. In his lifetime, there were many questions and doubts and uncertainties about Rambam’s position on several matters of resurrection. To dispel misconceptions misunderstandings, and misrepresentations, Rambam penne...

In our pursuit of understanding of the subject of resurrection, many questions remain. In the previous episode we talked about the two types of resurrection, there is still a lack of clarity in the similarities and the differences between the two types of resurrection. Furthermore, the Talmud says that the righteous are alive even when they are dead. If they are alive when they are dead, how can they be resurrected? In addition, Rambam – our guide to studying the 13 principles – says some statements that seem to contradict each other and the Talmud. In this very interesting podcast episode, we sugg...

One of me hallmarks of the Messianic times is the resurrection of the righteous. With Messiah comes the reemergence of the righteous. Those buried in the land will precede those buried outside of it, but all the righteous will come back. This is well established in the Literature. In this podcast we discussed the two types of resurrection and the nature of each.

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DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!

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Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com

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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 Roman disbelievers of resurrection have a very good argument. Reasonable people can come to the conclusion that resurrection indeed violates the laws of physics; it violates the rules of nature. The sages accepted that. Their position is that resurrection is supernatural. It comes from the Torah – from a higher realm of existence than nature. In this special edition of th...

We stridently disagree with the oft-repeated statement: “You only live once.” #YOLO is a sentiment that violates our beliefs. A central principle of our religion is the concept of resurrection. Death is not permanent. The dead will rise again. Life will be extended to the bodies of the deceased. Abraham will once again grace this world. Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moshe, Aaron — all of them will come back, will be resurrected. But what exactly is the nature of resurrection? That is a bit more complicated to answer. We are at the end of a very long and exhilarating journey. We are at...

We have studied the subject of Messiah in its length and breadth. In the 16th and final installment of our study of the 12th of Rambam’s Thirteen Principles of Faith, we briefly survey a potpourri of subjects that are tangential to the main subject of Messiah. We explore six different topics: Messiah Ben Joseph; the apocalyptic war of Gog and Magog; the role of Elijah the Prophet in Messiah; the Resurrection of the dead that occurs in Messiah; the restoration of the institutions of Semicha and the Sanhedrin; and the question of the how we view the State of...

Messiah is something that we anticipate and yearn for and await, but it is also something that we must prepare for. The consequences of being unprepared for Messiah are grave. How can we prepare for Messiah? What, specifically, do the sources focus on when it comes to getting in shape for Messiah? In this podcast we learn about how to prepare for Messiah.

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Our Nation has been yearning for Messiah for a very long time. And for good cause: Messiah is associated with wonderful things. Messiah is the state of the world when the mission that Abraham began gets actualized. Messiah is when the knowledge that our nation personified for millennia finally becomes ubiquitous. Messiah is a time of peace and prosperity. But in our eagerness from Messiah, our nation has been susceptible to frauds. Over the course of our history, there have been a litany of a false and unrealized Messiahs. In our study of this critical element of Jewish philosophy...

King Messiah will spearhead the spiritual movement that will reverberate the world over. This King will bear a grand and lofty stature exceeding that of the greatest exemplars of our history. In this podcast we explore King Messiah further: what are the indicators of the real messiah? What are the means by which we can identify King Messiah? What are some other characteristics that we are told about Messiah that may give more shape and color to our understanding of this lofty individual? The answers will be illuminating and (perhaps) a bit surprising.

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This TORAH 101 Podcast is dedicated in loving memory of Man...

The world will undergo immense changes in the times of Messiah. Those changes will be so transformative and so comprehensive that our current world and our current values are scarcely similar to those of the world of Messiah. When Messiah will come is a question that we cannot answer. Trying to do so is prohibited, dangerous, and futile. There is great peril laden in the quest Messianic prognostication. Nevertheless, our Sages did offer some indicators of the Messianic time. There are some characteristics that indicate that Messiah is imminent. What are those indicators? What are we told about the...

When will Messiah come? We are all curious to know the answer. What if we can find evidence or proof in Scripture to know when the redemption will happen? Isn’t that a tantalizing notion? In this podcast we survey the prohibition, futility, and peril of Messianic prognostication.

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DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!

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Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com

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What will happen in the times of Messiah? For us, that is an unanswerable question. Our Sages tell us that unless you are a prophet, it is not possible for you to know ahead of time how the Messianic transformation will unfold. That said, our Sages do provide us with descriptions and accounts and hints and allusions that can give us some insight into what we have to look forward to. In this podcast we focus on the concept that Messiah may be part of a sequence of events that string together to create the Messianic era.

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We have been awaiting and anticipating Messiah for millennia. Messianic yearning has been a hallmark of Jewish life ever since we were exiled from our land with the destruction of the Second Temple. Messiah, we have learned, will definitely happen. It is inevitable. But the type of Messiah depends upon the path that we choose to get there. Messiah is variable in many different ways. In this podcast episode we explore the various areas in which the variability of Messiah is manifested.

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The sources all agree: Messiah is not a possibility that we can potentially achieve; it is an inevitability. It will definitely happen. Under no circumstances will Messiah and not come before the year 6,000 since Adam. The inevitability of Messiah raises a fundamental question, though: if something is inevitable, it cannot be linked to frail, fallible, and fickle human free will. Yet the sources also maintain that the arrival of Messiah is in fact contingent on our choices and behavior. This paradox opens up for us new vistas of understanding of Messiah, it’s inevitability, and it’s variability. In this...