To help support this podcast, please consider giving a tax deductible contribution here: https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast --- Rabbi Dovid Katz, PhD is lauded for his extensive knowledge of Jewish History, his engaging and insightful lecture series, and eye opening historical international tours. Follow him weekly. New content released each week, including Personalities in Jewish History, Insights into Tefillah and Perspectives on the Haftarah and Parshah. Spons ...
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Circumcision and the Marranos - from the סֵפֶר הַזִּכְרוֹנוֹת מֵאֵת רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל אַבּוּהַב מִוֶנִיצִיׇהּ
33:01
33:01
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33:01"How come there is no NCSY for the Marranos?" Frum complaints from Venetian Gedolim of the 17th century
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Haftarah Zachor: The Story of Saul and Agag in the light of the current war with Hamas
30:06
30:06
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30:06Towards Amalek, Saul lacked moral clarity, but when it came to Nov and David, he acted with total (misguided) moral clarity!
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Parshas Tetzaveh: Was Aaron chosen for the priesthood before the episode of the Golden Calf?
38:33
38:33
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38:33Is וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ referring to a מִשְׁכָּן? A בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ? Both? What's with the textual obscurity?
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A selection of interpretations of the bizarre story of Rabbah killing R Zeira at a Purim party
31:18
31:18
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31:18R Katz and the new ArtScroll edition of the עֵין יַעֲקֹב
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The spontaneous prayers of the hostages during their captivity in Gaza
24:46
24:46
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24:46A real life example of Psalm 130: מִמַּעֲמַקִּים קְרָאתִיךָ הַשֵּׁם
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Rabbi Raphael Meldola of Bayonne, France (1686-1748) the שׁוּ"ת מַיִם רַבִּים
1:00:22
1:00:22
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1:00:22The Unusual Spanish-Portuguese Communities in 18th century Souther France. A different world
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R Katz analyzes the current Mid-East Situation, especially the Russian Role
30:22
30:22
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30:22Whereas Hamas pursues an unabashed policy of Amalak, Russia pursues a policy of לָבָן (לְפִי פֵּרוּשׁ הַנְּצִי"ב)
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From The Golden age of Spanish Jewish Poetry: Ibn Gabirol's שִׁנְאַנִּים שַׁאֲנַנִּים
17:04
17:04
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17:04A "rap song" about the angels surrounding the Heavenly Throne. Part of theSephardic liturgy. The cadence as well as the rhymes moves the worshiper to ectasy
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Haftarah Mishpatim: Reneging on Emancipation
23:37
23:37
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23:37What was the ultimate fate of צִדְקִיָּהוּ, the last King of Judah? The differing traditions
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Parshas Mishpatim: Creating a sacred polity is harder than creating a holy individual
26:25
26:25
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26:25The difference between קְדוֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ vs. וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ לִי מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים וְגוֹי קָדוֹשׁ
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The Ramchal and the history of his most famous work, Mesilas Yesharim - Some thoughts
35:03
35:03
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35:03Although an "old-fashioned" sefer, it had surprisingly modern features, which reflect the 18th century Englightenment Movement
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Differentiate between the prayers composed by חז"ל, and those composed by the great פַּיְטָנִים
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First you talk about angels surrounding the Heavenly Throne, but then you ringingly assert !שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ ה' אֶחָד
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Parshas Yisro: The oath Moshe swore to Yisro re: Gershom, Pt. 2
10:14
10:14
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10:14Both Moshe and Yisro probably thought Moshe's oath was binding. But after the miracles of Egypt, both men saw the oath had been without validity, indeed even sense
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What is the significance of Isaiah's prophetic career commencing with the death of King Uzziahu?
22:51
22:51
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22:51What does the prophet mean when he describes himself as an אִישׁ טְמֵא שְׂפָתַיִם?
