Jewish History with Rabbi Dr. Dovid Katz

Latest Episodes:

How Did They Know Heaven had Confirmed Purim (קִיְּמוּ לְמַעְלָה מַה שֶׁקִּבְּלוּ לְמַטָּה)? Mar 02, 2023

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Did Jews sell-themselves in an effort to escape impending death?

Parshas Tetzaveh: The Moreh Nevuchim's Take on the Splendid Bigdei Kehunah Mar 01, 2023

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Overawe the masses and win them away from competing pagan temples. The masses go by externals, not by the inner (essential) realities.

Purim: Esther’s Hidden Identity Feb 28, 2023

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How could Esther hide her identity when she had been married to Mordecai? The brilliant effect of כָּל אֻמָּה נִדְמְתָה לָהּ כְּאֻמָּתוֹ

The Ramban's Detailed Description of the Sinner in Gehinnom - R’ Katz Discusses Feb 22, 2023

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Using mystical and (interestingly) psychological concepts to describe the suffering there

Haftarah Terumah: Shlomo's Corvee was the Fulfillment of the Warning of שְׁמוּאֵל הַנָּבִיא Feb 21, 2023

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Was it really wise for Shlomo to have close (even if transactional) relations with Tyre?

When was the Mishkan Commanded? During the First 40 days, or During the Third 40 days? Feb 21, 2023

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If the latter, when exactly during the third set of 40 days? The significance of this issue.

The Controversial but Popular מַסֶּכֶת פּוּרִים (Venice 1552) from the Genazym Feb 20, 2023

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Auction this Sunday, Feb. 26th. R’ Katz also discusses Purim Parody, in general.

Sherira Gaon and Jewish Politics in 10th Century Babylonia Feb 20, 2023

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The fights to keep the Gaonic yeshiva alive in the face of economic hardships and personality-clashes

Haftarah Shekalim: Why Didn't the King Just Raise the Money for the Temple by Appealing to the Public? Feb 17, 2023

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The synagogue vs. the house minyan: בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ vs. בָּמוֹת

Nahmanides on Gehinnom - Sinners Do Actually Burn in a Certain Kind of Fire. It's Not an Allegory Feb 16, 2023

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There's an intermediate state of existence between the physical and the metaphysical, as evidenced by the soul being inside a specific body