The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

Do Your Job (2:20-21)

There are many excuses to shirk our spiritual responsibilities. In the final two mishnayos of Chapter 2, Rabbi Tarfon rebuts them one by one. This Ethics Podcast was orig

Answering the Heretics (2:19)

Rabbi Elazar Ben Arach was the prized student of Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai, but he chose to chart his own path in life and not to join the rest of his colleagues in Yavn

Relationship or Ritual? (2:18)

What is the optimal relationship between man and God? How is man supposed to view himself?  These questions and several others are addressed in Chapter 2, Mishna 18 of Pi

The Ultimate Meritocracy (2:17)

In a short, succinct Mishna, Rabbi Yose shares timeless lessons regarding the proper way to treat other people’s money, how Torah greatness is a meritocracy, and perhaps

Choose Your World (2:16)

This mishna marks the first of three times in Pirkei Avos where the phrase “is removed from the world” is assigned to people who exhibit certain attitudes or behaviors. I

Tempering Temper (2:15)

In this Mishna, one of the most fascinating characters of the Mishnaic era teaches eternal lessons on how to deploy anger properly and how to ensure that our spiritual af

Finding Your Magic Bullet (2:13-14)

Two thousand years ago the great Sage Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai instructed his five prime disciples to undertake a unique mission. This mission and their discoveries can

Spiritual Natural Law (2:9-2:12)

Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai was the pivotal leader of the nation at a most vulnerable juncture of our history. His life story and his timeless lessons continue to inform a

Avoiding Deathpangs (2:8)

What is really yours and what are you merely a steward over for the duration of your life? In this mishnah, Hillel reclassifies ten things by pulling away the curtain and

Divine Karma (2:7)

In one of those life experiences we hope to never have, Hillel once encountered a skull floating on the water. His comment to that skull is enshrined in Pirkei Avos and s

A Tourist Visa to Heaven (2:6)

In the sixth mishna of the second chapter of Pirkei Avos, Hillel the Elder delineates the six levels of distinction, the means to achieve them, and their impediments. Thi

Safety in Numbers (2:5)

In chapter 2 we meet Hillel the Elder again. In this mishna we learn the secret of surviving judgement, the differences between how God and man judge, and hear a clarion

Getting God as your Advocate (2:4)

Imagine if you had God on your side in all your endeavors. Is there a better or more potent advocate? In this mishna we learn the formula how to get God to advance your i

Forgetting to Sin (2:2-2:3)

In the second mishna of the second Chapter, Rabban Gamleil III offers some novel and surprising perspectives on work/Torah balance and avoiding sin. This Ethics Podcast w

Spiritual Cost-Benefit Analysis (2:1)

In the first mishna of the second chapter of Pirkei Avos, the great Rabbi Judah the Prince offers indispensable life guidance. Who was this transformative Torah giant and

Why God Maintains the World (1:18)

The final Mishna of the first chapter sounds very similar to its second one. In it we learn the three things upon which the world endures which is quite similar to the te

The Virtues of Silence (1:17)

The next mantle holder of the office of the Nasi, Rabban Shimon Ben Gamliel, teaches us powerful insights on how to become a greater and more perfect person. This Ethics

Remove All Doubt (1:16)

In this Mishnah, Rabban Gamliel the Elder provides us with a powerful lesson that, if observed, will empower our spiritual lives. This Ethics Podcast was originally relea

All Action No Talk (1:15)

In this concise teaching, Shammai the Elder manages to inspire and enlighten our understanding of accomplishing human greatness. This Ethics Podcast was originally releas

Discover You (1:14)

In the third teaching of Hillel the Elder, we discover timeless advice to maximizing life: If I am not for me, who will be for me; when I am for myself, what am I; and if