Jewish History with Rabbi Dr. Dovid Katz
Jewish History with Rabbi Dr. Dovid Katz
Rabbi Dr. Dovid Katz • 1648 episodes
Rabbi Dr. Dovid Katz
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Name
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1
More Strange Bedfellows: Germany financed Israel's A- Bomb Project (Dimona) back in the 1960s. A story in the news today
More Strange Bedfellows: Germany financed Israel's A- Bomb Project (Dimona) back in the 1960s. A story in the news today
Mar 13, 2026
53:19
Israel agreed not to "out" ex-Nazis in the West German Government. A grateful Germany bankrolled Israel's secret nuclear project. An previously unknown detail of the relationship between Ben Gurion and Konrad Adenauer
2
זֵכֶר יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם VS סִפּוּר יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם part 1
זֵכֶר יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם VS סִפּוּר יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם part 1
Mar 11, 2026
25:23
What did the Jews imagine was going to happen when they were told God would "pass over" their houses that night?
3
Some historical considerations re: Poles, Jews, Hitler, Food, and the Holocaust
Some historical considerations re: Poles, Jews, Hitler, Food, and the Holocaust
Mar 10, 2026
36:41
The German food crisis of 1942 as a cause of the setting-up of industrial genocide centers in Occupied Poland in 1942
4
הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת הַחֹדֶשׁ תשפ"ו - Abrabanel: "ha-ha מְשֻׁמָּדִים וּמְסִיתִים וּמַדִּיחִים, don't tell me THIS prophecy is metaphorical!"
הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת הַחֹדֶשׁ תשפ"ו - Abrabanel: "ha-ha מְשֻׁמָּדִים וּמְסִיתִים וּמַדִּיחִים, don't tell me THIS prophecy is metaphorical!"
Mar 9, 2026
25:05
High- Office will have the power to tempt the powerful to be corrupt even in the Messianic Era!
5
פָּרָשַׁת וַיַּקְהֵל-פְּקוּדֵי תשפ"ו The Contrast between the מִשְׁכָּן-idea and the שַׁבָּת-idea
פָּרָשַׁת וַיַּקְהֵל-פְּקוּדֵי תשפ"ו The Contrast between the מִשְׁכָּן-idea and the שַׁבָּת-idea
Mar 9, 2026
26:01
Shabbos - God the Creator of literally everything, hence beyond transcendentMishkan- God something that has a "presence" (שְׁכִינָה), hence somehow immanent
6
Abarbanel on Messianism Part 2. R Katz gives a historical introduction to Abarbanel's יְשׁוּעוֹת מְשִׁיחוֹ" עַל מַאַמׇרֵי חֲזַ"ל בְּסִפְרוּת הַתַּלְמוּד”
Abarbanel on Messianism Part 2. R Katz gives a historical introduction to Abarbanel's יְשׁוּעוֹת מְשִׁיחוֹ" עַל מַאַמׇרֵי חֲזַ"ל בְּסִפְרוּת הַתַּלְמוּד”
Mar 8, 2026
1:02:07
Abarbanel burns with indignation at the falsehoods to which the Jews had been subject at the Disputation of Tortosa (1413) and the hostile misrepresentations of Aggadah in Raymond Martini's infamous 'Pugio Fidei" cynically hurled at them
7
הַפְטָרָה פָּרָשַׁת פָּרָה תשפ"ו - The Red Cow as a Historiosophical Mystical Reality
הַפְטָרָה פָּרָשַׁת פָּרָה תשפ"ו - The Red Cow as a Historiosophical Mystical Reality
Mar 6, 2026
23:36
That which becomes impure can be made pure again; a nation that becomes homeless can regain their home
8
פָּרָשַׁת כִּי תִּשָּׂא תשפ"ו - Why the Juxtaposition of the קְטֹרֶת and the עֵגֶל הַזָּהָב?
פָּרָשַׁת כִּי תִּשָּׂא תשפ"ו - Why the Juxtaposition of the קְטֹרֶת and the עֵגֶל הַזָּהָב?
