In Days 195–196 of Orchot Tzaddikim, The Ways of the Righteous, Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe continues the Gate of Fear of Heaven by developing the idea that the human being is a microcosm of the entire world. Just as creation contains trees, herbs, fruits, waters, rivers, stones, mountains, winds, and countless other systems, the human body contains parallel structures and functions. The author uses these comparisons to awaken awe at the complexity and wisdom Hashem embedded within us.

The lesson moves through a series of physical parallels: the digestive system is compared to the depths of the earth, arteries to rivers, bones to the foundations of the world, kidneys and bodily ducts to waterways, and the various fluids of the body to the different waters found throughout creation. The message is not merely anatomical. It is that the human body itself reflects a larger Divine pattern and should inspire a deeper appreciation of the Creator.

Day 196 expands the comparison further. The Orchot Tzaddikim parallels hot and cold winds with human breath, thunder with the human voice, lightning with the brightness of the face, mountains with the body's joints and structures, stones with teeth and bones, soil with flesh and skin, vegetation with human hair, and even the zodiac with the spinal column and its attached structures. The author also describes ancient forms of wisdom through which sages were said to discern future events from natural signs, bodily features, vegetation, and other aspects of creation.

Rabbi Wolbe concludes by emphasizing the wonder of the human body. The same wisdom Hashem placed throughout the cosmos is, in miniature, embedded within each person. The point is not to become distracted by speculative worlds beyond us, but to recognize the extraordinary miracle already present within our own bodies. The more carefully we contemplate ourselves, the more opportunities we have to develop Yirat Shamayim—awareness, reverence, and awe of Hashem.
_____________
This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by Peter & Becky Botvin

Recorded at TORCH Centre in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on March 23, 2026, in Houston, Texas.
Released as Podcast on August 31, 2026
_____________
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/id1476610783
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4r0KfjMzmCNQbiNaZBCSU7) to stay inspired! 

Share your questions at [email protected] 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: [email protected]

_____________

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 More
Other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: 

• NEW!! Hey Rabbi! Podcast: https://heyrabbi.transistor.fm/episodes
• Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodes
• Jewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodes
• Parsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodes
• Living Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodes
• Thinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodes
• Unboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodes
• Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodes

For a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.orgv

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Keywords:
#JewishInspiration, #Mussar, #MasterClass, #FearOfHeaven, #YiratShamayim,  #HumanBody, #Creation, #Microcosm, #Wonder, #BodyAndSoul, #MiraclesEverywhere 

Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe explores the Talmud’s teaching that Teshuvah is so powerful that even one individual who repents can bring forgiveness to the entire world. Moshe’s prayer after the sin of the Golden Calf demonstrates how one person’s sincere return can affect an entire people. Teshuvah is therefore never merely private; a single person’s spiritual transformation can have consequences far beyond himself. 

The Talmud then defines complete repentance: when a person encounters the same temptation that previously caused him to sin, yet this time resists it—again and again. Rabbi Wolbe explains that this is not an unattainable ideal. If someone once gave in to a temptation, spoke hurtfully, or acted contrary to Torah, genuine teshuvah is demonstrated when the same opportunity returns and the person now chooses differently. A baal teshuvah becomes, quite literally, a “master of repentance.” 

But transformation does not mean becoming someone else. Rabbi Wolbe stresses that the objective of Torah learning and TORCH is not to make every person identical. Hashem created each individual with a unique upbringing, personality, intelligence, circumstances, strengths, and struggles. The question on Rosh Hashanah is not, “Why weren’t you like someone else?” It is: Why weren’t you the fullest version of yourself? 

