Parsha with Rabbi David Bibi

JewishPodcasts.fm
  • 5.0 (14)
  • JUDAISM
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Join as we explore the weekly parasha from a Kabbalistic perspective and attempt to simplify the secrets of the Torah

  1. 22H AGO

    We Are What We Do — Why the Torah Shapes the Soul Through Mitzvot P esach

    The wise son asks the most thoughtful question of the Seder: Why so many mitzvot? Why all the rituals, details, and commandments connected to the Exodus from Egypt? The Haggadah answers with an unexpected halachah: “Ein maftirin achar haPesach afikoman.” In this morning's breakfast and a class we uncover the profound message behind that answer. Through the teachings of the Sefer HaChinuch and classic sources from Chazal, we explore how Judaism transforms a person through action — and why the Torah insists that redemption be not only remembered, but reenacted.

    12 min

  2. 1D AGO

    The Small Aleph — Shrinking the “I” to Hear the Voice of Hashem - VaYikra

    This week’s parashah VaYikra opens with a tiny detail that carries a powerful message. The small aleph in the word וַיִּקְרָא has fascinated Torah scholars for generations. Why would Moshe Rabbeinu — the greatest prophet who ever lived — intentionally make the letter smaller? In this morning’s breakfast and a class, inspired by a teaching often shared by Rabbi Abittan זצ״ל, we explore the insight of the Baal HaTurim, the humility of Moshe, and what that small aleph reveals about one of the greatest spiritual struggles we face: the expanding “I.” Through Torah sources, stories from Chazal, and a remarkable contemporary story, we discover how shrinking the ego allows us to hear the voice of Hashem more clearly. Sometimes the greatest spiritual achievement is not becoming bigger — but learning to make the aleph small.

    18 min

  3. 5D AGO

    Seeing Hashem’s Hand When Life Makes No Sense - Vayakhel Pikudei

    Parsha with Rabbi David Bibi

    9 min

  4. 6D AGO

    The Camp After the Calf — How Moshe Drove the Satan Out and Rebuilt Israel - VaYakhel

    What really happened in the camp of Israel after the sin of the Golden Calf? The Torah opens Parashat Vayaqhel with a seemingly simple line: “Moshe assembled the entire congregation of the children of Israel.” But according to the Or HaḤayim and the Zohar, this was not just a speech or a construction meeting for the Mishkan. It was something far more dramatic. Even after the sin had been forgiven and the second tablets had been given, a dangerous spiritual residue still hovered over the camp. The prosecuting force—the Satan—still had standing among the people. Moshe understood that before Israel could build a sanctuary for the Shekhinah, the nation itself had to be rebuilt. In this class we explore how Moshe reorganized the camp step by step—through gathering, discipline, boundaries, generosity, and holy order—transforming a nation that had collapsed into chaos into a people worthy of divine presence. Drawing on the Zohar, the Or HaḤayim, Midrash, and Talmud, we uncover how the Mishkan became not just a building but a repair of creation itself. The lesson is as relevant today as it was in the desert: holiness does not return through inspiration alone. It returns through structure, responsibility, and the rebuilding of a camp—and a life—where the Shekhinah can dwell.

    56 min

  5. MAR 9

    The Lion Awoke Again — From Refuge to Power to Purpose

    Something extraordinary is unfolding in Jewish history — something deeper than politics, deeper than headlines, deeper even than war. In this morning's class, “The Lion Awoke Again — From Refuge to Power to Purpose,” we explore a powerful idea articulated by Nir Menussi and shared by Rabbi Yoseph Geisinsky: that the return of the Jewish people to their land is unfolding in three historicstages. First came refuge — a wounded people seeking safety after centuries ofexile, persecution, and the unspeakable trauma of the Holocaust. Then camepower — the realization that survival alone is not enough, and that Israel nowstands as a central force reshaping the Middle East. But even that is not thefinal stage.  Through the lens of Torah, Hazal, and Jewish history, this morning’s class asks thedeeper question: What is Israel ultimately meant to become? Drawing on sourcesfrom Bil‘am’s prophecy of the rising lion, the midnight harp of David HaMelekh,the silence of Ḥizkiyahu after his miraculous salvation, and the timelessvision of the prophets, we explore the possibility that the Jewish people arebeing pushed toward their true mission — not merely to survive or to wieldpower, but to become a beacon of Torah, faith, and blessing for the entireworld. The lion has awakened again — but the real question of our generation iswhat kind of lion it will become.

