This Jewish Life - By Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

This week, the Gadol Hador, Rav Ahron Leib Shteinman zt”l, passed away at the age of 104. In this eulogy, we try to capture a brief portrait of this remarkable and inspirational leader. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Please […]

When reading about the story and the miracles of Chanukah, the most prominent and memorable one seems to be the military victory of a small ragtag guerrilla army over the mighty Greeks. Yet the mitzvah commemorating the events revolves around the miracle of the oil, a seemingly insignificant miracle in comparison. In this podcast, we offer 3 […]

In the span of one parsha, Reuben makes a grave blunder while Joseph avoids one. In their analysis of these two episodes, our Sages provide us with a powerful tool to ensure that our own actions are righteous and just and as accurate as possible. – – – – – – – – – – […]

The Torah has been described by many Jewish sources as a guide to accessing spiritual pleasure. While it is true that there are many laws that restrict pleasure, the net benefit of the Torah is that through it we can experience deeper and more sophisticated, spiritual pleasures. What is spiritual pleasure? What are the conditions […]

Chapter 24 of Genesis contains a comprehensive narrative of the courtship and marriage of Isaac and Rebecca. Traditionally, this chapter served as the comprehensive guide of the Torah’s attitude of how to select a suitable spouse. In this podcast, we quickly run through the story and find relevant and insightful tips on how to find […]

Dear friends, it is with great joy and delight that I present you with my brand new podcast, Eternal Ethics. In this podcast we will journey through the ancient book of Mishna, Pirkei Avos, a book containing God’s wisdom on Ethics and Character development as conveyed at Sinai. But don’t let the title fool you. […]

The Festival of Sukkos has many moving parts: There is the mitzvah to dwell in a Sukkah for seven days; we are commanded to shake the Four Species on Sukkos; and there is a fascination with the Seventy Nations of the world and their ultimate downfall. In this podcast, we offer a comprehensive perspective of […]

Teshuva (Repentance) can be an intimidating and daunting task. Entire volumes are filled with its components and nuances. In this podcast we shine light on a different aspect of Teshuva: Its easy, eminently achievable, and all the factors are in place to enable us to do it. – – – – – – – – […]

Yom Kippur is associated with prayer and liturgy that we may not understand, very long services and, of course, fasting. Unfortunately, most people are unaware of the power, meaning and opportunity of the day. In this podcast we go back to the very first Yom Kippur. What happened on that day and how is it […]

Rosh Hashana is the anniversary of the creation of man. It is also the Day of Judgement. What are the various elements and themes of the day and how do they interrelate? – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Please […]

What is the secret to novelty? How can we inject a feeling of newness and freshness into our life, our relationships, and our Torah? In this podcast we combine a series of Talmudic teachings to outline a path to living with newness in every area of our lives. Please consider making a donation to rebuilding […]

For the past 40 days, I have participated in “Daf Yomi”, literally “daily page”, a nationwide effort to study the Talmud, one page per day, finishing it every seven and a half year cycle. In this podcast I delineate several powerful and poignant teachings from these 40 pages of Talmud, including the surprising attitude God has to […]

Besides being a critical mitzvah, to rebuke or criticize someone who is acting improperly is a vital skill that every leader (boss, parent) needs to know how to wield effectively. Our sages tell us that there are two ways to criticize, one that works and one that does not. The critic can only choose one. […]

The tension that exists between our body-identity and soul-identity is comparable to a ride in a vehicle with two potential drivers. By default, our body is in the driver’s seat, and our soul is locked in the trunk. Through Torah and mitzvos we can increase the influence that the soul has on our life’s journey and […]

Our sages debate what is greater Torah study or actions of mitzvos. In this podcast we probe the the question of knowledge vs. action, insight vs. doing, what we know vs. what we do, and draw critical insights that are broadly applicable for all of Torah. – – – – – – – – – – […]

Disagreements and arguments are a fixture of human interactions; but they needn’t result in division and strife. In this podcast we learn the secret of how to engage in argumentation the right way. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – […]

Regarding seven mitzvos our Sages declare that each is equal to all the other mitzvos. They are: Rejecting idolatry; Shabbos; living in Israel; charity; circumcision; Torah study; and tzitzis. In this podcast we first address the question of what does it mean that a single mitzvah is equivalent to all 613 mitzvos? Next we probe […]

In this podcast we reveal the secret key to unlocking the transformational power of Torah. What is the one critical quality needed to ensure that we achieve greatness? This Torah talk is dedicated in the merit of the pure Neshama of שלמה ע”ה בן יבדל”א ר’ אברהם יוחנן שליט”א. – – – – – – – […]

The Revelation at Sinai is the most significant event in all of human history. In an event never repeated, God spoke to a nation who heard with their ears and saw with their eyes, and survived. In this podcast, we examine the experience at Sinai, and it’s significance for providing evidence for the legitimacy of […]

In the liturgy of the festival, Shavuos is labeled as “the time of the giving of the Torah.” On Shavuos we only received 10 mitzvos out of an eventual 613. How then can it be the time of the giving of the entire Torah? In this podcast we propose five solutions to that question, and thereby provide […]