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Parshas Yisro: Yisro brings Gershom, whom he has already "ruined," hence the tense relationship
28:09
28:09
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28:09Did Yisro return to Midian and resume his job as High Priest of Paganism (for parnassah, of course!)?
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The original printing of the famous עֵין יַעֲקֹב on the אַגָּדוֹת, being offered by Genazym
44:08
44:08
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44:08The 1516 and 1522 editions complied and explained by the famous father and son team רַבִּי יַעֲקֹב בֶּן חָבִיב and רַבִּי לֵוִי בֶּן חָבִיב ))(מהרלב"ח. Which had a profound impact on subsequent Jewish history.
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Genazym is auctioning a political-lobbying letter from R Chaim Brisker to his friend the בַּעַל "דּוֹרוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים"re: the elections for Chief Rabbi of the Turkish Empire
48:52
48:52
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48:52R Chaim was opposing the election of "Conservative Rabbi" חַיִּים נָחוּם, fearing he would spread הַשְׂכָּלָה וְקַלּוּת בְּמִצְווֹת among the Sephardic masses
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A Real Life Case in 19th Century Kurdistan-וֶהֱוֵי מִתְאַבֵּק בַּעֲפַר רַגְלֵיהֶם, וֶהֱוֵי שׁוֹתֶה בַּצָּמָא אֶת דִּבְרֵיהֶם
25:21
25:21
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25:21The אֱמוּנָה פְּשׁוּטָה of some of the עֵדוֹת הַמִּזְרָח re: אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, even when they misinterpreted rabbinic dicta
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פָּרָשַׁת בְּשַׁלַּח תשפ"ה - Some Jews armed themselves to battle the Philistines when they left Egypt. Others were cowardly
26:21
26:21
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26:21Sponsored by Meshulem Epstein "Whose grandmother came in the early 1900s from Ukraine. Her mother ran a dry goods and her father was the mashgiach for milk production. The farm was right in Brownsville NY! She was of the generation to whom the Ribbono shel Olam was real and present.A "tehillim-zugger big time.A smile and a kind word for everyone.Sh…
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More correspndence between Ramchal and R Yeshaya Bassani: Whose soul did R Yeshaya possess?
33:56
33:56
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33:56Ramchal ascribes the most incredible and supernatural, indeed cosmic, significance to the Padua Eruv set up by R Yeshaya
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Haftarah BeShalach: Who exactly was Yael, Eshes Chever HaKeini? Which yeshiva did she learn in?
24:25
24:25
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24:25Targum Yonasan describes her as a talmid chacham
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Genazym is offering the famous math book: "סֵפֶר הַמִּסְפָּר" מֵאֵת רַבִּי אֵלִיָּהוּ מִזְרָחִי הַמְפֻרְסָם (בַּעַל הָרְאֵ"ם עַל פֵּרוּשׁ רָשִׁ"י עַל הַחֻמָּשׁ)
45:12
45:12
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45:12Published in the Turkish Empire in the 1500s by the famous Soncino Family, including a controversial colophon re: a fght between the Soncinos and the anisemitic Catholic "Billy Graham" - Friar John of Capistrano
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Haftarah Bo: Egypt will be devastated by a Babylonian invasion
25:20
25:20
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25:20Israel will be mauled (but will recover), Egypt & Co. will be destroyed and will not recover
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Rabbi Katz Yahrtzeit Siyum on Mikvaos
43:23
43:23
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43:23Given 1/28
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Sumptuary decrees of 1767 issued by the נוֹדַע בִּיהוּדָה
47:19
47:19
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47:19Genazym auction in Sunday Feb. 16, 2025 The eternal struggle against excessive spending on simchas
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Psalm 90 - the Dearth of שמחה? Reflections of the aftermath of the Golden Calf?
25:22
25:22
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25:22תְּפִלָּה לְמֹשֶׁה אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים Moshe, the one who mastered (איש) the מִדַּת הַדִּין
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Parshas Bo: Were there apostates (משומדים) already at the time of יציאת מצרים?
