All Episodes
Displaying 1 - 20 of 910 in total
Parsha: Vayishlach - When Hairy met Srully (5784)
Jacob and Esau last saw each other 34 years prior. 34 years ago, Jacob, upon the explicit and prophetically inspired instruction of his mother, usurped the blessings r...
The Rocky Path of Ascent
We all want to ascend to great heights. We all hope that we can accomplish our potential and unlock our opportunities. We all yearn for self-actualization and developm...
Parshas Vayishlach (Rebroadcast)
After successfully escaping the clutches of his deceptive father in law, Laban, Jacob heads back west to the Land of Canaan, and back to his family. The journey back h...
Parsha: Vayeitzei - Red and White Blew it
Jacob was one of the greatest people who have ever lived. He triumphed over angels. He had angels do his bidding. His visage is etched into God's throne of glory. He i...
Parsha: Vayeitzei - Rock and Roll (5784)
Jacob undergoes a meteoric transformation in our Parsha. At the onset, Jacob is a 77-year-old penniless bachelor fleeing from his brother Esau's wrath. When the Pasha ...
The Three Types of Disciples
Nothing is as critical to one's spiritual development as to finding our a good teacher.A good teacher can educate, can inform, can direct, can inspire, can place a stu...
Parshas Vayeitzei (Rebroadcast)
Parshas Vayeitzei follows Jacob as he is fleeing from his murderous brother Esau and travels to Charan to the house of Laban, his wily and deceptive uncle, and marries...
Parsha: Toldos - Infertile Crescent
Why were the patriarchs and matriarchs infertile? Why did Isaac favor Esau? Why did Isaac require delicacies to bless Esau? Why does the Torah offer an extended narrat...
Parsha: Toldos - Smoking Camels (5784)
Two very different boys are born in this week's Parsha. Esau, the older one, is ruddy and hairy and looking for trouble. Jacob, the younger one, is wholesome and right...
Wrestling with Innate, Unchangeable flaws: The Keturah Method
Our character traits fall into three categories:The ones that are easily changeable with minimal effort.The ones that can be changed, but it requires much more intense...
Parshas Toldos (Rebroadcast)
In Parshas Toldos we meet twin boys that are polar opposites: Esau, beloved by his father Isaac, is a man of the fields; while Jacob is loved by his mother Rebecca and...
Parsha: Chayei Sarah - Age of the Matriarchs
Sarah lived a relatively long life. She passed away at the age of 127 after learning about the Binding of Isaac. Our Parsha begins with her passing, eulogy, and burial...
Parsha: Chayei Sarah - Buried Alive (5784)
Sarah died at the age of 127. Abraham negotiated with the Hittites for the purchase of a burial plot, the Cave of Machpelah. The objective of the purchase of the Cave ...
Living a Torah Life (Alei Shur Introduction to The First Gate)
Torah is not supposed to be a detached, academic study. The Almighty gave us a Torah as the authoritative guide for living the most elevated and rich life possible. Th...
Parshas Chayei Sarah (Rebroadcast)
Some of the highlights of this week’s parsha: Immediately after the Binding of Isaac, Sarah passed away at the age of 127, and soon afterward Abraham had to procure a ...
Parsha: Vayeira - Sodium and Gomorrah
Abraham was the paragon of faith. He was also the paragon of kindness and hospitality. When he was 99 years old and only three days removed from a very painful and deb...
Parsha: Vayeira - Abraham Abraham (5784)
On the second day of Rosh Hashanah each year we read chapter 22 of Genesis, the Binding of Isaac episode. Abraham is instructed to take his beloved son Isaac and offer...
Bonus Talmud Lecture - Parental Obligations
I was asked to give a Talmud class in the TORCH center. The subject matter is the obligation of a father to circumcise his son. If you want to get a bit of a flavor of...
The Walled Garden of Torah (Alei Shur Introduction)
A thick wall separates the world of Torah from the world outside of it. Those who are outside have no concept of the wondrous nature of that world. Even people who are...
Parshas Vayeira (Rebroadcast)
This week’s parsha features several iconic episodes: Abraham was visited by God as he was recuperating from his circumcision, and concurrently engaged in superlative k...