Jewish History with Rabbi Dr. Dovid Katz

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To help support this podcast, please consider giving a tax deductible contribution here: http://support.rabbidovidkatz.com --- 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.…

Rabbi Dovid Katz


    • Mar 18, 2026 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekdays NEW EPISODES
    • 39m AVG DURATION
    • 1,663 EPISODES

    4.7 from 285 ratings Listeners of Jewish History with Rabbi Dr. Dovid Katz that love the show mention: jewish history, fascinating, thank you for sharing, incredible, knowledge, different, interesting, amazing, best, great, listen, rabbonim, minyanim, rabbi katz, r katz.


    Ivy Insights

    The Jewish History with Rabbi Dr. Dovid Katz podcast is an absolute treasure for anyone interested in Jewish history. Rabbi Dr. Katz's extensive knowledge and unique perspective make every episode worthy of study. Even if one may disagree with certain aspects of his approach, the podcast offers a fresh way to see historical issues. It's truly amazing to witness the depth of knowledge that one person possesses, and I highly recommend this podcast to anyone seeking a comprehensive understanding of Jewish history.

    One of the best aspects of this podcast is Rabbi Dr. Katz's eye for detail and unmatched perspective. He has a talent for delving into historical topics and presenting them in an engaging and informative manner. His ability to connect various sources and present a cohesive narrative is truly impressive. Listening to his lectures feels like being transported back in time, as he brings these historical events to life with his expert storytelling skills.

    However, it's worth noting that there may be instances where listeners may disagree with Rabbi Dr. Katz's interpretations or conclusions. This is natural when studying history, as different scholars often have varying perspectives on certain events or figures. While Rabbi Dr. Katz provides a comprehensive understanding of Jewish history, it's important for listeners to approach the material critically and form their own interpretations based on additional research.

    In conclusion, The Jewish History with Rabbi Dr. Dovid Katz podcast is an invaluable resource for those interested in Jewish history. Through his extensive knowledge, engaging storytelling skills, and unique perspective, Rabbi Dr. Katz provides listeners with a deep understanding of historical events and figures. While there may be room for differing interpretations, this podcast remains highly recommended for its informative and captivating content.



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    Latest episodes from Jewish History with Rabbi Dr. Dovid Katz

    R Katz analyzes aspects of the latest developments in the chaotic war-situation

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2026 28:28


    Are Bibi and Trump encouraging the Syrians to invade Lebanon and "disarm" (i.e., exterminate) Hezbollah? Who gains from that? This is reminiscent of certain Biblical episodes...

    הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת וַיִּקְרָא תשפ"ו - Korbanos in Judaism and in Paganism

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2026 23:10


    Man-made idols do not offer moral criticism!

    Various definitions of אִשָּׁה חֲשׁוּבָה (Passover Seder)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2026 34:13


    Looks? Bucks? Yichus? Higher salary? Higher job position? Class? Equal Partner in the Marriage?

    פָּרָשַׁת וַיִּקְרָא תשפ"ו - Rambam on Korbanos that don't make sense

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2026 37:38


    For the first year after the original Passover, there were basically no korbanos (with a few exceptions) in Judaism

    More Strange Bedfellows: Germany financed Israel's A- Bomb Project (Dimona) back in the 1960s. A story in the news today

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2026 53:18


    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

    זֵכֶר יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם VS סִפּוּר יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later 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?

    Some historical considerations re: Poles, Jews, Hitler, Food, and the Holocaust

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2026 36:40


    The German food crisis of 1942 as a cause of the setting-up of industrial genocide centers in Occupied Poland in 1942

    הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת הַחֹדֶשׁ תשפ"ו - Abrabanel: "ha-ha מְשֻׁמָּדִים וּמְסִיתִים וּמַדִּיחִים, don't tell me THIS prophecy is metaphorical!"

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 9, 2026 25:05


    High- Office will have the power to tempt the powerful to be corrupt even in the Messianic Era!