    18 min

  6. MAR 8

    When the Prosecutor Became the Builder — The Secret of Betzalel Vayakhel Pikudei

    When the Prosecutor Became the Builder — The Secret of Betzalel In the aftermath of the sin of the Golden Calf, the nation of Israel carried more than guilt for idolatry. According to the Midrash, they also carried the terrible burden of having murdered Ḥur — the man who stood up and tried to stop them. Yet only a short time later, when the Mishkan is finally built, Moshe introduces its master builder with a striking genealogy: “בְּצַלְאֵל בֶּן־אוּרִי בֶן־חוּר.” Why does the Torah insist on reminding us who his grandfather was? The Arizal, cited by the Shvilei Pinchas, reveals a breathtaking answer: HaShem deliberately chose the grandson of the man they killed to build His sanctuary. In doing so, He showed the nation that the very place of accusation could become the place of healing — that the prosecutor himself had become the advocate. In this morning's breakfast and a class we explore the extraordinary spiritual chain that runs from Miriam to Ḥur to Betzalel — a family whose defining trait was the courage to stand for truth even when success seemed impossible. From Miriam challenging the leader of the generation, to Ḥur confronting a violent mob, to Betzalel building the Mishkan with divine wisdom, the Torah teaches that redemption is often born from the very wounds of failure. The Mishkan was not only a structure of gold and wood — it was the transformation of guilt into repair, and the proof that when one generation stands for what is right, another generation may be chosen to rebuild the world.

    8 min

  7. MAR 5

    The 720-Hour War — From Purim to Pesach and the Hidden Battle With Amalek

    The 720-Hour War — From Purim to Pesach and the Hidden Battle With Amalek  Why does the Gemara instruct us to begin studying the laws of Pesach exactly thirty days before the festival—a date that lands precisely on Purim? Is this merely practical preparation, or is something deeper unfolding within the Jewishcalendar?    Drawing on a remarkable teaching of רבי צבי אלימלך מדינוב, the בני יששכר, this morning\'s breakfast and a class reveals that the thirty days between Purim and Pesach contain exactly 720 hours—corresponding to three spiritual battles against עמלק, whose numerical value equals 240. These days form a hidden campaign fought in the realms of thought, speech, and action, a struggle against doubt, cynicism, and spiritual cooling. Purim quietly begins the battle; Pesach reveals the victory.   From Midrashic parables about Amalek “cooling the boiling bath,” to the Zohar’sinsight into the deeper meaning of חמץ, and even to the way history itselfunfolds in hidden chains of events—much like the story of Megillat Esther—thisclass explores how the war against Amalek continues in every generation. Onlyin hindsight do we begin to see the Divine hand guiding events. The question iswhether we can recognize the pattern while we are living through it.

    23 min

  8. MAR 3

    After the Megillah — The Real Work of Purim Begins

    After the Megillah — The Real Work of Purim Begins The Megillah has been read. The noise has faded. Now what? In this powerful Purim morning class, we step beyond the costumes and the wine and ask the uncomfortable question: why do so many of us experience Purim — and remain exactly the same? Drawing from Ḥazal, the Ramban, the Rambam, and the living fire of Rav Shalom Arush’s teaching of radical “todah,” this episode lays out a clear, demanding path for how to live one Purim day that actually shifts something inside you. From uprooting “mikreh” and training your eye to see hashgaḥah, to turning the Megillah into personal Hallel, to using Purim as a 24-hour open gate for tefillah, to drinking like a Jew and not like a Persian — this is not inspiration for children. It is a serious avodah plan for adults who want their Purim to matter. If you have ever felt that Purim comes and goes too quickly, this conversation will show you how to make one day echo for a lifetime.

    29 min
See All (590)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

Join as we explore the weekly parasha from a Kabbalistic perspective and attempt to simplify the secrets of the Torah

Information

You Might Also Like