Using the analogy of a cooking competition, Rabbi Wolbe explains that we cannot complain about the ingredients we were given. Our task is to create the finest possible life from our own particular ingredients. Teshuvah and the High Holidays invite us to know ourselves, stop comparing our journey with others, and use whatever time remains to become the unique person Hashem intended us to be.
_____________
This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by Peter & Becky Botvin
This Episode is dedicated in Honor of David Block

Recorded at TORCH Centre in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on September 1, 2023, in Houston, Texas.
Released as Podcast on September 5, 2025
_____________
Listen, Subscribe & Share: 

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jewish-inspiration-podcast-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1476610783
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4r0KfjMzmCNQbiNaZBCSU7) to stay inspired! 

Share your questions at [email protected] 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: [email protected]

_____________

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 More
Other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: 

• NEW!! Hey Rabbi! Podcast: https://heyrabbi.transistor.fm/episodes
• Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodes
• Jewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodes
• Parsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodes
• Living Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodes
• Thinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodes
• Unboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodes
• Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodes

For a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.orgv

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Keywords:

#JewishInspiration, #Mussar, #MasterClass, #Elul, #RoshHashanah, #YomKippur, #HighHolidays, #Teshuvah, #Shofar, #40days

Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe explores what it really means to stand in judgment on Rosh Hashanah. Drawing on the Mishnah’s description that every person passes before Hashem “Kivnei Maron,” he explains that the heavenly judgment is intensely personal. We are not evaluated merely as members of a crowd. Hashem looks at each individual—the words we spoke, the abilities we were given, what we accomplished with those gifts, and the influence our choices had on the people around us.  

The first area of accountability is speech. What did we talk about throughout the year? Were our words truthful? Did we fulfill our commitments? What did we praise and value? Rabbi Wolbe invokes King Solomon’s teaching that a person can be understood by what he praises. Our conversations reveal what occupies our hearts: materialism and distractions, or growth, relationships, family, Torah, and becoming better servants of Hashem. 

The second area is personal potential. Hashem does not compare us to our neighbors; He compares us to the person we were capable of becoming. Through the story of the Netziv—who feared arriving in Heaven only to be asked, “Where is your book?”—Rabbi Wolbe teaches that we may possess abilities far beyond what our parents, teachers, or even we ourselves imagine. We are not masters of results, but we are responsible for effort. Selling ourselves short means leaving Divine gifts unused.  

The third area is influence. Every person affects others, especially in a world where our words and actions are constantly visible. Do people become stronger because they watch us, or do our compromises give them permission to compromise as well? Rabbi Wolbe shares his grandfather’s advice that one powerful preparation for Rosh Hashanah is to become a valuable asset to the community—to serve, volunteer, uplift, encourage, and become someone whose presence matters to others. 

Ultimately, Rosh Hashanah is not meant to be approached only with dread. It is a magnificent festival in which we crown Hashem as King, realign our priorities, accept responsibility, and begin again. The Ten Days of Repentance then allow us to prove that our declarations were genuine, culminating in Yom Kippur and a new path forward.

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Recorded at TORCH Centre in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on September 7, 2025, in Houston, Texas.
Released as Podcast on August 9, 2025
_____________
Listen, Subscribe & Share: 

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jewish-inspiration-podcast-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1476610783
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4r0KfjMzmCNQbiNaZBCSU7) to stay inspired! 

Share your questions at [email protected] 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: [email protected]

_____________

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 More
Other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: 

• NEW!! Hey Rabbi! Podcast: https://heyrabbi.transistor.fm/episodes
• Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodes
• Jewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodes
• Parsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodes
• Living Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodes
• Thinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodes
• Unboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodes
• Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodes

For a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.orgv

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Keywords:
#RoshHashanah, #Jewishtradition, #divinejudgment, #loveandmercy, #Havdalahcandlelighting, #Mishnah, #truthfulness, #individualaccountability, #sheep, #JJWatt, #fearlessness, #faith, #potential, #community, #introspection, #God, #renewal

In Day 194 of Orchot Tzaddikim, The Ways of the Righteous, Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe continues the Gate of Fear of Heaven with a fascinating comparison between the human being and the universe itself. If mankind reflects Hashem in a tiny and limited way, then the structure of the human body can likewise be understood as a miniature reflection of the greater world.

