Jewish History with Rabbi Dr. Dovid Katz

1201

The Second Brachah of Shemonah Esrei: Why Did They Make It All About Resurrection? (Tefillah)

May 2, 2021

47:56

Is it resurrection? Or immortality of the soul?

1202

Lag B’Omer: R Akiva Teaching R’ Shimon bar Yochai After His Students Perished?

Apr 28, 2021

37:40

The change in the Israeli yeshiva culture as a result of the 24,000 deaths

1203

The Passage in Ezekiel That Almost Got the Book Banned (Haftarah Emor)

Apr 28, 2021

41:42

Kiddush Rishon in the Beis HaMikdash?!

1204

The First Three Paragraphs of the Shemonah Esrei

Apr 26, 2021

42:11

Do you start with reason, or with family history?

1205

Parshas Emor: The Kohen vs. the Talmid Chacham. Two Different Models of Elitism

Apr 26, 2021

39:49

Why should a mere physical blemish prevent a righteous kohen from serving?

1206

Orobio de Castro: The Marrano Champion of Judaism

Apr 25, 2021

59:17

The man who battled both the Inquisition and Spinoza

1207

Henry Morgenthau: An Assimilated Jew Encounters His Jewish Identity in the Crucible of the Shoah

Apr 23, 2021

1:56:52

The unusual relationship between Morgenthau, FDR, and the terrible fate of the Jews in WWII

1208

Amos Tells the Jews They Could Lose Israel Very Easily (Haftarah Acharei Mos-Kedoshim)

Apr 21, 2021

30:23

The difference between Klal Yisroel and the individual Bar Yisroel in terms of Divine Grace and survival

1209

The Chaotic World of Unregulated Synagogues in the Second Temple Era (Tefillah)

Apr 21, 2021

40:14

And the turning point represented by the Destruction of the Bais HaMikdash

1210

Parshas Acharei Mos-Kedoshim: What is the Precise Meaning of “Kedoshim Tihiyu?”

Apr 20, 2021

43:05

How can you tell if someone's chumrah results in his fulfilling “Kedoshim Tihiyu?”

1211

Romanian Jewry: The Fascinating Observations of a Hungarian Rav on Romanian Jewry in the Holocaust

Apr 18, 2021

1:21:43

What's the definition of "frum"? Why did the observant Jews get killed during the Holocaust, but not the non-observant?

1212

Parshas Tazria-Metzora: Leprosy a Punishment for Lashon Hara - Really?

Apr 15, 2021

43:51

Agadic statements as rhetoric, sometimes.

1213

Prayer in the Second Temple Era, Part II (Tefillah)

Apr 13, 2021

47:16

The messy narrative of the historians. The neat narrative of Maimonides.

1214

Was Gechazi a Moral Hero? Or an Expedient Opportunist? (Haftarah Tazria-Metzorah)

Apr 13, 2021

42:33

Did Elisha treat Gechazi correctly? Or did he drive him OTD?

1215

R’ Yitzchak Alfasi - “The Rif” (1013-1103): The Pluses and Minuses of the "Reader's Digest" Approach

Apr 12, 2021

1:13:33

The fascinating literary history of the book. Aid or competition to the Gemara?

1216

Parshas Shmini: Nadav and Avihu - What Exactly Happened?

Apr 8, 2021

31:21

How can a soul be "burned"?

1217

Prayer in the Second Temple Era, Part I (Tefillah)

Apr 8, 2021

44:30

Trying to Trace the Effects of Exile and Diaspora on the Evolution of Synagogues and Prayer. The "neat narrative" of Maimonides vs. the messy one of the historians

1218

Was King David Right in Introducing "Carlebach" Music in the Aron Parade? (Haftarah Shmini)

Apr 6, 2021

43:23

Some unusual observations of the Malbim re: the David-Michal argument

1219

Nathan Birnbaum (1864-1937): The Most Famous and Controversial Baal Teshuva of 100 Years Ago

Apr 6, 2021

1:25:45

The founder of Zionism who ended up as leader of the Agudah.

1220

Haftarah Last Day of Pesach: The End of Passover and the Violent (?) Messianic Process

Apr 2, 2021

43:15

Pharaoh at the Red Sea equals the War of Gog and Magog

1221

Last Day of Pesach: Pharaoh and the Eirev Rav

Apr 1, 2021

49:21

Egypt's other slaves "khap arein." Where are their descendants today? The Vilna Gaon opinion

1222

Piyutim and Shul Fighting: A Poem from the 13th Century

Mar 31, 2021

55:04

Some actually argued piyutim were more important that tefilah!

1223

Judah Al-Charizi (12th Century): Greatest (?) of the Sefardic Poets of the Golden Age

Mar 31, 2021

1:46:56

The "rapper" of genius who fought to make the Jews see the superiority of Hebrew over Arabic

1224

Seder Thoughts: The "Three-Model" vs. the "Four-Model"

Mar 26, 2021

58:05

Which Maror is around today?

