Jewish History with Rabbi Dr. Dovid Katz

1

Jewish Communists of the 20th Century, particularly in Poland

Jul 30, 2026

1:00:43

A fascinating set of interviews with leading Jewish communists in their old age, plus equally fascinating secret remarks re: Jews by Nikita Khrushchev, successor to Stalin. Communism was a religious faith!

2

Historical Megatrends: The "Secular Episode" in Western History and the rise of the State of Israel

Jul 29, 2026

26:18

Is the 21st century going to be the century in world affairs when religion returns to it position as the LEADING factor in world events ?

3

ט"ו בְּאָב תשפ"ו - The existential Jewish tension between Tribalism and Nationalism

Jul 28, 2026

30:34

שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל vs. כְּלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל

4

Haftarah Eikev: The Depression of Zion and the melodramatic transformation

Jul 28, 2026

27:50

Tragedy, especially prolonged tragedy, brings depression in its wake

5

הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת עֵקֶב תשפ"ו - The Depression of Zion and the melodramatic transformation

Jul 28, 2026

26:38

Tragedy, especially prolonged tragedy, brings depression in its wake

6

Trump and his seesaw re: the Iran War

Jul 27, 2026

26:38

Do 18th century tactics work in a 21syt century conflict with evil fanatics?

7

פָּרָשַׁת עֵקֶב תשפ"ו - What happened during those 38 years missing from the Torah's narrative?

Jul 27, 2026

30:11

"You have been rebellious all the way through!"Even during those missing years?

8

Haftarah Shabbos Nachamu: The Highway to Hashem

Jul 22, 2026

31:37

The four obstacles to building a "Straight Road to Hashem"כְּנֶגֶד הָאַרְבַּע גָּלוּיוֹת?

9

Tisha b"Av 5786 (2026): another opinion on why Jews were exiled in the Biblical era

Jul 22, 2026

26:02

The "war-crime" of Amaziah King of Judah re: mistreating the Edomite POWs

10

פָּרָשַׁת וׇאֶתְחַנׇּן תשפ"ו - The strange passage " וַיִתְעַבֵּר הַשֵּׁם בִּי"

Jul 21, 2026

30:02

Were the pleas of Moses rejected out of anger? Because the request was premature? Out of a sense of Divine "pain?"

11

What is the meaning of גָּלוּת, as in גָּלוּת אֱדוֹם? Afterall, the Romans did not kick the Jews out of Israel?

Jul 19, 2026

30:24

What is the difference between heresy and unbelief? Which more accurately applies to the חִלּוֹנִים in Israel today?

12

הַפְטָרַת שַׁבַּת חֲזוֹן תשפ"ו - Isaiah blasts the smug survivors of the Assyrian Holocaust

Jul 14, 2026

26:25

"You were not spared because you are righteous! In fact, God hates your so-called mitzvos!"

13

פָּרָשַׁת דְּבָרִים תשפ"ו - Is Moss talking about "Greater Israel"?

Jul 14, 2026

33:45

He is rebuking the CHILDREN of the sinners, not the sinners themselves. The challenge of rebuking constructively

14

More on Ancient Judaism, Christianity, and the Question of Proselytism

Jul 13, 2026

22:38

Why is וּלְמַלְשִׁינִים juxtaposed to עַל הַצַּדִּיקִים?

15

Why has (Rabbinic) Judaism not encouraged Proselytizing?

Jul 12, 2026

27:54

The big difference between Judaism and Christianity re: Proselytizing. Origin of the Talmudic concept of עֵרֶב רַב?

16

הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת מַטּוֹת-מַסְּעֵי (בֵּין הַמְּצָרִים) - The Broken Cisterns

Jul 9, 2026

26:30

You abandoned land which contained a natural spring of fresh water for arid land supplied by collected rainwater only to find the cistern which was supposed to hold the water had a leak!

