Explore every episode of the podcast Rabbi Wilk

• The Jewish quality of wanting to grasp the ungraspable, and how it actually becomes possible.
• The mistake of the Tzaddukim (-Sadducees) and their denial of Torah shebaal peh.
• The deeper underpinnings of the dispute between the Sages and the Tzaddukim regarding the laws of Parah Adumah (-red heifer).
• A completely original take on what took place with Yaakov, Yosef and the brothers. 

סגולת ישראל, המלאכיית

עוד בענין הבנת חטא העגל, והלקח שאין בעבודת ה’ מקום להשערה והגיון, אלא הכל רק ע”פ ציווי השם

1. Jewish dreams in galus, sparks of prophecy.
2. The paradox of tzimtzum.
3. Understanding tzimtzum through a parable from the relationship of thoughts and words.
4. Tzimtzumim in Jewish history. 

1. A few words in honor of Rav Yechiel Michel Charlop’s yahrtzeit this week.
2. Ruach hakodesh, nevuah, and the nevuah of Moshe.
3. Prophecy of the Jewish Nation and collective (not just individuals in it).
4. Taking seriously even movements which are against the Torah. 

מה היה טיבו של חטא העגל, ולמה זה היה פחות חומר ממה שנראה

1. The yearnings and aspirations for the physical revival of the Jewish people and its statehood are sourced in holiness.
2. The root of the mistake of those secular Jews who think that we must detach from our past in order to build a new future in Israel.
3. The secular Zionist movement and its accomplishments are in the aspect of Noach – some praise it and some denounce it.
4. The soul of Moshe and the call of the day. 

חלות הענין האלוקי בעם ישראל עד שהגיעו כולם אל מעלת הדיבור, וסגולת ישראל גם לממרים.

ביאור טיעונו של יצחק פלגא עלי פלגא עליך ותיקון העלאת הגשמיות בסוכה.

סוכות תשפ"ז

1. Mori V’Rabi HaRav Seraya Divlitzky zt”l’s explanation to the beginning and end of the seder haavodah that we say on Yom Kippur.
2. The reason we begin parshas Bereishis on Shemini Atzeres.
3. The essence of teshuva and how this necessitates that Klal Yisroel brings the korbanos kaparah of Yom Kippur together and not individually.

איך האמונה והמסורה שה’ דיבר עם ישראל בהר סיני איננה מורה על התגשמות הא-ל

חובת השבת בישראל מצד שלשה דברים, מחלוקת אבן עזרא ורמב”ן בטעם שהקב”ה ניבא את כל ישראל במתן תורה בסיני ודעת הכוזרי בזה

האופן הייחודי שבו נוסד הדת היהודית, ענין האלקי בגאולת ישראל ממצרים ובירידת המן במדבר, וכתוצאה – חובת השבת

1. What Rav Kook believed people need to know about teshuva today.
2. Why did Chazal have a side to say that teshuva only applies in Eretz Yisroel.
3. The special relationship with Hashem for people living in Eretz Yisroel and the practical impact that has on teshuva.

1. Why eating animals was initially prohibited, and after the Mabul (-Flood) became permitted.
2. The huge difference between the feelings of man before the sin of Adam HaRishon, and after.
3. Why all korbonos will be nullified in the future with the exception of the korban todah.

• How fake ethics arise in the “modern” and “progressive” world.
• Why an am haeretz is forbidden to eat meat according to Chazal.
•  Elevating animals, shechitah, and the psychological/emotional difference between animals permitted and animals prohibited to us by the Torah.
• An original thought to understand Chazal’s teaching that the mitzvah of shiluach haken isn’t based on mercy, but rather is a decree of Hashem.

1. The world and Torah are like a song proclaiming the glory of Hashem, and the repercussions of this.
2. The amazing story behind Rav Yaakov Moshe Charlap’s famous tune for shiras hayam.
3. The role of human involvement in the development of Torah shebaal peh, and the changes in it over the course of history.
4. The possibility of radical changes in halacha in the future, and the nature of the text of the Torah.
5. The spark of holiness in Talmudic criticism. 

הבנת חלוקת תפקידי חצאי המוח, ההבדל בין לימודי נגלה ונסתר, והערה מעניינת בענין ספריה'ראיה' של הרב קוק וה'שמיעה' של הרב הנזיר

Menachem-Av 5786

טבע חכם פועל? ושורש האמונה ושורש המרי

1. Why everything in the world needs renewal and new nourishment.
2. The difference between the seven mitzvos of Bnei Noach and the 613 of Yisrael.
3. The nations lower G-d to them (to the point of a man being G-d, in some of their eyes), whereas the Jewish people work to elevate themselves and the world to G-d.

הספירה העשרונית, והחיסרון של אריסטו והפילוסופים

1. The Jewish demand for truth.
2. Which is higher, emes or emunah (truth or faith)?
3. The mistake of antisemitism, and the mistake of Jews who try to imitate the nations and thus find favor in their eyes.

הוכחות התאריך, הלשונות ואוניברסליות של ז’ ימי השבוע

1. Any weakening or abandonment of Torah shebaal peh is an idea of assimilation.Listen why.
2. The holy root of maskilim and secular Zionists, and where they went wrong.
3. How to elevate other Jews before even speaking to them!

