Torah 101
Torah 101 is aptly described as “an intellectual’s introduction to Torah.” If you are a person who wants to understand the foundations of Torah in a logical and cogent fashion, if you don’t want to subsist with the juvenile perception of Torah of your youth, if you want to wrestle with the deeper questions of theology, eschatology, theodicy, and Jewish philosophy, Torah 101 is the podcast for you. We will delve into the weighty topics in Jewish philosophy: the divinity of Torah: the interrelationship of Written and Oral Torah, the multidimensionality of Torah, a critical examination of Bible criticism, Torah and Science, why bad things happen to good people, and we will thoroughly explore Maimonides’ Thirteen Principles of Jewish Faith.
1 Sep 2025
#101: Third Order of Mishnah (Women)
This episode delves into the Third Order of the Mishnah, Nashim, which concerns laws relating to women, marriage, and vows, and includes discussions on levirate marriages, suspected adultery, and nazirite vows. The host provides a detailed overview of various tractates, exploring themes of marital contracts and the complexities of Talmudic law.
11 Aug 2025
#100: Second Order of Mishnah (Festivals)
Exploring the second order of the Mishnah, known as Moed, this episode offers an extensive overview of the 12 tractates that discuss the Jewish festivals and Shabbat. The host delves into the details of each tractate, explaining their significance and the intricate laws associated with each festival.
21 Jul 2025
#99: First Order of Mishnah (Planting)
Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon's introduction to the Mishnah serves as a detailed guide to the structuring and categorization of Jewish oral laws. The episode explores the reasoning behind the organization of the Mishnah into six orders, with particular focus on the first order, Zeroyim, which pertains to agricultural laws.
7 Jul 2025
#98: Components of Oral Torah
The episode delves into Rambam's introduction to the Mishnah, detailing the five components of Oral Torah, elucidating the distinction between Halacha L'Moshe Misinai and other laws derived from the written Torah. By tracing the history and evolution of these components from Moshe to Rabbi Judah the Prince, the episode highlights the role of disputes in Talmudic studies and addresses misconceptions about these disagreements.
16 Jun 2025
#97: Real and Fraudulent Prophecy
The episode delves into Rambam's introduction to Mishnah, focusing on differentiating legitimate prophets from false ones, highlighting four categories of prophecy and methods for validation. The precise nature of real prophecy and its limited role in shaping Torah law after Moshe is emphasized, with key examples illustrating these principles.
8 Jun 2025
#96: Origins of Oral Torah
Rabbi Wolbe delves into the foundational elements of Oral Torah, discussing its unique coexistence with the Written Torah as mandated by divine perfection and necessity. Using the teachings of Maimonides, he explores the historical context, the methodologies of transmission from Moses to later generations, and the delicate balance of oral traditions amidst the commitment to halachic integrity.
14 May 2025
#95: Venues of Reward and Punishment
Rabbi Wolbe delves into the complexities of reward and punishment in Jewish theology, especially as articulated by the Rambam in his commentary on the Mishnah. The podcast explores the ultimate rewards of Olam Haba, contrasting them with other forms of spiritual and physical rewards and punishments, including messianic times and the concept of Gan Eden and Gehenom.
7 May 2025
#94: The (Near Total) Inaccessibility of Spiritual Pleasure
The episode explores Rambam's essay on eschatology, delving into spiritual pleasures and their inaccessibility to the body. It discusses how these pleasures surpass physical ones, emphasizing the role of the soul and the pursuit of truth for attaining ultimate reward in Olam Abba.
18 Mar 2025
#93: Ultimate Reward and Punishment: Rambam’s Magisterial Essay Part 1 + TORCH Fundraiser
This episode delves into Rambam's foundational essay on reward and punishment, detailing various views on the afterlife and highlighting the confusion surrounding these concepts. It emphasizes the importance of interpreting religious texts with depth and cautions against simplistic interpretations, encouraging a pursuit of understanding that is aligned with deeper truths rather than mere literal interpretations.
10 Mar 2025
#92: World of Souls + 2025 TORCH Fundraiser
Yaakov Wolbe discusses the Sefer HaChinuch, examining the foundations of Jewish faith, including the concepts of the World to Come, the role of suffering, and the Oral Torah. He explains that the Sefer HaChinuch offers concise insights into these concepts, which are essential for understanding Judaism's theological underpinnings.
5 Mar 2025
#91: The Purpose of Torah + Annual TORCH Fundraiser
Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe discusses the purpose of the Torah and its role in elevating humanity from a purely animalistic existence to one aligned with divine and spiritual principles. As part of a fundraising appeal, he emphasizes the importance of supporting TORCH's educational initiatives to help disseminate Torah teachings worldwide.
24 Feb 2025
#90: Testimony at Sinai
The episode explores the Sinai Revelation as an unparalleled historical event where God revealed Himself to the Israelites, creating a mass testimony that underpins Jewish faith. Rabbi Walby discusses the Sefer HaChinuch's introduction, emphasizing the importance of collective witness and tradition in establishing religious truth.
17 Feb 2025
#89: Where Atheists Go Wrong
The episode explores the intersection of atheism, belief, and bias, focusing on the idea that heresy originates not in the mind but in the heart. Drawing on Rabbi Elchanan Wasserman's essay, it argues that belief in God is self-evident to those free from biases and that atheism stems from emotional rather than intellectual roots.
24 Jun 2024
#88: Unresolved Mysteries of Resurrection
Completing the exploration of Rambam's 13 principles of faith, the discussion here centers on the mysteries of resurrection, touching on unresolved questions and varied rabbinic opinions. This episode examines differing interpretations of resurrection, including its relation to reincarnation, the fate of Gentiles, and speculative views on how the Jewish eschatological narrative might unfold.
20 May 2024
#87: The Timeline of Resurrection
The podcast delves into the complex topic of resurrection based on Jewish eschatological beliefs as outlined in the teachings of Maimonides and other sources. It explores the timeline from the Messianic era through the resurrection, touching upon fundamental disagreements and interpretations, with a focus on the gradual transition from the physical to the spiritual world.
20 Mar 2024
#86: The Nature of the Ultimate Resurrection + TORCH Campaign
The TORCH organization is currently running a fundraising campaign to support the TORAH 101 Podcast and other Jewish outreach and educational efforts. In a recent podcast episode, the concept of resurrection for eternal life in Olam Haba is discussed, likened to restoring humanity to the state of Adam and Eve before their sin. The episode delves into the distinctions pre and post-sin, and the criteria for resurrecting in a similar divine and eternal form. Listeners are encouraged to donate to TORCH to aid in their educational initiatives.
12 Mar 2024
#85: The Point of Resurrection + TORCH Fundraising Campaign
The TORCH organization is currently holding a fundraising campaign to support the TORAH 101 Podcast, emphasizing that all donations will be doubled during this matching campaign. In a podcast discussion, the concept of resurrection is explored regarding its goal and starting point, shedding light on the road to achieving a positive resurrection. Listeners are encouraged to contribute to TORCH's Jewish outreach and educational initiatives to help further their mission.
14 Feb 2024
#84: Rambam’s Epistle of Resurrection
In this episode, Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe discusses Maimonides' epistle on resurrection, explaining that there were questions and doubts about Maimonides' views during his lifetime. To address these concerns, Maimonides wrote a lengthy letter explaining his position. The epistle is helpful for gaining a deeper understanding of the subject of resurrection. The episode also includes a request for donations to support Jewish outreach and educational efforts.
29 Jan 2024
#83: The Nature of the Preliminary Resurrection
In this podcast episode, the discussion revolves around the nature of resurrection in Judaism. The episode explores the differences and similarities between the two types of resurrection mentioned in previous episodes, and also addresses the concept of righteous individuals being considered alive even after death. The contradictions between the Talmud and Rambam's principles are also examined. The episode offers a new perspective on understanding the initial resurrection in the times of the Messiah, but acknowledges that it requires active listening and multiple listens to fully grasp. Ultimately, the aim of the podcast series "Torah 101" is to provide educational and outreach efforts in Jewish studies.
22 Jan 2024
#82: Messianic Resurrection
In this podcast, the topic of discussion is the resurrection of the righteous in the Messianic times. It is believed that with the arrival of the Messiah, the righteous will be resurrected. There are two types of resurrection, and it is established in Jewish literature that all the righteous, both those buried within the land and outside of it, will return. The podcast explores the nature of these resurrections.