Jewish History Uncensored

In this episode we look at the contemporary theory that real opposition to Beshtian Chassidus only started in 1781. We start looking at the issue of what part the Maskilim  played in the confrontation between Chassidim and Misnagdim. We look specifically at Yisroel of Zamosz. Was Yisroel of Zamosz an early Maskil? Was he one of the first opponents of Chassidus?  We also look at the different ways classic Ashkenazi last names are spelled.  We also look at Moses Montifiori and his relationship with the Old Yishuv of Jerusalem. _______________________________________________________ Rabbi Arnie Wittenstein is a well known Torah scholar, Tanach expert, and Historian. He has lectured in the Mir Yeshiva, Torat Shraga, and and many Shuls internationally. These podcasts integrate his broad knowledge of many different facets of Torah and History. Join in weekly to gain accurate & in depth knowledge of some of the most important and controversial topics in Jewish History. Nach Yomi: Join R Wittenstein’s Nach Yomi on WhatsApp. We learn a perek a day five days a week, with a nine minute shiur covering the key issues. We are currently learning Tehillim. Click here to join!  For tours, speaking engagements, or sponsorships contact us at jewishhistoryuncensored@gmail.com (CedarMedia Podcasting 2020)

In this episode we look at the Vilna Cherem of 1772.  We look at the broader historical context. How much of a part did the Vilna Gaon play in this Cherem?  Was the Vilna Gaon the main cause of the Cherem? Was there a connection between the Vilna community crisis and this Cherem? Were there other major causes for the Cherem? ______________________________________________________________ Rabbi Arnie Wittenstein is a well known Torah scholar, Tanach expert, and Historian. He has lectured in the Mir Yeshiva, Torat Shraga, and and many Shuls internationally. These podcasts integrate his broad knowledge of many different facets of Torah and History. Join in weekly to gain accurate & in depth knowledge of some of the most important and controversial topics in Jewish History. Nach Yomi: Join R Wittenstein’s Nach Yomi on WhatsApp. We learn a perek a day five days a week, with a nine minute shiur covering the key issues. We are currently learning Tehillim. Click here to join!  For tours, speaking engagements, or sponsorships contact us at jewishhistoryuncensored@gmail.com (CedarMedia Podcasting 2020)

GAON #16 - The Vilna Communal Turmoil in the 1760’s The Jewish Community of Vilna in the times of the Vilna Gaon was in a state of extreme turmoil. In this episode we look at the basic details of the struggle between the last Rabbi of Vilna, Rabbi Shmuel ben Avigdor and the Kahal. What caused this conflict to start? What were they arguing about? What steps were taken to resolve the conflict? Why was it so difficult to resolve this conflict?  ______________________________________________________________ Rabbi Arnie Wittenstein is a well known Torah scholar, Tanach expert, and Historian. He has lectured in the Mir Yeshiva, Torat Shraga, and and many Shuls internationally. These podcasts integrate his broad knowledge of many different facets of Torah and History. Join in weekly to gain accurate & in depth knowledge of some of the most important and controversial topics in Jewish History. Nach Yomi: Join R Wittenstein’s Nach Yomi on WhatsApp. We learn a perek a day five days a week, with a nine minute shiur covering the key issues. We are currently learning Tehillim. Click here to join!  For tours, speaking engagements, or sponsorships contact us at jewishhistoryuncensored@gmail.com (CedarMedia Podcasting 2020)

This episode is an appreciation of the Mashgiach of the Mir Yeshiva, R Aharon Chadash זצ״ל. I had the privilege of knowing the Mashgiach for over thirty years and interacting with him in many different ways. Rabbi Arnie Wittenstein is a well known Torah scholar, Tanach expert, and Historian. He has lectured in the Mir Yeshiva, Torat Shraga, and and many Shuls internationally. These podcasts integrate his broad knowledge of many different facets of Torah and History. Join in weekly to gain accurate & in depth knowledge of some of the most important and controversial topics in Jewish History. Nach Yomi: Join R Wittenstein’s Nach Yomi on WhatsApp. We learn a perek a day five days a week, with a nine minute shiur covering the key issues. We are currently learning Tehillim. Click here to join!  For tours, speaking engagements, or sponsorships contact us at jewishhistoryuncensored@gmail.com (CedarMedia Podcasting 2020)