ענין הנבואה בישראל, והוכחת התאריך

1. The Shela’s answerto why the rewards of Olam Haba don’t seem to be mentioned in the Torah.
2. The nature of Torah shebaal peh.
3. The inner reason why Torah shebaal peh wasn’t allowed to be written, and what changed to enable it to be written.
4. A suggestion as to why the Torah shebaal peh being recorded was considered a breakage of Torah as opposed to a permit granted, in face of Rav Yaakov Moshe’s explanation.

המדרגה החמישית בבריאה אחרי דומם צומח חי ומדבר – ישראל

• What is unique about Loshon HaKodesh?
• How to understand the physical descriptions of G-d.
• The wisdom of Adam HaRishon in naming the animals, and the significance of him doing so.

העמדת יסוד אמונתינו על ראיה (בעינים) ולא על ראיה (-הוכחה)

יסוד אמונת היהדות, וענין ישראל קודם לתורה

1. The Hebrew letters and vowels aren’t merely agreed upon symbols, but are expressions of a spiritual reality.
2. A response to Shadal’s attack on the Zohar based on its discussion of the Hebrew vowels.
3. Is there a point in learning Torah if you don’t understand anything?
4. A special segulah for someone who can’t learn or understand anything in Torah.
5. Story about Rav Chaim Kreiswirth zt”l.

Sivan 5786

Mei Marom

ספר הכוזרי

The sources of mistakes people make regarding Hashem due to scientific conclusions, and how to avoid this.

דחיית שיטת הפילוסופים והצעת תורת הנצרות

סיון תשפ”ו

1. The edge the Jewish people have over the malachim.
2. Why the nations were jealous of the Jewish nation for receiving the Torah even though they were offered the Torah first and declined it.
3. Jewish creativity is built into the cosmos.

Sivan 5786

1. Rambam’s approach to explaining possukim of the Torah when they come into conflict with science.
2. How the Rambam could have explained the Torah in a way that G-d didn’t create the world. (Rav Gedalya Nadel zt”l)
3. Is it possible to work on one’s emunah?
4. The relationship between daas and emunah, and an interesting Gra relating to this.

Sivan 5786

תכלית האדם בשיטת הפילוסופים

סיון תשפ”ו

שיטת הפילוסוף שאין רצון לאלקים ואין ידיעה בפרטים, ושהעולם קדמון

אייר תשפ”ו

1. A proof to the existence of G-d.
2. The mistake of scientists regarding creation. or the denial of.
3. The philosophical problem with the thought that the world always existed.

Iyar 5786

ב’ המחנות בקשר לדרך הנכונה לבסס את האמונה, ורקע ההיסטורי לסיפור המלך כוזר והתייהדותו

אייר תשפ”ו

1. Why science can’t change the Torah.
2. Why it’s so difficult to beat the yetzer hara and how Torah study can help solve this.
3. Society’s corruption in the form of mercy, such as abortion and mercy killing, and where this stems from.

Iyar 5786

1. How tefilah works without there being any change in Hashem’s Will.
2. The famous explanation of the Sefer HaIkarim on this matter.
3. The connection to the sugya of Hashem’s Knowledge of what we will choose.
4. My chiddush (based on Rav Yaakov Moshe zt”l) on the possuk of “Shavaseinu Kabbel”.

Iyar 5786

1. The major difference between our will and Hashem’s Will.
2. The way of tzaddikim in tefillah, and the consensus in this between the Chassidim and Misnagdim.
3. Authenticity in davening, and the consensus in this too between the Chassidim and Misnagdim.

Nissan 5786

1. The galus hadibur (exile of speech) in Mitzrayim, and why Hashem used His “Strength of Hand” in redeeming Yisroel from Mitzrayim.
2. The secret of the sign of the redeemer saying “pakod yifkod”, and its relevance to today, especially to the Jews of the Diaspora!
3. The chiddush of Izhbitz-Radzin regarding marror!

Nissan 5786

1. Rav Tzaddok Hakohen’s two big questions on what the “good news of children” was, and his answer with a big yesod regarding Klal Yisroel.
2. Will a rasha of today be redeemed? (R’ Tzaddok and Rav YM Charlap zt”l).
3. The difference between the redemption of the soul and the redemption of the body, and how this relates to the geulah process today.
4. Rav Tzaddok’s tradition regarding the paradox of the Jew today, and how this is really sourced in the Zohar.

Nissan 5786

Adar 5786

1. Why this won’t be a shiur about the current war against Iran.
2. In parshas hachodesh, Klal Yisroel was given control over the moon, and how this plays out in the physical world.
3. The Gra on Ma Nishtana, and answering the famous question on him.
4. Resolving a contradiction in the Shabbos shemona esrai, as per whether Shabbos is “in our hands” or not.
5. Aspiring to control the sun and the days, not just the moon and the moadim.

Adar 5786

1. Hakadosh Baruch Hu participates in the burial of even a simple Jew.
2. Moshe Rabbeinu as a mediator to bring down the Torah.
3. The Chasam Sofer’s segulah for remembering Torah.
4. The importance of having ten men by a Jewish burial.

Adar 5786