Rabbi David Wolpe on 1 Kings 19:11-13 – “The Thin Voice of Silence” - S1E52

Mark is absolutely delighted to welcome his great friend, Rabbi David Wolpe, to the podcast today. Perhaps the greatest Torah commentator in the world, David is the Max Webb Senior Rabbi at Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, and he has been named the ‘Most Influential Rabbi in America’ by Newsweek, and one of the ’50 Most Influential Jews in the World’ by The Jerusalem Post. Over ten years of his sermons can be found on the Sinai Temple website, and together they form an anthology of how the deepest Torah understanding manifests in the Torah being a guidebook for living better, happier, and more meaningful lives. The passage he has chosen to discuss today is 1 Kings 19:11-13. David begins by sharing his summary of the passage, the meaning it holds for him, and the lessons he finds within it. Together, he and Mark explore what makes the Torah so wonderful, the nature of prayer, and God’s subtle presence in our lives and the ways in which we can hear Him. They also discuss the evidence and power of ‘Elijah moments’ in our lives, including David’s particularly touching example, and their conversation concludes, as do all our episodes, with our guest sharing the lessons he has learned about mankind. As Mark states, David engages in a magnificent and instructive conversation here today as he shares his own insights and wisdom regarding the Torah, and just how pertinent its lessons are in our lives today. Episode Highlights: David’s summary of the passage and why it’s meaningful for him The lessons he finds in the passage What makes the Torah so wonderful The nature of prayer God’s subtle presence in our lives and how to hear Him ‘Elijah moments’ in our lives The lessons that David has learned about mankind Quotes: “You’re not allowed to go off on a mountain and criticize people. You have to go back, and you have to be involved and you have to be there.” “God operates from within you.” “That’s the God that I understand who gives us the chance to hear, but also the chance to ignore.” “I feel that this could be in some