Podcasts about Mitzvah

Mitzvat Chanuka | A Fresh Look at the "Beraitot" of Chanuka, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Why is "Sugyat Chanuka" the only place in the Bavli where a Mitzva is presented with a tiered system of fulfillment?  (BT Shabbat 21b) Most students are familiar with the Beraitot defining the Mitzvah of Ner Chanuka, found near the beginning of the 2nd chapter of Masekhet Shabbat - including the tri-level performance schedule (basic, 'Mehadrin' and 'Mehadrin min haMehadrin'). We analyze this Beraita and the attendant discussion, identifying difficulties in the text along the way and then share the approach taken by several contemporary scholars as to the background of the discussion and thereby arriving at a solution to the conundrum of this multi-layered Sugya. Source sheet >>

In this special Chanukah edition we delve into antisemitism of today, the tragedy that befell our people in Australia and our ultimate hope and how seeing love in each other and increasing Bitachon in Hashem is connected to what we think about when we look at the Chanukah Lights this year. I introduce and gift a special little sefer to the women shiur as we delve into the Bitachon it offers us.

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In this episode, we explore a big idea at the intersection of Torah and modern physics: Torah is the blueprint of creation, and as science advances, it often ends up catching up to truths Torah has pointed to all along. Joined by physicist Dr. Berel Epstein, we work through listener-submitted questions from the Shema Podcast WhatsApp community on the universe having a beginning, fine-tuning, the limits of what physics can explain, and what concepts like quantum entanglement and observation suggest about interconnectedness, perception, and responsibility. We also discuss artificial intelligence and why it pushes the conversation toward the deeper question of what a human being actually is, beyond information, productivity, and even intellect.By the end, you'll walk away with a clear framework for how Torah and science relate: where they genuinely align, where science reaches its limits, and how to use scientific language as a tool without confusing it for the source of truth.Order the book, “Emunah and Physics”, on Amazon by click hereWhat happens when a theoretical physicist takes on the deepest questions challenging Jewish belief? Emunah and Physics is a bold, brilliant response to centuries of skepticism and a framework for reclaiming faith.  Join the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up.

An overview of the daily lesson of Sefer Hamitzvot, Maimonides' Book of Mitzvahs, which details and concisely explains each of the 613 commandments.

An overview of the daily lesson of Sefer Hamitzvot, Maimonides' Book of Mitzvahs, which details and concisely explains each of the 613 commandments.

An overview of the daily lesson of Sefer Hamitzvot, Maimonides' Book of Mitzvahs, which details and concisely explains each of the 613 commandments.

How early should you really start planning a Bar or Bat Mitzvah?In Mastering Mitzvahs Episode 164, hosts Mike L and Dylan break down real planning timelines based on years of working with families. We explain what takes longer than most parents expect—and what causes the biggest last-minute stress leading up to the event.In this episode, we cover:How long it actually takes to gather photos for a montageWhy last-minute logos make custom art and photo booth templates difficultWhat planning items should be handled early vs. what can waitCommon mistakes families make when starting too lateWhether you're just beginning the planning process or already deep into it, this episode will help you stay organized, reduce stress, and get the best results from your vendors.

The Mitzvah is to Make a Menorah (Vayeishev 5786)

An overview of the daily lesson of Sefer Hamitzvot, Maimonides' Book of Mitzvahs, which details and concisely explains each of the 613 commandments.

An overview of the daily lesson of Sefer Hamitzvot, Maimonides' Book of Mitzvahs, which details and concisely explains each of the 613 commandments.

Natalie and David predict catastrophe with Phoebe in "The One Where Rachel Is Late" and declare catastrophe with Barney in "The Bro Mitzvah."See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

An overview of the daily lesson of Sefer Hamitzvot, Maimonides' Book of Mitzvahs, which details and concisely explains each of the 613 commandments.

The entire chapter 39 of the Kitzur is about one practical question: “I'm about to sit down for a full bread meal in 15 minutes, but I'm starving right now – can I grab a snack without making a separate after-bracha later?” The answer is mostly yes. If you eat (or drink anything except wine) before washing for bread and you will eat/drink the same thing again during the meal, many authorities (including the Mishnah Berurah's primary opinion) say the Birkat Hamazon at the end covers everything you ate earlier – no extra after-bracha is not needed. To stay safe from doubt, the Kitzur's advice is simple: either (a) don't eat those foods before the meal, or (b) make sure you eat a little of the same food again during the meal so everything is clearly connected.Wine is the big exception (as always): it always needs its own before-bracha, and if you drink it before the meal you should either drink a revi'it again after Birkat Hamazon and make Al Hagefen, or simply avoid wine until Kiddush. Cakes, cookies, pretzels, and other mezonot items follow the lenient rule – if you'll have mezonot again during the meal, Birkat Hamazon covers the pre-meal nosh too. Rabbi Wolbe's bottom line: “Better to avoid the whole question and not snack right before a bread meal… but if you do, just eat a bite of the same thing during the meal and you're golden.”The episode concludes with a transition to the Ask Away #25._____________The Everyday Judaism Podcast is dedicated to learning, understanding and appreciating the greatness of Jewish heritage and the Torah through the simplified, concise study of Halacha, Jewish Law, thereby enhancing our understanding of how Hashem wants us to live our daily lives in a Jewish way._____________This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by Marshall & Doreen LernerDownload & Print the Everyday Judaism Halacha Notes:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RL-PideM42B_LFn6pbrk8MMU5-zqlLG5This episode (Ep. #70) of the Everyday Judaism Podcast by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe of TORCH is dedicated to my dearest friends, Marshall & Doreen Lerner! May Hashem bless you and always lovingly accept your prayer for good health, success and true happiness!!!Recorded in the TORCH Centre - Levin Family Studio (B) to a live audience on December 7, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on December 9, 2025_____________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!_____________SUBSCRIBE and LISTEN to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at https://www.TORCHpodcasts.com_____________EMAIL your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Please visit www.torchweb.org to see a full listing of our outreach and educational resources available in the Greater Houston area!_____________#Halacha, #Jewishlaw, #blessings, #Kitzur, #BirkatHaMazon, #gratitude, #foodblessings, #wineblessings, #afterblessings, #Jewishcustoms ★ Support this podcast ★

The entire chapter 39 of the Kitzur is about one practical question: “I'm about to sit down for a full bread meal in 15 minutes, but I'm starving right now – can I grab a snack without making a separate after-bracha later?” The answer is mostly yes. If you eat (or drink anything except wine) before washing for bread and you will eat/drink the same thing again during the meal, many authorities (including the Mishnah Berurah's primary opinion) say the Birkat Hamazon at the end covers everything you ate earlier – no extra after-bracha is not needed. To stay safe from doubt, the Kitzur's advice is simple: either (a) don't eat those foods before the meal, or (b) make sure you eat a little of the same food again during the meal so everything is clearly connected.Wine is the big exception (as always): it always needs its own before-bracha, and if you drink it before the meal you should either drink a revi'it again after Birkat Hamazon and make Al Hagefen, or simply avoid wine until Kiddush. Cakes, cookies, pretzels, and other mezonot items follow the lenient rule – if you'll have mezonot again during the meal, Birkat Hamazon covers the pre-meal nosh too. Rabbi Wolbe's bottom line: “Better to avoid the whole question and not snack right before a bread meal… but if you do, just eat a bite of the same thing during the meal and you're golden.”The episode concludes with a transition to the Ask Away #25._____________The Everyday Judaism Podcast is dedicated to learning, understanding and appreciating the greatness of Jewish heritage and the Torah through the simplified, concise study of Halacha, Jewish Law, thereby enhancing our understanding of how Hashem wants us to live our daily lives in a Jewish way._____________This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by Marshall & Doreen LernerDownload & Print the Everyday Judaism Halacha Notes:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RL-PideM42B_LFn6pbrk8MMU5-zqlLG5This episode (Ep. #70) of the Everyday Judaism Podcast by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe of TORCH is dedicated to my dearest friends, Marshall & Doreen Lerner! May Hashem bless you and always lovingly accept your prayer for good health, success and true happiness!!!Recorded in the TORCH Centre - Levin Family Studio (B) to a live audience on December 7, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on December 9, 2025_____________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!_____________SUBSCRIBE and LISTEN to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at https://www.TORCHpodcasts.com_____________EMAIL your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Please visit www.torchweb.org to see a full listing of our outreach and educational resources available in the Greater Houston area!_____________#Halacha, #Jewishlaw, #blessings, #Kitzur, #BirkatHaMazon, #gratitude, #foodblessings, #wineblessings, #afterblessings, #Jewishcustoms ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of the Prayer Podcast, Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe delves into the significance of Pesukei Dezimra, a crucial segment of Jewish prayer known as the verses of song or praise. Rabbi Wolbe explains that Pesukei Dezimra serves as a preparatory phase for the main prayer, the Amidah, by fostering a state of joy and spiritual readiness. He emphasizes the importance of reciting these verses with intention and clarity, likening it to counting money—fast yet precise, ensuring no word is missed. The discussion highlights the transformative power of these prayers, which help individuals connect deeply with God, prune away distractions, and elevate their spiritual state.Rabbi Wolbe further explores the historical and spiritual context of Pesukei Dezimra, drawing on teachings from the Talmud and the Mishnah. He explains that these prayers are not only a form of praise but also a means of spiritual pruning, removing barriers to divine connection. The episode underscores the idea that prayer is a journey through different spiritual worlds, with Pesukei Dezimra acting as a vital transition from the physical to the spiritual realm. Rabbi Wolbe encourages listeners to invest time and focus in their prayers, as this investment enhances their connection with God and enriches their spiritual lives._____________This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by Dr. Leonard & June GoldbergDownload the Prayer Podcast Worksheets:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iBVevW1ydyjSeyeO0iCcina7e8vix3Lt?usp=sharingThis episode (Ep. #42) of the Prayer Podcast by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe of TORCH is dedicated to my dearest friends, Dr. Leonard & June Goldberg! May Hashem bless you and always lovingly accept your prayer for good health, success and true happiness!!!Recorded in the TORCH Centre - Levin Family Studio (B) to a live audience on December 2, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on December 7, 2025_____________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!_____________SUBSCRIBE and LISTEN to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at https://www.TORCHpodcasts.com_____________EMAIL your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Please visit www.torchweb.org to see a full listing of our outreach and educational resources available in the Greater Houston area!_____________#Prayer, #Tefillah, #Siddur, #PesukaiDezimra, #Psalms, #spiritual, #joy, #connection ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of the Prayer Podcast, Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe delves into the significance of Pesukei Dezimra, a crucial segment of Jewish prayer known as the verses of song or praise. Rabbi Wolbe explains that Pesukei Dezimra serves as a preparatory phase for the main prayer, the Amidah, by fostering a state of joy and spiritual readiness. He emphasizes the importance of reciting these verses with intention and clarity, likening it to counting money—fast yet precise, ensuring no word is missed. The discussion highlights the transformative power of these prayers, which help individuals connect deeply with God, prune away distractions, and elevate their spiritual state.Rabbi Wolbe further explores the historical and spiritual context of Pesukei Dezimra, drawing on teachings from the Talmud and the Mishnah. He explains that these prayers are not only a form of praise but also a means of spiritual pruning, removing barriers to divine connection. The episode underscores the idea that prayer is a journey through different spiritual worlds, with Pesukei Dezimra acting as a vital transition from the physical to the spiritual realm. Rabbi Wolbe encourages listeners to invest time and focus in their prayers, as this investment enhances their connection with God and enriches their spiritual lives._____________This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by Dr. Leonard & June GoldbergDownload the Prayer Podcast Worksheets:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iBVevW1ydyjSeyeO0iCcina7e8vix3Lt?usp=sharingThis episode (Ep. #42) of the Prayer Podcast by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe of TORCH is dedicated to my dearest friends, Dr. Leonard & June Goldberg! May Hashem bless you and always lovingly accept your prayer for good health, success and true happiness!!!Recorded in the TORCH Centre - Levin Family Studio (B) to a live audience on December 2, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on December 7, 2025_____________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!_____________SUBSCRIBE and LISTEN to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at https://www.TORCHpodcasts.com_____________EMAIL your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Please visit www.torchweb.org to see a full listing of our outreach and educational resources available in the Greater Houston area!_____________#Prayer, #Tefillah, #Siddur, #PesukaiDezimra, #Psalms, #spiritual, #joy, #connection ★ Support this podcast ★

In Parshas Vayishlach, Yaakov returns home after 20 years with the wicked Laban and immediately sends real angels as messengers to his murderous brother Esav, prefacing their message with the cryptic line “Im Lavan garti” – “With Laban I sojourned.” Rashi reveals the hidden code: the word “garti” (גרתי) has the numerical value of 613 (תרי״ג), meaning “Even while living with the evil Laban, I kept all 613 mitzvos and never learned from his wicked ways.” Yaakov is teaching every Jew for all time: no matter how far away you are, no matter how hostile the environment, the Torah is the ultimate protective shield that preserves and elevates your soul. As Rabbi Wolbe powerfully declared: “When you stay firm in Torah study every single day, there is nothing in the world that can take you down.”The parsha's eternal message is crystallized in the Friday-night blessing we give our children: “Yisimcha Elokim k'Ephraim v'chi'Menashe” – may God make you like Ephraim and Menashe, the only two tribal ancestors raised in decadent, idolatrous Egypt yet who grew into pure tzaddikim. Why them? Because wherever our children end up – Houston, Memphis, Vegas, or the middle of nowhere – they may not have a yeshiva, a kosher restaurant, or even a minyan, but they will always have the Torah. As Rabbi Wolbe summed up: “The Torah is the blueprint of the world… and when you live with that blueprint, no darkness can touch you.” Yaakov, Ephraim, and Menashe all proved that one Jew + one Torah = unstoppable light._____________This episode of the Parsha Review Podcast is dedicated in honor of Lenny & Teresa FriedmanDownload & Print the Parsha Review Notes:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ncaRyoH5iJmGGoMZs9y82Hz2ofViVouv?usp=sharingRecorded at TORCH Meyerland in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on December 2, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on December 5, 2025_____________Subscribe: Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/parsha-review-podcast-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1651930083)Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/22lv1kXJob5ZNLaAl6CHTQ) to stay inspired! Share your questions at awolbe@torchweb.org or visit torchweb.org for more Torah content.  _____________About the Host:Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH in Houston, brings decades of Torah scholarship to guide listeners in applying Jewish wisdom to daily life.  To directly send your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Support Our Mission:Help us share Jewish wisdom globally by sponsoring an episode at torchweb.org. Your support makes a difference!_____________Subscribe and Listen to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.org_____________Keywords:#Torah, #Parsha, #Genesis, #JewishWisdom, #SpiritualGrowth, #Angels, #jacob ★ Support this podcast ★

In Parshas Vayishlach, Yaakov returns home after 20 years with the wicked Laban and immediately sends real angels as messengers to his murderous brother Esav, prefacing their message with the cryptic line “Im Lavan garti” – “With Laban I sojourned.” Rashi reveals the hidden code: the word “garti” (גרתי) has the numerical value of 613 (תרי״ג), meaning “Even while living with the evil Laban, I kept all 613 mitzvos and never learned from his wicked ways.” Yaakov is teaching every Jew for all time: no matter how far away you are, no matter how hostile the environment, the Torah is the ultimate protective shield that preserves and elevates your soul. As Rabbi Wolbe powerfully declared: “When you stay firm in Torah study every single day, there is nothing in the world that can take you down.”The parsha's eternal message is crystallized in the Friday-night blessing we give our children: “Yisimcha Elokim k'Ephraim v'chi'Menashe” – may God make you like Ephraim and Menashe, the only two tribal ancestors raised in decadent, idolatrous Egypt yet who grew into pure tzaddikim. Why them? Because wherever our children end up – Houston, Memphis, Vegas, or the middle of nowhere – they may not have a yeshiva, a kosher restaurant, or even a minyan, but they will always have the Torah. As Rabbi Wolbe summed up: “The Torah is the blueprint of the world… and when you live with that blueprint, no darkness can touch you.” Yaakov, Ephraim, and Menashe all proved that one Jew + one Torah = unstoppable light._____________This episode of the Parsha Review Podcast is dedicated in honor of Lenny & Teresa FriedmanDownload & Print the Parsha Review Notes:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ncaRyoH5iJmGGoMZs9y82Hz2ofViVouv?usp=sharingRecorded at TORCH Meyerland in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on December 2, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on December 5, 2025_____________Subscribe: Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/parsha-review-podcast-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1651930083)Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/22lv1kXJob5ZNLaAl6CHTQ) to stay inspired! Share your questions at awolbe@torchweb.org or visit torchweb.org for more Torah content.  _____________About the Host:Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH in Houston, brings decades of Torah scholarship to guide listeners in applying Jewish wisdom to daily life.  To directly send your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Support Our Mission:Help us share Jewish wisdom globally by sponsoring an episode at torchweb.org. Your support makes a difference!_____________Subscribe and Listen to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.org_____________Keywords:#Torah, #Parsha, #Genesis, #JewishWisdom, #SpiritualGrowth, #Angels, #jacob ★ Support this podcast ★

Abraham finally arrives in the land G-d promised him…and immediately faces famine. No rain. Dying animals. A starving community. This is G-d's idea of a blessing?This is the world's first famine ever, and it happens precisely when Abraham reaches his destination.Rabbi Epstein unpacks one of Abraham's most confusing tests: Should he stay in the land G-d explicitly told him to go to, or should he leave? The answer reveals a critical principle about reading G-d's instructions. Sometimes what G-d says and what G-d means require us to listen more carefully than we think.You'll discover why Abraham chooses Egypt specifically (hint: the Nile River makes it famine-proof), and why Rashi and Nachmanides completely disagree about whether Abraham passes or fails this test. The answer hinges on whether doing the right action with the wrong attitude still counts as success.The episode explores the deeper meaning behind Abraham asking Sarah to say she's his sister—what the Talmud reveals he actually tells her, and how this strategy both protects and endangers them. You'll learn why Abraham wants gifts from Egypt when he refuses them from everyone else, and how his experience foreshadows the entire Exodus story 395 years later.Rabbi Epstein also addresses a remarkable tangent: the concept of "sparks of holiness" scattered throughout the world, why Jews were commanded never to return to Egypt after the Exodus, and what it means that natural events are G-d's way of speaking to us. Plus: the surprising Torah source for antisemitism and the real way to fight it.This episode reveals that faith is about discerning G-d's will even when He's silent, and maintaining grace even when circumstances seem to contradict His promises.

I Live to Give 8 - The Body Never Lies, The Greatest High! Giving Living Aligned with Baruch Gartner In this inspiring episode, Baruch Gartner explores the Hasidic wisdom behind the Mitzvah of giving and the profound truth that the "body never lies." Discover why doing good for others can be even greater than communing with the Divine, and learn: How the story of Avraham teaches the true greatness of hosting guests over receiving Divine Presence The deeper meaning of selflessness and the divine power hidden in acts of kindness Insights on how our physical and spiritual selves guide us to real connection and joy The science-backed idea that giving creates the greatest natural high Why being open to giving transforms your life and elevates your soul Subscribe now and get inspired to experience the most authentic joy through the art of giving!

In this finale of the Five levels of Pleasure we wind it down with the most thought provoking of all the pleasures, an Encounter with God. We discuss the soul of a Yid and how driven it is. We find out how all five pleasures interplay with each other as a need to obtain the highest pleasure. Some fun stories and accents can be found here as well, Enjoy!

A long mishnah that begins on daf 79b: More on mixtures of blood - first, that of an animal with no blemish with that of an animal with a blemish. Which necessitates spilling that mixture down the drain. But the cases here recognize the difference between what is ideal and what needs to be tolerated, or is considered acceptable once it has already been done. Which moves the discussion to the question of placing blood in 4 places or only 1 place on the altar - which some of the blood needs the 4 places, and some the 1, which turns into a dispute over "bal tosif" vs. "bal tigra" -- adding or suppressing to the mitzvah. Also, the Gemara discusses a parallel mishnah - where the dispute is about a blemished limb, rather than this mixture issue. Plus, whether these mixtures work to "blend" -- and when can you cover your bases?

Parshas Toldos is the ultimate masterclass in parenting, love, perseverance, and the eternal tug-of-war between heaven and earth. When Rivka feels her twins fighting in the womb, she is terrified that she is carrying one confused child who is pulled toward both holiness and idolatry. The prophet calms her with the shocking news: “Shnei goyim b'vitnech – two nations are in your womb.” Instead of despairing, she is relieved. Why? Because, as Rabbi Wolbe explains, “the benefit and greatness of Yaakov is so immense that it will supersede all the negative that she will ever experience from Esav.” One pure Yaakov is worth more than all the damage a thousand Esavs can do.The Torah then paints a seemingly troubling picture: “Isaac loved Esav because he put game in his mouth, but Rivka loved Yaakov.” How can holy parents play favorites? The answer redefines love itself: “Love is not finding similarities — love is seeing the potential in the other person and connecting to that.” Isaac gazed at wild, powerful Esav and thought, “If this explosive energy is ever channeled for good, he could move mountains.” Rivka looked at quiet, tent-dwelling Yaakov and saw pure, undiluted holiness already shining. Both parents loved both sons — they simply poured their energy into the child whose hidden potential moved them the most. This becomes the model for all healthy parenting and marriage: every child is your favorite — favorite scholar, favorite artist, favorite comedian, favorite mensch — because “each one is uniquely different… you're not comparing apples to apples, you're comparing apples to oranges to bananas.”For 63 long years Yaakov lives in his wicked brother's shadow. Esav hunts, flatters, and cleverly asks questions like “How do you tithe salt?” just to appear pious and win Isaac's heart. Yaakov, meanwhile, clings only to the “heel” of spirituality — always second place, always doubting, always wondering, “Maybe my father is right and I'm wrong.” Yet he never once compromises. At 63 he finally cooks the lentil stew that wins the blessings, proving that “spiritual growth is always at the heel — slow, painful, and full of doubt — but the tzaddik never quits.” As Rabbi Wolbe powerfully declares: “Quitters always finish first. If you want to win, you can't quit — ever.” And again: “The natural state of a tzaddik is to fall seven times… but the falling is not what we emphasize — it's the getting back up.”The parsha ends with two beautiful side lessons. First, Eliezer (from the cursed lineage of Canaan) is rejected as a match for Isaac, yet when he remains loyally devoted to Avraham despite the insult, Hashem rewards him with kfitzas haderech — miraculous instant travel reserved only for the righteous. Loyalty and perseverance turn even a “cursed” person into a tzaddik. Second, the same dynamic of “investing in the child who needs it most” repeats with Yaakov and Yosef: Yaakov favors Yosef not out of nepotism, but because he sees the unimaginable trials awaiting him in Egypt and knows, “This one is going to need extra love to survive and triumph.”_____________This episode of the Parsha Review Podcast is dedicated in honor of Lenny & Teresa FriedmanDownload & Print the Parsha Review Notes:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ncaRyoH5iJmGGoMZs9y82Hz2ofViVouv?usp=sharingRecorded at TORCH Meyerland in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on November 25, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on December 3, 2025_____________Subscribe: Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/parsha-review-podcast-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1651930083)Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/22lv1kXJob5ZNLaAl6CHTQ) to stay inspired! Share your questions at awolbe@torchweb.org or visit torchweb.org for more Torah content.  _____________About the Host:Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH in Houston, brings decades of Torah scholarship to guide listeners in applying Jewish wisdom to daily life.  To directly send your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Support Our Mission:Help us share Jewish wisdom globally by sponsoring an episode at torchweb.org. Your support makes a difference!_____________Subscribe and Listen to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.org_____________Keywords:#Torah, #Parsha, #Genesis, #ParentalLove, #Resilience, #Family, #Rebecca, #Isaac, #Esau, #Jacob, #Potential, #Growth, #Yetzirah, #EvilInclination, #Choices, #Challenges, #Yosef, #Destiny, #Potential, #JewishHistory, #Mitzrayim, #Trials, #Yitzchak, #Complexity, #Struggle ★ Support this podcast ★

Parshas Toldos is the ultimate masterclass in parenting, love, perseverance, and the eternal tug-of-war between heaven and earth. When Rivka feels her twins fighting in the womb, she is terrified that she is carrying one confused child who is pulled toward both holiness and idolatry. The prophet calms her with the shocking news: “Shnei goyim b'vitnech – two nations are in your womb.” Instead of despairing, she is relieved. Why? Because, as Rabbi Wolbe explains, “the benefit and greatness of Yaakov is so immense that it will supersede all the negative that she will ever experience from Esav.” One pure Yaakov is worth more than all the damage a thousand Esavs can do.The Torah then paints a seemingly troubling picture: “Isaac loved Esav because he put game in his mouth, but Rivka loved Yaakov.” How can holy parents play favorites? The answer redefines love itself: “Love is not finding similarities — love is seeing the potential in the other person and connecting to that.” Isaac gazed at wild, powerful Esav and thought, “If this explosive energy is ever channeled for good, he could move mountains.” Rivka looked at quiet, tent-dwelling Yaakov and saw pure, undiluted holiness already shining. Both parents loved both sons — they simply poured their energy into the child whose hidden potential moved them the most. This becomes the model for all healthy parenting and marriage: every child is your favorite — favorite scholar, favorite artist, favorite comedian, favorite mensch — because “each one is uniquely different… you're not comparing apples to apples, you're comparing apples to oranges to bananas.”For 63 long years Yaakov lives in his wicked brother's shadow. Esav hunts, flatters, and cleverly asks questions like “How do you tithe salt?” just to appear pious and win Isaac's heart. Yaakov, meanwhile, clings only to the “heel” of spirituality — always second place, always doubting, always wondering, “Maybe my father is right and I'm wrong.” Yet he never once compromises. At 63 he finally cooks the lentil stew that wins the blessings, proving that “spiritual growth is always at the heel — slow, painful, and full of doubt — but the tzaddik never quits.” As Rabbi Wolbe powerfully declares: “Quitters always finish first. If you want to win, you can't quit — ever.” And again: “The natural state of a tzaddik is to fall seven times… but the falling is not what we emphasize — it's the getting back up.”The parsha ends with two beautiful side lessons. First, Eliezer (from the cursed lineage of Canaan) is rejected as a match for Isaac, yet when he remains loyally devoted to Avraham despite the insult, Hashem rewards him with kfitzas haderech — miraculous instant travel reserved only for the righteous. Loyalty and perseverance turn even a “cursed” person into a tzaddik. Second, the same dynamic of “investing in the child who needs it most” repeats with Yaakov and Yosef: Yaakov favors Yosef not out of nepotism, but because he sees the unimaginable trials awaiting him in Egypt and knows, “This one is going to need extra love to survive and triumph.”_____________This episode of the Parsha Review Podcast is dedicated in honor of Lenny & Teresa FriedmanDownload & Print the Parsha Review Notes:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ncaRyoH5iJmGGoMZs9y82Hz2ofViVouv?usp=sharingRecorded at TORCH Meyerland in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on November 25, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on December 3, 2025_____________Subscribe: Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/parsha-review-podcast-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1651930083)Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/22lv1kXJob5ZNLaAl6CHTQ) to stay inspired! Share your questions at awolbe@torchweb.org or visit torchweb.org for more Torah content.  _____________About the Host:Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH in Houston, brings decades of Torah scholarship to guide listeners in applying Jewish wisdom to daily life.  To directly send your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Support Our Mission:Help us share Jewish wisdom globally by sponsoring an episode at torchweb.org. Your support makes a difference!_____________Subscribe and Listen to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.org_____________Keywords:#Torah, #Parsha, #Genesis, #ParentalLove, #Resilience, #Family, #Rebecca, #Isaac, #Esau, #Jacob, #Potential, #Growth, #Yetzirah, #EvilInclination, #Choices, #Challenges, #Yosef, #Destiny, #Potential, #JewishHistory, #Mitzrayim, #Trials, #Yitzchak, #Complexity, #Struggle ★ Support this podcast ★

In four powerful reminders from Orchos Tzaddikim, Rabbi Wolbe teaches us how to live every single day with awe, humility, and unstoppable growth:Stay in your lane of wonder Remember you are lower than the angels yet infinitely higher than animals. Hashem made you master of the entire physical world — fruit, fish, birds, beasts — and then revealed His deepest secrets to you in the Torah. The only proper response is to walk through life like a humbled servant who has just been crowned king: “How grateful one must be for all of this!”Grow so slowly the Yetzer Hara doesn't even notice The secret to permanent change is tiny, tiny habits. Rabbi Wolbe shares his grandfather's Yom Kippur War story: the IDF flew the plane just inches above the sand to stay under Egyptian radar. “That's how we grow,” he says. If you announce “I'll never speak lashon hara again!” the yetzer hara shoots you down instantly. But if you quietly commit to never switching on one unnecessary light on Shabbos — a tiny blip — the yetzer hara thinks it's just a bird. Once that tiny mitzvah becomes part of your DNA, the ground beneath you rises, the radar rises with it, and suddenly you're flying high without ever having triggered the alarm. “Small step → habit → new you → higher radar → next small step.” Quotable gem: “The yetzer hara has perfect radar for big declarations… but it completely misses the guy crawling under the fence with one tiny improvement.”Invest in real friends (without an agenda) Always do good for others exactly the way you wish they would do good for you — but do it because it's right, not because you'll have a side benefit that they love you back. Rabbi Wolbe contrasts this with a famous self-help book on “how to win friends” that left him disgusted: “That book teaches how to kiss up so people will kiss up to you. That's networking, not friendship.” True brotherhood is loving them for their sake, not yours. “Reveal your deepest secrets only to one in a thousand… but give your kindness to everyone.”Fall in love with the world every single morning Because we see sunrises, rain, flowers, and stars every day, we stop being amazed — and that is the greatest tragedy. Orchos Tzaddikim demands we live as if we were blind from birth and today, for the first time, our eyes opened. “Pretend you just landed from Mars and you've never seen a tulip, a thunderstorm, or a Texas sunset — then look!” Rabbi Wolbe confesses he was “a little selfish” this Shabbos and bought his wife tulips because he personally finds them breathtaking. His plea: “Pull over on the side of the road when you see that sunset. It's Hashem's personal love note to you right now. Don't get used to miracles.”Recorded at TORCH Centre in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on April 28, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on December 2, 2025_____________This series on Orchos Tzadikim/Ways of the Righteous is produced in partnership with Hachzek.Join the revolution of daily Mussar study at hachzek.com.We are using the Treasure of Life edition of the Orchos Tzadikkim (Published by Feldheim)_____________Listen, Subscribe & Share: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jewish-inspiration-podcast-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1476610783Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4r0KfjMzmCNQbiNaZBCSU7) to stay inspired! Share your questions at aw@torchweb.org or visit torchweb.org for more Torah content.  _____________About the Host:Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH in Houston, brings decades of Torah scholarship to guide listeners in applying Jewish wisdom to daily life.  To directly send your questions, comments, and feedback, please email: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Support Our Mission:Our Mission is Connecting Jews & Judaism. Help us spread Judaism globally by sponsoring an episode at torchweb.org.Your support makes a HUGE difference!_____________Listen MoreOther podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.org_____________Keywords:#JewishInspiration, #Mussar, #MasterClass, #Remembrance, #Spiritual, #Journey, #Hashem, #Humility, #Gratitude, #Creation, #Genuine, #Friendships, #Brotherhood, #Awe, #DivineArtistry, #SmallSteps, #PersonalGrowth, #Mitzvahs, #Yetzirah, #EvilInclination, #DailyRoutine, #EverydayMiracles, #Familiarity, #DivineLove, #Magnificence, #Gratitude, #KingDavid, #Psalms, #Wonder ★ Support this podcast ★

