The Parsha Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

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Nov 3, 2026 1 hr 6 min

Parshas Chayei Sarah (Rebroadcast)

Show notes

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.

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DONATE to TORCH: 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!

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Nov 1, 2026 56 min

Vayeira – Who was Lot?

Show notes

Lot, Abraham’s brother-in-law and nephew, has one of the most interesting and unique story arcs in the Torah. He is the son of Abraham’s brother Haran, who joins Abraham for much of Abraham’s journey: When Abraham travels from Ur to Haran, Lot comes along. When Abraham travels from Haran to Canaan, Lot joins. When Abraham traverses the Holy Land, flees it due to the famine, and returns to it following a brief stay in Egypt – at every stage of Abraham’s journey Lot is at his side. But Lot departs from Abraham’s side and chooses instead to cast his lot with the sinners of Sodom and Gomorrah. From there Lot’s journey and Abraham’s journey diverge and very quickly Lot’s story unravels. In this fourth edition of Parsha Personages we explore the fascinating and enigmatic story of Lot.

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This Parsha podcast is dedicated in loving memory of my grandmother, of blessed memory, Rivka Bas Abraham, Rivka Wolbe. She passed away 8 years ago today, the 16th of Cheshvan. May her soul be elevated in Heaven.

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DONATE to TORCH: 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!

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Oct 29, 2026 1 hr 8 min

Vayeira – Five Languages of Laughter (5785)

Show notes

Isaac is the most mysterious of the forefathers. His storyline does not have the same rich and dramatic narrative as Abraham and Jacob. What lessons we are supposed to learn from Isaac is an equally confounding mystery. In this very special podcast, we explore a fascinating motif that recurs throughout the Parsha: laughter, and suggest that there are actually five different types of laughter. We highlight the one that Isaac symbolizes and a cascading series of lessons ensue.

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DONATE to TORCH: 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!

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Oct 27, 2026 1 hr 3 min

Parshas Vayeira (Rebroadcast)

Show notes

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.

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DONATE to TORCH: 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!

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Oct 25, 2026 1 hr 7 min

Lech Lecha – Who was Abraham?

Show notes

Abraham was the most consequential person of all time. In our classic literature, Abraham is graced with superlatives given to no one else: Abraham was the “beloved one of God.” Abraham was “chosen by God.” Abraham was a “partner with God in Genesis.” Abraham “discovered faith without a teacher, and without a guide.” Abraham became “the father of many nations.” After generations of humanity pushing God’s presence further and further away, Abraham reversed that trend and began to draw the presence of God back to this world. Before the advent of Abraham, God could only be described as the “God of the heavens.” Here in this world, God was unknown to his creations. Abraham, together with his wife Sarah, single-handedly reversed the trajectory of humanity and put humanity on a path to fulfill the objective of Genesis. Following Abraham, God can aptly be described as the “God of the heavens and of the earth.” In this very special Parsha podcast, we learn the story of our forefather, the first of the patriarchs, Abraham.

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This Parsha podcast is dedicated in honor of a brand-new couple, Gilaad and Esther Levy, Who got married on Sunday in Florida. May they build a beautiful Jewish home together, a home that brings joy and pride to their family, to the Jewish nation, and to our Father in Heaven.

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DONATE to TORCH: 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!

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Oct 22, 2026 1 hr 19 min

Lech Lecha – Abraham’s Fellow Travelers (5785)

Show notes

Abraham seems to always be journeying. In last week’s Parsha he traveled from his birthplace of Ur to Charan. This week the Parsha begins with Abraham’s journey to Canaan. He traveled there with his family, he traversed the land in every direction; and when famine strikes, he went down to Egypt and returns. Abraham’s journey is more than being about sightseeing. This is the saga of the transformation of Abraham and the building of the Jewish Nation. What can we learn from Abraham’s journey? What Abrahamic qualities shine forth in his narrative? In this very special edition of the Parsha podcast, we explore Abraham dramatic transformation and when he departed from his sidekicks and fellow travelers. We also take a very careful look at a remarkable interaction between Abraham’s concubine Hagar and the angel.

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DONATE to TORCH: 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!

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Oct 20, 2026 1 hr 4 min

Parshas Lech Lecha (Rebroadcast)

Show notes

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.

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DONATE to TORCH: 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!

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Oct 18, 2026 1 hr 2 min

Noach – Who was Noah?

