This Jewish Life - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

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

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

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

When and How to Prepare for the Afterlife

Sooner or later, we all are required to drink from the bitter portion of death. As a result of the sin of Adam, death is the fate of all mankind. But what happens afterwa

How to Build the Third Temple

The Temple is a central component of our religion. Ever since it was destroyed by the Romans, our nation has been operating in a suboptimal fashion. Certainly, we have pr

The King’s Way

The sorcerer/prophet of the nations, Balaam, sought to curse the Israelites, but his attempts were thwarted. The Talmud reveals some very interesting elements of his botc

The System of Prayer

It takes years to develop a taste for prayer. Prayer is described in our sources as “service of the heart.” Service of any sort is difficult for us, and most of us are no

Two Anonymous Wives

There are two wives – two women whose names we don’t even know – who caused seismic, tectonic shifts in the fates and the fortunes of their husbands, their families, thei

The History and Mystery of the Ancient Blue Dye (Techeiles)

We recite the three paragraphs of the Shema twice a day. The third paragraph contains the mitzvah of placing tzitzis fringes on the corner of our garments, and to wrap th

The Ills of Envy and its Remedy

Envy is a deadly sin, and it’s almost entirely unavoidable. Our Sages that “Envy extracts a person from the world.” It causes a person to be severed from the world. But t

Ruth, Sinai, and the Heart of Shavuos (Rebroadcast)

The Sinai Revelation is the most significant event in all of human history: God revealed Himself to the entire Jewish people, He spoke to them, He gave them the Torah, an

We are Celebrating a Healthy Newborn Baby Boy

With deep appreciation to the Almighty for all that He has bestowed upon us, I am happy to share that Chaya and I we are blessed with a healthy baby boy this past week. T

The Superiority of Torah

We are incredibly fortunate to be included amongst the Jewish people. We are incredibly fortunate to be raised with a strong sense of Torah and Torah values, and a deep a

Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochi and the Lesson of Lag Ba’Omer

Lag Ba’Omer is a unique day in the Jewish calendar. It’s a minor festival celebrated in surprising ways for surprising reasons: on this day, the plague that was ravaging

Momentum Matters

The hardest part of reaching space is the first moment of liftoff, getting the first inch off the ground. The second inch is still hard, but a little bit easier. The firs

The Pariah Messiah

The Talmud describes Messiah as a Metzora (one stricken with tzaraas) bandaging his bandages outside of the gates of Rome. Why is the messiah described as an outcast, as

The Secret Passover Opportunity you Mustn’t Pass-Over

This special pre-Pesach podcast is dedicated in loving memory of Meir Ben Shmuel Chananya. May his soul be elevated in heaven. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Shema: Achieving Supremacy Over the Angels

Angels are way loftier than us, right? They’re totally spiritual, they cannot possibly sin, they are messengers of God. We, on the other hand, are mortal, fallible, pitif

How to Conquer the Anger Impulse

None of us admire the people who lose it in a fit of rage. We like we look up to the people who are calm, cool and collected. The people who comport themselves with digni

Laver of Love

The Laver was one of the vessels in the Tabernacle. It was a copper basin that housed water that was emitted from spouts. The priests would wash their hands and feet befo