In four powerful reminders from Orchos Tzaddikim, Rabbi Wolbe teaches us how to live every single day with awe, humility, and unstoppable growth:Stay in your lane of wonder Remember you are lower than the angels yet infinitely higher than animals. Hashem made you master of the entire physical world — fruit, fish, birds, beasts — and then revealed His deepest secrets to you in the Torah. The only proper response is to walk through life like a humbled servant who has just been crowned king: “How grateful one must be for all of this!”Grow so slowly the Yetzer Hara doesn't even notice The secret to permanent change is tiny, tiny habits. Rabbi Wolbe shares his grandfather's Yom Kippur War story: the IDF flew the plane just inches above the sand to stay under Egyptian radar. “That's how we grow,” he says. If you announce “I'll never speak lashon hara again!” the yetzer hara shoots you down instantly. But if you quietly commit to never switching on one unnecessary light on Shabbos — a tiny blip — the yetzer hara thinks it's just a bird. Once that tiny mitzvah becomes part of your DNA, the ground beneath you rises, the radar rises with it, and suddenly you're flying high without ever having triggered the alarm. “Small step → habit → new you → higher radar → next small step.” Quotable gem: “The yetzer hara has perfect radar for big declarations… but it completely misses the guy crawling under the fence with one tiny improvement.”Invest in real friends (without an agenda) Always do good for others exactly the way you wish they would do good for you — but do it because it's right, not because you'll have a side benefit that they love you back. Rabbi Wolbe contrasts this with a famous self-help book on “how to win friends” that left him disgusted: “That book teaches how to kiss up so people will kiss up to you. That's networking, not friendship.” True brotherhood is loving them for their sake, not yours. “Reveal your deepest secrets only to one in a thousand… but give your kindness to everyone.”Fall in love with the world every single morning Because we see sunrises, rain, flowers, and stars every day, we stop being amazed — and that is the greatest tragedy. Orchos Tzaddikim demands we live as if we were blind from birth and today, for the first time, our eyes opened. “Pretend you just landed from Mars and you've never seen a tulip, a thunderstorm, or a Texas sunset — then look!” Rabbi Wolbe confesses he was “a little selfish” this Shabbos and bought his wife tulips because he personally finds them breathtaking. His plea: “Pull over on the side of the road when you see that sunset. It's Hashem's personal love note to you right now. Don't get used to miracles.”Recorded at TORCH Centre in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on April 28, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on December 2, 2025_____________This series on Orchos Tzadikim/Ways of the Righteous is produced in partnership with Hachzek.Join the revolution of daily Mussar study at hachzek.com.We are using the Treasure of Life edition of the Orchos Tzadikkim (Published by Feldheim)_____________Listen, Subscribe & Share: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jewish-inspiration-podcast-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1476610783Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4r0KfjMzmCNQbiNaZBCSU7) to stay inspired! Share your questions at aw@torchweb.org or visit torchweb.org for more Torah content.  _____________About the Host:Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH in Houston, brings decades of Torah scholarship to guide listeners in applying Jewish wisdom to daily life.  To directly send your questions, comments, and feedback, please email: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Support Our Mission:Our Mission is Connecting Jews & Judaism. Help us spread Judaism globally by sponsoring an episode at torchweb.org.Your support makes a HUGE difference!_____________Listen MoreOther podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.org_____________Keywords:#JewishInspiration, #Mussar, #MasterClass, #Remembrance, #Spiritual, #Journey, #Hashem, #Humility, #Gratitude, #Creation, #Genuine, #Friendships, #Brotherhood, #Awe, #DivineArtistry, #SmallSteps, #PersonalGrowth, #Mitzvahs, #Yetzirah, #EvilInclination, #DailyRoutine, #EverydayMiracles, #Familiarity, #DivineLove, #Magnificence, #Gratitude, #KingDavid, #Psalms, #Wonder ★ Support this podcast ★

Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch on Chinuch The Triple Responsibility: Physical, Emotional & Practical & How We Can Betray It

In this powerful Mussar Master Class (Day 106), Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe teaches three vital daily remembrances from Orchos Tzaddikim:Regularly seek solitude (hitbodedut) — most interpersonal sins (lashon hara, flattery, mockery, arrogance) only happen in company. Alone time protects us from sin and opens the door to intimate conversation with Hashem in nature, gratitude, confession, and heartfelt prayer.Remember how many hidden miracles Hashem performs for us every single day — accidents we narrowly missed, flights we were delayed for, floods we escaped, dangers we never even knew existed. Hashem is constantly shielding us in ways we will never fully know until the World to Come.All money and success is a temporary deposit from Hashem — He can give or take it in a single moment. Therefore, never be arrogant about wealth, never mock the poor, never refuse to repay debts or return stolen items joyfully, and always pray that Hashem guide you to use “His money” exactly the way He wants.The class is filled with awe-inspiring stories: the rabbi whose insistence on retrieving his tefillin delayed the second 9/11 plane and saved thousands of lives, the man who arrogantly declared “Hashem can never take my money” and lost it — then regained it — overnight, and the breathtaking miracles hidden inside a single leaf or the human body.Recorded at TORCH Centre in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on April 28, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on November 30, 2025_____________This series on Orchos Tzadikim/Ways of the Righteous is produced in partnership with Hachzek.Join the revolution of daily Mussar study at hachzek.com.We are using the Treasure of Life edition of the Orchos Tzadikkim (Published by Feldheim)_____________Listen, Subscribe & Share: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jewish-inspiration-podcast-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1476610783Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4r0KfjMzmCNQbiNaZBCSU7) to stay inspired! Share your questions at aw@torchweb.org or visit torchweb.org for more Torah content.  _____________About the Host:Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH in Houston, brings decades of Torah scholarship to guide listeners in applying Jewish wisdom to daily life.  To directly send your questions, comments, and feedback, please email: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Support Our Mission:Our Mission is Connecting Jews & Judaism. Help us spread Judaism globally by sponsoring an episode at torchweb.org.Your support makes a HUGE difference!_____________Listen MoreOther podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.org_____________Keywords:#JewishInspiration, #Mussar, #MasterClass, #Remembrance, #Solitude, #Self-reflection, #Hitbodedut, #Gratitude, #Mindfulness, #Trust, #Wealth, #Sins, #Slander, #Adultery, #Falsehoods, #Humility, #Faith, #Omnipotence, #Hardships, #Mercy, #Adversities, #Material, #Wealth ★ Support this podcast ★