The Orchot Tzaddikim draws parallels between the heavens and the human body: the skull resembles the heavenly firmament; the palate creates divisions within the body just as the firmament separates the waters; and the life-giving soul resides within and directs the body. Just as the universe is governed by the One Creator, the many organs and systems of the human body are unified and directed by one life-force.

The author continues this imagery by comparing the seven openings of the head—two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, and the mouth—to the heavenly luminaries and planets. The larger message is that the human being is a remarkable microcosm of Hashem's creation. The more carefully we contemplate ourselves and the world around us, the more opportunities we have to recognize the wisdom embedded throughout creation.

Rabbi Wolbe then turns from anatomy to character. Just as the animal kingdom contains gentle creatures as well as predators, human beings can develop very different qualities. Some live peacefully and compassionately, while others behave like predatory animals—using their strength to hurt or take advantage of others.

The crucial difference is that we can choose. Hashem created the abilities and forces within creation, but human beings decide how those powers will be expressed. We can use what Hashem has given us constructively or destructively. Fear of Heaven therefore means not merely marveling at creation, but recognizing our responsibility within it and consciously choosing what kind of person we wish to become.
_____________
This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by Peter & Becky Botvin

Recorded at TORCH Centre in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on March 23, 2026, in Houston, Texas.
Released as Podcast on August 28, 2026
_____________
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/id1476610783
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4r0KfjMzmCNQbiNaZBCSU7) to stay inspired! 

Share your questions at [email protected] 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: [email protected]

_____________

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 More
Other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: 

• NEW!! Hey Rabbi! Podcast: https://heyrabbi.transistor.fm/episodes
• Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodes
• Jewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodes
• Parsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodes
• Living Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodes
• Thinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodes
• Unboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodes
• Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodes

For a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.orgv

_____________
Keywords:
#JewishInspiration, #Mussar, #MasterClass, #FearOfHeaven, #YiratShamayim,  #HumanBody, #Creation

Drawing on Tractate Yoma 86b, Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe explores several extraordinary teachings about the power of teshuvah. Repentance can reach the Divine Throne, bring redemption closer, and reopen a relationship that appears irreparably broken. The Torah prohibits a divorced woman who married another man from returning to her first husband, yet Hashem tells the Jewish people that despite their spiritual unfaithfulness, they may always return to Him. Hashem desires our closeness and never closes the door to sincere return.

The Talmud then distinguishes between teshuvah motivated by fear and teshuvah motivated by love. When a person repents out of fear, deliberate transgressions are downgraded and treated like inadvertent mistakes. But when a person returns out of genuine love for Hashem, those same transgressions can be transformed into merits. The very failure that once created distance becomes the catalyst for a deeper and more devoted relationship.

Rabbi Wolbe compares this process to a marriage. Disagreements can create painful tension, but when spouses accept responsibility, apologize sincerely, and work through the conflict, their relationship can emerge stronger than it was before. In the same way, sin strains our relationship with Hashem, but sincere teshuvah can elevate that relationship to an entirely new level. The fall itself is not the mitzvah; rather, the love, accountability, and renewed closeness produced through the return transform the meaning of the past.

_____________
This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by Peter & Becky Botvin
This Episode is dedicated in Honor of David & Perl Leah Fishman

Recorded at TORCH Centre in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on September 1, 2023, in Houston, Texas.
Released as Podcast on September 2, 2023
_____________
Listen, Subscribe & Share: 

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jewish-inspiration-podcast-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1476610783
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4r0KfjMzmCNQbiNaZBCSU7) to stay inspired! 

