Rabbi Dr. Dovid Katz

Jewish History with Rabbi Dr. Dovid Katz

Education EN ↓ 1711 episodes

To help support this podcast, please consider giving a tax deductible contribution here: https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatzRabbi Dovid Katz, PhD is lauded for his extensive knowledge of Jewish History, his engaging and insightful lecture series, and eye opening historical international tours. Follow him weekly. New content released each week, including Personalities in Jewish History, Insights into Tefillah and Perspectives on the Haftarah and Parshah. Sponsorships of podcasts are available. He can be reached at the following email: rabbidkatz@gmail.com.

Author

Rabbi Dr. Dovid Katz

Episodes

Haftarah Matos-Masei: A Famous Jeremiad 22.07.2025 25:09

"Why are the Jews the only people who voluntarily switched their god?" The Prophet tears into them. https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

Rashi's Raw Hatred of the Crusaders - The Vicious Poem תִּתְּנֵם לְחֶרְפָּה 20.07.2025 30:24

Every kind of curse and imprecation in the Hebrew language . How Rashi felt when he learned about the Crusader massacres of 1096. https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

Parshas Matos-Masei: The War of Revenge in Midian and the War Against Hamas in Gaza 20.07.2025 29:20

Moshe (a former "Midianite") is told to lead the war. He tries to wiggle out, but as events unfold, he is dragged into the thick of it.

Haftarah Pinchas: The Relationship between Pinchas and Eliyahu -Are they literally the same person? 17.07.2025 33:52

Moses says הָרְגֵנִי נָא הָרוֹג. Pinchas says קַח נַפְשִׁי. What is the difference? https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

The Druze, Syria, Israel, and the USA - An Analysis 16.07.2025 46:21

The Existential Dilemma facing Bibi: Making Peace with Syria, but also bombing Syria to save the Syrian Druze (thereby giving מְנוּחַת הַנֶּפֶשׁ to the Israeli Druze). A very complicated story!

The Influence of R' Saadia Gaon on the Rambam and all the other Medieval Jewish Philosophers 16.07.2025 27:02

Many of the ideas in the מוֹרֵה נְבוֹכִים, הַכּוּזָרִי, הַחוֹבוֹת הַלְּבָבוֹת, יַד רמ"ה, הָעִקָּרִים, וְכוּלְהוּ actually were already written in the אֱמוּנוֹת וְדֵעוֹת

Isaac Ochberg of Cape Town (1878-1937): Rescuer of Orphans from World War I 15.07.2025 33:47

A South African "Jewish Jew" who went to wartorn Ukraine in 1920, then in the midst of massacres of Jews, and brought 200 Jewish orphans to safety in South Africa

Parshas Pinchas: The Bloody Discrepancies 14.07.2025 28:34

Why did the Civil Wars between the Tribes in the Desert degenerate into exterminatory massacres?

Bilam's observation of הֶן עָם לְבָדָד יִשְׁכֹּן and the current phenomenon of Jews being abandoned by their supposed "allies" 10.07.2025 29:12

So many Jews have deluded themselves that they were building "alliances" only to discover on October 7th that they had been building on sand

What is the Oldest Source for the "Three Weeks"? 09.07.2025 25:33

Daniel fasts out of consternation at Cyrus' stop-order re: the building of the Second Temple https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

Haftarah Balak: Will some Jews choose to remain in Chutz L'Eretz in the Messianic Era? 08.07.2025 25:12

Is the Messianic Utopia only for the Jews? Or for all mankind?

Quaker Ger Tzedek: Warder Cresson of Philadelphia and Jerusalem (1798-1861) 08.07.2025 56:08

The Famous Trial in 1849: Is conversion to Judaism an indication of mental insanity?

Parshas Balak: Bil'am and the Current War in Gaza 08.07.2025 26:29

Contrast the two stories: a.) The King of Arad b.) Bil'am, the lethal rhetoric, and the Bnos Moav https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

The Connection Between Drafting the Bnei Torah and the Possibilities of Peace with Syria? - The Current Situation in Middle East 07.07.2025 33:25

Acc. to current reports, the Syrians may be willing to recognize Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights(!), just as Israel is cracking-down on the Haredi Draft. Sigh https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

R' Saadiah Gaon and the Moshiach: The Reasons for Saadia Gaon's Messianic Speculation in the 10th Century Abbasid Caliphate 06.07.2025 53:06

What was the historical context for Saadia's prediction that משיח would come in 965 CE?

Haftarah Chukas: Was Yiftach a Shofet? Or was he a general? 01.07.2025 25:40

Was he a shofet over Klal Yisroel? Or was he just a big shot (רֹאשׁ וּקְצִין) over the area of Ever HaYarden? https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

Parshas Chukas: The Cedar, Hyssop, and Crimson Wool - The Three Types of Worshipers of the Golden Calf? 01.07.2025 29:05

Is becoming Tamei a sin? https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

עַל כֵּן יֹאמְרוּ הַמֹּשְׁלִים בֹּאוּ חֶשְׁבּוֹן - Some philosophical thoughts on Oct. 7, 2023 vs. June 12, 2025 30.06.2025 26:11

An intelligent person (or nation) needs a plan, but he (it) must be its Moshel, not its Eved! https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

Messianism in Jewish History: The Specific Historical Context - The Case of Biblical and then Ancient Judaism 30.06.2025 41:07

Messianism arose when the situation for the Jews was terrible, and there was nothing they could do about it בְּדֶרֶךְ הַטֶּבַע https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

הַדְרָן עַל מַסֶּכֶת שְׁבוּעוֹת לז"נ אִמִּי לֵאָה בַּת אַרְיֵה לֵיבּ הַלֵּוִי זַ"ל יָארְצַיְט ג תַּמּוּז תשפ"ה 29.06.2025 33:31

Kavod Habrios (Human Dignity) in situations where your silence will result in other people comitting sins

Haftarah Korach: The two groups who did not want Shaul as King 26.06.2025 23:23

One group held Saul in contempt as a king. The other group opposed monarchy in principle, they wanted HaShem to rule them through Samuel (יַעֲבֵ"ץ וּכְלֵי יָקָר) https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

Parshas Korach: The Even Ezra - An EGREGIOUS example of אֵין מֻקְדָּם וּמְאֻחָר בַּתּוֹרָה ! 25.06.2025 29:28

With the democtatic model of politics discredited by the Golden Calf episode, Moses resorts to the aristocratic model of political decision-making, and suffers blowback https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

"I was asleep, but I have now woken up!" The Third Pslam and the current Israel-Iran War 24.06.2025 28:23

Israel is trying to "break the teeth" of Iran - ק֘וּמָ֤ה יְהֹוָ֨ה ׀ הוֹשִׁ֘יעֵ֤נִי אֱלֹהַ֗י כִּֽי־הִכִּ֣יתָ אֶת־כׇּל־אֹיְבַ֣י לֶ֑חִי שִׁנֵּ֖י רְשָׁעִ֣ים שִׁבַּֽרְתָּ׃ https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

The Prospects for Regime Change in Iran? What Does This Mean? - An Analysis 24.06.2025 33:16

How successful has "regime change" been in history? What kind of regime change in Iran would be beneficial to Israel? https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

The "Bustenai Controversy" of the Gaonic Era: The Reish Gelusah Who "Married" an Iranian Princess...Or Did He? 23.06.2025 59:18

The Caliph gave the Reish Gelusah a "present" in the form of the daughter of the Persian Emperor. The Halachic debate re: what happened next. https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast