Jewish History with Rabbi Dr. Dovid Katz
Rabbi Dr. Dovid Katz
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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. Sponsorships of podcasts are available. He can be reached at the following email: rabbidkatz@gmail.com.
https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz
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. Sponsorships of podcasts are available. He can be reached at the following email: rabbidkatz@gmail.com.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 25, 2025 • 50min
Genazym: The First Printing of the classic בֵּית מֵאִיר (1787), the author's own copy with extensive handwritten glosses on the sides!
Rabbi Meir Posner of Danzig (1725-1807), one of the leading poskim of the entire 18th century. R Akiva Eger used to send him his questions! A classic אב"ד of the "Old School" https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast
Aug 24, 2025 • 52min
A recent find of of an ancient coin in Jerusalem, and thoughts about the Messianic Era . Some "dirt" re: Ptolemy III and Berenice II
For some obscure reason, Egyptian Pharaoh Ptolemy III's invasion of Syria (246 BCE) to rescue his sister Berenice from a crazed mob is mentioned by the Angel Gabriel in Daniel Chapter 11 as being relevant to the events of יְמוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ. The other day, a coin of Ptlemy's Queen Berenice II was discovered under a Jerusalem parking lot.The weird world of archaeology...https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast
Aug 21, 2025 • 42min
Genazym is auctioning the 15h century classic of Talmudic Methodolgy - הֲלִיכוֹת עוֹלָם, first complete edition (Constantinople 1510)
This methodological intro to the Talmud was held in high esteem, and R Yosef Karo wrote a commentary (סֵפֶר כְּלָלֵי הַגְּמָרָא) on it. One of the first Hebrew books ever printed https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast
Aug 20, 2025 • 40min
Moses' warning: אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל can easily become a קְלָלָה!
To prevent human sacrifce by the uneducated, the Temple is located on the Mountain of the עֲקֵדַת יִצְחָק
Aug 19, 2025 • 50min
The Remarkable R' Meir Bumsla (1703-1769): A סְמִיכַת חָבֵר from the tension-laden Golden Age of Prague, the Era of the Noda BiYhudah- An item being auctioned by Genazym
A close student of R Yehonasan Eibeschutz, Bumsla nevertheless got along with the Noda BiYhudah, and the latter had a "prophecy" about Bumsla which he shared at the latter's funeral.https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast
Aug 18, 2025 • 25min
Haftarah Re'eh: A future without fear? Really?
Isaiah 54:15 - difficult to translate convincingly
Aug 18, 2025 • 32min
Parshas Re'eh: Keep the booze out of the house of the fellow in recovery
?אַבֵּד תְּאַבְּדוּן אֶת הַמְּקוֹמוֹת - How does one destroy a place
Aug 16, 2025 • 56min
R' Naphtali Katz (1648-1719), Part 2
After the Great Fire in Frankfurt: Battling the Sabbateans (Nechemiah Chayon). The very famous (and romantic!) Ethical Will https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast
Aug 14, 2025 • 1h 12min
R' Naphtali Katz (1648-1719): The Baal Semichas Chachamim, Part 1
Did he cause the Great Fire of 1711 which burned down the entire Jewish Ghetto of Frankfurt? Was it a case of קַבָּלָה מַעֲשִׂית gone awry?
Aug 13, 2025 • 26min
Moses and the Bones of Joseph: Two different models of Jewish leadership?
Joseph was the personification of Traditionalism. Moshe was the personification of chinuchhttps://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast
