The Mitzvah Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

We have a Heavenly Torah, but it is up to us fallible humans to adjudicate it. What do we do when there is uncertainty? How do we resolve doubts? The Torah provides us with several tools at our disposal for us to do just that. In this podcast, we examine two mitzvos related to the […]

To serve as a witness in a Jewish court of law is no simple matter. Our Sages detail ten different people who are disqualified from offering testimony. In this mitzvah we scour that long list and learn about what it takes to testify in a Jewish court of law. – – – – – – […]

The most critical characteristic of a judge is impartiality. A judge who favors one of the litigants is disqualified to judge. This mitzvah shows us the extent that a judge go to avoid biases. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

When you compare identical cuts of kosher and non-kosher meat at the supermarket, the only discernable difference is the price. Kosher meat is much pricier, often 5-10 more expensive than it’s non-kosher counterparts. Why is kosher meat so much more expensive? Is it actually worth the premium? What goes into processing kosher meat? – – […]

Please support The TORCH Podcasts and the annual TORCH fundraiser at giveTORCH.org Every donation will be TRIPLED Show your support for TORCH and the TORCH Podcasts and donate to the annual fundraiser at giveTORCH.org – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

Please support The Mitzvah Podcast and the annual TORCH fundraiser at giveTORCH.org Every donation will be TRIPLED Show your support for TORCH and The Mitzvah Podcast and donate to the annual fundraiser at giveTORCH.org – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

Speech is the quintessential human ability. The ability to converse verbally is man’s superpower. In these three mitzvos we are told how man can negatively affect other people with words. This podcast also contains a mind-blowing interpretation from Rambam. If you want to truly understand human abilities and spiritual powers, this is a must-listen podcast. […]

Loaning money to others in their time of need is one of the greatest mitzvos. But how do you properly service those loans? The Torah outlines some very surprising rules for how we must treat our debtors. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

Even greater than the mitzvah of giving charity, of helping the needy by giving them a handout, is the mitzvah of loaning them money in their time of financial despair. Although charity may solve a pauper’s problem, a timely loan may prevent it. Please email me at [email protected] with any questions or comments TORCH Shabbat Light Switch Cover Please […]

Of all the episodes that I have recorded over the years, this will be perhaps the most unique one. For one, it will be released simultaneously on all 6 channels that I am fortunate enough to host: The Parsha Podcast, The Jewish History Podcast, The Mitzvah Podcast , This Jewish Life, The Ethics Podcast, and […]

The Almighty is described in Scripture as the “Father of orphans and Judge of widows.” In His Torah, he instructs us to not oppress widows and orphans. The consequences: If you oppress them, He pledges to make your wives widows and your children orphans. Please email me at [email protected] with any questions or comments TORCH Shabbat Light […]

Is Judaism a religion or a nation? That is a tricky question to answer because the correct answer is a bit of both. We are a nation and therefore if your pedigree is Jewish you are Jewish whether you like it or not. You can be baptized 100 times – you may get wet but […]

The Torah commands us to not keep sorcerers alive. Sorcery is prohibited on pain of death. What exactly is sorcery and why is it banned? Please email me at [email protected] with any questions or comments TORCH Shabbat Light Switch Cover Please visit our website torchweb.org to get your FREE TORCH Shabbat Light Switch Cover. – – – […]

Marriage is the centerpiece of the Jewish family. But what happens when people want to take shortcuts, and fulfill their carnal desires without the hassle of marriage? Please email me at [email protected] with any questions or comments TORCH Shabbat Light Switch Cover Please visit our website torchweb.org to get your FREE TORCH Shabbat Light Switch Cover. – […]

One of the pillars of a functioning society is a fair judiciary that respects private property and adjudicates monetary disputes fairly. The Torah delineates four types of custodians with differing laws governing each of them. In this podcast, we survey the various types of custodians and examine some of the different ways that a Jewish […]

The Torah has different laws governing surreptitious theft of money, done in a stealth fashion that the owner is unaware of and brazen, flagrant robbery. What are the differences and why is there that distinction? TORCH Shabbat Light Switch Cover Please visit our website torchweb.org to get your FREE TORCH Shabbat Light Switch Cover. – – – – – […]

Every functioning society must have property rights and justice. People cannot be allowed to damage and injure each other with impunity. In this podcasts we share an overview of the various Torah mitzvos relating to damages, both personal and property. TORCH Shabbat Light Switch Cover Please visit our website torchweb.org to get your FREE TORCH Shabbat Light […]

The Torah requires that the most severe sinners are executed in a Jewish court of law, provided that the draconian technicalities governing capital punishment are met. What are the four different methods of execution and what are some of the details of capital crime jurisprudence? – – – – – – – – – – […]

A healthy and harmonious marriage cannot be sustained by love alone. The Torah teaches the responsibilities and obligations of a husband that constitute the framework in which their relationship can flourish. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Sponsorship: Please consider […]

The Torah allows a father to sell his minor daughter as a servant, and the new master can opt to marry her or wed her to his son, but he cannot restrict her from redeeming herself prior to the conclusion of her term and he cannot sell her to someone else. How can we make […]

