The Parsha Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

Our Parsha contains some of the most difficult portions in the Torah, the Admonition. Our nation is told of the consequences of failing to adhere to the rules of God. The consequences are fierce and harsh. When this section is read in the synagogue, it is done quickly and in an undertone to prevent the […]

This week’s double-Parsha closes out the Book of Leviticus. Parshas Behar begins at Mount Sinai, where the Almighty instructed Moshe to convey a series of laws to the Jewish people. The first is the mitzvah of Shemittah, the prohibition of engaging in any agricultural work every seven years. In two chapters in the Torah (Leviticus […]

Passover marks the Exodus from Egypt. But leaving Egypt was only the beginning of the radical transformation that the Almighty brought about. 50 days after the Exodus, the nation coalesced around Mount Sinai and experienced theophany – national prophecy, national Revelation – at the mountain. The whole nation heard the word of God and lived. […]

The story of the first person to ever be executed in a Jewish court of law is featured at the end of this week’s Parsha. An unnamed man, the son of an Israelite woman and an Egyptian man, blasphemed and was executed. When we ponder the story we discover all sorts of interesting tidbits. The […]

Parshas Emor contains a staggering 56 mitzvos, nearly all of them relating to either to the Kohanim, the priests, or to the Festivals, and the parsha ends with a very unusual episode that happened at Sinai. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

If you chanced upon sparring mates going at it, you may come to the mistaken impression that these two are enemies who want each other’s throats. But the truth is, a sparring mate is helpful tool to improve your craft. The Almighty endowed us with a very helpful sparring mate to help bring the best […]

Our double Parsha contains many different mitzvos. In this podcast we study a set of mitzvos and a very interesting dispute about their nature. We discover a valuable and profound insight that can help us develop and cultivate our potential. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

This week’s double-parsha contains a smorgasbord of mitzvos. The three chapters of Parshas Acharei cover three general categories. First we read about the Yom Kippur sacrifices and procedures; then we learn about the prohibitions against the consumption of blood among other ritualistic and sacrificial laws, and the final chapter is oriented around the many prohibited […]

The process of diagnosing and purifying a person afflicted with tzaraas is long and arduous. But there was no avoiding it. It is prohibited to excise a tzaraas affliction. You must go to the priest and have him evaluate it. You must be quarantined if you are declared impure. You must undergo the long and […]

This week’s double Parsha contains some of the most intricate and complex laws in the Torah, the laws of purity and impurity. This subject remains an enigmatic mystery for us, in fact, even in Talmudic times it was arcane. That said, there is always something that we can glean from every part of Torah. In […]

A very large percentage of Torah is dedicated to the laws of purity and impurity. This week’s double Parshas of Tazria and Metzora largely deal with these laws. One variant of impurity that is discussed in both parshas is that of a metzora, A metzora is someone who is stricken with the tangible illness of tzaraas […]

Assembling and disassembling the Tabernacle was a difficult task that Moshe repeated for seven days. Each morning he placed the vertical beams into their silver sockets, and affixed the golden rings on the top of the beams. He placed the horizontal bars that went on each side of the vertical beams, including the snaking bar […]

Nadav and Avihu were the crown princes of the Jewish nation. These two sons were slated to succeed Moshe and Aaron. Moshe declared, without hyperbole, that his two nephews, Nadav and Avihu, were greater than he and Aaron. These two sons of Aaron were without peer. Yet they acted in an inexplicable manner: On the […]

After months of preparation and building, and a week of inauguration, the nation was anticipating the climax of the Tabernacle experience: When God finally rested His Presence upon the people’s handiwork. On the eighth day the Tabernacle was erected for good, and a Heavenly fire consumed the various sacrifices offered upon the Altar and the […]

A top of the altar were fires that were never extinguished for hundreds of years. What was the nature of these fires? What were they made up of? How are they different than other fires? When we examine the sources, we discovered that there were multiple types of fires, including a special, Divine fire that […]

On the first day of a Kohein’s tenure doing service in the Temple, they bring a once-in-a-lifetime offering: a meal-offering that is almost identical to the daily meal-offering offered by the High Priest. This offering is classified by the Torah as the offering of Aaron and his sons. When we analyze this unique meal offering, […]

In continuation of the themes of last week, Parshas Tzav details the procedures of processing many of the sacrifices enumerated in Parshas Vayikra, teaches us about new sacrifices, and we read about the seven days of inauguration of the Tabernacle. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

The Book of Leviticus begins with sacrifices. We read about the multiple types of elevation sacrifices, meal offerings, peace offerings, sin offerings, etc. None of us would imagine that this Torah section would completely reshape our understanding of Adam and Eve’s Sin in the Garden. But it does. In this Parsha podcast, we discover a […]

