The Balfour Declaration was a pivotal shift in the prospects of the Zionist dream. For the first time, a major world power declared their intent - in a binding governmental commitment - to work towards the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Political Zionism achieved a major strategic victory, but actualizing this plan would be far from easy. The Jews were outnumbered by Arabs in the land, and the Arabs were not too keen on having a Jewish presence, much less a Jewish state, in the...
Dec 18, 2023•1 hr 7 min
Twenty two years have passed since Jacob and Joseph were separated. Ever since Joseph was torn away from him, Jacob was bereft of prophecy and inconsolable. In Parshas Vayigash this long saga comes to an end and Jacob is finally reunited with his long-lost son. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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! – – – – – – – –...
Dec 17, 2023•55 min
In our Parsha, Joseph is elevated to become viceroy of Egypt. He begins the day languishing in prison, and ends it be decked in garments of royalty and paraded throughout the city. And this special edition of the Parsha Podcast, we share three ideas - deep ideas - from our Parsha: one about the end of days, one about Pharaoh's recurring dreams, and the fascinating backstory of Joseph's wife, Osnas. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – This Parsha Podcast is dedicated by Debbie Gelb in hon...
Dec 14, 2023•52 min
Joseph is one of the all-time heroes of Jewish history. His strength of character was legendary, his faith was unflappable, and his storyline remains an inspiration for generations. Yet he was harshly criticized for making a huge blunder. The Midrash at the beginning of this week's Parsha tells us that he relied to heavily on the butler to help him out of jail, and insufficiently on God, and as a result he was incarcerated for two more years. Had Joseph relied on God exclusively, his incarcerati...
Dec 12, 2023•56 min
My dear friend and long time podcast listener Yoshi Rosenbluth spent a month in Gaza as a fighter in the IDF. In this very special podcast, he tells us what things are like on the ground from a soldier's perspective. If you want an insider's look into the battlefront in Gaza, this podcast is for you. Yoshi and I at my nephew's wedding – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational e...
Dec 11, 2023•1 hr 38 min
Parshas Mikeitz continues the narrative of Joseph in Egypt. We pick up his story two years after his failed attempt at earning a reprieve via his cellmate, Pharaoh’s butler, who was about to be reinstated to his post as Pharaoh’s side. Joseph is languishing in a dungeon for a crime he did not commit; after being sold to a foreign land as a slave by his own brothers. By the end of the Parsha, Joseph is firmly ensconced as Pharaoh’s viceroy, and is amidst a long back and forth with his brothers wh...
Dec 10, 2023•1 hr 5 min
The holiday of Chanukah commemorates the triumph of the Maccabean Revolt over the oppressive regime of Antiochus IV and the Seleucid Empire. In this podcast we tell the story of this miraculous victory of the weak over the mighty; the few over the many; the pure over the impure; and the righteous over the wicked. NOTE: This Podcast was originally recorded in 2017. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jew...
Dec 08, 2023•48 min
Our Parsha begins with Joseph's two dreams of grandeur and supremacy. He dreams that he will rule over his brothers, who will bow before him in submission. Joseph decides to tell them about it. Why does he do that? Why does he tell his father about the second dream, but not the first? Why are the brothers envious of him after the second dream, but not after the first? In this intricate podcast, we dissect the dreams of Joseph and share an idea about the nature of prophetic dreams, with a very po...
Dec 07, 2023•36 min
A pebble and a diamond are similar in one way: they are both rocks. That's where the similarities end. A diamond is precious and valuable. Diamonds are things that we recite the poems over, and name, and write Wikipedia pages about, and adorn the crowns of Kings and Queens. Pebbles get stuck in your tires when you drive over asphalt roads. These two rocks are very different. Our Parsha is a study of diamonds. What we discover can change our lives forever. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ...
Dec 05, 2023•56 min
In the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, the terror organization that has governed Gaza since 2007, there is a very big divide between Jews living in the land of Israel and those of us in the Diaspora. While Jews worldwide may empathize with their Israeli brethren and rally and pray for their cause, the ones in Israel are on the front lines. What is happening in the Land? What is the pulse of the people? In this very special podcast, I speak with Blake Cohen, dear friend of mine, who travele...
Dec 04, 2023•2 hr 28 min
Parshas Vayeishev contains two intersecting, seemingly scandalous, storylines, that after all the dust has settled we can see are harbingers of the Messiah and Redemption: Joseph is hated by his brothers, and is eventually sold by them as a slave after they nearly killed him. By Parsha end, Joseph is languishing in an Egyptian prison after being falsely accused of attempted rape. Judah is also humbled in this week’s Parsha, after cohabiting with his daughter in law who masqueraded as a prostitut...
Dec 03, 2023•1 hr 6 min
Jacob and Esau last saw each other 34 years prior. 34 years ago, Jacob, upon the explicit and prophetically inspired instruction of his mother, usurped the blessings reserved for Esau. Esau was piping mad, and sought vengeance. He wanted to kill his own brother. Jacob fled. After spending 14 years in the academy and 20 years in the house of Laban, the reunion was set. Our parsha dedicates significant real estate to detailing what happened. In this special Parsha Podcast, we go a bit deeper behin...
Nov 30, 2023•54 min
Parshas Vayishlach is an action-packed parsha. After a tension-filled 20 years with Laban, Jacob has to dodge bullets for another parsha. Esau wants to kill him. The angel tries to strike at him the entire night. His daughter Dina is kidnapped and raped, and his sons slaughter the perpetrating city in rage. The bulk of the parsha indeed recounts the travails of Jacob and his family, but the final section deals with his twin, Esau. The last 43 verses of our Parsha detail and enumerate the vast fa...
Nov 28, 2023•45 min
Kidneys serve many vital functions. Their primary function is to filter the blood from any toxins or contaminants. Thankfully, the Almighty sends (most of) us to this world with two working kidneys. We have a bit of nephrological redundancy. People who suffer from kidney failure, God forbid, are greatly imperiled. In this podcast, I welcome Rabbi Moshe Gewirtz, the Director of Renewal ( renewal.org ), an organization that matches altruistic kidney donors with patience who need a kidney transplan...
Nov 27, 2023•1 hr 25 min
After successfully escaping the clutches of his deceptive father in law, Laban, Jacob heads back west to the Land of Canaan, and back to his family. The journey back home was a lot more tumultuous and chaotic than anticipated. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Email ...
Nov 26, 2023•1 hr 1 min
Jacob undergoes a meteoric transformation in our Parsha. At the onset, Jacob is a 77-year-old penniless bachelor fleeing from his brother Esau's wrath. When the Pasha concludes, Jacob is at the helm of a veritable empire. He has 12 children with his four wives, is enormously wealthy, and is heading back to encounter Esau's rage. How did Jacob manage to accomplish such a magnificent transformation? In this special retro edition of the pasha podcast, we explore the wondrous narrative and storyline...
Nov 23, 2023•54 min
The Jewish people are at war. Our brethren in Israel are in midst of a fierce war in Gaza against the terrorist organization Hamas. The objectives of the campaign are the complete elimination of Hamas leadership and infrastructure, and the safe return of the more than 200 hostages captured by the terrorists on the brutal attacks of October 7th, 2023. Ever since the war began, one soldier was rescued, four hostages were returned, and two hostages were found dead in Gaza. As of the time of this re...
Nov 22, 2023•1 hr 14 min
Jacob's accomplishments in our Parsha are remarkable. At the onset of our parsha, Jacob is a 77 year old bachelor without a penny to his name. Having been robbed clean of all his possessions, Jacob undertook the grandest, most ambitious initiative in human history: the founding of the Jewish nation. In our parsha, he pulls it off. By the time the parsha concludes, Jacob has spent more than two decades in the home of Laban, his father-in-law, and has begat 12 children with 4 wives, amassed a grea...
Nov 21, 2023•55 min
Few sequels live up to the high standards set by the original. Podfather Part 2 is an exception to the rule. In this special episode covering a variety of parenting subjects, we hear from both PodParents. My father and my mother - Avi and Faige Wolbe - both joined me in the TORCH Centre to discuss how to address the ongoing Gaza war with our children, how to inform but not frighten children when talking about tragedies and atrocities such as the Holocaust, how to think about the proper balance o...
Nov 20, 2023•47 min
Parshas Vayeitzei follows Jacob as he is fleeing from his murderous brother Esau and travels to Charan to the house of Laban, his wily and deceptive uncle, and marries multiple wives and fathers 12 children. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Email me with questions, ...
Nov 19, 2023•1 hr 3 min
Two very different boys are born in this week's Parsha. Esau, the older one, is ruddy and hairy and looking for trouble. Jacob, the younger one, is wholesome and righteous. The beginning of our Parsha describe the unusual events surrounding the conception and birth of these two boys. When we read it on a superficial level, it does not immediately resonate. What is the deeper messages behind the birthing narrative? In this very special edition of the Parsha Podcast, we explore the prayer of Isaac...
Nov 16, 2023•1 hr 3 min
Humans are fallible. We are imperfect, yet we are tasked with being the stewards and the guardians of the perfect. We hold the Almighty's Torah in our hands. We are tasked with perpetuating it from generation to generation and with rendering rulings in line with the will of God. The only way that we can stand up to the sacred task is if we make fences. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach...
Nov 15, 2023•30 min
Was Abraham the first Jew? Did Abraham observe the laws of the Torah? The Torah dedicates a huge amount of attention to Abraham and his family. The laws of Torah were conveyed at Sinai to Moshe, Abraham's great-great-great-grandson. How much of that, if any, did Abraham have? In this special edition of the Parsha Podcast we survey the evidence that Abraham and his family indeed had, observed, and studied all of Torah, and share three explanations for how Abraham gained access to it. – – – – – – ...
Nov 14, 2023•46 min
The Arab-Israeli conflict is front and center on the world stage today. The barbaric October 7th terrorist attacks - where more than a thousand innocent Jewish civilians were slaughtered, thousands more wounded, and hundreds were taken hostage by the vile Hamas terrorist organization - prompted an Israeli invasion of the Gaza strip with the express intent of completely eliminating Hamas once and for all and retrieving the hostages. What is the background of this conflict? Is Israel in apartheid ...
Nov 13, 2023•1 hr 10 min
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 prefers to dwell in the tents of scholarship. These two children will spawn nations and ideals that diverged from each other even before they were born. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https:...
Nov 12, 2023•1 hr 7 min
Sarah died at the age of 127. Abraham negotiated with the Hittites for the purchase of a burial plot, the Cave of Machpelah. The objective of the purchase of the Cave of Machpelah was to bury the dead. These three facts are featured at the beginning of our Parsha. On the surface these facts seem wholly unremarkable. In year 8 of the Parsha Podcast we try to go beneath the surface, behind the veneer, into the subtext of the Parsha and to discover the secrets -- the deep secrets -- contained in th...
Nov 09, 2023•54 min
Eliezer was Abraham's right hand man. He was in charge of all of Abraham's affairs. According to the Talmud, Eliezer was the consummate student of Abraham, drawing from Abraham's wellsprings of Torah and sharing it with others. In our Parsha, Eliezer was the central protagonist. Eliezer was conscripted by Abraham to travel east to Aram Naharayim to secure a spouse for Isaac. The journey, we discover, is unprecedentedly successful. Upon close examination, Eliezer is utterly transformed forever as...
Nov 08, 2023•54 min
Meal offerings are a central part of the daily Temple offerings. These Mitzvos cover the Kohanim's relationship with meal offerings. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ...
Nov 08, 2023•28 min
The Hebrew word for education is "Chinuch". Rabbi Yerachmiel Garfield is the Head of School of Yeshiva Torat Emet, the school in Houston, Texas that we send our children to, and is the host of the Chinuch Today podcast. In his podcasts, he interviews teachers and educators about Jewish education. He asked my brother and I if we would be willing to be interviewed to talk about our illustrious grandfather, Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe and share some stories about his life, his educational philosophy, and wh...
Nov 06, 2023•1 hr 3 min
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 burial spot for her. In addition, Abraham sent his trusted confidante, Eliezer, to his hometown to find a spouse for Isaac. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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...
Nov 05, 2023•56 min