Mar 4, 2026
30:33
God can only be comprehended (to some extent) through history, not philosophy!
9
The shaky acceptance of Purim by the Jewish people back at the time of Mordechai
The shaky acceptance of Purim by the Jewish people back at the time of Mordechai
Mar 4, 2026
41:22
Why did the Jews stop observing Purim a few years after they originally accepted it?
10
Iran and Hamas: בּוֹר כָּרָה וַיַּחְפְּרֵהוּ וַיִּפֹּל בְּשַׁחַת יִפְעָל ("Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit they have made.")
Iran and Hamas: בּוֹר כָּרָה וַיַּחְפְּרֵהוּ וַיִּפֹּל בְּשַׁחַת יִפְעָל ("Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit they have made.")
Mar 2, 2026
38:23
Has Sinwar ימ"ש caused the death of Khamenei and the fall of his regime? The ironies of the Purim season
11
Analyzing the קִיְּמוּ וְקִבְּלוּ episode. If it is actually a valid complaint, why were the Jews punished for sins in the Biblical Era?
Analyzing the קִיְּמוּ וְקִבְּלוּ episode. If it is actually a valid complaint, why were the Jews punished for sins in the Biblical Era?
Mar 2, 2026
36:24
Was the mountain held over their heads at Sinai to compel them to accept ALL the mitzvot? Did the Jews not want to accept ANY mitzvot? Or just some of them? In other words, what actually happened as a result of Purim?
12
The archaeology of a Dvar Torah - The כְּתַב סוֹפֵר on the last verse in the Megilah
The archaeology of a Dvar Torah - The כְּתַב סוֹפֵר on the last verse in the Megilah
Mar 1, 2026
37:42
Why would he deprecate the use of coercion on the non-frum? The answer lies in his own and his family's history...
13
Addendum to the podcast this morning re: הֵגֶא סְרִיס הַמֶּלֶךְ שֹׁמֵר הַנָּשִׁים
Addendum to the podcast this morning re: הֵגֶא סְרִיס הַמֶּלֶךְ שֹׁמֵר הַנָּשִׁים
Feb 26, 2026
8:22
וְנָתַתִּי לָהֶם בְּבֵיתִי וּבְחוֹמֹתַי יָד וָשֵׁם טוֹב מִבָּנִים וּמִבָּנוֹת שֵׁם עוֹלָם אֶתֶּן לוֹ אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִכָּרֵת
14
Why some rabbis disliked Mordechai - They thought the was being מחמיר at the expense of the entire Jewish People
Why some rabbis disliked Mordechai - They thought the was being מחמיר at the expense of the entire Jewish People
Feb 25, 2026
32:09
Had Esther's intervention not succeeded, would Mordechai THEN bow down to Haman to save the Jews?
15
הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת זְכֹר תשפ"ו - What the is the meaning of " זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק"
הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת זְכֹר תשפ"ו - What the is the meaning of " זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק"
Feb 25, 2026
31:34
Managing an unsolvable existential problem - the " זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק" in every generation,
16
Who exactly is הֵגֶא סְרִיס הַמֶּלֶךְ שֹׁמֵר הַנָּשִׁים? Is he a "hidden hero" of the story?
Who exactly is הֵגֶא סְרִיס הַמֶּלֶךְ שֹׁמֵר הַנָּשִׁים? Is he a "hidden hero" of the story?
Feb 25, 2026
32:01
Who was the ממוכן who recommended הֵגֶא ? The world of varied interpretations of מגילת אסתר
17
Abarbanel on Messianism Part 1 - this historical context of the late 1490s
Abarbanel on Messianism Part 1 - this historical context of the late 1490s
Feb 24, 2026
45:39
Abarbanel wrote three books on Messianic themes: a,)מַעַיְנֵי הַיְּשׁוּעָה b.) יְשׁוּעוֹת מְשִׁיחוֹ c.) מַשְׁמִיעַ יְשׁוּעָה
18
How did Mordecai & Esther know the contents of the private conversation between Haman and the King?
How did Mordecai & Esther know the contents of the private conversation between Haman and the King?
