Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe Podcast Collection

The Ten Wonders of Repentance

God showered humanity with endless gifts: the ability to see, to hear, to walk, to taste, to think, to make choices, to become closer to Him. The list is very long. One o

The Binding of Isaac (Second Day of Rosh Hashana Torah Reading)

On the second day of Rosh Hashana, we read the Torah section of Genesis chapter 22 that tells the very famous and quite troubling episode of the Binding of Isaac. Abraham

The Nuanced Judgment of Rosh Hashana

Rush Hashanah is a day of judgment. On this day, God sits, as it were, on His Throne of Judgment. The intensity and scrutiny of divine judgment is unfathomable. Even the

The Origin of Isaac (First Day of Rosh Hashana Torah Reading)

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

Parsha: Nitzavim & Vayeilech - Mavericks vs. Heat

The entire book of Devarim occurs over the span of 36 days, the final 36 days of Moshe's life. The final four Parshas are an account of the last day of Moshe's life. As h

Parsha: Nitzavim Vayeilech - Like Clockwork (5784)

We are not machines. We are humans. And that's messy. We have all sorts of struggles doing the right thing. We are influenced by a myriad of impulses, inclinations, and p

The Incalculability of Mitzvos

Mitzvos have infinite value. There is no experience that we can have in this world that matches the reward in the world to come for a single mitzvah. But not all mitzvos

Parshas Nitzavim & Vayeilech (Rebroadcast)

On 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 fin

Parsha: Ki Savo - The Joystick

Sadness and hopelessness are modern societal epidemics. Notwithstanding the fact that our time has seen more material abundance than ever before, the share of Americans,

Parsha: Ki Savo - Gaze from Heaven (5784)

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 t

The First Elul

We have a begun hallowed days of Elul. In one month, we will celebrate Rosh Hashanah. We will all be judged. We will blow the shofar. We will pray for a good year. Ten da

Parshas Ki Savo (Rebroadcast)

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 me

Parsha: Ki Seitzei - Moabite the Hand that Fed You

Our number one goal in life is to achieve perfection. Perfection of character, perfection of behavior, profession of speech, profession of thought, perfection in every po

Parsha: Ki Seitzei - Conscience Cleanser (5784)

Of the motley potpourri of subjects featured in Parshas Ki Seitzei are several fascinating mitzvos that we address in this week's Parsha podcast. We begin with a fascinat

Confronting Mortality (How to Preparing for the Afterlife Part 2)

Death and the afterlife are foreign, and often terrifying, subjects. Naturally, most of us tend to try to avoid thinking about it too much. This is exactly what allows th

Parshas Ki Seitzei (Rebroadcast)

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 b

Parsha: Shoftim - Selfless, Fearless, Flawless Scholars

Our Parsha features laws relating to all types of leaders: Judges must not corrupt judgment, must not accept bribery, must hearken to the rulings of the Grand Sanhedrin,

Parsha: Shoftim - Government-in-Exile (5784)

In this Parsha Podcast we share two fascinating and deep insights from our Parsha. The first relates to the method by which capital punishment must be meted out. The seco

TORAH 101: Reflecting Cherubs

Cherubs made many appearances in the Tabernacle and the Temple. Hewn onto the Cover of the Ark off the Covenant were two golden cherubs facing each other. But there were

Parshas Shoftim (Rebroadcast)

This week we learn the laws governing all kinds of leaders: The parsha begins by detailing the laws of judges, the jurisdiction of the Sanhedrin, the Supreme Court, and w