17

Henry (Tzvi Hirsh) Gersoni 1844-1897: a story of בְּנוֹת מוֹאָב and בַּעַל פְּעוֹר in Czarist Russia

Jul 8, 2026

42:29

בַּעַל הַ"מוֹדֶה וְעוֹזֵב יְרֻחָם"

18

פָּרָשַׁת מַטּוֹת- מַסְּעֵי תשפ"ו - The Massacre of the Midianites

Jul 6, 2026

35:44

The peculiar moral characteristics of a "War of Revenge" - נְקֹם נִקְמַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֵת הַמִּדְיָנִים

19

Some reflections on בֵּין הַמְּצָרִים in light of Current Events

Jul 5, 2026

28:36

What does רשב"ג mean when he says (שבת י"ג ע"ב) אֵין אָנוּ מַסְפִּיקִין?

20

שִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר בְּתַמּוּז other events, such as July 4, 1776! And July 15, 1099

Jul 2, 2026

26:53

The Fall of Jerusalem to the Crusaders in 1099 and the accompanying massacres of Jews

21

הַפְטָרַת שַׁבַּת פִּינְחָס (בֵּין הַמְּצָרִים) - Jeremiah is from the non-corrupt, banished, kohanim

Jul 1, 2026

30:12

His Divinely-ordained career of musar and tochechah begins in the middle of King Josiah's radical (and unpopular!) campaign to exterminate idols in the Kingdom of Judah

22

Parshas Pinchas: Pinchas criticizes Hashem and is rewarded by Hashem for it

Jun 30, 2026

30:01

Were the 24,000 who perished Jews? Or erev rav?

23

The Tosfos Shantz: Rabbi Samson of Sens (1150-1211), Pt. 3

Jun 30, 2026

47:35

How were the Crusader-Related events in Eretz Yisroel that took place in the 12th century interpreted by the Baalei Tosfos and their Jewish contemporaries? As עִקְבְתָא דִּמְשִׁיחָא!

24

הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת חֻקַּת בָּלָק תשפ"ו - Micah's horatory message

Jun 26, 2026

22:38

What exactly is הַצְנֵעַ לֶכֶת עִם אֱלֹהֶיךָ?

25

פָּרָשַׁת בָּלָק (מֵחֻקַּת-בָּלָק) תשפ"ו - Balak's Grand Strategy

Jun 24, 2026

27:34

Bil'am the spinmeister could have (through his rhetorical skills) united the various kingdoms into an anti=Jewish Alliance...

26

More on the Abarbanel's commentary on the מורה נבוכים: Giving Exodus 24 the "Companton Treatment"

Jun 23, 2026

29:12

What is the difference between the זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל and the אֲצִילֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל?

27

פָּרָשַׁת חֻקַּת-בָּלָק (חֻקַּת) תשפ"ו - Reading the story in conjunction with the account in Deuteronomy

Jun 22, 2026

33:52

The survey of the אוֹר הַחַיִּים of the opinions re: the sin of Moses and his critique of all of the opinions

28

הָרַשְׁבָּ"א בַּעַל הַתּוֹסָפוֹת - הר"ש מִשַּׂאנְץ - Rabbi Samson of Sens (1150-1214) Part 2

Jun 21, 2026

1:01:53

The ר"ש מִשַּׂאנְץ as a participant in The Maimonidean Controversies of the late 12th century. His sober and balanced approach.

29

Hadran on Yerushalmi Yoma on My Mother's 18th yahrzeit (2 Tamuz)

Jun 18, 2026

28:48

The Controversial Quadripartite Atonement Scheme of R Ishmael & Co. Historically Considered

30

הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת קֹרַח תשפ"ו - Samuel's reaction to rejection

Jun 16, 2026

32:37

Was it an insulting dumping of a righteous prophet? Or was it rather a legitimate concern re: who would take-over after the prophet's death?

31

הָרַשְׁבָּ"א בַּעַל הַתּוֹסָפוֹת - הר"ש מִשַּׂאנְץ - Rabbi Samson of Sens (1150-1214) Part 1

Jun 15, 2026

55:07

The Third of the Three Great Rabbis who produced the Tosafos

32

פָּרָשַׁת קֹרַח תשפ"ו - Was Moshe good at debate and repartee? From the story of Korach it does not seem so

Jun 14, 2026

23:26

Does כְּבַד פֶּה mean Moshe had a speech impediment? Or does it mean he was not quick and sharp in political give-and-take?

33

Alharizi as an observer of the Maimonidean Controversies of the 13th century (it is not boring)

Jun 14, 2026

45:19

The interesting arguments between the 13th century Hebrew Translators of the מוֹרֵה נְבוֹכִים

34

The Ri HaZaken- Rabbi Isaac Meir of Danpierre, Mister Tosafaos!