The Jewish response to elections – whether the shocking victory of an openly anti-Semitic mayor in New York City or any political upheaval throughout history – must be twofold: before the vote, we exercise full hishtadlut (effort) by voting, cultivating goodwill with leaders, and supporting candidates who protect Jewish safety (as our Sages sent gifts to Caesar and Rabbi Akiva petitioned Rome); after the vote, we immediately pivot to total bitachon, recognizing that the final outcome is 100 % Hashem's decree, often sent as a wake-up call that we have grown too comfortable in galut. History repeats itself: German Jews declared Berlin their Jerusalem, Polish Jews called Poland “Polin – here we shall dwell,” and today many American Jews act as if the United States is the final stop; every time we forget we are in exile, Hashem sends a jolt – sometimes from the left, sometimes from the right – to remind us that no political party, president, or democracy is our ultimate protector.The comforting truth is that these “potches” (divine smacks) are acts of love meant to push us back toward our mission: to be a light unto the nations wherever we are, and ultimately to yearn for and move toward Yerushalayim. When we respond correctly – by increasing Torah, tefillah, teshuvah, and authentic Jewish pride – the bitterness miraculously turns sweet, just as October 7th produced hundreds of thousands of newly observant Jews and countless stories of open miracles among the hostages. The message is clear: get comfortable being uncomfortable in galut, stop putting ultimate faith in any human leader or system, and remember that only the almighy (Hakadosh Baruch Hu) runs the world – and He is nudging us home.Engage with us by sharing your questions, and we look forward to addressing them in future episodes, fostering a more interactive experience for our audience by submitting your questions to unboxing@torchweb.org_____________This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by the Nagel Family.This Episode (#25) of the Unboxing Judaism Podcast is dedicated in honor of The Nagel WeddingRecorded in the TORCH Centre - Levin Family Studio (B) on November 12, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on November 25, 2025_____________Unboxing Judaism Podcast is a discussion on fundamental Jewish and modern cultural topics through the lens of our Torah and heritage with Rabbi Yaakov Nagel and Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe from TORCH, in Houston, TexasASK! To have your questions featured in a future podcast, please submit your questions to unboxing@torchweb.orgRabbi Yaakov Nagel is the founding member of TORCH and has been active since 1998. Additionally, Rabbi Nagel serves as the Senior Rabbi at Heimish of Houston and has been delivering the Daf Yomi (Daily Folio of Talmud) for TORCH since 2003. Rabbi Nagel is the Head of the Court for Jewish Divorce and actively serves as a member of the Houston Beis Din.Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe serves as the Director of TORCH since 2005._____________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!_____________SUBSCRIBE and LISTEN to other podcasts by Rabbi Yaakov Nagel:Daf Yomi Podcast - https://linktr.ee/DafYomiPodcastUnboxing Judaism Podcast - https://linktr.ee/unboxingjudaism_____________SUBSCRIBE and LISTEN to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.tansistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at https://www.TORCHpodcasts.com_____________EMAIL your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Please visit www.torchweb.org to see a full listing of our outreach and educational resources available in the Greater Houston area!_____________#RabbiNagel, #RabbiWolbe, #Jews, #Politics, #Unboxing, #Perspective, #Engagement, #Integration, #Safety, #Mobility, #FreeWill, #Effort, #Exile, #Divine ★ Support this podcast ★

In this lively Ask Away session, Rabbi Wolbe clarified that the Talmudic category of “idolater” (akum) in kosher laws refers to any non-Jew who does not share our Torah values and meticulous concern for kashrut – today that includes Muslims, Christians, atheists, etc. – not just literal idol-worshippers; the laws were never about hating non-Jews but about protecting Jewish standards and limiting excessive social intimacy. He also explained that giving flowers to one's wife (or girlfriend when seriously dating toward marriage) is not only permitted but strongly encouraged by the Rambam, Shulchan Aruch, Rav Moshe Feinstein, and virtually all contemporary Poskim – because it creates shalom bayit and expresses love; flowers are never placed on Jewish graves (we use stones to symbolize permanence of the soul), but for a living spouse they are a beautiful, halachically praised gift that says “I thought about you.”On deeper topics, Rabbi Wolbe taught that true bitachon and saying “Gam zu l'tovah” do not cancel out tears or heartfelt prayer – tears are always welcome and open Heaven's gates; bitachon simply means we reaffirm that even the pain is ultimately for our good. He addressed inter-movement rabbinic courts by explaining that authentic halachic authority requires (1) belief that the Torah is divine and (2) personal observance of that Torah – without those foundations, rulings lack legitimacy in traditional Judaism. Finally, he stressed that flying (or any long-distance travel) on Shabbat is prohibited due to multiple biblical and rabbinic violations, and Shabbat is meant for spiritual connection, not vacation-style activities like swimming or horseback riding.Please submit your questions at askaway@torchweb.org_____________The Everyday Judaism Podcast is dedicated to learning, understanding and appreciating the greatness of Jewish heritage and the Torah through the simplified, concise study of Halacha, Jewish Law, thereby enhancing our understanding of how Hashem wants us to live our daily lives in a Jewish way._____________This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by Marshall & Doreen LernerDownload & Print the Everyday Judaism Halacha Notes:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RL-PideM42B_LFn6pbrk8MMU5-zqlLG5This episode (Ep. #73) of the Everyday Judaism Podcast by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe of TORCH is dedicated to my dearest friends, Marshall & Doreen Lerner! May Hashem bless you and always lovingly accept your prayer for good health, success and true happiness!!!Recorded in the TORCH Centre - Levin Family Studio (B) to a live audience on November 23, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on November 30, 2025_____________Connect with Us:Subscribe to the Everyday Judaism PodcastApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everyday-judaism-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1600622789Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3AXCNcyKSVsaOLsLQsCN1CShare your questions at askaway@torchweb.org or visit torchweb.org for more Torah content.  _____________About the Host:Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH in Houston, brings decades of Torah scholarship to guide listeners in applying Jewish wisdom to daily life.  To directly send your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Support Our Mission:Help us share Jewish wisdom globally by sponsoring an episode at torchweb.org. Your support makes a difference!_____________Subscribe and Listen to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.org_____________Keywords:#AskAway, #Torah, #Halacha, #Q&A, #Jewish, #Traditions, #Law, #Diversity, #Spirituality, #Labels, #Faith, #Prayer, #PositiveAffirmations, #Anxiety, #Trust, #Tears, #Kindness, #Shabbat, #Israel, #Resilience, #Vibrancy, #Relationships, #Marriage ★ Support this podcast ★

In this powerful Mussar Master Class (Day 106), Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe teaches three vital daily remembrances from Orchos Tzaddikim:Regularly seek solitude (hitbodedut) — most interpersonal sins (lashon hara, flattery, mockery, arrogance) only happen in company. Alone time protects us from sin and opens the door to intimate conversation with Hashem in nature, gratitude, confession, and heartfelt prayer.Remember how many hidden miracles Hashem performs for us every single day — accidents we narrowly missed, flights we were delayed for, floods we escaped, dangers we never even knew existed. Hashem is constantly shielding us in ways we will never fully know until the World to Come.All money and success is a temporary deposit from Hashem — He can give or take it in a single moment. Therefore, never be arrogant about wealth, never mock the poor, never refuse to repay debts or return stolen items joyfully, and always pray that Hashem guide you to use “His money” exactly the way He wants.The class is filled with awe-inspiring stories: the rabbi whose insistence on retrieving his tefillin delayed the second 9/11 plane and saved thousands of lives, the man who arrogantly declared “Hashem can never take my money” and lost it — then regained it — overnight, and the breathtaking miracles hidden inside a single leaf or the human body.Recorded at TORCH Centre in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on April 28, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on November 30, 2025_____________This series on Orchos Tzadikim/Ways of the Righteous is produced in partnership with Hachzek.Join the revolution of daily Mussar study at hachzek.com.We are using the Treasure of Life edition of the Orchos Tzadikkim (Published by Feldheim)_____________Listen, Subscribe & Share: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jewish-inspiration-podcast-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1476610783Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4r0KfjMzmCNQbiNaZBCSU7) to stay inspired! Share your questions at aw@torchweb.org or visit torchweb.org for more Torah content.  _____________About the Host:Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH in Houston, brings decades of Torah scholarship to guide listeners in applying Jewish wisdom to daily life.  To directly send your questions, comments, and feedback, please email: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Support Our Mission:Our Mission is Connecting Jews & Judaism. Help us spread Judaism globally by sponsoring an episode at torchweb.org.Your support makes a HUGE difference!_____________Listen MoreOther podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.org_____________Keywords:#JewishInspiration, #Mussar, #MasterClass, #Remembrance, #Solitude, #Self-reflection, #Hitbodedut, #Gratitude, #Mindfulness, #Trust, #Wealth, #Sins, #Slander, #Adultery, #Falsehoods, #Humility, #Faith, #Omnipotence, #Hardships, #Mercy, #Adversities, #Material, #Wealth ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode, we are joined with Rabbi Daniel Rowe to unpack one of the most sensitive and misunderstood subjects in Torah: our ongoing relationship with Eisav and Yishmael. Are they eternal enemies, potential partners, or something more complex? Building on the theme from “Becoming a Nation of Priests” with Rabbi Yaakov Klein, Rabbi Rowe traces how the Torah and Chazal frame these two great civilizations as spiritual “cousins” whose roles are woven into creation itself. We explore how Christianity and Islam shifted the world from pagan cruelty toward a more Noahide, God-centered morality, why Jews are both uniquely loved and uniquely hated, and how antisemitism often masks a warped expectation that we live up to our mission. If you've ever wondered how to make sense of global events, Jewish destiny, and our role within these ancient relationships, this conversation will give you a framework that changes the way you see history and the present moment.Continue learning from Rabbi Daniel Rowe.·         You can follow his shiurim and lectures on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RabbiDanielRowe·         And stay connected to his ongoing Torah thoughts on Instagram: instagram.com/rabbidanielroweJoin the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up.