Share your questions at [email protected] 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: [email protected]

_____________

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 More
Other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: 

• NEW!! Hey Rabbi! Podcast: https://heyrabbi.transistor.fm/episodes
• Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodes
• Jewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodes
• Parsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodes
• Living Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodes
• Thinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodes
• Unboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodes
• Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodes

For a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.orgv

_____________
Keywords:
#JewishInspiration, #Mussar, #MasterClass, #Elul, #RoshHashanah, #YomKippur, #HighHolidays, #Teshuvah, #Shofar, #40days

Drawing from Tractate Yoma 86a, Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe explores the Talmud’s declaration: “Great is teshuvah, for it brings healing to the world.” The Gemara describes repentance in different ways—sometimes as completely eradicating a person’s waywardness and sometimes as healing the spiritual damage that remains. The distinction depends not only on whether a person repents, but also on what motivates the repentance.

The highest form is teshuvah out of love. When someone truly loves Hashem, even a small transgression feels like a betrayal of the relationship. The person is not merely worried about consequences; he is pained by the distance his actions created between himself and his Creator. This sincere desire to repair the relationship allows the person to return as a beloved child returning to a loving Father.

A second level is teshuvah out of fear. Here, the person regrets his behavior because he fears judgment, punishment, or the consequences of continuing along the same path. The repentance is real and valuable, but its primary focus is avoiding what may happen to the sinner rather than repairing the relationship itself.

The third and lowest level discussed is repentance prompted by suffering. A person feels cornered by pain and begins examining his conduct. Rabbi Wolbe shares his great-grandfather’s teaching that after prophecy departed from the world, pain became a kind of prophet—a force that can awaken a person and inspire honest introspection. Yet the ultimate goal is to rise beyond pain, then beyond fear, and reach the highest rung: returning to Hashem purely out of love.

_____________
This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by Peter & Becky Botvin
This Episode is dedicated in Honor of Dr. Leonard & June Goldberg

Recorded at TORCH Centre in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on September 1, 2023, in Houston, Texas.
Released as Podcast on September 1, 2023
_____________
Listen, Subscribe & Share: 

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jewish-inspiration-podcast-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1476610783
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4r0KfjMzmCNQbiNaZBCSU7) to stay inspired! 

Share your questions at [email protected] 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: [email protected]

_____________

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 More
Other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: 

• NEW!! Hey Rabbi! Podcast: https://heyrabbi.transistor.fm/episodes
• Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodes
• Jewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodes
• Parsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodes
• Living Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodes
• Thinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodes
• Unboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodes
• Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodes

For a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.orgv

_____________
Keywords:
#JewishInspiration, #Mussar, #MasterClass, #Elul, #RoshHashanah, #YomKippur, #HighHolidays, #Teshuvah, #Shofar, #40days

In this wide-ranging conversation with Chazak’s Torah Talks, Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe shares the personal journey that shaped his commitment to Torah growth and outreach. At fifteen, he left an ordinary American high-school environment to attend a demanding yeshiva in Israel, where even reading a page of Gemara initially felt overwhelming. Rather than retreat, he prayed for the ability to learn and resolved to fight for his growth. He also reflects on the influence of his grandfather, Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe, and the rabbis who guided him personally—teachers who demonstrated that greatness requires persistence, effort, and “no shortcuts.”  

The discussion then turns to Elul and the High Holiday journey. Rabbi Wolbe reframes yirah not simply as fear, but as the ability to see clearly, understand our lives, and place everything into proper perspective. On Rosh Hashanah, we sit at Hashem’s “boardroom table” without intermediaries and ask for another year. The forty days from Elul through Yom Kippur allow us to become a new creation, while Sukkot teaches us to step away from material comfort and establish Hashem—not possessions, money, or technology—as the center of our lives. 

Real spiritual growth, however, cannot be built on dramatic, unsustainable leaps. It begins with a direct and genuine relationship with Hashem, followed by one manageable step: understanding one line of prayer, improving one character trait, or creating a consistent connection with a rabbi. A person who wants guidance must actively pursue it rather than waiting for inspiration or mentorship to arrive conveniently.  