Show notes

Noah was perfectly righteous. He was pristine. He was flawless. In fact, Noach is the only person labeled as a tzaddik in the Torah, and he receives that honorific twice. He lived a very long life (950 years) and had the great distinction of being perfectly righteous when the entire rest of the world seeped into corruption, robbery, thievery, and selfishness. Noach was a truly remarkable person, yet it was not enough. Our sages find all sorts of ways to poke holes in the personage of Noach. He was righteous, all right, but he wasn’t Abraham. He wasn’t Moshe. He was personally righteous, but that did not extend to his children nor to any of his contemporaries. In this very interesting podcast, we answer the question: Who was the great personage of Noach?

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DONATE to TORCH: 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!

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Oct 15, 2026 54 min

Noach – Cured Ham (5785)

Show notes

After spending a year in the ark, Noah and his family exited it to find an empty and desolate world. The sinners who dominated the world before the flood were gone as were basically everything else. The animals, not including token representatives of each species, were gone. The trees, the grass, the plants – everything was gone. Noah and his family began to rebuild the world a new world. In this Parsha podcast we study several events that happened in the aftermath of the flood: We learn about the symbolism and essence of the covenant of the rainbow; we study in detail the lessons of the tragic event that happened when Noah got drunk and was violated by his son, Ham, and we probe the legacy of Ham and his descendants.

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DONATE to TORCH: 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!

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Oct 13, 2026 48 min

Parshas Noach (Rebroadcast)

Show notes

In this week’s parsha: Noah and his family build an Ark as a refuge from an extinction-level Flood brought by God to destroy the world’s sinners.

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DONATE to TORCH: 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!

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Oct 11, 2026 57 min

Bereishis – Who was Adam?

Show notes

Most people don’t know the first man from Adam. Who was this mysterious being created on day 6 of Genesis? What is the meaning of the hybrid nature of Adam’s formation? What is the significance of him being created from the earth? What does it mean to be created in the image of God? What changed when Adam ate the forbidden fruit? In this inaugural edition of year 11 of the Parsha podcast, we study the great personage of Adam.

As in previous years, we intend to re-release the Parsha Rebroadcast that covers the entire parsha on Sunday, the episode from two years ago (5785) on Tuesday, and a new episode with the theme of a Parsha Personage on Thursday. Thank you for joining us on this journey.

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This Parsha podcast is dedicated by my dear friend Brian Maechler as an investment in the continuation of the Parsha Podcast and for the magnification of HASHEM. We thank him for his friendship and support.

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DONATE to TORCH: 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!

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Oct 8, 2026 1 hr 6 min

Bereishis – Genealogies of Genesis (5785)

Show notes

The end of our Parsha delineates the many families and generations spanning from Adam to Noah. There are all sorts of fascinating factoids, nuggets and vignettes included in this narrative: we study the story of Cain from after his fratricide of his brother until his tragic and surprising death at the hand of his own great, great, great grandson. We learn all about the House of Lamech and its potpourri of colorful characters. We discover a very powerful and persuasive answer to the the knotty philosophical paradox of reconciling total Divine knowledge with our free will. The podcast ends with a fascinating and thought-provoking, philosophical and moral dilemma.

The schedule for this year’s Parsha podcast follows previous years: each Sunday will see the release of the rebroadcast episode that covers the entire Parsha. On Tuesday we will re-release the episode from 2 years ago (5785), and please God we will release a new episode with the theme of “Parsha Personages”, each Thursday. May we merit to continue to study the Almighty’s holy Torah together in good health and in great spirits.

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DONATE to TORCH: 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!

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Oct 6, 2026 56 min

Parshas Bereishis (Rebroadcast)

Show notes

With praise and appreciation to the Almighty, we begin year 11 of the Parsha Podcast (5787). This year, we will re-upload the Parsha Rebroadcast episode which covers the entire Parsha each Sunday, re-release the 9th cycle’s episode (5785) for each respective Parsha each Tuesday, and we will, please God, record and release a new weekly episode each Thursday. Thank you for downloading and please share with a friend.

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DONATE to TORCH: 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!