In this lively Ask Away session, Rabbi Wolbe clarified that the Talmudic category of “idolater” (akum) in kosher laws refers to any non-Jew who does not share our Torah values and meticulous concern for kashrut – today that includes Muslims, Christians, atheists, etc. – not just literal idol-worshippers; the laws were never about hating non-Jews but about protecting Jewish standards and limiting excessive social intimacy. He also explained that giving flowers to one's wife (or girlfriend when seriously dating toward marriage) is not only permitted but strongly encouraged by the Rambam, Shulchan Aruch, Rav Moshe Feinstein, and virtually all contemporary Poskim – because it creates shalom bayit and expresses love; flowers are never placed on Jewish graves (we use stones to symbolize permanence of the soul), but for a living spouse they are a beautiful, halachically praised gift that says “I thought about you.”On deeper topics, Rabbi Wolbe taught that true bitachon and saying “Gam zu l'tovah” do not cancel out tears or heartfelt prayer – tears are always welcome and open Heaven's gates; bitachon simply means we reaffirm that even the pain is ultimately for our good. He addressed inter-movement rabbinic courts by explaining that authentic halachic authority requires (1) belief that the Torah is divine and (2) personal observance of that Torah – without those foundations, rulings lack legitimacy in traditional Judaism. Finally, he stressed that flying (or any long-distance travel) on Shabbat is prohibited due to multiple biblical and rabbinic violations, and Shabbat is meant for spiritual connection, not vacation-style activities like swimming or horseback riding.Please submit your questions at askaway@torchweb.org_____________The Everyday Judaism Podcast is dedicated to learning, understanding and appreciating the greatness of Jewish heritage and the Torah through the simplified, concise study of Halacha, Jewish Law, thereby enhancing our understanding of how Hashem wants us to live our daily lives in a Jewish way._____________This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by Marshall & Doreen LernerDownload & Print the Everyday Judaism Halacha Notes:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RL-PideM42B_LFn6pbrk8MMU5-zqlLG5This episode (Ep. #73) of the Everyday Judaism Podcast by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe of TORCH is dedicated to my dearest friends, Marshall & Doreen Lerner! May Hashem bless you and always lovingly accept your prayer for good health, success and true happiness!!!Recorded in the TORCH Centre - Levin Family Studio (B) to a live audience on November 23, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on November 30, 2025_____________Connect with Us:Subscribe to the Everyday Judaism PodcastApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everyday-judaism-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1600622789Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3AXCNcyKSVsaOLsLQsCN1CShare your questions at askaway@torchweb.org or visit torchweb.org for more Torah content.  _____________About the Host:Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH in Houston, brings decades of Torah scholarship to guide listeners in applying Jewish wisdom to daily life.  To directly send your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Support Our Mission:Help us share Jewish wisdom globally by sponsoring an episode at torchweb.org. Your support makes a difference!_____________Subscribe and Listen to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.org_____________Keywords:#AskAway, #Torah, #Halacha, #Q&A, #Jewish, #Traditions, #Law, #Diversity, #Spirituality, #Labels, #Faith, #Prayer, #PositiveAffirmations, #Anxiety, #Trust, #Tears, #Kindness, #Shabbat, #Israel, #Resilience, #Vibrancy, #Relationships, #Marriage ★ Support this podcast ★

The Jewish response to elections – whether the shocking victory of an openly anti-Semitic mayor in New York City or any political upheaval throughout history – must be twofold: before the vote, we exercise full hishtadlut (effort) by voting, cultivating goodwill with leaders, and supporting candidates who protect Jewish safety (as our Sages sent gifts to Caesar and Rabbi Akiva petitioned Rome); after the vote, we immediately pivot to total bitachon, recognizing that the final outcome is 100 % Hashem's decree, often sent as a wake-up call that we have grown too comfortable in galut. History repeats itself: German Jews declared Berlin their Jerusalem, Polish Jews called Poland “Polin – here we shall dwell,” and today many American Jews act as if the United States is the final stop; every time we forget we are in exile, Hashem sends a jolt – sometimes from the left, sometimes from the right – to remind us that no political party, president, or democracy is our ultimate protector.The comforting truth is that these “potches” (divine smacks) are acts of love meant to push us back toward our mission: to be a light unto the nations wherever we are, and ultimately to yearn for and move toward Yerushalayim. When we respond correctly – by increasing Torah, tefillah, teshuvah, and authentic Jewish pride – the bitterness miraculously turns sweet, just as October 7th produced hundreds of thousands of newly observant Jews and countless stories of open miracles among the hostages. The message is clear: get comfortable being uncomfortable in galut, stop putting ultimate faith in any human leader or system, and remember that only the almighy (Hakadosh Baruch Hu) runs the world – and He is nudging us home.Engage with us by sharing your questions, and we look forward to addressing them in future episodes, fostering a more interactive experience for our audience by submitting your questions to unboxing@torchweb.org_____________This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by the Nagel Family.This Episode (#25) of the Unboxing Judaism Podcast is dedicated in honor of The Nagel WeddingRecorded in the TORCH Centre - Levin Family Studio (B) on November 12, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on November 25, 2025_____________Unboxing Judaism Podcast is a discussion on fundamental Jewish and modern cultural topics through the lens of our Torah and heritage with Rabbi Yaakov Nagel and Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe from TORCH, in Houston, TexasASK! To have your questions featured in a future podcast, please submit your questions to unboxing@torchweb.orgRabbi Yaakov Nagel is the founding member of TORCH and has been active since 1998. Additionally, Rabbi Nagel serves as the Senior Rabbi at Heimish of Houston and has been delivering the Daf Yomi (Daily Folio of Talmud) for TORCH since 2003. Rabbi Nagel is the Head of the Court for Jewish Divorce and actively serves as a member of the Houston Beis Din.Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe serves as the Director of TORCH since 2005._____________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!_____________SUBSCRIBE and LISTEN to other podcasts by Rabbi Yaakov Nagel:Daf Yomi Podcast - https://linktr.ee/DafYomiPodcastUnboxing Judaism Podcast - https://linktr.ee/unboxingjudaism_____________SUBSCRIBE and LISTEN to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.tansistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at https://www.TORCHpodcasts.com_____________EMAIL your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Please visit www.torchweb.org to see a full listing of our outreach and educational resources available in the Greater Houston area!_____________#RabbiNagel, #RabbiWolbe, #Jews, #Politics, #Unboxing, #Perspective, #Engagement, #Integration, #Safety, #Mobility, #FreeWill, #Effort, #Exile, #Divine ★ Support this podcast ★

