The Parsha Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

Toldos – Who Was Isaac?

Isaac has the most mysterious storyline of the three forefathers, the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Unlike Abraham and Jacob, who live very dynamic and dramatic

Toldos – Jacob’s Heist (5785)

We are told to respect the will of our parents. Certainly, if your parent is righteous, it is severely inappropriate to violate their will. All the more so if your parent

Parshas Toldos (Rebroadcast)

In Parshas Toldos we meet twin boys that are polar opposites: Esau, beloved by his father Isaac, is a man of the fields; while Jacob is loved by his mother Rebecca and pr

Chayei Sarah – Who Was Ishmael?

Ishmael’s story is told at great length in the Torah. We read about his unusual parentage, the dramatic circumstances of his birth, and how Abraham was 86 when he was bor

Chayei Sarah – Reverse Repentance (5785)

Sarah was Abraham’s life partner. She was his superior as a prophetess. She accompanied him in all his journeys. In the aftermath of the Binding of Isaac, she died. How d

Parshas Chayei Sarah (Rebroadcast)

Some of the highlights of this week’s parsha: Immediately after the Binding of Isaac, Sarah passed away at the age of 127, and soon afterward Abraham had to procure a bur

Vayeira – Who was Lot?

Lot, Abraham’s brother-in-law and nephew, has one of the most interesting and unique story arcs in the Torah. He is the son of Abraham’s brother Haran, who joins Abraham

Vayeira – Five Languages of Laughter (5785)

Isaac is the most mysterious of the forefathers. His storyline does not have the same rich and dramatic narrative as Abraham and Jacob. What lessons we are supposed to le

Parshas Vayeira (Rebroadcast)

This week’s parsha features several iconic episodes: Abraham was visited by God as he was recuperating from his circumcision, and concurrently engaged in superlative kind

Lech Lecha – Who was Abraham?

Abraham was the most consequential person of all time. In our classic literature, Abraham is graced with superlatives given to no one else: Abraham was the “beloved one o

Lech Lecha – Abraham’s Fellow Travelers (5785)

Abraham seems to always be journeying. In last week’s Parsha he traveled from his birthplace of Ur to Charan. This week the Parsha begins with Abraham’s journey to Canaan

Parshas Lech Lecha (Rebroadcast)

In this week’s parsha, Abraham is instructed to move to Israel, is given divine promises that he will be the father of many nations; his children will be as numerous as t

Noach – Who was Noah?

Noah was perfectly righteous. He was pristine. He was flawless. In fact, Noach is the only person labeled as a tzaddik in the Torah, and he receives that honorific twice.

Noach – Cured Ham (5785)

After spending a year in the ark, Noah and his family exited it to find an empty and desolate world. The sinners who dominated the world before the flood were gone as wer

Parshas Noach (Rebroadcast)

In this week’s parsha: Noah and his family build an Ark as a refuge from an extinction-level Flood brought by God to destroy the world’s sinners. – – – – – – – – – – – –

Bereishis – Who was Adam?

Most people don’t know the first man from Adam. Who was this mysterious being created on day 6 of Genesis? What is the meaning of the hybrid nature of Adam’s formation? W

Bereishis – Genealogies of Genesis (5785)

The end of our Parsha delineates the many families and generations spanning from Adam to Noah. There are all sorts of fascinating factoids, nuggets and vignettes  include

Parshas Bereishis (Rebroadcast)

With praise and appreciation to the Almighty, we begin year 11 of the Parsha Podcast (5787). This year, we will re-upload the Parsha Rebroadcast episode which covers the

Vezos Haberacha – Black on White

The Torah preceded the world. In fact, the Almighty used the Torah as a blueprint for the creation of the world. But the primordial Torah was formatted differently than t

Vezos Haberacha – Family Above (Almost) Everything (5784)

The final Parsha of the Torah tells of Moshe’s deathbed blessing to the tribes. For the duration of the Torah, Moshe has been constantly criticizing and reprimanding the