Finally, Rabbi Wolbe teaches that struggle is not evidence of failure—it is evidence that we are alive and growing. Hashem crafts each person’s challenges as opportunities for elevation. We are not meant to imitate another person, rely passively on an illustrious family history, or believe that material success will eliminate life’s difficulties. There is only one version of each of us, and our responsibility is to use our unique circumstances, gifts, and challenges to become the person Hashem created us to be.

Originally Produced and Published by Chazaq Torah Talks #117 (Queens, NY) and re-published by TORCH with permission.
Watch @ www.Chazaq.org/Live / Listen @ jewishpodcasts.fm/chazaq
_____________
This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by Peter & Becky Botvin
This Episode is dedicated in Honor of Peter & Becky Botvin

Recorded at Chazaq HQ in Queens, NY on August 3, 2023, in Houston, Texas.
Released as Podcast on August 30, 2023
_____________
Listen, Subscribe & Share: 

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jewish-inspiration-podcast-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1476610783
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4r0KfjMzmCNQbiNaZBCSU7) to stay inspired! 

Share your questions at [email protected] 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: [email protected]

_____________

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 More
Other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: 

• NEW!! Hey Rabbi! Podcast: https://heyrabbi.transistor.fm/episodes
• Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodes
• Jewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodes
• Parsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodes
• Living Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodes
• Thinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodes
• Unboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodes
• Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodes

For a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.orgv

_____________
Keywords:
#JewishInspiration, #Mussar, #MasterClass, #Elul, #RoshHashanah, #YomKippur, #HighHolidays, #Teshuvah, #Shofar, #40days

In this episode of the Parsha Review Podcast, Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe explores Parshas Ki Savo, the seventh portion in the Book of Deuteronomy, focusing on Deuteronomy 26:11, which instructs the Jewish people to rejoice in all the goodness given by Hashem, including to their households, the Levites, and converts. Rabbi Wolbe, citing the Orachaim HaKadosh, emphasizes that this "goodness" refers to the Torah, described as sweeter than honey, capable of transforming negative traits like arrogance or anger into positive ones, as it extracts impurities, much like honey purifies non-kosher items over time. He shares personal anecdotes, such as his excitement at understanding Talmud for the first time at age 15, and stories of great sages like the Steipler, who survived freezing conditions through immersion in Torah study, and Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, whose Torah focus influenced even physical phenomena like a flickering light at his passing.

Rabbi Wolbe underscores the Torah’s transformative power, urging listeners to engage with its living, relevant teachings daily, as exemplified by his grandfather’s advice to study a verse before leaving home to shield against temptation. He connects the parsha to current events, noting the Torah’s status as a "tree of life" that energizes and elevates, encouraging listeners to embrace its sweetness with passion and commitment, especially during Elul, and concludes with a blessing for deeper Torah connection.
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This episode (Ep 7.46) of the Parsha Review Podcast by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe on Parshas Ki Savo is dedicated in honor of our Holy Soldiers in the Battlefield and our Torah Scholars in the Study Halls who are fighting for the safety of our nation!

• Download & Print the Parsha Review Notes:
  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ncaRyoH5iJmGGoMZs9y82Hz2ofViVouv?usp=sharing

Recorded at TORCH Meyerland in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on September 9, 2025, in Houston, Texas.
Released as Podcast on September 11, 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 [email protected] 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: [email protected]
_____________

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/episodes
• Jewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodes
• Parsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodes
• Living Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodes
• Thinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodes
• Unboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodes
• Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodes

For a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.org
_____________

Keywords:
#Torah, #Parsha, #Deuteronomy, #TorahStudy, #Sweetness, #Honey, #Transformative, #PassionateLove, #Energy, #Wisdom

Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe opens with the language of judgment, indictments, and mugshots to describe the approaching day of Rosh Hashanah. Yet the heavenly courtroom is unlike any human court. We will stand individually before Hashem without attorneys, representatives, or excuses—but instead of entering the day in despair, we dress in our finest clothing, enjoy festive meals, and celebrate. Rosh Hashanah is both a day of judgment and a joyful coronation of Hashem as King.

