Parsha with Rabbi David Bibi

JewishPodcasts.fm
  • 4.7 (15)
  • Judaism
  • Weekly

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

  1. 10h ago

    SOULMATES: MADE IN HEAVEN, BUILT ON EARTH - Chaye Sara - The Mystery of Yitzḥak and Rivkah, the Reunion of Souls, and the Spiritual Purpose of Marriage

    SOULMATES: MADE IN HEAVEN, BUILT ON EARTH The Mystery of Yitzḥak and Rivkah, the Reunion of Souls, and the Spiritual Purpose of Marriage Who chose your husband? Was it you, your parents, a matchmaker—or was the decision made in Heaven long before either of you was born? The Gemara teaches that forty days before a child is formed, a heavenly voice announces whom that child is destined to marry. The Zohar takes us even deeper, describing husband and wife as two aspects of a single soul, separated before entering this world and destined to find one another. But if marriages are arranged in Heaven, why do some couples struggle to find each other? Why are husbands and wives often so different? And why does the Gemara compare bringing two people together to the splitting of the sea? In this fascinating class on Parashat Ḥaye Sarah, inspired by my brother Victor Bibi's Sod HaParasha, we explore the extraordinary teachings of the Zohar, the Arizal, and the Ben Ish Ḥai concerning soulmates, reincarnation, and the four possible spiritual journeys that may bring husband and wife together. Through the marriage of Yitzḥak and Rivkah, the contrasting personalities of Avraham and Sarah, and the remarkable partnership of Rabbi Akiva and Rachel, we discover that soulmates are not necessarily two people who think alike. Sometimes our differences are precisely what allow us to help one another grow. The greatest miracle of marriage may not be finding the person we were destined to marry, but discovering what we are capable of becoming together. Heaven may arrange the meeting, but building a marriage requires a lifetime of love, patience, sacrifice, and commitment. Made in Heaven. Built on Earth.

  2. 1d ago

    AND YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD A BAD DAY? Avraham’s Final Test — When Life Gives Us Every Excuse to Lose Our Patience

    We’ve all had those days. Too little sleep, too many responsibilities, unexpecteddisappointments, difficult news, and people who seem to need just one morething from us when we have absolutely nothing left to give. And then ithappens. We lose our patience. We say something we regret. And we justifyourselves with those familiar words: “You have no idea what kind of day I’vehad!” But does our suffering give us permission to make someone else suffer? Inthis week’s Breakfast & a Class, we explore a remarkable teaching from Rabbeinu Yonah, Rav Dessler, and Rabbi Yissocher Frand: Why do some of our greatest sages consider Avraham Avinu’s struggle to purchase a burial place for Sarah an even greater test than the Akeidah? What could negotiating with Efron possibly teach us about the true meaning of spiritual greatness?  This class became deeply personal when I shared an experience from just last week—a day when, after teaching Torah, attending meetings, receiving difficult news, and carrying more than I realized, I finally reached my breaking point. Theresponse from those attending was extraordinary. So many came over afterward to tell me that they saw themselves in the story. Perhaps because we all carryburdens that others cannot see, and we all struggle at times to keep thoseburdens from spilling over onto the people around us. Drawing upon theteachings of my own rabbi, Rabbi Abittan, who studied under Rav Dessler atPonevezh, we discover that self-control is not simply about controlling ouranger. It is also about recognizing our limits, understanding the struggles ofothers, and remembering that we rarely know what another person is carrying. A person’s greatness is not measured only by how much suffering he can endure, but by how little of that suffering he passes on to others. A very humanlesson from Avraham Avinu, and one that may change the way we treat the people closest to us.

  3. 3d ago

    WHERE WAS ISAAC AT SARAH’S FUNERAL? The Akeydah: A Different Perspective

    WHERE WAS ISAAC AT SARAH’S FUNERAL?The Akeydah: A Different Perspective Parashat Chayei Sarah | By Popular Request Some classes stay with us long after they are given. This is one of them. Originally recorded in 5785, this class generated an extraordinary response, with listeners continuing to reach out, asking questions and requesting that we revisit the subject. With this week's parasha, Chayei Sarah, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share it again. What began as a simple question about Yitzchak's absence from his mother's funeral led us into an extraordinary exploration of the Akeydah, uncovering a perspective found in the Midrashim, the Zohar, and the writings of our great commentators and mekubalim—a perspective very different from the story most of us learned as children. Why does the Torah tell us that Avraham returned from the Akeydah without mentioning Yitzchak? Where was Yitzchak when his mother Sarah died, and why is he absent from the account of her burial? Why does Rashi suggest that Avraham was blessed with a son only after the Akeydah, when Yitzchak was already thirty-seven years old? Why was Rivka so overwhelmed when she first saw Yitzchak in the field? And perhaps most astonishingly, why do our Sages repeatedly speak of the ashes of Yitzchak upon the altar, and what does all this have to do with the blessing of Mechayeh HaMetim, the resurrection of the dead? Join us as we explore a remarkable interpretation of one of the Torah's most familiar stories and discover how asking the right questions can open our eyes to an entirely new dimension of Torah. This is not about challenging our tradition, but about discovering just how much more there is to learn.

  4. 3d ago

    THE SATAN BEHIND US - When the Greatest Test Comes After the Mitzvah- Chayei Sarah

    THE SATAN BEHIND US  When the Greatest Test Comes After the Mitzvah — Parashat Chayei Sarah  Have you ever done something you knew was right, only to find yourself regretting it when things didn’t turn out as expected? We all recognize the Yetzer Hara who tries to stop us from performing a mitzvah. But what about the Yetzer Hara who comes afterward, whispering that perhaps we made a mistake? Drawing on the remarkable teachings of the Netivot Shalom, the Ba’al HaTurim, and the Gemara, we explore the deeper meaning of our nightly prayer, “Vehaser Satan milefanenu ume’aharenu” — asking Hashem to remove the Satan from before us and from behind us. Why does the Torah emphasize Sarah’s 127 years, and what was the Satan really trying to accomplish by connecting her death to the Akedah?  In this Sunday’s Breakfast & a Class, we discover that the greatest spiritual battles sometimes begin after the mitzvah is completed. The Yetzer Hara can attack through regret, convincing us that our sacrifices were mistakes, or through pride, persuading us that our accomplishments make us better than others. From Avraham’s response to Sarah’s passing to the Gemara’s warning about toheh al harishonot — regretting our earlier good deeds — we uncover a powerful lesson about faith,humility, and perseverance. And perhaps the most inspiring words in the entire parashah are simply “Vayakam Avraham” — Avraham got up. Despite his pain, he continued building the future. Because sometimes the greatest test isnot doing the right thing, but remaining faithful to it afterward.

  5. 5d ago

    THE THREE LAUGHS OF VAYERA: When Laughter Becomes a Mitzvah—and When It Becomes a Sin

    THE THREE LAUGHS OF VAYERA: When Laughter Becomes aMitzvah—and When It Becomes a Sin  Whatcan a simple laugh reveal about a person’s faith, character, and relationshipwith HaShem? In Parashat Vayera, the Torah uses the same three Hebrew letters—צ־ח־ק,the root of laughter—in three very different episodes. Sarah laughs when shehears that she will become a mother at ninety. Lot’s sons-in-law dismiss hiswarning about the destruction of Sedom as a joke. And Sarah sees Yishmael metzachek,behaving in a way that threatens the spiritual future of her son Yitzchak.Three expressions of laughter, three very different consequences. Whatdistinguishes the laughter of wonder and emunah from the laughter of cynicism,cruelty, and disbelief? And why did HaShem choose to name one of our patriarchsYitzchak—“he will laugh”?  Inspiredby a beautiful Devar Torah shared by my son-in-law, Daniel Reidler, in thisFriday morning’s Breakfast & a Class,we explore the teachings of the Ohr HaChaim, Malbim, Kli Yakar, and our Sagesto uncover the extraordinary spiritual power of laughter. We’ll discover whythe Gemara in Ta’anit tells us about two ordinary men who merited Olam Habasimply by bringing happiness to others and making peace between people. Alongthe way, we’ll consider a story attributed to the Chafetz Chaim about thedifference between a window and a mirror, and what it teaches us about seeingbeyond ourselves. Because laughter can be a weapon that wounds or a gift thatheals. The question isn’t whether we laugh—it’s what our laughtersays about what we believe.

