The Parsha Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

Moshe’s tenure as leader of the Jews was chock full of magnificent accomplishments. He spearheaded the Exodus, he brought the Torah down from Heaven, in his merit came the manna – Moshe’s CV is unparalleled. But now it’s time for him to hand over the reins to Joshua, his disciple and successor. In this Parsha podcast, we make a remarkable observation that connects the beginning of Moshe’s tenure and its conclusion that fundamentally changes our perspective on maintaining devotion and commitment to a life mission from beginning to end. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in honor and for the success of Noam Yitzhak ben Shlomi. May he be blessed with a Shana Tova UMetuka, a happy and healthy and sweet New Year of only Blessing and Goodness. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter rabbiwolbe.com/newsletter – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts The Parsha Podcast The Jewish History Podcast The Mitzvah Podcast  This Jewish Life The Ethics Podcast TORAH 101

Moshe is 120 years old to the day. He was born on the seventh of Adar and now it is the seven of Adar 120 years later. Today is his last day before his passing and he is taking leave from the nation and handing over the reins to Joshua. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter rabbiwolbe.com/newsletter – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts The Parsha Podcast The Jewish History Podcast The Mitzvah Podcast  This Jewish Life The Ethics Podcast TORAH 101

How difficult is it to repent? How hard is it to examine your behavior, your choices, your values, your decisions to determine which are in need of improvement? How hard is it to reconsider your choices, to regret your mistakes, and to chart a new path forward, a path of righteousness, a path of purity, a path of holiness? Repentance demands a degree of self-sacrifice. To repent means to abandon from your previous self and to forge a new person, one free of that sinful way. In effect, to repent is to to eliminate the previous self in order to make way for the new you.  Surprisingly, on Moshe’s last day of his life, he describes repentance as something which is very easy. It is not distance, it is not beyond you, is not in the heavens or across the seas; it is in your mouth and your heart to perform it. In this interesting, elegant, and very topical podcast, we reveal new frameworks of repentance that will help us move past any negative associations we may have with repentance, and make the upcoming season of repentance more powerful, more productive, and more efficacious. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in honor of our parents Drs. David and Susanne Gelb from the Gelb, Goldman and Shacknofsky families. Wishing them and all of Klal Yisrael a Shana Tova Umetuka, a good and sweet New Year. May this learning also  be in merit of Avner ben Avraham HaCohen, Shayndel bat David, Meshulam ben David, Avraham ben Menachem Mendel HaKohen, Ashraf Rachel bat Yosef Halevi, and Nissan ben Shimon. May their Neshamas have an Aliyah.  – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter rabbiwolbe.com/newsletter – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts The Parsha Podcast The Jewish History Podcast The Mitzvah Podcast  This Jewish Life The Ethics Podcast TORAH 101

On the final day of Moshe’s life, he gathers the entire nation for a parting message. After forging another covenant between the nation and God and explicating the consequences thereof, Moshe presents the nation with a choice: “Behold I have placed before you today: life and good vs. death and bad… Choose life.” There are two options for us: life that amounts to good or death that amounts to bad. What is the nature of this binary choice? What is Moshe trying to convey to the Nation? Why are we commanded to choose life? Isn’t it obvious that any sensible person will make that choice? In the final parsha Podcast before Rosh Hashana, we explore the stark choice that Moshe placed before the Nation, a choice that truthfully faces each one of us. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – This Parsha Podcast is dedicated by my dear friend, Dr. Paul Block, in loving memory and leilui nishmas his mother, Mrs. Mildred Block OB”M, מינדל בת רב צבי הירש, whose third yartzeit is  today, כב’ אלול. May her soul be elevated in Heaven.  – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter rabbiwolbe.com/newsletter – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts The Parsha Podcast The Jewish History Podcast The Mitzvah Podcast  This Jewish Life The Ethics Podcast TORAH 101

On the final day of Moshe’s life, he gathered the entire nation – men, women, children, and according to the Talmud, all souls of future Jews – to pass them through a final covenant with God. The parsha also contains the prophetic predictions of the Messianic times, and it ends with a simple, binary choice: Moshe tells the nation, “Behold I have placed before you today, the life and the good, and death and evil… Choose Life!” – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Please email me at rabbiwolbe@gmail.com with any questions or comments – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter rabbiwolbe.com/newsletter SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts The Parsha Podcast The Jewish History Podcast The Mitzvah Podcast  This Jewish Life The Ethics Podcast TORAH 101