The joy comes from knowing who the Judge is. Hashem is not a distant or biased human judge; He is the merciful King of kings who wants us to merit life, blessing, and success. Our task during Elul is to arrive with a plan: a thoughtful blueprint for the person we intend to become. The fear of Rosh Hashanah is therefore not merely terror. The Hebrew word yirah also points toward perspective—the recognition that despite technology’s illusion of control, Hashem alone governs the world.

The Ten Days of Repentance then become a practical opportunity to demonstrate change. Each day of the week appears during that period, allowing us to show how our Sundays, Mondays, Shabbos observance, and ordinary routines will be different in the coming year. Hashem does not ask for vague promises; He asks us to put our resolutions into action.

Rabbi Wolbe concludes by redefining success. Success is not simply wealth, status, or fame. True success means reaching our spiritual potential, strengthening our marriages and families, contributing to our community, refining our character, and deepening our connection with Hashem. The High Holidays invite us to prepare seriously, celebrate confidently, and ask for a year of genuine abundance in everything that truly matters.

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This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by Peter & Becky Botvin
This Episode is dedicated in Honor of Steve & Sandra Finkelman

Recorded at TORCH Centre in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on August 29, 2023, in Houston, Texas.
Released as Podcast on August 30, 2023
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Listen, Subscribe & Share: 

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jewish-inspiration-podcast-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1476610783
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4r0KfjMzmCNQbiNaZBCSU7) to stay inspired! 

Share your questions at [email protected] or visit torchweb.org for more Torah content.  
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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: [email protected]

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Listen More
Other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: 

• NEW!! Hey Rabbi! Podcast: https://heyrabbi.transistor.fm/episodes
• Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodes
• Jewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodes
• Parsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodes
• Living Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodes
• Thinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodes
• Unboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodes
• Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodes

For a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.orgv

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Keywords:
#JewishInspiration, #Mussar, #MasterClass, #Elul, #RoshHashanah, #YomKippur, #HighHolidays, #Teshuvah, #Shofar, #40days

Unlock the timeless lessons of gratitude embedded in Parsha's Ki Savo, on this week's Parsha Review Podcast. Learn why offering the first fruits of your harvest is a profound gesture of thanks to Hashem, and hear a poignant story about a wealthy man and his ungrateful son that perfectly illustrates the importance of recognizing the true source of our blessings. I'll also share a personal anecdote about my own tradition of expressing gratitude, proving that it's never too late to say "thank you."

Join us as we explore the significance of Abraham's hospitality and the critical lesson his delegation of a seemingly minor task imparts to us today. Discover how even small actions can lead to significant divine teachings, such as the Israelites obtaining water from a rock. Through these stories, we highlight the importance of acknowledging all blessings as gifts from Hashem and maintaining a proper perspective on our achievements. Reflect with us on these profound teachings and their practical implications for our daily lives.
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This episode (Ep 6.49) of the Parsha Review Podcast by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe on Parshas Ki Savo is dedicated in Honor of Eli Banks & in honor of our Holy Soldiers in the Battlefield and our Torah Scholars in the Study Halls who are fighting for the safety of our nation!

• Download & Print the Parsha Review Notes:
  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ncaRyoH5iJmGGoMZs9y82Hz2ofViVouv?usp=sharing

Recorded in the Torchwood Center - Levin Family Studio to a live audience on September 24, 2024, in Houston, Texas.
Released as Podcast on September 24, 2024
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DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!
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SUBSCRIBE and LISTEN to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: 

• NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodes
• Jewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodes
• Parsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.tansistor.fm/episodes
• Living Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodes
• Thinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodes
• Unboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodes
• Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodes

For a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at https://www.TORCHpodcasts.com

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EMAIL your questions, comments, and feedback: [email protected]
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Please visit www.torchweb.org to see a full listing of our outreach and educational resources available in the Greater Houston area!