Feb 23, 2026
25:15
When Haman fell from power, did Mordecai gain possession of Haman's "Jeffery Epstein Files"?
19
פָּרָשַׁת תְּצַוֶּה תשפ"ו - The source of Moses' moral authority
פָּרָשַׁת תְּצַוֶּה תשפ"ו - The source of Moses' moral authority
Feb 23, 2026
23:10
Why is שִׂנְאַת חִנָּם the thing that prevents the Rebuilding of the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ ?
20
Why did Moshe accept the עֵרוּב רַב and Mordecai the מִתְיַהֲדִים?
Why did Moshe accept the עֵרוּב רַב and Mordecai the מִתְיַהֲדִים?
Feb 18, 2026
25:16
Both leaders wanted the Jews-by-birth to accept the Torah, and discerned they would be impressed by sight of the non-Jews who now embraced Judaism
21
הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת תְּרוּמָה תשפ"ו Was Shomo's Temple popular?
הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת תְּרוּמָה תשפ"ו Was Shomo's Temple popular?
Feb 18, 2026
26:12
Built with forced labor, it doesn't seem to have captured the emotions of כלל ישראל. Instead, separation, במות, etc. Unlike the בַּיִת שֵׁנִי
22
Malbim on Messianism and the Messianic Era Part 2
Malbim on Messianism and the Messianic Era Part 2
Feb 18, 2026
41:03
Malbim's theory of the terminus post quem for the Redemption
23
The new English translation of the Classic R Yehonasan Eibeschutz sefer on Megilas Esther
The new English translation of the Classic R Yehonasan Eibeschutz sefer on Megilas Esther
Feb 17, 2026
28:33
R Menachem Tenenbaum (Cleveland) has translated the wonderful סֵפֶר יְשׁוּעָה גְּדוֹלָה (שֶׁהוּא מְלֻקָּט מִסֵּפֶר "יַעֲרוֹת דְּבַשׁ"), which contains the "Agadic Pilpul" on the Purim Story from the Gaon Y. Eibeschutz into readable English...in time for this Purim!
24
וְרַבִּים מֵעַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ מִתְיַהֲדִים כִּי נָפַל פַּחַד הַיְּהוּדִים עֲלֵיהֶם - Did they actually convert?
וְרַבִּים מֵעַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ מִתְיַהֲדִים כִּי נָפַל פַּחַד הַיְּהוּדִים עֲלֵיהֶם - Did they actually convert?
Feb 17, 2026
32:09
Was it a wave of גֵּרֵי צֶדֶק or an avalanche of opportunists, a new עֵרוּב רַב?
25
פָּרָשַׁת תְּרוּמָה תשפ"ו - Stationary and Mobile
פָּרָשַׁת תְּרוּמָה תשפ"ו - Stationary and Mobile
Feb 16, 2026
32:04
A box never to be opened, a symbol of Divine Mystery?
26
וְאֶל מֹשֶׁה אָמַר עֲלֵה אֶל יְהֹוָה - What does this actually mean?
וְאֶל מֹשֶׁה אָמַר עֲלֵה אֶל יְהֹוָה - What does this actually mean?
Feb 11, 2026
25:54
"Rise intellectually and struggle to comprehend the meaning of the Tetragrammaton." Like any ideal, you cannot get there but you must strive to constantly progress in that direction"
27
הַפְטָרָה פָּרָשַׁת שְׁקָלִים תשפ"ו - Fundraising techniques 2800 years ago
הַפְטָרָה פָּרָשַׁת שְׁקָלִים תשפ"ו - Fundraising techniques 2800 years ago
Feb 10, 2026
56:07
How the King and the High Priest had to come up with a fundraising plan whereby none of the money went to the solicitors! Rather all the $$ went to the Temple Plant refurbishing campaign.
28
The Malbim on Messianism Part 1
The Malbim on Messianism Part 1
Feb 9, 2026
56:07
Malbim calculated Mashiach would come in 1927. To be continued...