Jun 14, 2026

1:00:10

The man who converted 12th C. Fench Lomdus into Tosafos

35

הַפְטָרָה פָּרָשַׁת שְׁלַח תשפ"ו - Joshua and Rachav

Jun 10, 2026

25:59

Taking seriously the concept of גֵּר שֶׁנִּתְגַּיֵּר כְּקָטָן שֶׁנּוֹלַד דָּמֵי

36

The Rashba on the possibility or impossibility of נְבוּאָה בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה Part 2

Jun 9, 2026

30:15

The bizarre denouement in 1295

37

פָּרָשַׁת שְׁלַח תשפ"ה - The מַעְפִּילִים and how not to repent

Jun 9, 2026

24:48

The impetus to do תְּשׁוּבָה comes from the יֵצֶר טוֹב but the יֵצֶר הָרַע often inserts itself in the implementation of the repentance

38

הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ תשפ"ו - The Political Meaning of the Prophetic Vision of the Golden Menorah

Jun 4, 2026

22:52

When God so disposes, even enemies of the Jews come to their aid

39

Parshas BeHaaloscha: Moses the Non-Tyrant

Jun 3, 2026

33:27

Also, why did he marry the Cushite woman at this particular time?

40

The רשב"א in the possibility or impossibility of נְבוּאָה בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה

Jun 2, 2026

35:09

From the case of the מְשִׁיחַ שֶׁקֶר of Avila (in 13th century Spain)

41

Maimonides vs. Abarbanel on the necessary Propaedeutics for Prophecy

May 28, 2026

23:32

Is the course of Propaedeutics for the purpose of intellectual comprehension? Or is it to elicit the proper emotional response?

42

הַפְטָרָה פָּרָשַׁת נָשׂוֹא תשפ"ו - מָנוֹחַ וְהַמַּלְאָךְ - שִׁיטַת הַמּוֹרֶה נְבוֹכִים

May 28, 2026

23:40

Did Manoah and is wife encounter an angel, or was it a (prophetic) dream? If a dream, who had the dream, Manoah or his wife?

43

פָּרָשַׁת נָשֹׂא תשפ"ו - Does Judaism have "Trial by Ordeal?"

May 27, 2026

35:17

A tricky person can manipulate the Sotah rules...

44

Some thoughts on the current situation in the Middle-East

May 26, 2026

24:24

Keep an eye on the following two relationships: a.) Syria-China b.) Syria-Hezbollah

45

שָׁבוּעוֹת תשפ"ו - מַתַּן תּוֹרָה: עַבְדוּת? אוֹ נִשּׂוּאִין?

May 20, 2026

35:26

Two trends in Jewish Memory - The Reception-History of The giving of the Torah in Jewish Mesorah.

46

King David and the "Moabitess Issue." Even after he became king?

May 18, 2026

34:06

Was David worried that the halachic שְׁאֵלָה of מוֹאָבִי וְלֹא מוֹאָבִית would be raised against him in future generations, who might choose to pasken גַּם מוֹאָבִי וְגַם מוֹאָבִית לֹא יָבוֹאוּ בִּקְהַל הַשֵּׁם and retroactively disqualify his entire dynasty?

47

More on Rambam and נְבוּאָה: The "physical process"

May 18, 2026

33:01

The רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם sends a message from the Active Intellect to the rational faculty (hopefully to filter out error) and from thereto the imaginative faculty. But what does this mean?

48

Milchigs on Shavuos - Historical background

May 17, 2026

35:04

Was this a reaction to the concentrated Christian theological attack on Judaism and its nomianism that reached its peak in the 13th century?

49

The Controversy over the Rambam's Real Opinion of נְבוּאָה

May 13, 2026

42:14

The Left-Wingers vs. the (non extreme) Right Wingers among the "מְפָרְשֵׁי הַ"מוֹרֵה נְבוֹכִים

50

From the Memoirs of מֵאִיר בַּר אִילָן: A visit to "The Frum German shul" in Baltimore in 1913

May 12, 2026

28:25

The Rabbi preaches about Zionism but the (anti-Zionist) בַּעֲלֵי בַּתִּים hear what they want to hear