TORAH 101 - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe

#108: The Power of Pre-Sin Adam + 2026 TORCH Campaign Pitch

The 2026 annual TORCH fundraiser is happening right now at giveTORCH.org. Every donation is doubled at giveTORCH.org. Every donation is matched at giveTORCH.org Please support TORCH and the Parsha Podcast with a generous contribution right now at giveTORCH.org. Give what you can give at giveTORCH.org and ensure that the Parsha Podcast and the other great work of TORCH continues in 2026. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Adam was created in the image of God. He was given vast influence over God’s creations. What is the mechanism of this power? What is the mechanism of Adam’s ability to influence God’s creations? How is Adam able to move worlds? The answer gets to some of the deepest secrets of them all. Not all of God’s creations are created equal. Some are spiritually loftier than others. What is the relationship though of all of God’s creations? How are they connected? In this podcast, we learned the secret of the concatenation of God’s creations and discover the lofty nature of Adam with its enormous ramifications. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – NEW TORCH Mailing Address POBox: TORCH PO BOX 310246 HOUSTON, TX 77231-0246 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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

#107: Created in the Image of God + 2026 TORCH Fundraiser

The 2026 annual TORCH fundraiser is happening right now at giveTORCH.org. Every donation is doubled at giveTORCH.org. Every donation is matched at giveTORCH.org Please support TORCH and the TORAH 101 Podcast with a generous contribution right now at giveTORCH.org. Give what you can give at giveTORCH.org and ensure that the TORAH 101 Podcast and the other great work of TORCH continues in 2026. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – “And God made man in His image. In the image of God (Elokim) He made him.” The majority of the secrets of the Kabbalistic esoterica are hidden in these cryptic words, but the magisterial work, Nefesh HaChaim, authored by Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, begins by explaining a profound understanding of these words. There is indeed some overlap between man and God. God is the source of all power, the source of all vitality, and He endowed man with some of that power. We have the ability to move worlds. We have the ability to make cosmic transformation. In this very special episode, we begin our study of this fundamental work of Torah philosophy. What we learn radically reshapes our perspective of what man is and what impact man has. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – NEW TORCH Mailing Address POBox: TORCH PO BOX 310246 HOUSTON, TX 77231-0246 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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

#106: Mishnah Commentary, Heuristics, and Appendices + 2026 TORCH Fundraiser

The 2026 annual TORCH fundraiser is happening right now at giveTORCH.org. Every donation is doubled at giveTORCH.org. Every donation is matched at giveTORCH.org Please support TORCH and the Parsha Podcast with a generous contribution right now at giveTORCH.org. Give what you can give at giveTORCH.org and ensure that the Parsha Podcast and the other great work of TORCH continues in 2026. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – As a very young man, Rambam wrote a commentary on the entire Mishnah. He prefaces his commentary with a sprawling and magisterial introduction which covers vast subjects related to Torah, oral and written, the history of the transmission, and the mechanism of Mishnah and Talmud. He ends his introduction with an explanation of the rationale behind his commentary and a fascinating set of appendices and heuristics. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – NEW TORCH Mailing Address POBox: TORCH PO BOX 310246 HOUSTON, TX 77231-0246 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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

#105: Post-Mishnaic Development of Oral Torah

The Mishnah was at the end of the canonization of the Oral Torah. The Tosefta, the Sifra and Sifri soon followed. 300 years after Rabbi Judah the Prince canonized the Mishnah, the Babylonian Talmud was canonized. In this penultimate episode on Rambam’s magisterial introduction to Mishnah, we learn all about the Talmud: how it was written, how it was canonized, and what it includes. We learn the four objectives of the Talmud and the secret as to why some of the teachings in the Talmud are very difficult to decipher. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – NEW TORCH Mailing Address POBox: TORCH PO BOX 310246 HOUSTON, TX 77231-0246 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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

#104: Sixth Order of Mishnah (Purity)

The Order of Purity is the longest of the Six Orders of Mishnah and by far the most foreign to us. The overwhelming majority of the laws of this order of Mishnah are only applicable in Temple times. different sources of impurity although our overview will be very brief, we will learn about the various different degrees of impurity, the various different means of conveying that impurity, the various different ramifications of each level of impurity, and the various different ways to remedy the impurity. We will not be fully educated about all the different laws of purity and impurity. But we will definitely be a little bit less ignorant. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – NEW TORCH Mailing Address POBox: TORCH PO BOX 310246 HOUSTON, TX 77231-0246 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 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