The Parsha Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

On the last day of Moshe’s life, he accomplished a lot. He wrote 13 copies of the Torah, one per tribe and one to be permanently stationed in or near the Ark, he spoke words of comfort to the people, and he formally passed the baton of leadership of the nation to his disciple and successor, Joshua. When we study the Torah’s description of Moshe’s final die, we discover an interesting pattern that appears one other place in the Torah, a discovery that reveals a new insight into the lives and purpose of the great exemplars of our past. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – This Parsha Podcast is dedicated by Michael and Lana Kutsaya in loving memory of Michael’s mother, Tamila bat Moshe, who passed away a few weeks ago. She was a remarkable woman, with an indomitable spirit, and she will be sorely missed. May her 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

Moshe is 120 years old to the day. He was born on the seventh of Adar and now it is the seven of Adar 120 years later. Today is his last day before his passing and he is taking leave from the nation and handing over the reins to Joshua. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Please email me at rabbiwolbe@gmail.com with any questions or comments – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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

On the second day of Rosh Hashana, we read the Torah section of Genesis chapter 22 that tells the very famous and quite troubling episode of the Binding of Isaac. Abraham – the same Abraham who railed against the ways of child sacrifice of the pagans – is instructed by God to take Isaac – the same Isaac who was declared as the one who will be Abraham’s true progeny – and offer him as a sacrifice on Mount Moriah. In this podcast we attempt to understand the many connections that this reading has with the themes and ideas of Rosh Hashana. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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 readings for the two days of Rosh Hashana were not arbitrarily chosen. There are very good reasons why on the first day of Rosh Hashana we read Genesis chapter 21, which tells of the conception and birth of Isaac, and the banishment of Ishmael, his brush with death, and his salvation. In this podcast we attempt to understand the many connections that this reading has with the themes and ideas of Rosh Hashana. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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

Repentance is one of God’s greatest gifts to mankind. When we blunder; when we err; when we create distance and barriers between us and God, we are afforded the ability to rectify and restore our previous pristine state. But repentance, at first glance, seems nightmarishly hard. To change demands an admission that we are flawed; to change demands action which we are always biased against; to change demands that we overcome our instincts and ingrained habits. In this very special pre-Rosh Hashanah podcast, we explore the 40 verses of our Parsha and present them as a manifesto for the penitent. In the podcast we learn of a new way to view the entire subject of repentance, and by extension, a new approach to change. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in loving memory and leilui nishmas Andy Stern, Gershon Yaakov Ben Moshe, on the occasion of his 4th yahrzeit. 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

On the final day of Moshe’s life, he gathered the entire nation – men, women, children, and according to the Talmud, all souls of future Jews – to pass them through a final covenant with God. The parsha also contains the prophetic predictions of the Messianic times, and it ends with a simple, binary choice: Moshe tells the nation, “Behold I have placed before you today, the life and the good, and death and evil… Choose Life!” – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Please email me at rabbiwolbe@gmail.com with any questions or comments – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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

On the surface, Bikkurim appears to be an ordinary, tithe-like Mitzvah. When the first fruits of a season’s crop begin to sprout, you designate them as Bikkurim, and eventually bring them to Jerusalem with much pomp and ceremony. Upon closer examination, this mitzvah is associated with all kinds of surprising people: When we bring the Bikkurim we invoke Pharaoh and the Egyptian experience and Jacob’s father-in-law Laban, of all people. In addition, the Midrash makes a stunning statement that Bikkurim is emblematic of the reason why God created the world. In this special edition of the Parsha Podcast, we propose a novel explanation of the Mitzvah of Bikkurim that reveals it’s association with Pharaoh and Laban, and offer a new rationale for why it represents the goal of creation. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in loving memory and leilui nishmas Yidit Esther bas Yonah, the mother of our dear friend and longtime TORCH Board member, Josh Blackman. Yidit Esther passed away this morning in NY. May her Soul be elevated in Heaven. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Please email me at rabbiwolbe@gmail.com with any questions or comments – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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

As the Book of Deuteronomy draws to its conclusion, the narrative makes a transition: Moshe finishes conveying the mitzvos to the nation, and sets up his final parting message to the people. First, he commands the nation to perform several elaborate ceremonies on the very first day that they cross the Jordan River; then he conveys a scathing, terrifying list of curses that will befall the people in the event that we deviate from the Torah. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Please email me at rabbiwolbe@gmail.com with any questions or comments – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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

What is the nature of the conflict of life? How, indeed, are we suspended between good and bad, between mitzvos and sin, between the evil and good inclinations? The Almighty designed the world based upon the principle of free will, meaning that we all have the choice of how to live our lives and what to prioritize. In this special Bar Mitzvah edition of the Parsha Podcast, we learn about the varying strengths and weaknesses of the forces urging us to embrace or repel the will of God, and we discover the mechanics of the life-defining war against the Yetzer Hara. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Please email me at rabbiwolbe@gmail.com with any questions or comments – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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 the parsha that contains the most mitzvos of any of the 54 Torah sections (a staggering 74 mitzvos), we read about the wayward and rebellious son, the requirement to build a fence around your roof to prevent tragedy, two episodes that we are mandated to remember, and many, many more interesting and insightful mitzvos. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Please email me at rabbiwolbe@gmail.com with any questions or comments – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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