Shows / The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
The Ethics Podcast is dedicated to exploring the authoritative book of Jewish Ethics, the Book of Mishnah titled “Ethics of our Fathers”. This book, called “Pirkei Avos” in Hebrew, is nearly 2,000 years old, and it is a compendium of the ethical aphorisms of the great Sages of Jewish history circa 300 BCE – 200 CE. Each episode begins with a biographical sketch of the Mishnah’s author culled from the Mishnaic, Talmudic, and Midrashic Literature, and shares some of the timeless lessons and…
Episodes
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Etched in Stone (4:25)
Elisha Ben Avuyah was one of the greatest Sages with the potential to being a historic legend of Jewish history on par with Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues. But…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Benediction Malediction (4:24)
Shmuel HaKattan was one of the legends of Jewish history. The Talmud testifies on him that had his generation been worthy, he would have been a full-fledged…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Angry and Irrational (4:23)
Who controls a person? That is arguably the most important question there is. As Jews we are trained to adopt the Almighty God as our Master. With the Creator…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
An Invitation to The Afterlife (4:21-2)
We all recognize that we will eventually die. Each of us know that there will come a point in time where our body and Soul separate and go their own way. The…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Lion’s Tail (4:20)
The author of this Mishnah served as the rabbi of Rome. While all his colleagues were coalesced together in the great Torah centers of Israel, Rabbi Masya Ben…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Environment Makes the Man (4:18)
Rabbi Elazar Ben Aruch was the most promising student of Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai. Unfortunately, his potential was not actualized, and in fact he forgot his…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Theodicy Today (4:19)
The blissful existence of the wicked and the suffering of the righteous raise difficult questions for the believer: If God is in total control of all that…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Crowning Achievements (4:17)
In our most ideal state, the Jewish Nation is described as “A Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation.” We are all Kings! The Talmud teaches that in…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Precise Teaching (4:16)
Accidents happen. Generally speaking, the Torah overlooks things that happen unintentionally. If someone accidentally sins, the Almighty forgives him. Yet the…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Upgrading Honor (4:15)
How ought we treat subordinates, peers, and superiors? In this intriguing Mishnah we learn that we tend to undervalue others and consequently accord them…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
An Enduring Union (4:14)
The Sages of yore were absolute Torah giants, of course, but many also balanced their scholastic responsibilities with earning a livelihood. Our particular…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Heavenly Headlines (4:13)
What are the consequences of our behavior? What difference does it make if someone does a mitzvah or a sin? In this landmark teaching in Pirkei Avos we learn…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Making Torah a Priority (4:12)
Rabbi Meir is one of the most significant personalities in Jewish history. He was one of the five surviving students of Rabbi Akiva, and the one whose notes…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Getting Rich Doing What You Love (4:11)
Which is a greater inhibitor of Torah study, being rich or being poor? You would imagine that both conditions would distract someone from dedicating their time…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Judicial Restraint (4:9-10)
Justice is one of the three things that perpetuate the world. But should one strive to be a judge? In this very interesting Mishnah, the brainchild of a…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Honoring Torah (4.8)
Rabbi Yose was one of the most important and prolific Jewish figures of the 2nd Century. There are literally hundreds of stories and teachings of his in the…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Torah Misappropriation (4:7)
Our nation is blessed to be privy to the Almighty’s Torah. Those who immerse themselves in the Torah’s vast seas are the choicest and most…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Life-Extending Teaching (4:6)
What does it take to teach Torah effectively? What are the immense benefits of studying Torah with great diligence? What are the different modes of Torah study…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Sanctification or Vacuum (4:5)
If our life’s mission would be distilled down to one idea it would be Kiddush Hashem (Sanctification of God’s Name). The opposite of Kiddush Hashem…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Extreme Measures (4:4)
My wise grandmother, of blessed memory, used to quip, “Everything in moderation.” That sagacious advice is, in fact, the backbone of Rambam’s…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
The Critical Hour (4:3)
How valuable is an hour of time? How much of a person’s life can be changed in one hour? In this mishna, Ben Azzai teaches us the power of a single hour…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Miracle Drugs and Superfoods (4:2)
Something dramatic happens when the Soul is fed. It is empowered and its place in a person’s identity is augmented, and concurrently the Yetzer Hara’s…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise (4:1)
Does it make sense to take pride in one’s intellect, fitness, or wealth? Our Sages teach us that those things are determined before someone is born, and…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Complex Calculations (3:23)
What is the relationship between Torah and secular disciplines such as astronomy mathematics? In a pithy and cryptic teaching, Rabbi Elazar Chisma – a…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Preconditions to Torah (3:21-22)
Torah is unlike any other discipline. Every other discipline can be acquired without preconditions; Torah can only be unlocked by someone who has successfully…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Hotel Incidentals (3:20)
In his fourth and final teaching, Rabbi Akiva shares a powerful and serious parable that is designed to shake us up and take life seriously but also contains…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
World Building (3:18)
In an astonishingly profound teaching, Rabbi Akiva informs us of the special role that humans have in completing the objective of the Almighty’s…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Bulletproof Fences (3:17)
Rabbi Akiva is one of the titanic figures of the Mishnaic Era. He served as the vital link transmitting the Torah that he studied from his predecessors to his…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Greeting Everyone with Joy (3:16)
Rabbi Yishmael was the scion of one of the most prestigious families of our nation and a titanic Sage of the Mishnaic Era. In this podcast we share several of…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Stairway to Heaven (3:15)