29
Genazym s offering (this Sunday!) the first edition of the classic סֵפֶר אֱמוּנוֹת וְדֵעוֹת לְרַב סְעַדְיָה גָּאוֹן (Istanbul 1562)
Genazym s offering (this Sunday!) the first edition of the classic סֵפֶר אֱמוּנוֹת וְדֵעוֹת לְרַב סְעַדְיָה גָּאוֹן (Istanbul 1562)
Feb 9, 2026
38:05
This is the book that launched (and legitimized!) the rational (non-Kabbalistic) approach to Torah and Judaism. written to rescue the religious Jew "drowning in doubt" (in the author's words)
30
הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת מִשְׁפָּטִים תשפ"וו - Facing doom but still unable to let go of their (illegally held) Hebrew slaves
הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת מִשְׁפָּטִים תשפ"וו - Facing doom but still unable to let go of their (illegally held) Hebrew slaves
Feb 9, 2026
25:40
Jeremiah: "The Destruction of Jerusalem is unstoppable, but your physical torture by the captors IS preventable, IF you do the right thing and free your Hebrew Slaves whom you are holding beyond the six years"
31
פָּרָשַׁת מִשְׁפָּטִים תשפ"ו - Saadia Gaon's remarkable in sight into the Torah's statement re: Kidnapping
פָּרָשַׁת מִשְׁפָּטִים תשפ"ו - Saadia Gaon's remarkable in sight into the Torah's statement re: Kidnapping
Feb 8, 2026
27:00
The child who hit his father not knowing it was his father; he was kidnapped at birth!
32
Genazym is auctioning a letter from the famous Sir Moses Montefiore to the Jews of Baghdad assuring them there will be no pogrom!
Genazym is auctioning a letter from the famous Sir Moses Montefiore to the Jews of Baghdad assuring them there will be no pogrom!
Feb 8, 2026
39:15
A tale from the Victorian Era: In 1860 the Druze massacred the Christians in Lebanon, the Muslims massacred the Christians in Damascus, and now the Christians wanted to set-off massacres of the Jews there as well as in Baghdad, but Lord Palmerston & Lord Russel (thanks to Montefiore) prevented this.
33
Current Events: Ehud Barak, the Epstein tapes, and Ashkenazi Jewish Racism
Current Events: Ehud Barak, the Epstein tapes, and Ashkenazi Jewish Racism
Feb 8, 2026
45:33
WASP = "White (Secular) Ashkenazi with Protektsia"
34
הפטרת פרשת יתרו תשפ"ו - The Great Hall in Heaven Filled with smoke
הפטרת פרשת יתרו תשפ"ו - The Great Hall in Heaven Filled with smoke
Feb 5, 2026
23:51
a.) Smoke at Sinaib.) Smoke in the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippurc.) Smoke in Heaven in Isaiah's Prophetic Vision
35
פָּרָשַׁת יִתְרוֹ 2026 - The Chronology Problem
פָּרָשַׁת יִתְרוֹ 2026 - The Chronology Problem
Feb 4, 2026
25:51
If he came after the Ten Commandments, then how long after? Immediately after? After the erecting of the Mishkan?
36
Genazym is auctioning the Landau Family (as in Noda BiYhudah)'s copy of the 17th century Kabbalistic classic טוּר בָּרֶקֶת עַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן עָרוּךְ
Genazym is auctioning the Landau Family (as in Noda BiYhudah)'s copy of the 17th century Kabbalistic classic טוּר בָּרֶקֶת עַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן עָרוּךְ
Feb 4, 2026
34:01
Signed by the Noda BiYhudah himself when he was a teenager, soon to enter the Kloiz of Brody whose curriculum combined intense נִגְלֶה and נִסְתָּר.
37
פָּרָשַׁת יִתְרוֹ תשפ"ו חָתָן וְחוֹתֵן
פָּרָשַׁת יִתְרוֹ תשפ"ו חָתָן וְחוֹתֵן
Feb 3, 2026
32:46
Fathers in laws and sons in law in the Bible
38
Utopia- a חידוש of the Torah
Utopia- a חידוש of the Torah
Jan 30, 2026
30:50
Utopia is a necessary corollary of a God who is not only Omnipotent, but also Supremely Benevolent
39
Haftarah Parshas Beshalach 2026 - Was Yael a Judge?
