The Parsha Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in loving memory and leilui nishmas my dear friend and study partner David Gedaliah ben Efraim, Dr. David Genecov obm. Dr. Genecov was a dear personal friend, a weekly study partner of mine, a stalwart supporter of TORCH, and a dedicated listener of the Parsha Podcast and all the other podcasts that we do, who sadly passed away – tragically and shockingly – in a car accident a few days ago. Our Parsha begins with the death, eulogy, and burial of Sarah – Our parsha contains the first eulogy in the Torah – and I want to dedicate this Parsha Podcast episode to a Eulogy for David Genecov. May his Soul be elevated in Heaven. David and I in Dallas a few weeks before his untimely passing – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter rabbiwolbe.com/newsletter SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts The Parsha Podcast The Jewish History Podcast The Mitzvah Podcast  This Jewish Life The Ethics Podcast TORAH 101

The Torah dedicates an unusually large amount of verses in the beginning of this week’s parsha to describe a real estate transaction between Abraham and a gentleman named Ephron. Sarah has passed and Abraham seeks to buy Ephron’s cave to inter her in. Initially, Ephron acts with supposed generosity and offers it to Abraham for free. But Abraham insists on paying for it, and ultimately pays an exorbitant fee for the cave. Why does the Torah spend so much time on this transaction? In this special episode we probe the meaning and mystery of the Cave of the Patriarchs. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter rabbiwolbe.com/newsletter SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts The Parsha Podcast The Jewish History Podcast The Mitzvah Podcast  This Jewish Life The Ethics Podcast TORAH 101

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. Thank you! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter rabbiwolbe.com/newsletter SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts The Parsha Podcast The Jewish History Podcast The Mitzvah Podcast  This Jewish Life The Ethics Podcast TORAH 101

How do we respond when we are faced with challenges? What are we supposed to think when the path before us seems unsteady and laden with dangers? Our Parsha contains some of the most memorable and iconic stories of the whole Torah. It begins with the single greatest documented episode of hospitality, and it ends with the greatest test ever foisted upon man, the Binding of Isaac. In this very special edition of the Parsha Podcast, we draw an insight from each of these stories and develop them into a unified theory of life and the pursuit of greatness. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in loving memory of Emmanuel Osei. May his Soul be elevated in Heaven. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter rabbiwolbe.com/newsletter SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts The Parsha Podcast The Jewish History Podcast The Mitzvah Podcast  This Jewish Life The Ethics Podcast TORAH 101

Abraham was the most influential person in human history. He changed the tides of history, he popularized Monotheism in the world, he is the father of many nations, and fittingly his story is told at considerable length in the Torah. In this very special edition of the Parsha Podcast we study his relationship and interactions with his three closest students: Lot, Eliezer, and Isaac. When we study Abraham’s impact on these three, we discover three different type of disciples and three different type of tutelage. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter rabbiwolbe.com/newsletter SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts The Parsha Podcast The Jewish History Podcast The Mitzvah Podcast  This Jewish Life The Ethics Podcast TORAH 101

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 kindness with three angels masquerading as pagan travelers; Abraham was informed that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were about to be destroyed and was unsuccessful in interceding on their behalf; and we also read the two Torah sections that are read on the two days of Rosh Hashana: The episode of the birth of Isaac and the subsequent banishment of Ishmael, and the story of the Binding of 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. Thank you! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter rabbiwolbe.com/newsletter SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts The Parsha Podcast The Jewish History Podcast The Mitzvah Podcast  This Jewish Life The Ethics Podcast TORAH 101

Abraham was the most consequential human in all of history. He began the process of fixing the world and humanity. Amid a cesspool of idolatry, Abraham emerged as a beacon of faith. When the entire world had forgotten about its Creator, Abraham restored faith in God to the world. Our Parsha follows Abraham in his journey. How did the son of a idol wholesaler from the city of Ur become the father of many nations? What was the process by which Abraham became the greatest giant among people? Why didn’t any of Abraham’s relatives join him for this journey? In this very special podcast we accompany Abraham along his fateful Odyssey, noting the various stages of his journey, learning what it entailed and why others weren’t quite up to the task. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – This Parsha Podcast for Parshas Lech Lecha is dedicated in honor of my dear friend and dedicated listener of the Parsha Podcast, Dr. David Genecov, whose Torah portion for his bar Mitzvah was Parshas Lech Lecha. On behalf of the entire Parsha Podcast family, we wish him many happy, joyous, healthful and harmonious returns to Parshas Lech Lecha and may the Almighty bestow upon him endless blessings. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter rabbiwolbe.com/newsletter SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts The Parsha Podcast The Jewish History Podcast The Mitzvah Podcast  This Jewish Life The Ethics Podcast TORAH 101

Abraham is the Torah’s first protagonist. The entirety of this parsha and the subsequent one are following the forefather of our nation. Why does the Torah spend so much time telling the story of this ancient figure? In this life-changing episode, we study Abraham’s odyssey to find the precise guidelines to fulfill our latent potential. This podcast episode is designed to change your life. I hope it succeeds. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter rabbiwolbe.com/newsletter SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts The Parsha Podcast The Jewish History Podcast The Mitzvah Podcast  This Jewish Life The Ethics Podcast TORAH 101

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 the dust of the earth and the stars of the heaven, a son Ishmael is born, and he is commanded to circumcise his foreskin and those of all males in his household. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter rabbiwolbe.com/newsletter SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts The Parsha Podcast The Jewish History Podcast The Mitzvah Podcast  This Jewish Life The Ethics Podcast TORAH 101

Please take the short one-question Parsha Podcast Survey https://forms.gle/LkCDUJhCYCnnYasS6 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – The Flood was a disaster for all the Earth’s inhabitants, humans and animals alike. With the exception of Noah and his family and the animals safely housed in the Ark, all the land-based animals died in the Flood. But not the fish. The fish were completely unaffected by the Flood. The sources maintain that the animals had become corrupted in the run-up to the flood and thus deserved to be destroyed, but the fish did not corrupt their ways and thus were not destroyed. In this very special edition of the Parsha Podcast we probe the interesting state of sea life during the antediluvian period, the Flood, and it’s aftermath, and draw an exquisite idea that helps explain Noah, his greatness, his shortfalls, and what we are supposed to derive from this Parsha. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter rabbiwolbe.com/newsletter SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts The Parsha Podcast The Jewish History Podcast The Mitzvah Podcast  This Jewish Life The Ethics Podcast TORAH 101