This Jewish Life - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

We find many references scattered throughout Jewish writings regarding Olam Haba, the next world. What exactly this place is, why we ought to strive to get there and how we go about achieving that goal are matters of immense intrigue and importance. This discussion centers around one of the more peculiar and mysterious Talmudic statements regarding Olam Haba that is found in Tractate Berachos 57b: Three are a measure of the world to come, They are: Shabbos, Sun, and Tashmish. What does Tashmish mean? If you say it means sexual intercourse; it weakens; rather it must mean relieving one’s bowels. As they are wont to do, the authors of the Talmud chose to convey ideas in a manner that obscures rather than reveals their true intentions. How do we decipher, decrypt, decode and demystify the words of our Sages and what can we learn about Olam Haba from this Talmudic teaching? *Shalom Cypress 4/22/2015

Moses prayed 515 times to God that He rescind His decree of banning Moses from entering Israel. After this relentless prayer assault Moses ceased praying. Why would Moses stop after 515 and not continue and what does that teach us about the effectiveness of prayer? *Shalom Cypress, April 15, 2015

The Jewish attitude to Torah study has always been to not accept the words on a simplistic and superficial level. We view the text of the Torah as having infinite depth and subtle nuances and meanings. In this class we will attempt to dissect and unravel perhaps the most challenging episodes in the Torah: the Golden Calf story of Exodus Chapter 32. We will begin by reading the words at face value and then we’ll try analyzing and critically assessing the words and the narrative in an attempt to plumb deeper and deeper into the endless ocean of Torahidic insight.

The narratives of Genesis mustn’t be read and understood as important stories or historical context; The Torah in it’s entirety is instructive. The manner in which the Forefathers are presented in the Torah and the content of those narratives and dialogues are reflective of the lessons that they exemplified and perfected that the Torah wants us – the readers – to incorporate into our behavior and spiritual makeup. Indeed, each of the forefathers mastered one of the three qualities that uphold the world: Torah – Jacob; Avodah – Isaac; Chessed (Kindness) – Abraham.

What is foretold about man even before conception, and what is significant about that? The Talmud declares that a child studies the entire Torah in utero and as it enters the world an angel strikes it’s mouth and the child forgets it all. What can this possibly mean? What is the nature of the oath administered to a fetus upon entry to the world? Why do we have a mitzvah to circumcise young boys? What happens after we die? These are but some of the very interesting elements of the Jewish timeline of Pre-Life – Life – Post-Life. In this class we dig in and investigate the various points of interest in a Jewish life and outline the meaning behind the practices associated with these milestones. TORCH Bar and Bat Mitzvah Program – 2015

Jews are obligated to pray to the Almighty 3 times daily and prayer is named by the Mishna as one of the three pillars that uphold the world. Yet the very principle of prayer is somewhat troubling. For example, when someone is sick the Jewish response is to beseech to God to provide a healing for the ill; Yet the source of the illness is none other than the Almighty Himself. If so, why are mortal and narrow minded humans trying to intercede, intervene and intermediate in matters that are more suited for the Almighty to decide? After all, He knows what is best for His subjects and Judaism teaches that all that all that the Almighty does is for the best? These questions among others are discussed in this class, and additionally a practical approach to getting our prayers answered is outlined.

Jewish Philosophy enumerates 13 principle beliefs that all Jews must believe in order to be a Jew. BBM – 2015

The trait of Kindness is the recipe for happy and harmonious marriages, the key to great leadership and the principal principle of a man of faith. All these are contingent on Kindness. Find out why.

The tool used by the Jewish people to fulfill their vital mission of Tikkun Olam is the Almighty’s holy Torah. The Torah alone enables us to be successful at the responsibility that only we can and must achieve. This is why preserving and accurately transmitting the Torah is of such paramount importance. If the Jews lose the Torah then humanity is doomed to failure. This is the story of the role that the great individuals and institutions of leadership in ensuring that the Torah will never be lost from the Jewish people. BBM History Part 2