Jewish History with Rabbi Dr. Dovid Katz

1

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!

2

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"

3

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

4

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?

5

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

6

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

7

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?

8

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!

9

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

Jun 26, 2026

22:38

What exactly is הַצְנֵעַ לֶכֶת עִם אֱלֹהֶיךָ?

10

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...

11

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?

12

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

13

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.

14

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

15

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?

16

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

17

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?

18

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

19

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

20

הַפְטָרָה פָּרָשַׁת שְׁלַח תשפ"ו - Joshua and Rachav

Jun 10, 2026

25:59

Taking seriously the concept of גֵּר שֶׁנִּתְגַּיֵּר כְּקָטָן שֶׁנּוֹלַד דָּמֵי

21

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

Jun 9, 2026

30:15

The bizarre denouement in 1295

22

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

23

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

24

Parshas BeHaaloscha: Moses the Non-Tyrant

Jun 3, 2026

33:27

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

25

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)

26

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?

27

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?

28

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

May 27, 2026

35:17

A tricky person can manipulate the Sotah rules...

29

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

30

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.

31

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?

32

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?

33

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?

34

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

35

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

36

פָּרָשַׁת בַּמִּדְבָּר תשפ"ו - The Beginnings of Bureaucracy in Jewish History

May 11, 2026

27:53

Who were the member of Moshe's secretariat? Who kept the records of the Jewish People's vital statistics?

37

הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת בַּמִּדְבָּר ("מָחָר חֹדֶשׁ") - Reading the Bible through the lenses of Talmudic Halachah

May 11, 2026

28:53

How could the women of Israel SING the praises of Saul and David as they passed by in triumph, what about אִסּוּר קוֹל בְּאִשָּׁה עֶרְוָה?

38

Does נְבוּאָה require הֲכָנָה (as per the מוֹרֵה נְבוֹכִים)? The Abarbanel's interpretation of the "Burning Bush" Account

May 7, 2026

33:29

A brilliant explication of the Tannaic dispute re: whether or not Moses did the right thing when he "hid his face" rather than look at God.

39

הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת בְּהַר-בְּחֻקּוֹתַי תשפ"ו - Jeremiah on the difference between Israel and the nations re: repentance

May 6, 2026

25:39

What is the meaning of the statement of חֲזַ"ל that the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ pre-existed the physical-universe?

40

Parshas Behar-Bechukosai: The incredible stubbornness of the Jewish People

May 5, 2026

27:15

They are punished but do not repent. By the end of the תּוֹכֵחָה the punishments have been ratcheted-up 2400 times (7x7x7x7)!

41

An "Old Baltimore" Angle on the Controversy re: the Kashrus of Coca Cola

May 5, 2026

40:22

A tale from the era of problematic הֶכְשֵׁרִים from leading רַבָּנִים וְתַלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים

42

לָ"ג בָּעֹמֶר תשפ"ו - Two different approaches to hostile regimes: R Shimon vs. R Yehudah

May 4, 2026

36:01

Throughout Jewish History, גְּדוֹלֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל followed the policy of R Yehudah, not R Shimon, though the Jewish People in its folk-wisdom came to celebrate the frank expressions of R Shimon bar Yochai. They admired the one who "called a spade a spade" even though in practice they imitated R Yehudah

43

What's with the burning of clothes at Meron on Lag b'Omer?

May 4, 2026

28:16

Throwing clothes onto a coffin was an (incorrect but emotionally understandable) practice in Talmudic days expressing an excess of grief. With Rashbi (described as ascending to Heaven in a Pillar of Fire), the tossing of clothes morphed into burning them to celebrate his unique petirah.

44

Interesting (and bizarre) aspects of the Portuguese Marranos in 17th Century France

Apr 29, 2026

33:52

The difference between Protestant notions of toleration in Early-Modern Europe vs. Catholic ones. Hypocrisy was not a problem!

45

Haftarah Emor: Good Kohanim vs. Bad Kohanim

Apr 27, 2026

23:38

Perhaps the special regulations in the haftorah (which caused so much controversy in the Talmud) are a reward for those kohanim who stayed loyal to the Torah at a time when others (kohanim and regular Jews) went off the derech

46

The מֶשֶׁךְ חָכְמָה and the מַהַרַ"ל on גֵּר שֶׁנִּתְגַּיֵּר כְּקָטָן שֶׁנּוֹלַד דָּמִי

Apr 27, 2026

23:35

The interesting distinction between one who voluntarily converts vs. one who is forced to convert

47

"פָּרָשַׁת אֱמֹר תשפ"ו "אֱמֹר וְאָמַרְתָּ

Apr 26, 2026

27:10

"Break the News to the Kohanim Gently. They are going to have even more marriage restrictions than those of regular Jews"

48

פָּרָשַׁת (אַחֲרֵי מוֹת) קְדוֹשִׁים תשפ"ו Part Two - "You will be different!" or "You should be holy" ?

Apr 22, 2026

27:30

Shabbos as a powerful enforcer through mimesis of the Jewish Family unit, with the parents playing roles reflecting their exalted status in the family-unit

49

הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת אַחֲרֵי מוֹת - קְדוֹשִׁים תשפ"ו - How are the Jews like Ethiopians?

Apr 22, 2026

32:32

The modern State of Israel already includes territory that is שְׁאֵרִית אֱדוֹם

50

An interesting responsum from the חֲתַם סוֹפֵר re: the מִצְוָה of כְּבוֹד מְלָכִים. Is it a חֹק?

Apr 21, 2026

36:04

Do you have to give honor and respect to a bad king? an antisemitic king?