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Oct 5, 2026 1 hr 13 min

Vezos Haberacha – Black on White

Show notes

The Torah preceded the world. In fact, the Almighty used the Torah as a blueprint for the creation of the world. But the primordial Torah was formatted differently than the Torah we have today. It was black fire on top of white fire. Our Torah is black ink on white parchment. The heavenly Torah is all fire. We end the year 10 of the Parsha podcast with a profound exploration of the Torah that preceded this world and the Torah that we have today.

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DONATE to TORCH: 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!

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Oct 1, 2026 55 min

Vezos Haberacha – Family Above (Almost) Everything (5784)

Show notes

The final Parsha of the Torah tells of Moshe’s deathbed blessing to the tribes. For the duration of the Torah, Moshe has been constantly criticizing and reprimanding the nation. Praising the people is something that he does only on his last day. After Moshe blesses the nation, he ascends the mountain and passes away. The Parsha ends with Torah’s the stirring and poignant eulogy of Moshe. In this very special edition of the Parsha podcast, recorded during the intermediate days of the festival of Sukkot, we cap off a wonderful year of Parsha podcasts with a deep and deeper analysis of this wonderful Parsha. We carefully examine Moshe’s blessing to the Levites and deduce from it a novel and fresh understanding of the Jewish religion. We take lessons from Moshe’s passing and the condition in which his body was preserved. And finally, we end off with a deep and powerful exploration of the final description of Moshe, and arguably his greatest accomplishment: the shattering of the tablets. Year Eight of the Parsha Podcast ends in style.

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DONATE to TORCH: 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!

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Sep 29, 2026 48 min

Parshas Vezos Haberacha (Rebroadcast)

Show notes

The final parsha of the Torah details the blessings that Moshe conveyed to the tribes of Israel immediately prior to his passing, and the Torah ends with the description of the death, burial, and eulogy of Moshe.

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DONATE to TORCH: 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!

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Sep 28, 2026 51 min

Haazinu – Surprisingly Joyous Song

Show notes

The last day of Moshe’s reign, coincided with the first day of Joshua’s reign. For one day, Moshe and Joshua led the nation together as co-heads. On that day, Moshe and Joshua together conveyed the exquisite, comprehensive sound of Haazinu. A song that spans everything: the past, the present, the future, this world, the world to come. A song that encapsulates all of Torah, a song that foretells all future events. Not all stanzas though scream joy. Not all of what we read does not evoke ecstasy. Not all of what we read inspires us to dance. We read about the nation going astray – Jeshurun growing fat and corpulent and rebelled against God. We read about the disastrous consequences of what happens to us when God turns away from us. We read a frightening and chilling account of the condition of our people in exile. In this interesting Parsha podcast, we learn about Joshua’s first day on the job, and the secret of the Song of Haazinu.

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This Parsha Podcast is dedicated by our friend Hadassah Benny in loving memory and leilui nishmas her mother Lila Bat Lachmin whose yahrzeit falls out on the 6th of Tishrei, the day that this podcast is being released. May her soul be elevated in Heaven.

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DONATE to TORCH: 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!

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Sep 17, 2026 57 min

Haazinu – Trees with 70 Branches (5784)

Show notes

Parshas Hazinu is one of the most fascinating, poetic, and richly profound Parshas in the Torah. It is also arguably the most mysterious one. The majority of the Parsha is the Song of Haazinu, an intricate tapestry of prophecies that encapsulate the grand scope of Jewish history. The commentators on this Parsha strive to even understand the basic meaning of its words. In this penultimate episode of the 8th cycle of the Parsha podcast, focus on the commentary of the Ohr HaChaim. While we don’t go through the entirety of his magisterial commentary, we select five magnificent comments from this work. What we discover is an absolutely profound study of scope and depth and insight. I could think of know no finer way to end the Parsha podcast year of 5784 than to plumb into the depth of this song as explained by the legendary Ohr Hachaim.

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DONATE to TORCH: 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!

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Sep 15, 2026 47 min

Parshas Haazinu (Rebroadcast)

Show notes

Still in the final day of Moshe’s life, he conveys to the nation a 43-verse Song predicting the contours of Jewish history, both past, present, and future. The patterns are familiar to the readers of Deuteronomy and even casual observers and students of Jewish history: The nation is recipients of tremendous divine goodness, yet they become corpulent and rebel against God. Consequently, God allows the nations to feast upon the people, but despite the harsh and painful torment and suffering, we continue to exist. The Song ends with a vivid description of the Messianic reclamation.

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DONATE to TORCH: 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!

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