Rabbi Elazar from Modi’in shares a list of five very different things that disqualify its doer from Olam Haba. What is the connection between these five…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Alcohol in Moderation (3:14)
What are we living for? How ought we allocate our time? In this striking teaching we learn the difference between the facilitatory and things which are end…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Hens, Goats, and Bears, Oh My! (3:11-13)
Rabbi Chanina Ben Dosa was a legendary Sage who lived towards the end of the Second Temple, and the Talmud relates many miraculous and inspirational stories…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Torah To-Go (3:10)
We put much focus on Torah study and Torah acquisition, and in this mishnah we learn about the other half of Torah greatness: Torah retention, which can only…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Stockpiling Diamonds (3:9)
In an unusually sharp statement, our Sages inform us of the severity of neglecting Torah study. The flip side is also true: Torah study is unfathomably…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Charity or Piracy (3:8)
Why do we give charity? Is there a cap of 20% to how much we can give? In this mishna we learn about a striking rationale for charity, answer these questions…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Summoning God (3:7)
In Jewish literature, Torah is called the Word of God. In this mishna we learn about its ability to bridge the gap between man and his Creator. This Ethics…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Living on a Supernatural Plane (3:6)
What rules govern what happens in our lives? In this mishna we find that there are really three different realms, and that it is possible to upgrade the plane…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Nocturnal Opportunities (3:5)
Rabbi Chananya ben Chakhinai says: One who stays awake at night, and one who wanders on a road alone, and turns his heart to idleness, behold he is liable with…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Paging the Divine Presence (3:3-4)
In successive teachings, our Sages share with us a way to usher ourselves into the Presence of the Almighty. It really is that simple. This Ethics Podcast was…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Antidotes to Anarchy (3:2)
What would happen without a police force to maintain law and order? Is there any other way to prevent society from crumbling without police power? These are…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Avoiding Sin: The Authoritative Guide (3:1)
It is not often that our Sages offer us any kind of fail-safe formula. In the first mishna of the third chapter, Akaviah Ben Mehalalel provides for us a…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Do Your Job (2:20-21)
There are many excuses to shirk our spiritual responsibilities. In the final two mishnayos of Chapter 2, Rabbi Tarfon rebuts them one by one. This Ethics…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Answering the Heretics (2:19)
Rabbi Elazar Ben Arach was the prized student of Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai, but he chose to chart his own path in life and not to join the rest of his…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Relationship or Ritual? (2:18)
What is the optimal relationship between man and God? How is man supposed to view himself? These questions and several others are addressed in Chapter 2…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
The Ultimate Meritocracy (2:17) + TORCH 2025 Fundraiser
Please support the Ethics Podcast by donating to our annual fundraiser at giveTORCH.org This is our only annual fundraiser. Every donation is DOUBLED! Support…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Choose Your World (2:16) + Annual TORCH Fundraiser
Please support the Ethics Podcast by donating to our annual fundraiser at giveTORCH.org This is our only annual fundraiser. Every donation is DOUBLED! Support…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Tempering Temper (2:15)
In this Mishna, one of the most fascinating characters of the Mishnaic era teaches eternal lessons on how to deploy anger properly and how to ensure that our…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Finding Your Magic Bullet (2:13-14)
Two thousand years ago the great Sage Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai instructed his five prime disciples to undertake a unique mission. This mission and their…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Spiritual Natural Law (2:9-2:12)
Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai was the pivotal leader of the nation at a most vulnerable juncture of our history. His life story and his timeless lessons continue…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Avoiding Deathpangs (2:8)
What is really yours and what are you merely a steward over for the duration of your life? In this mishnah, Hillel reclassifies ten things by pulling away the…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Divine Karma (2:7)
In one of those life experiences we hope to never have, Hillel once encountered a skull floating on the water. His comment to that skull is enshrined in Pirkei…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
A Tourist Visa to Heaven (2:6)
In the sixth mishna of the second chapter of Pirkei Avos, Hillel the Elder delineates the six levels of distinction, the means to achieve them, and their…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Safety in Numbers (2:5)
In chapter 2 we meet Hillel the Elder again. In this mishna we learn the secret of surviving judgement, the differences between how God and man judge, and hear…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Getting God as your Advocate (2:4)
Imagine if you had God on your side in all your endeavors. Is there a better or more potent advocate? In this mishna we learn the formula how to get God to…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Forgetting to Sin (2:2-2:3)
In the second mishna of the second Chapter, Rabban Gamleil III offers some novel and surprising perspectives on work/Torah balance and avoiding sin. This…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Spiritual Cost-Benefit Analysis (2:1)
In the first mishna of the second chapter of Pirkei Avos, the great Rabbi Judah the Prince offers indispensable life guidance. Who was this transformative…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Why God Maintains the World (1:18)
The final Mishna of the first chapter sounds very similar to its second one. In it we learn the three things upon which the world endures which is quite…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
The Virtues of Silence (1:17)
The next mantle holder of the office of the Nasi, Rabban Shimon Ben Gamliel, teaches us powerful insights on how to become a greater and more perfect person…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
Remove All Doubt (1:16)
In this Mishnah, Rabban Gamliel the Elder provides us with a powerful lesson that, if observed, will empower our spiritual lives. This Ethics Podcast was…
- The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
All Action No Talk (1:15)
In this concise teaching, Shammai the Elder manages to inspire and enlighten our understanding of accomplishing human greatness. This Ethics Podcast was…