We begin the Book of Leviticus with a Parsha Podcast treat: I invited my friend and study partner Rabbi Dovid Biron to guest host this week’s episode. He did not disappoint. In this podcast we learn about the meal offering, how it differs from ordinary sacrifices, and the powerful and life changing lessons that it […]

In Parshas Vayikra, the first Torah section in The Book of Leviticus, we learn about the processes and procedures of many different varieties of sacrifices: There are three different types of elevation offerings; three types of peace-offerings; six types of meal-offerings; and numerous sin and guilt offerings. Our exploration of the parsha begins with a […]

After four Parshas, the Tabernacle is finally finished this week. Before the Tabernacle is erected though, Moshe provides an audit for all the gold, silver, and copper that was raised for the Tabernacle and identifies where they were used in the temple, its vessels, and it’s vestements. In this final year 9 Parsha podcast on […]

The narrative of the Tabernacle spans many chapters at the end of the book of Exodus. The nation is told to build a sanctuary for God in which He will dwell. The Torah uncharacteristically repeats many aspects of this narrative. In this very special Parsha podcast, we go deep and deeper to understand the general […]

The final parsha in the Book of Exodus wraps up the account of the construction of the Tabernacle, and its vessels and vestments. Again and again we read the refrain that everything was done precisely how God commanded Moses. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

Please support the Parsha Podcast by donating to our annual fundraiser at giveTORCH.org This is our only annual fundraiser. Every donation is DOUBLED! Support the TORCH Centre and the Parsha Podcast by visiting giveTORCH.org right now and making a generous donation! This is the LINK for the Fundraiser. – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

Our double Parsha delineates the implementation phases of the building of the Tabernacle. All the materials are assembled, all the artisans are ready, and the building begins. In this podcast we focus on the construction of one of the vessels of the Tabernacle, the Laver, a copper basin that housed water. Our sages reveal some […]

After the Torah delineates the instructions to assemble the materials for the construction of the Tabernacle in Parshas Terumah and the creation of the vestments of the high priest in Parshas Tetzaveh, Parshas Vayakhel outlines the implementation those plans: The massive fundraising efforts, and the actual building of the Tabernacle and its vessels under the […]

The most shocking, surprising, baffling, and unexpected event in the Torah – and perhaps in all of human history – happens in this week’s Parsha. A nation fresh off the greatest experience ever experienced by any Nation, a nation fed by manna and drinking water out of a rock, a nation purported to be a […]

The most calamitous, catastrophic, disastrous event in Jewish history – and arguably the most devastating event in all of human history – happens in our Parsha. A mere 40 days after the exultant, euphoric, transcendental Revelation at Sinai, the nation stoops to a very low nadir: they make a golden calf and begin to worship […]

This week’s parsha contains several instructions related to the Tabernacle, but the majority of the parsha is dedicated to arguably the most shocking and troubling episode in the whole Torah, the Golden Calf. Forty days after the nation reached the pinnacle of human accomplishment – a national revelation at Sinai – the same nation committed what […]

Please support the Parsha Podcast by donating to our annual fundraiser at giveTORCH.org This is our only annual fundraiser. Every donation is DOUBLED! Support the TORCH Centre and the Parsha Podcast by visiting giveTORCH.org right now and making a generous donation! This is the LINK for the Fundraiser. – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

The High Priest was bedecked with garments of royalty. Our Parsha details the 8 special garments (vestments) of Splendor and Glory that the Kohen Gadol wore, and the Talmud delineates the various forms of atonement that each garment bestowed upon the nation. In this podcast we focus on the Breastplate, the Choshen, and assembling the various […]

In a natural continuation to Parshas Terumah, in Parshas Tetzaveh we learn about the instructions to build the Tabernacle. Whereas last week the focus was on the edifice itself and its vessels, this week we will orient primarily on the special garments that the priests wore in the Tabernacle, and of course subsequently in the […]

The Tabernacle and all its vessels were steeped in miracles. They Ark did not take up any space. The Showbreads upon the Table did not get moldy. The construction of the Menorah was miraculous: Moshe was first shown a fiery image of the Menorah projected upon the mountain and subsequently he was told to throw […]

Of the various materials needed for the construction of the Tabernacle were Shoham and Miluim stones. These stones were inlaid into the brackets in the Kohein Gadol’s Choshen (decorative breastplate containing twelve precious stones) and Ephod (apron-like garment with extending shoulder straps) respectively. What is the symbolism behind these stones and what lessons can we […]