    פָּרָשַׁת וַיַּקְהֵל-פְּקוּדֵי תשפ"ו The Contrast between the מִשְׁכָּן-idea and the שַׁבָּת-idea

    Play Episode Listen Later 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

    Abarbanel on Messianism Part 2. R Katz gives a historical introduction to Abarbanel's יְשׁוּעוֹת מְשִׁיחוֹ" עַל מַאַמׇרֵי חֲזַ"ל בְּסִפְרוּת הַתַּלְמוּד”

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2026 62:06


    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

    הַפְטָרָה פָּרָשַׁת פָּרָה תשפ"ו - The Red Cow as a Historiosophical Mystical Reality

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2026 23:36


    That which becomes impure can be made pure again; a nation that becomes homeless can regain their home

    פָּרָשַׁת כִּי תִּשָּׂא תשפ"ו - Why the Juxtaposition of the קְטֹרֶת and the עֵגֶל הַזָּהָב?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2026 30:33


    God can only be comprehended (to some extent) through history, not philosophy!

    The shaky acceptance of Purim by the Jewish people back at the time of Mordechai

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2026 41:22


    Why did the Jews stop observing Purim a few years after they originally accepted it?

    Iran and Hamas: בּוֹר כָּרָה וַיַּחְפְּרֵהוּ וַיִּפֹּל בְּשַׁחַת יִפְעָל ("Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit they have made.")

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2026 38:22


    Has Sinwar ימ"ש caused the death of Khamenei and the fall of his regime? The ironies of the Purim season

    Analyzing the קִיְּמוּ וְקִבְּלוּ episode. If it is actually a valid complaint, why were the Jews punished for sins in the Biblical Era?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2026 36:23


    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?

    The archaeology of a Dvar Torah - The כְּתַב סוֹפֵר on the last verse in the Megilah

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2026 37:41


    Why would he deprecate the use of coercion on the non-frum? The answer lies in his own and his family's history...

    Addendum to the podcast this morning re: הֵגֶא סְרִיס הַמֶּלֶךְ שֹׁמֵר הַנָּשִׁים

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2026 8:21


    וְנָתַתִּי לָהֶם בְּבֵיתִי וּבְחוֹמֹתַי יָד וָשֵׁם טוֹב מִבָּנִים וּמִבָּנוֹת שֵׁם עוֹלָם אֶתֶּן לוֹ אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִכָּרֵת

    Why some rabbis disliked Mordechai - They thought the was being מחמיר at the expense of the entire Jewish People

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2026 32:08


    Had Esther's intervention not succeeded, would Mordechai THEN bow down to Haman to save the Jews?

    הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת זְכֹר תשפ"ו - What the is the meaning of " זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק"

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2026 31:33


    Managing an unsolvable existential problem - the " זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק" in every generation,

    Who exactly is הֵגֶא סְרִיס הַמֶּלֶךְ שֹׁמֵר הַנָּשִׁים? Is he a "hidden hero" of the story?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2026 32:01


    Who was the ממוכן who recommended הֵגֶא ? The world of varied interpretations of מגילת אסתר

    Abarbanel on Messianism Part 1 - this historical context of the late 1490s

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2026 45:39


    Abarbanel wrote three books on Messianic themes: a,)מַעַיְנֵי הַיְּשׁוּעָה b.) יְשׁוּעוֹת מְשִׁיחוֹ c.) מַשְׁמִיעַ יְשׁוּעָה

    How did Mordecai & Esther know the contents of the private conversation between Haman and the King?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2026 25:15


    When Haman fell from power, did Mordecai gain possession of Haman's "Jeffery Epstein Files"?

    פָּרָשַׁת תְּצַוֶּה תשפ"ו - The source of Moses' moral authority

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2026 23:10


    Why is שִׂנְאַת חִנָּם the thing that prevents the Rebuilding of the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ ?

    Why did Moshe accept the עֵרוּב רַב and Mordecai the מִתְיַהֲדִים?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2026 25:15


    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

    הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת תְּרוּמָה תשפ"ו Was Shomo's Temple popular?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2026 26:11


    Built with forced labor, it doesn't seem to have captured the emotions of כלל ישראל. Instead, separation, במות, etc. Unlike the בַּיִת שֵׁנִי

    Malbim on Messianism and the Messianic Era Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2026 41:03


    Malbim's theory of the terminus post quem for the Redemption

    The new English translation of the Classic R Yehonasan Eibeschutz sefer on Megilas Esther

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2026 28:32


    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!

    וְרַבִּים מֵעַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ מִתְיַהֲדִים כִּי נָפַל פַּחַד הַיְּהוּדִים עֲלֵיהֶם - Did they actually convert?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2026 32:09


    Was it a wave of גֵּרֵי צֶדֶק or an avalanche of opportunists, a new עֵרוּב רַב?

