Jewish History with Rabbi Dr. Dovid Katz

Parshas VaYeshev: How Did Joseph Handle His Mistreatment Psychologically? I Mean, נְחָשִׁים וְעַקְרַבִּים! 12.12.2022 31:22 ↓

How did he change when he arrived in Egypt? His character-development

רַבִּי אַבְרָהָם אֲחִי הַגְּרָ"א בַּעַל סֵפֶר "מַעֲלוֹת הַתּוֹרָה ". (1722 -1804) 12.12.2022 56:08 ↓

Published same year as נֶפֶשׁ הַחַיִּים , but in a different style, though same message

The view of שְׁלֹמֹה אִבְּן גַּבִּירוֹל מִסְּפָרַד on the nature of שְׂכַר וְעֹנֶשׁ 09.12.2022 22:12 ↓

A remarkable passage in his poetic masterpiece כֶּתֶר מַלְכוּת

Rabbi Katz's Israel Trip is a Month Away! 07.12.2022 6:56 ↓

RabbiKatz describes the packed-week that will be his Jewish History tour of Israel

Sefer Yosippon: A Historical Classic NOT Identical With the Books of Flavius Josephus! 07.12.2022 42:17 ↓

A classic סֵפֶר once found in every intelligent Jewish home, including leading רִאשׁוֹנִים and אַחֲרוֹנִים. Where Jews once learned the stories of Chanukah and Tisha B'Av.

Parshas VaYishlach: Esav Felt Cheated, but Didn't Allow that to Define His Life - He Built His Own 05.12.2022 23:00 ↓

It is יַעֲקֹב who is still obsessed with the deception. Not עֵשָׂו!

R’ Dovid Kimchi, the Radak (1260-1335) as Grammarian - The World of דקדוק 05.12.2022 54:57 ↓

Not so much a מְחַדֵּשׁ, but a brilliant מְחַנֵּךְ. Taught דקדוק to generations of Jews & gentiles

R' Hai Gaon: Aspects of His Messianic Theology 02.12.2022 26:46 ↓

Mainly about the messianic process, not what comes afterwards

Haftarah VaYetzei: The Prophet Hosea Analyzes the Faults of Shevet Ephraim, Particularly Their Resentment of David 02.12.2022 31:50 ↓

The Ephraimites are angry at the דַּרְכֵי הַשֵּׁם, ever since Rachel's being displaced by Leah

The Shechita Book of R' Yaakov Weil (15th century) - One of the Most Popular Books in Jewish History 01.12.2022 52:45 ↓

Reprinted 150 times. Dozens of commentaries. Taken to heart by Ahkenazic Jewry.

R’ Yehoshua of Cracow (1578-1648): The Original פְּנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ 30.11.2022 49:09 ↓

First he learned the Gemara by itself, and he was always מְכַוֵּן לְפֵרוּשׁ רַשִׁ"י. Hence his מְגִנֵּי שְׁלֹמֹה

Parshas VaYeitzei: Why did Yaakov Kiss Rachel? Why did He Cry? 29.11.2022 36:11 ↓

The Patriarchs lived in a time when they could occasionally "break" rules - נֶפֶשׁ הַחַיִּים

The 5th of Kislev - A Fast Day? 28.11.2022 44:52 ↓

Yehoyakim and his shocking act of burning דְּבַר הַשֵּׁם to toast hot dogs

R’ Baruch Schick (1744-1808): A Maskil of the Type Approved by the Gra 25.11.2022 50:42 ↓

Can you know הֲלָכָה of you're ignorant of science and technology?

Malachi Blasts the Schmoozers & Boozers in Shul. What's the Problem with Jews & Davening, Anyway? 25.11.2022 28:58 ↓

Aaron was able to be מְקָרֵב sinners only because בְּשָׁלוֹם וּבְמִישׁוֹר הָלַךְ. No hypocrisy

Saadia Gaon's Version the Messianic Process - Two Alternative Scenarios 24.11.2022 41:11 ↓

The proper way to stitch - together the various verses into a coherent narrative. From Saadia's סֵפֶר אֱמוּנוֹת וְדֵעוֹת

Parshas Toldos: Why was it Predestined That in This Family, the Siblings Should Not Get Along? 22.11.2022 42:12 ↓

The Abarnanel on the mindset of Isaac. נֶפֶשׁ הַחַיִּים on that of Jacob

R’ Avraham ben HaGra: A Great Talmid Chacham But Also Interested in"Kosher Haskalah" 22.11.2022 1:00:31 ↓

His Hebrew Geography book and his pioneering systematic study of the phenomenon of Midrashic literature

שִׁיטַת גְּאוֹנֵי בָּבֶל עַל יְמוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ וּתְחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים. תְּשׁוּבַת רַב הַאי גָּאוֹן 18.11.2022 28:40 ↓

The Gaonim envision an imperfect State of Israel, without a בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ

Abraham in his old age has a faithful-reliable Eliezer. King David has no one 16.11.2022 41:30 ↓

Dovid destroyed his own health deliberately as an act of penance. But was this wise?

Parshas Chayei Sara: Abraham, Efron, and "The Art of the Deal" 15.11.2022 45:35 ↓

Eliezer, Besuel, and the role of the "Guardian Angel"

The Israeli Supreme Court and Its Critics: A Discussion on the Controversy in Israel 13.11.2022 1:00:50 ↓

If Israel doesn't have a Constitution, can the SC declare a law passed by the Knesset unconstitutional?

Look at how Elisha conducts himself around the woman 11.11.2022 30:06 ↓

He is her best benefactor, but he doesn't speak directly to her. She OTOH grabs him by the hand and by the feet

R Katz begins a new series, on Jewish theories of the Summum Bonum in לְעָתִיד לָבוֹא 09.11.2022 28:23 ↓

How does Judaism envision the Final Utopia? Introductory remarks

G-d, Abraham, and Theodicy. For Once G-d Explains Himself (Sodom) 09.11.2022 40:06 ↓

What was the big sin of the angels? Two schools of thought in חַזַ"ל