The Talmud (Ta'anit 21a) teaches the life-attitude of “Gam Zu L'Tovah” – this too is for the good – through the unforgettable figure of Nachum Ish Gamzu, a tzaddik who was blind, without hands or legs, and covered in boils, yet insisted that even his own horrific suffering was for the best because he once delayed helping a starving man and accepted the punishment as atonement. When the Jews sent him to Caesar with a chest of jewels, thieves replaced it with dirt overnight; instead of despairing, Nachum declared “Gam zu l'tovah.” Elijah the Prophet then appeared, convinced Caesar the dirt was Abraham's miraculous earth that turns into swords and arrows, Rome conquered an invincible city, and Nachum returned loaded with even greater treasures – proving that when a person genuinely sees every event as coming from a loving God, even apparent disasters become the vehicle for open miracles.The deeper message is that we live in two dimensions at once: the visible, physical world of cause-and-effect, and the hidden spiritual layer that ultimately controls everything. Money can disappear in a moment, empires rise and fall, health comes and goes – it's all a wheel (galgal chozer). Torah study, Shabbat, and the unwavering declaration “Gam zu l'tovah” are the spiritual coating that protects us and turns even pain, loss, or a chest full of dirt into the greatest blessing. When we live with that faith, like Nachum Ish Gamzu and like the Jewish people protected on all six sides in the desert, Heaven rearranges reality itself so that everything – truly everything – becomes for the good. Gam zu l'tovah!_____________The Thinking Talmudist Podcast shares select teachings of Talmud in a fresh, insightful and meaningful way. Many claim that they cannot learn Talmud because it is in ancient Aramaic or the concepts are too difficult. Well, no more excuses. In this podcast you will experience the refreshing and eye-opening teachings while gaining an amazing appreciation for the divine wisdom of the Torah and the depths of the Talmud._____________This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by David & Susan MarbinRecorded at TORCH Meyerland in the Levin Family Studios to a live audience on October 24, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on November 28, 2025_____________Listen, Subscribe & Share: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thinking-talmudist-podcast-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1648951154Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0cZ7q9bGYSBYSPQfJvwgzmShare your questions at aw@torchweb.org or visit torchweb.org for more Torah content._____________About the Host:Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH in Houston, brings decades of Torah scholarship to guide listeners in applying Jewish wisdom to daily life.  To directly send your questions, comments, and feedback, please email: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Support Our Mission:Help us share Jewish wisdom globally by sponsoring an episode at torchweb.org. Your support makes a difference!_____________Listen MoreOther podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.org_____________Keywords:#Talmud, #Resilience, #Acceptance, #Gamzu, #Torah, #NachumIshGamzu, #Faith, #Adversities, #Success, #Shabbos, #Impermanence, #Misfortune, #Disconnect, #Tranquility, #Peace, #Meaning ★ Support this podcast ★

In this week's Parsha Review Podcast on Parshas Vayeitzei, Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe zooms in on one powerful verse from Yaakov's dream at Bethel: “Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth… and you shall burst forth westward, eastward, northward, and southward.” At first glance it sounds like a promise of vast numbers and conquest, but the sages reveal the exact opposite: the key to Jewish success and blessing is being “like the dust of the earth” — radical humility.Rabbi Wolbe contrasts Jewish greatness with the arrogance of the nations: when Hashem elevated Avraham, Moshe, and David, each responded, “I am dust, I am nothing, I am a worm.” When power was given to Nimrod, Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, and Hiram of Tyre, they immediately declared themselves gods. The Talmud teaches that Hashem loves the Jewish people precisely because we are “the fewest of all nations” and, even when blessed with greatness, we shrink ourselves in awe and gratitude.Leah's naming of her first four sons (Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehudah) all reflect the same theme: every blessing is met with deeper humility and thanks to Hashem rather than self-congratulation. Even Yaakov, after 24 uninterrupted years of Torah study and receiving the promise of the Land, wakes up exclaiming, “How awesome is this place!” — not “Look what I earned.”The message is clear and counter-cultural: the moment we take personal credit for our accomplishments, the blessings stop growing. Only when we genuinely feel “I am nothing without Hashem; everything is an undeserved gift” do the gates of heaven open wider and the promise of “u'faratzta” (you shall burst forth in all directions) become reality. True Jewish greatness is achieved by choosing to remain small._____________This episode of the Parsha Review Podcast is dedicated in honor of Lenny & Teresa FriedmanDownload & Print the Parsha Review Notes:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ncaRyoH5iJmGGoMZs9y82Hz2ofViVouv?usp=sharingRecorded at TORCH Meyerland in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on November 25, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on November 28, 2025_____________Subscribe: Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/parsha-review-podcast-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1651930083)Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/22lv1kXJob5ZNLaAl6CHTQ) to stay inspired! Share your questions at awolbe@torchweb.org or visit torchweb.org for more Torah content.  _____________About the Host:Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH in Houston, brings decades of Torah scholarship to guide listeners in applying Jewish wisdom to daily life.  To directly send your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Support Our Mission:Help us share Jewish wisdom globally by sponsoring an episode at torchweb.org. Your support makes a difference!_____________Subscribe and Listen to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.org_____________Keywords:#Torah, #Parsha, #Genesis, #Humility, #Leadership, #Abraham, #Moses, #Aaron, #David, #Ramban, #Gratitude, #Success, #Humble, #Wealth, #Intelligence, #Blessings, #Solomon, #PersonalGrowth ★ Support this podcast ★

The Talmud (Ta'anit 21a) teaches the life-attitude of “Gam Zu L'Tovah” – this too is for the good – through the unforgettable figure of Nachum Ish Gamzu, a tzaddik who was blind, without hands or legs, and covered in boils, yet insisted that even his own horrific suffering was for the best because he once delayed helping a starving man and accepted the punishment as atonement. When the Jews sent him to Caesar with a chest of jewels, thieves replaced it with dirt overnight; instead of despairing, Nachum declared “Gam zu l'tovah.” Elijah the Prophet then appeared, convinced Caesar the dirt was Abraham's miraculous earth that turns into swords and arrows, Rome conquered an invincible city, and Nachum returned loaded with even greater treasures – proving that when a person genuinely sees every event as coming from a loving God, even apparent disasters become the vehicle for open miracles.The deeper message is that we live in two dimensions at once: the visible, physical world of cause-and-effect, and the hidden spiritual layer that ultimately controls everything. Money can disappear in a moment, empires rise and fall, health comes and goes – it's all a wheel (galgal chozer). Torah study, Shabbat, and the unwavering declaration “Gam zu l'tovah” are the spiritual coating that protects us and turns even pain, loss, or a chest full of dirt into the greatest blessing. When we live with that faith, like Nachum Ish Gamzu and like the Jewish people protected on all six sides in the desert, Heaven rearranges reality itself so that everything – truly everything – becomes for the good. Gam zu l'tovah!_____________The Thinking Talmudist Podcast shares select teachings of Talmud in a fresh, insightful and meaningful way. Many claim that they cannot learn Talmud because it is in ancient Aramaic or the concepts are too difficult. Well, no more excuses. In this podcast you will experience the refreshing and eye-opening teachings while gaining an amazing appreciation for the divine wisdom of the Torah and the depths of the Talmud._____________This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by David & Susan MarbinRecorded at TORCH Meyerland in the Levin Family Studios to a live audience on October 24, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on November 28, 2025_____________Listen, Subscribe & Share: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thinking-talmudist-podcast-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1648951154Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0cZ7q9bGYSBYSPQfJvwgzmShare your questions at aw@torchweb.org or visit torchweb.org for more Torah content._____________About the Host:Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH in Houston, brings decades of Torah scholarship to guide listeners in applying Jewish wisdom to daily life.  To directly send your questions, comments, and feedback, please email: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Support Our Mission:Help us share Jewish wisdom globally by sponsoring an episode at torchweb.org. Your support makes a difference!_____________Listen MoreOther podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.org_____________Keywords:#Talmud, #Resilience, #Acceptance, #Gamzu, #Torah, #NachumIshGamzu, #Faith, #Adversities, #Success, #Shabbos, #Impermanence, #Misfortune, #Disconnect, #Tranquility, #Peace, #Meaning ★ Support this podcast ★