  6. 5d ago

    ANGELS AMONG US — Can Angels Make Mistakes? And Who Were the Mysterious Nephilim? Vayera

    ANGELS AMONG US — Can Angels Make Mistakes? And Who Were theMysterious Nephilim?  Wespeak about angels every day. We welcome them into our homes on Friday night,mention them in our prayers, and encounter them throughout the Torah. But whatexactly is an angel? Can angels take human form? Do they eat? Do they have freewill? And can an angel actually make a mistake and be punished? In thisThursday morning’s Breakfast & a Class,we begin with the three mysterious visitors who appeared at Avraham Avinu’stent in Parashat Vayera. Drawing upon the extraordinary teachings of theRamban, Ohr HaChayim, Ben Ish Chai, and our Sages, we explore the hidden worldof the malachim,their different missions, and the astonishing Midrash describing angels whowere punished for 138 years because of the way they spoke about the destructionof Sedom.  Butperhaps the greatest mystery takes us back to the opening chapters ofBereishit, where the Torah describes the Benei HaElohimand the mysterious Nephilim. Were these powerful human rulers, or were theyactually angels who descended from Heaven and became involved with thedaughters of mankind? What does the Ramban say about this remarkable Midrash,and why does he suggest that its deeper meaning belongs to the hidden wisdom ofTorah? Join us for a fascinating journey through the Torah, Midrash, andKabbalah as we separate familiar assumptions from the teachings of our Ḥakhamim—anddiscover not only what makes angels extraordinary, but what makes human beingseven more remarkable.

  7. 6d ago

    Allah Ma’ak -THE BLESSING YOU ALMOST MISSED - Vayera

    ALLAH MA’AK — THE BLESSING YOU ALMOST MISSEDWednesday Morning’s Breakfast & a Class | 26 Minutes  Growing up, whenever we left the house, my mother would call out two simple words in Arabic: “Allah Ma'ak” — “God be with you.” And if she forgot, we would remind her! We wanted that blessing. Decades later, those words still resonate with me, and they lead us to a remarkable questionin this week’s Parashat Vayera. When Sarah, nearly ninety years old, hears that she will have a child, she laughs. But why does HaShem question her laughter? After all, she thought the prediction came from ordinary travelers! The Ramban offers an extraordinary answer: Even if Sarah couldn’t believe what she was hearing, she should have responded, “Amen! May HaShem make it happen!” From this insight, we explore the incredible power of Birkat Hedyot—the blessing of an ordinary person—and a fascinating story about the Steipler Gaon and a kiddush celebrated twenty-seven years late.   But what makes a blessing powerful? And why does the Gemara teach that the person who answers Amen may be even greater than the one who recites the blessing? In this Wednesday morning edition of Breakfast & a Class,we explore how Amen transforms us from passive listeners into participants in another person’s prayer, why we should never underestimate even the simplest blessing, and what HaShem meant when He told Avraham, “Veheyeh Berachah”—“Become a blessing.” Along the way, we’ll discover how a mother’s two simple words can remain with her children for a lifetime. Join us for 26 minutes of Torah, stories, memories, and a reminder that sometimes the most extraordinary blessings come from the most ordinary people. And the most important word we can say in response is simply: Amen.

  8. Oct 27

    THE SALT OF SEDOM — Why We Wash Our Hands After Eating and What It Teaches Us About the Human Soul

    Why do we wash our fingertips after eating? What does this seemingly simple practice, known as Mayim Aḥaronim, have to do with the destruction of Sedom thousands of years ago? And what hidden spiritual forces are at work every time we sit down to enjoy a meal? In this fascinating class, delivered Tuesday morning at the Edmond J. Safra Synagogue in Manhattan, we take a journey into the mystical world of Kabbalah. Drawing primarily from The Sefer, Sod HaParasha,we explore the mysterious salt of Sedom, why Lot’s wife became a pillar ofsalt, the extraordinary connection to Adam HaRishon’s sin in Gan Eden, and theteachings of the Arizal concerning physical pleasure, the spiritual accuser,and the hidden significance of washing our fingertips before Birkat HaMazon.Along the way, we discover how a few drops of water can carry an extraordinarymessage about the human soul.  As part of our ongoing series “Simplifying the Sod,” we take complex Kabbalistic concepts and make them understandable, meaningful, and relevant to everyday life. We also share a remarkable personal story told by Rabbi Eli Mansour about his teacher, Ḥakham Baruch Ben Ḥaim, a pizza, some hot pepper, and an unforgettable lesson about the wisdom of our Ḥakhamim and the love of HaShem. Ultimately, this class reveals that the greatest spiritual challenge is not whether we enjoy the blessings HaShem gives us, but whether we recognize their Source, share them with others, and acknowledge our own imperfections. What destroyed Sedom was not its abundance, but its failure to understand what abundance was for. Join us for this thought-provoking exploration of Torah’s hidden wisdom—and discover why you may never look at Mayim Aḥaronim quite the same way again.

See All (726)

Ratings & Reviews

4.7
out of 5
15 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