Death is a future that we all share. What happens after someone dies depends on the life they lived. If they were righteous they merit entry to Olam Haba. When is Olam Haba and how is it related to the resurrection of the dead? What is the link between this world and the next one? Listen to learn why dwelling on our own demise and its aftermath can help us live a more meaningful life.

Source Sheet: Journey to Eternity Source Sheet

Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai tasked his five students with an interesting mission. He instructed them to go and find which path should a person cling to. They went and researched and returned, each with a different formula. What exactly is the goal of such an experiment? What does an evil eye mean and how does it affect our lives? Join us as we explore this wide ranging and fascinating mishna with poignant lessons that are relevant to us.

Documents mentioned in lecture:

Torah Pyramid

Chain of Transmission

Who are you? That unusual question is an example of what we ought to be asking ourselves if we seek character perfection and ethical refinement, says Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (Ramchal) in his short book “derech eitz chaim”. The truth is that it is a bit more difficult to answer than we would imagine. But if we do not know what we are how can we attempt to construct a plan to achieve that perfection. In this podcast we examine the building blocks of man and build a model of a life tailored for that.

Jewish sources are unanimous: by observing the mitzvahs a Jew merit entry to Olam Haba. Less clear is how exactly that works. In this podcast we explore the three different approaches outlined in various sources in Jewish writings.

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The Mishna (Chapters of the Fathers 3:5) declares: רבי נחוניה בן הקנה אומר, כל המקבל עליו עול תורה, מעבירין ממנו עול מלכות ועול דרך ארץ; וכל הפורק ממנו עול תורה, נותנין עליו עול מלכות ועול דרך ארץ. “Rabbi Nechunya ben Hakana says: whoever accepts upon themselves the yoke of Torah, the yoke of the kingdom and the yoke of the way of the land is removed from him; and whoever casts off the yoke of Torah, the yoke of the kingdom and the yoke of the way of the land is placed upon him.” What are the lessons contained in this cryptic message?

The Talmud and related rabbinic writings are replete with disagreements that impact  the practical application of Torah, known as Halacha. What are the safety ordinances to prevent the perversion of Halachic practice? Is it possible that over the course of history something went awry and there is some element of Halacha that was forgotten or corrupted along the way and from thenceforth we are observing in error? In this 23rd and final talk in this series on Torah we explore the role and responsibility of the Sanhedrin, the longest lasting Jewish central authority institution; learn about the most famous and tragic episode of Halachic conflict; and ponder the fascinating but puzzling theme of אלו ואלו דברי אלהים חיים – the notion that both sides of a mutually exclusive argument can, in a certain sense, be correct.

Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 23

A universally accepted principle of Judaism is that the Almighty gives reward for observance of Torah and mitzvos and punishment for their nonobservance. What exactly that reward and punishment consist of is a great unknown to most. In this first of three podcasts on the subject we investigate some puzzling sources regarding Olam Haba – the next world. What is this world all about? Why is it worthy of being the venue for reward? Why ought we yearn to be included in the fraternity of the righteous who merit access to that world?

OlamHabaSourceSheets

Previously (see HERE) we have elaborated on the 1500 years of uninterrupted conveyance of the Oral Torah in its entirety from one generation to the next. Towards the end of the second century of the common era a fateful decision was made to commit the Jewish Law, known as Mishna, to writing. This began a multi-century undertaking, in a certain respect is still ongoing, to write down all of Oral Torah. What prompted this reversal of tradition? What unique conditions were present at that time that enabled these projects to fruition? How did the architects of these monumental and magisterial works infuse the written Oral Torah with the same flavor that was present prior when the Oral Torah was yet unwritten?

Core Beliefs of Judaism with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe – Torah Part 22

The great sage of the Mishnaic era, Rabbi Akiva, taught that the mitzvah of loving your fellow as yourself is a great principle of Torah. Can this mitzvah be understood that we are obligated to love everyone with the same degree of love that we have for ourselves or perhaps does loving your fellow as yourself refer to something much deeper? In this talk we seek to understand this mitzvah and its far reaching ramifications that span the length and breadth of all of Torah.

In this podcast we explore several contemporary halachic dilemmas relation to business competition and disclosures. What are the parameters of opening a business establishment in an area or industry that will cripple or eliminate competitors? How much of the defects in a product or service must a seller disclose? Can someone deceive potential employers by dyeing their hair to appear younger when interviewing for a position?