The concept of slavery is – for very good reasons – unpalatable to modern sensibilities. Yet the Torah seems to condone slavery, or servitude, to some extent. What is the nature of slavery as outlined in the Torah and what are some of its laws? – – – – – – – – – – […]

Immediately after the Sinai Revelation, the Torah commands three, seemingly distinct, mitzvos: Not to make statues even if their sole function is to beautify; Not to use metal implements to hew the stones of the Altar; Not to ascend the Altar ramp in a way that exposes the underwear of the priests. What are the […]

The last of the Ten Commandments makes a big – and on the surface quite infeasible – demand that we don’t desire or covet the nice things that belong to others. How can we reasonably fulfill that and what is the underlying lesson? – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

The bedrock of any flourishing society is a functioning judicial system, and a judicial system can only operate when witnesses come forth and offer impartial, truthful testimony. The Torah contains 8 mitzvos that relate to testimony, and in this episode, we discuss the commandment to come forth and testify; the prohibition against lying on the witness […]

In two separate instances the Torah warns us against stealing. With the understanding that the Torah contains no redundancies, the Talmud explains that one refers to stealing money or possessions, and the other refers to stealing people, i.e. kidnapping. When we read in the Ten Commandments, “Thou shall not steal” it refers to kidnapping. – […]

Our society has trivialized adultery. In ancient times it was an absolute no-no even in societies that did not abide by other mitzvos; but in modern times it is tolerated and condoned. The Torah has a very strict prohibition against adultery and draconian edicts and safety measures to prevent it. – – – – – […]

The Torah dedicates a grand total of two words to the prohibition of not murdering. Seems straightforward. Cut and dried. Yet the Talmud contains voluminous content regarding this mitzvah. What are the various types of murder, what are some of the unusual scenarios discussed in the literature, and in what area is this law adjudicated […]

There are no people to whom we owe a greater debt of gratitude than our parents. If not for them we would not exist. They tended to us as children; fed us; drove soccer practice – they raised us into becoming the person we are. Even if a person feels like his parents did not […]

The Torah warns us no less than twelve times not to work on Shabbos. What constitutes work and why are its laws so comprehensive and draconian? – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making […]

Shabbos is a mitzvah that is equal to all 613 mitzvos combined. It is a the fountain of blessing; the epicenter of the week; it is vitally important for the Jewish soul. Therefore we are commanded to remember it and acknowledge it in attention-catching ways at its commencement and conclusion. – – – – – […]

The Third of the Ten Commandments is the prohibition against taking God’s Name in vain. What is wrong with swearing needlessly and why is it considered such a severe sin? – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – This Mitzvah Podcast […]

Beyond believing in idols, the Ten Commandments instruct us to not construct, prostrate, or worship any idols. When we examine some of the pagan idols of yore we find out just how kooky and outlandish some of their practices were. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

The second of the Ten Commandments is really four distinct mitzvos related to idolatry. The first one is a prohibition against believing in foreign gods, a miztvah upon which all of Torah hinges. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

The first of the Ten Commandments instructs us to believe in God who extracted us from the land of Egypt. Though some commentators argue that faith is a prerequisite for mitzvos and therefore cannot be included in the tally, there are still actions that can deepen faith that constitute a standalone mitzvah. – – – – […]

This mitzvah is arguably the least known one that we have hitherto encountered. In the Book of Exodus we read how we mustn’t depart too far from our home base on Shabbos. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Sponsorship: Please […]

During the Passover Seder, Jewish families worldwide gather together to fulfill the mitzvah of retelling the story of the Exodus. Do you know any other 3,000+ year old story that has been so faithfully maintained and widely retold? – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

In the aftermath of the final plague of the Exodus, the Death of the Firsborn, holiness was conveyed on all firstborns, both human and animal. The five mitzvos in this podcast outline what you must do with (some of) your firstborn animals. – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

For the duration of Pesach (Passover) Jews are commanded to eat matzah and to refrain from Chometz (Leavened Bread). This episode is extra crunchy! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation […]

The Pesach offering is one of the most important mitzvos in the Torah, and there are many details of the procedure that are enumerated as standalone mitzvos. This podcast will cover 13 different mitzvos that relate to this sacrifice. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

The first mitzvah of the Book of Exodus and the first one commanded to us as a nation is the requirement to maintain a calendar consisting of lunar months and solar years. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Sponsorship: Please […]

After an unusual nocturnal confrontation between Jacob and an angel, the Torah relays the third commandment and the final one of Genesis limiting the parts of animals that can be eaten. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Sponsorship: Please consider […]

In Genesis Chapter 17 we read about the second mitzvah in the Torah, and the first one commanded to our forefather, Abraham, is to circumcise all Jewish males. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast […]

The first mitzvah in the Torah is found in Genesis 1:28: “And God said to them: Be fruitful and Multiply.” What are the parameters of procreation? – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation […]

The greatest gifts that the Almighty gave the Jewish People are the 613 mitzvos (commandments of the Torah). In The Mitzvah Podcast we will survey these 613 mitzvos in the order in which they appear in the Torah, and for each outline the basic parameters of the mitzvah, offer possible rationales for why we are […]