Haftarah Parshas Beshalach 2026 - Was Yael a Judge?
Jan 27, 2026
33:36
Was Deborah a general? Josephus' version of the story...and more
40
A Document of Spicy Prague Rabbinical Controversy History (From the Genazym Auction)
A Document of Spicy Prague Rabbinical Controversy History (From the Genazym Auction)
Jan 27, 2026
37:54
R Shmuel Landau (son of the נוֹדַע בִּיהוּדָה) is engaged in a controversy re: the members of the Prague בֵּית דִּין, whom he accuses of violating the terms of a Prague communal foundation. The Maskilim tried to turn this into a cause célèbreDon't worry: אֶת וָהֵב בְּסוּפָה
41
Parshas Beshalach: What was the nature of Moshe's reputation among the Egyptians?
Parshas Beshalach: What was the nature of Moshe's reputation among the Egyptians?
Jan 26, 2026
31:08
They tried to buy him off, but it didn't workhttps://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast
42
Ramban on the Mashiach and Messianism
Ramban on the Mashiach and Messianism
Jan 26, 2026
1:06:22
Ramban's three great works on the subject: a.) סֵפֶר הַוִּכּוּחַ b.) סֵפֶר הַגְּאֻלָּה c.) שַׁעַר הַגְּמוּלhttps://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast
43
Genazym is offering (on Feb. 15) an autograph from R Yehonasan Eibeschutz which reflects why he was so successful as a Rosh Yeshivas
Genazym is offering (on Feb. 15) an autograph from R Yehonasan Eibeschutz which reflects why he was so successful as a Rosh Yeshivas
Jan 25, 2026
33:28
R Y Eibeschutz may possibly have been the the Rosh Yeshiva with the greatest number of students in history! This letter gives an insighthttps://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast
44
הַפְטָרָה פָּרָשַׁת בֹּא תשפ"ו - The Invasion of Egypt By Nebuchadnezzar
הַפְטָרָה פָּרָשַׁת בֹּא תשפ"ו - The Invasion of Egypt By Nebuchadnezzar
Jan 23, 2026
30:17
The strange attraction of Jews to Egypt...https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast
45
Some thoughts about the institution of the עָרֵי מִקְלָט
Some thoughts about the institution of the עָרֵי מִקְלָט
Jan 21, 2026
22:24
Why does the Torah say that in the Messianic Era, there will be even more עָרֵי מִקְלָט?
46
The Holiday of the 2nd of Teves: The Anniversary of the Death of Herod
The Holiday of the 2nd of Teves: The Anniversary of the Death of Herod
Jan 20, 2026
34:19
He gave orders to kill all the Gedolim when he died, in order to make sure there would be plenty of wailing and crying on the day of his death
47
More on Sinas Chinam in Jewish History - a reference to the destruction of the 2nd Temple
More on Sinas Chinam in Jewish History - a reference to the destruction of the 2nd Temple
Jan 19, 2026
37:41
Was there שִׂנְאַת חִנָּם in the era of the בַּיִת רִאשׁוֹן?
48
Parshas Bo: When did Moses become humble?
Parshas Bo: When did Moses become humble?
Jan 19, 2026
29:23
His princely/aristocratic upbringing in the Palace was not one calculated to make someone humble. Quite the opposite!
49
"Persian Gulf" in Chronology: Three takes on the discrepancy in Ancient Sources
"Persian Gulf" in Chronology: Three takes on the discrepancy in Ancient Sources
Jan 16, 2026
55:17
This is the second par of a two-part series
50
The Current Situation in France (Christians, Moslems, Jews) in Light of French History
The Current Situation in France (Christians, Moslems, Jews) in Light of French History
Jan 13, 2026
31:05
Divine "Chessboard": The Christians of Europe could have recaptured the Middle East centuries ago if the French had not blocked them from doing so. OTOH had that happened, Medinat Yisrael would never have come into being.