One of the fundamental principles of Jewish philosophy is the idea of “Kedushah”, holiness. Holiness, according to the Jewish definition, is when the physical and spiritual worlds meet. In no location in the world is holiness more present than the Temple, and its predecessor, the “Mishkan”, the Tabernacle. In this week’s parsha we read about […]

The first law (of dozens) featured in our Parsha tells of a Jewish bondsman who chooses to voluntarily extend his servitude past the required 6 years. This bondsman is brought to a door or a doorpost and has his ear pierced. Why is his ear pierced? Because he failed to listen carefully at Sinai. This […]

The Parsha that follows the Revelation at Sinai contains an apparently motley potpourri of subjects: it begins with a wide variety of mitzvos of all types, presented in rapid fire succession. The Parsha concludes with two apparently unrelated subjects: it foretells of the conquest of Canaan and the conditions by which we will acquire it, […]

Parshas Mishpatim marks a stark change in the rhythm and pace of the Torah narrative. The preceding 17 Parshas contained a total of 41 mitzvos; this week we begin learning the Torah laws en masse. In this single parsha alone we have 53 mitzvos (only three parshas have more mitzvos). Beyond the varied laws, this […]

Moshe’s father-in-law Jethro is a fascinating and mysterious figure. He was Egyptian and served as an advisor to Pharaoh, but was ousted and exiled when he conscientiously objected to Pharaoh’s genocidal plans. Jethro relocated to Midian, where he served as a pagan priest. Jethro was a searcher in relentless pursuit of truth, and came to […]

Our Parsha contains the most significant event in all of human history: the Revelation at Sinai. An entire nation comprised of millions of people heard the Almighty directly. The nation heard the Ten Commandments and lived to tell the tale. This momentous event kick started our nation: thenceforth, we are bound by the laws of […]

The most significant event in all of human history is the Revelation at Sinai, which occurs in Parshas Yisro. Prior to that monumental experience and the conveyance of the Ten Commandments, Moshe’s father in law, Jethro, arrived at the camp and makes an important suggestion for improving the efficiency of the judicial process. – – […]

The Exodus was for good. When the Jewish people left Egypt, they did not return. Pharaoh pursued them (to his detriment) but the nation never turned back. When Moshe initially requested from Pharaoh permission for the nation to leave, it was not supposed to be permanent. It was only supposed to be a 3-day excursion […]

After the Exodus, the Jewish people left Egypt, with no plans to return. But the Egyptians followed them in hot pursuit, and seven days later the nation was surrounded, encircled by their enemies, with their backs against the sea. God gave the command: Go. The Talmud tells us that there was one man who leapt […]

Parshas Beshalach may be the most action-packed parsha in the Torah. After the Exodus, God directed the people to not take the shortest route to the Land in order to facilitate the great miracle of the Splitting of the Sea and the final destruction of the Egyptians. After those unprecedented miracles, the trouble began: Twice […]

Our ancestors spent many years in Egypt prior to The Exodus. How many years exactly? That’s a bit complicated. In our Parsha the verse says that after 430 years, the nation finally left Egypt. But when God told Abraham about the Egyptian enslavement at the Covenant between the Parts, He only spoke of 400 years. […]

The dramatic events of the Exodus reach a crescendo with the nation’s Exodus from Egypt. After 210 years of servitude and subjugation, the Almighty people leave Egypt with great miracles and fanfare. A very specific set of things had to happen to enable this redemption. Immediately prior to the Exodus, the nation circumcised en masse […]

After the first seven Plagues of Egypt related in last week’s parsha, Pharaoh and his people were still unwilling to release the Children of Israel. In Parshas Bo, the miracles and wonders of the Almighty intensified, culminating in the Death of the Firstborn and the Exodus from Egypt. – – – – – – – […]

Our Parsha details Moshe’s repeated efforts to get Pharaoh to send the Jews free. Pharaoh proved to be a tougher nut to crack, as predicted by God. His intransigence was deeply embedded. It would take 10 plagues to get him to capitulate. In this Parsha podcast we take a deep study of the 7th plague: […]

Prior to Moshe and Aaron making progress in their mission to extract the Jewish people from Egypt – their first efforts yielded no success, at least not in that realm – the Torah once again introduces Moshe and Aaron and delineates their pedigree. It begins with delineating the families of Ruben and Shimon, and then […]

Our Parsha begins in the middle of the dialogue between Moses and God. Moses’ initial foray into saving the nation has gone horribly awry. Instead of alleviating the pain of the Jewish nation; his intervention exacerbated it, and he returned to the Almighty asking for an explanation. In His response, God tells Moses that he […]