Chapter 28 of Deuteronomy is arguably the most difficult portion in the Torah to read. Known as the Admonition, the chapter details the blessings that will be bestowed upon our nation when we adhere to the Laws of God. But it also has the curses that will befall our people in the event that we disobey the word of God and flout His Torah. The curses are bone chilling and blood curling, and unfortunately, not only academic. Over the course of our long and storied history, our Nation has experienced great highs unmatched by any other Nation, and lows of such frightening nature that they are unrivaled by any misery accounted for in the annals of human history. Every curse detailed in the Admonition has happened to our people at some point. When this section is read in the synagogues, it is read in an undertone and very rapidly. What will befall our people in such excruciating detail is highly unpleasant and something that many want to get over with quickly. In this Parsha podcast, we take the brave step of trying to study it properly, and specifically finding lessons and insights and perspectives that prove to be instructive and even insightful. We find the shimmering silver linings to the menacing and foreboding clouds. Some of the ideas may sound foreign and maybe even far-fetched, but we discover how learning even this part of the Torah can be elevating and edifying. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter rabbiwolbe.com/newsletter – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts The Parsha Podcast The Jewish History Podcast The Mitzvah Podcast  This Jewish Life The Ethics Podcast TORAH 101

The Torah has a surprising view on joy and how to attain it. The prevailing attitude in our society is that a person’s state of joy is contingent upon circumstance: In good days, people tend to feel a bit more joyous. On bad days, it’s more difficult to feel joy. Joy, according to society, is inextricably connected to circumstance. The Torah understands otherwise. The Torah teaches us that there is a dial of joy which can be easily manipulated. If you want more joy, all you need to do is rotate the dial in one direction. To reduce joy, spin it the other way. In this Parsha Podcast, we share the secret of the dial of joy. To boost your joy, listen carefully. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter rabbiwolbe.com/newsletter – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts The Parsha Podcast The Jewish History Podcast The Mitzvah Podcast  This Jewish Life The Ethics Podcast TORAH 101

As the Book of Deuteronomy draws to its conclusion, the narrative makes a transition: Moshe finishes conveying the mitzvos to the nation, and sets up his final parting message to the people. First, he commands the nation to perform several elaborate ceremonies on the very first day that they cross the Jordan River; then he conveys a scathing, terrifying list of curses that will befall the people in the event that we deviate from the Torah. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter rabbiwolbe.com/newsletter – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts The Parsha Podcast The Jewish History Podcast The Mitzvah Podcast  This Jewish Life The Ethics Podcast TORAH 101

The death of one’s spouse is always a tragedy, but there’s something particularly sad about someone who dies without children. Leaving no living progeny behind leaves a person without continuity, without a legacy in this world. When a man dies childless, the Torah instructs his wife to seek to marry her deceased husband’s brother in fulfillment of a law called Yibbum, known as levirate marriage. When this couple bears their firstborn child — the Baby Yi-Boomer — he will be named after the deceased husband/brother, and thereby provide a continuity to his soul. But if the brother refuses to marry his sister-in-law, if he eschews taking responsibility for his brother’s soul, then a process called Chalitzah is done: the widow removes her brother-in-law’s shoe, spits on the ground next to him, and derisively proclaims, “So shall be done to the man who refuses to build his brother’s house.” What could possibly be the meaning of these very strange laws? In this wonderful Parsha podcast, we discover the answers that illuminate this law, but also provide us with a newfound understanding of messiah and the imperative for selfless dedication on behalf of us. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter rabbiwolbe.com/newsletter – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts The Parsha Podcast The Jewish History Podcast The Mitzvah Podcast  This Jewish Life The Ethics Podcast TORAH 101

Our parsha begins with the unusual law of the marriage of a Jewish warrior and an enemy captive woman. When a Jewish warrior spots a prisoner of war that he desires to marry, there is a process and a protocol for how he may marry her. The Talmud (also featured by Rashi) offers a very unusual classification of why the Torah permits this union. On its surface, this reason compounds the difficulties of this law. In this very special edition of the parsha podcast, we share a novel and instructive approach to this very unusual law. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter rabbiwolbe.com/newsletter – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe’s Podcasts The Parsha Podcast The Jewish History Podcast The Mitzvah Podcast  This Jewish Life The Ethics Podcast TORAH 101