1225

HaRav Yosef Tov Elem's Tour de Fource: The Famous Piyut ""Elokei Ruchos L'Chol Bassar"

Mar 24, 2021

41:59

A poetic review of Maseches Pesachim adored by the Baalei Tosafos

1226

The Mission of the Prophet Elijah in the Messianic process (Haftarah Shabbos HaGadol)

Mar 23, 2021

45:48

The Jews challenge the Prophet over theodicy

1227

Parshas Tzav: Reciting Korbanos vs. Understanding Korbanos

Mar 22, 2021

45:44

Symbolism in the olah and the minchah. Can you think of any?

1228

Haggadah Thoughts: Two competing Seders? R’ Akiva vs. R’ Gamliel

Mar 21, 2021

49:02

A plug for the Abarbanel Hagada, among others

1229

Dr. Elijah Montalto (1567-1616): Among the Most Famous Marranos Who Returned to Judaism and the Most Famous MD

Mar 21, 2021

46:36

Destroyed Catholics in debate, yet they held him as the best MD.

1230

Tefillah: A New Series on Prayer and Prayers in Jewish History

Mar 18, 2021

31:17

What was prayer in the first millennium in Eretz Yisrael?

1231

Isaiah's Bitter Diatribe Against Jewish Willful Stupidity During the Reign of Ahaz (Haftarah VaYikrah)

Mar 17, 2021

34:41

"They fashion the idol out of a piece of wood and then worship it sincerely"

1232

Parshas VaYikrah: King David's Anguish at His Inability to Defend the Korbanos in Debate with Gentiles and Heretics

Mar 16, 2021

38:50

Maimonides: When you cannot win a debate about Judaism, just double-down in faith

1233

R' Aryeh Levin (1885-1969): The Only Tzadik Genuinely Venerated By Both Frum and Non-Frum in Modern Times

Mar 15, 2021

1:16:31

His bio is different from the Artscroll bios of Gedolim

1234

The Most Difficult Haftorah of the Year (Haftarah Parshas HaChodesh)

Mar 10, 2021

34:54

Ezekiel's description of Passover in the Messianic Era

1235

Parshas VaYakhel-Pekudei: Which Has Worked Better? Mishkan or Shabbos?

Mar 9, 2021

31:27

Why is Moses reticent about the mystical significance of the Sabbath in public?

1236

Rabbi Leone Modena of Venice - A Posek Who Taught Dancing (and Many Other Subjects)

Mar 8, 2021

1:16:00

Very frum but skeptical of the claims of the Kabbalists

1237

Ezekiel's Prophecy of an Undeserved Redemption (Haftarah Ki Sisah)

Mar 3, 2021

27:06

The Red Cow: It works even without repentance

1238

Parshas Ki Sisa: Where Does It Say You May Not Make an Idol of Hashem?

Mar 1, 2021

42:25

Does idolatry inevitably lead to indecency?

1239

"The Akedah" - R’ Yitzhak Arama (15th Century Spain): Author of the "Cheater-Book" Used By Generations of Pulpit Rabbis

Mar 1, 2021

1:10:14

An encyclopedia of original approaches to the weekly Parshah. A classy intellectual work.

1240

Esther vs. Ezra: Competitive Narrative-Sensibilities

Feb 24, 2021

40:34

If you won the lottery, would you tell others? Or keep it quiet?

1241

Parshas Tetzaveh: Aaron's Splendid Clothes and His Splendid Temperament

Feb 22, 2021

32:48

The first (only) brothers in the Chumash who get-along?

1242

A Purim Insight of R’ Y. Eibeschutz in Its Historical Context

Feb 21, 2021

38:22

Were the Jews obligated to wipe out Amalek during the time of Haman?

1243

Thoughts on Purim: Three Open-Ended Questions About the Purim Story

Feb 18, 2021

35:29

Was Haman out to kill the Jews, or was he out to convert them?

1244

Parshas Trumah: Why Did G-d REQUEST a Mishkan, But Seemed Not Interested At All in a Bais Hamikdash?

Feb 17, 2021

40:12

What exactly is the danger of a holy building?

1245

Haftarah Zachor: Saul and the Amalekites - Why Did He Think of Them as Innocent?

Feb 15, 2021

40:43

Was Saul punished so severely when he got it mostly right?

1246

The "Levush": The "Goldilocks” Version of the Shulchan Aruch - and In the 16th Century!

Feb 14, 2021

59:09

The "original" Aruch ha-Shulkhan, trying to help the common man

1247

The Story of Joash Repairing the Temple. What had Athaliah Done? Two Versions - (Haftarah Shekalim)

Feb 11, 2021

43:11

Do you just trust the contractors? Moses vs. King Joash of Judah.

1248

Parshas Mishpatim: Onkelos, His Audience, and Seeing G-d Standing Next to a Sapphire Brick

Feb 9, 2021

43:33

Maimonides guides the perplexed to understand what happened to Aaron and the elders

1249

The 23rd of Sivan: Another Holocaust Which Did Not Happen

Feb 7, 2021

59:40

Herod Agrippa's finest hour, his appeal to Caligula, and the Providential salvation of the Jews

1250

Isaiah is Told of Impending Doom for the Kingdom of Judah, and Nothing Will Stop It - Haftarah Yisro

Feb 3, 2021

33:54

If you are good in בין אדם למקום but not בין אדם לחברו, are you frum?