    פָּרָשַׁת תְּרוּמָה תשפ"ו - Stationary and Mobile

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2026 32:03


    A box never to be opened, a symbol of Divine Mystery?

    וְאֶל מֹשֶׁה אָמַר עֲלֵה אֶל יְהֹוָה - What does this actually mean?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2026 25:53


    "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"

    הַפְטָרָה פָּרָשַׁת שְׁקָלִים תשפ"ו - Fundraising techniques 2800 years ago

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2026 30:06


    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.

    הַפְטָרָה פָּרָשַׁת שְׁקָלִים תשפ"ו - Fundraising techniques 2800 years ago

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2026 56:06


    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.

    The Malbim on Messianism Part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2026 56:06


    Malbim calculated Mashiach would come in 1927. To be continued...

    Genazym s offering (this Sunday!) the first edition of the classic סֵפֶר אֱמוּנוֹת וְדֵעוֹת לְרַב סְעַדְיָה גָּאוֹן (Istanbul 1562)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2026 38:04


    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)

    הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת מִשְׁפָּטִים תשפ"וו - Facing doom but still unable to let go of their (illegally held) Hebrew slaves

    Play Episode Listen Later 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"

    פָּרָשַׁת מִשְׁפָּטִים תשפ"ו - Saadia Gaon's remarkable in sight into the Torah's statement re: Kidnapping

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2026 26:59


    The child who hit his father not knowing it was his father; he was kidnapped at birth!

    Genazym is auctioning a letter from the famous Sir Moses Montefiore to the Jews of Baghdad assuring them there will be no pogrom!

    Play Episode Listen Later 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.

    Current Events: Ehud Barak, the Epstein tapes, and Ashkenazi Jewish Racism

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2026 45:33


    WASP = "White (Secular) Ashkenazi with Protektsia"

    הפטרת פרשת יתרו תשפ"ו - The Great Hall in Heaven Filled with smoke

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2026 23:50


    a.) Smoke at Sinaib.) Smoke in the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippurc.) Smoke in Heaven in Isaiah's Prophetic Vision

    פָּרָשַׁת יִתְרוֹ 2026 - The Chronology Problem

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2026 25:50


    If he came after the Ten Commandments, then how long after? Immediately after? After the erecting of the Mishkan?

    Genazym is auctioning the Landau Family (as in Noda BiYhudah)'s copy of the 17th century Kabbalistic classic טוּר בָּרֶקֶת עַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן עָרוּךְ

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2026 34:00


    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.

    פָּרָשַׁת יִתְרוֹ תשפ"ו חָתָן וְחוֹתֵן

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2026 32:45


    Fathers in laws and sons in law in the Bible

    Utopia- a חידוש of the Torah

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2026 30:50


    Utopia is a necessary corollary of a God who is not only Omnipotent, but also Supremely Benevolent

    Haftarah Parshas Beshalach 2026 - Was Yael a Judge?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2026 33:35


    Was Deborah a general? Josephus' version of the story...and more

    A Document of Spicy Prague Rabbinical Controversy History (From the Genazym Auction)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2026 37:53


    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

    פָּרָשַׁת בְּשַׁלַּח תשפ"ו - What was the nature of Moshe's reputation among the Egyptians?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 26, 2026 31:08


    They tried to buy him off, but it didn't workhttps://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

    Ramban on the Mashiach and Messianism

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 26, 2026 66:21


    Ramban's three great works on the subject: a.) סֵפֶר הַוִּכּוּחַ b.) סֵפֶר הַגְּאֻלָּה c.) שַׁעַר הַגְּמוּלhttps://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

    Genazym is offering (on Feb. 25) an autograph from R Yehonasan Eibeschutz which reflects why he was so successful as a Rosh Yeshivas

    Play Episode Listen Later 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

    הַפְטָרָה פָּרָשַׁת בֹּא תשפ"ו - The Invasion of Egypt By Nebuchadnezzar

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2026 30:17


    The strange attraction of Jews to Egypt...https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

    Some thoughts about the institution of the עָרֵי מִקְלָט

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2026 22:24


    Why does the Torah say that in the Messianic Era, there will be even more עָרֵי מִקְלָט?

    The Holiday of the 2nd of Teves: The Anniversary of the Death of Herod

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2026 34:18


    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

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