31:20
31:20
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31:20Why does G-d warn Moses about the בן נכר before they even left Egypt? Was this part of his disagreement re: the עֵרוּב רַב?
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Haftarah VaEra: Pharaoh the Crocodile
24:08
24:08
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24:08Why did the Jews always allow themselves to get "played" by the cynical Egyptians?
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Psalm 81 הַיּוֹם יוֹם חֲמִישִׁי בְּשַׁבָּת Commemorating the First Liberation
22:15
22:15
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22:15The extraordinary transformation of Joseph in Egypt, foreshadowing the later Exodus. And Divine frustration at the obtuseness of the liberated
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Parshas VaEra: Redemption without repentance?
25:01
25:01
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25:01The Jewish slaves cried out to God in pain. But they did not repent!
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The Hostage Deal and the Current Matzav
30:40
30:40
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30:40R Katz analyzes the sobering reality of no victory, balanced by the need to not give in to יֵאוּשׁ, and creating new countermeasures
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Haftarah Shmos- "הַנִּדָּחִים בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם"
30:16
30:16
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30:16Who are the Jews Cast Off in the Land of Egypt? Did 4/5 die in Egypt? Or did they assimilate?
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Psalm 94 - The Call for Revenge, when is it appropriate?
27:43
27:43
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27:43The Historical Context of Psalm 94, and its relevance to the current מַצָּב
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Ramchal and his Rebbe, Pt. 2. - More on the remarkable relationship
55:28
55:28
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55:28Ramchal in Amsterdam (1730s-1740s), where he wrote the works that made him famous
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Who was Moshe deceiving? Pharaoh? Or the Jews!
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The theme of siege in Torah Judaism and Jewish Memory
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An Analysis of the Current Influence of Turkey in Syria and Israel
30:11
30:11
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30:11Is Erdogan trying to recreate the old Turkish Empire in 21st century form?
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Dovid and Yoav: Why really did Dovid resent Yoav?
26:23
26:23
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26:23Was David's reign an ideal era in Jewish History?
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Why was there a military escort at Jacob's funeral?
28:25
28:25
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28:25Jacob's insistence that his grandchildren not touch his coffin?
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The Shma Prayer in its original context
30:56
30:56
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30:56Jacob & Sons in Egypt. what was the challenge שמע addressed?
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Haftarah VaYigash: Unity Before Geulah
23:22
23:22
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23:22Was the modern State of Israel created "out of order?"
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Parshas VaYigash: Why did Joseph supply his brothers with literally all their need?
33:00
33:00
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33:00Altruism or Cynicism?
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The Ruthless Use of Hostages: The assasination of Judah Maccabee's brother Shimon and its aftermath
36:29
36:29
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36:29The assassins used hostages to get away with their crimes: a cautionary tale re: Gaza?
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נְחֹשֶׁת: דְּבַר תּוֹרָה לַחֲנֻכָּה תשפ"ה
34:19
34:19
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34:19Yavan, Copper, and the Copper Snake
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Lighting Inside v. Lighting Outside: History of Controversy
41:47
41:47
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41:47Jews lit inside even when there is no danger
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The prophecy of 24 Kislev (סֵפֶר הַנָּבִיא חַגַּי) and current events in the Middle East
24:12
24:12
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24:12"I will overthrow regimes and destroy armies through civil wars!"
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Was Chanukah ordained as a day of הַלֵּל וְהוֹדָאָה? Or was it ordained as a day of שִׂמְחָה וְהַלֵּל?
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Haftarah Shabbos Chanukah - Zechariah Magical Menorah
22:44
22:44
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22:44Did the Maccabees know about this prophecy? How could they not?
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Mikeitz and (metaphysical) Chanukah: The two dream stories - Joseph and Daniel
28:45
28:45
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28:45Both involve the dream of a gentile king concerning his kingdom; both dreams contain a subtext for the future of Klal Yisroel
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