Episode 15 - The Gaon and His Bais Medrash   In this episode we take a closer look at many of the biographical details of the Vilna Gaon. When was his Bais Medrash built?  We also look at the Vilna Gaon’s close students, especially R Chaim Volozhin. Was there a difference between how the Vilna Gaon related to his earlier students and his later ones? What can we learn from these facts about his attempted Aliyah? We also take another look at the Gaon’s synthesis of Shas and Halacha. And we also look at the Gaon’s part in the machlokes between R Yonasan Eibeshitz and R Yaacov Emden. ______________________________________________________________ Rabbi Arnie Wittenstein is a well known Torah scholar, Tanach expert, and Historian. He has lectured in the Mir Yeshiva, Torat Shraga, and and many Shuls internationally. These podcasts integrate his broad knowledge of many different facets of Torah and History. Join in weekly to gain accurate & in depth knowledge of some of the most important and controversial topics in Jewish History. Nach Yomi: Join R Wittenstein’s Nach Yomi on WhatsApp. We learn a perek a day five days a week, with a nine minute shiur covering the key issues. We are currently learning Tehillim. Click here to join!  For tours, speaking engagements, or sponsorships contact us at jewishhistoryuncensored@gmail.com (CedarMedia Podcasting 2020)

Episode 14 -GAON V - The Vilna Gaon’s Unfulfilled Ambitious Projects  In this episode we look at the Vilna Gaon’s most ambitious projects that he ultimately was not able to complete. His project of writing a final and fully definitive version of Shulchan Aruch and his attempted Aliyah to Israel. Are these two projects connected? Is there anyway to know when they happened? How much documentation is there about his Aliya? ______________________________________________________________ Rabbi Arnie Wittenstein is a well known Torah scholar, Tanach expert, and Historian. He has lectured in the Mir Yeshiva, Torat Shraga, and and many Shuls internationally. These podcasts integrate his broad knowledge of many different facets of Torah and History. Join in weekly to gain accurate & in depth knowledge of some of the most important and controversial topics in Jewish History. Nach Yomi: Join R Wittenstein’s Nach Yomi on WhatsApp. We learn a perek a day five days a week, with a nine minute shiur covering the key issues. We are currently learning Tehillim. Click here to join!  For tours, speaking engagements, or sponsorships contact us at jewishhistoryuncensored@gmail.com (CedarMedia Podcasting 2020)

Episode 13 -  Vilna Gaon IV - The Gaon’s editing of Rabbinical Documents One of the other key issues we look at is how to understand the Vilna Gaon’s editing of Shas and other Rabbinic material. Why did he edit some of these documents heavily and barely touch others?  How does the Vilna Gaon’s editing of Shas relate to the editing done by the other Acharonim? How would we project  the Gaon to have reacted to the manuscripts we have today? We also look at the issue of editing Tanach? Was it ever done? Would anyone have the ability to do that? ______________________________________________________________ Rabbi Arnie Wittenstein is a well known Torah scholar, Tanach expert, and Historian. He has lectured in the Mir Yeshiva, Torat Shraga, and and many Shuls internationally. These podcasts integrate his broad knowledge of many different facets of Torah and History. Join in weekly to gain accurate & in depth knowledge of some of the most important and controversial topics in Jewish History. Nach Yomi: Join R Wittenstein’s Nach Yomi on WhatsApp. We learn a perek a day five days a week, with a nine minute shiur covering the key issues. We are currently learning Tehillim. Click here to join!  For tours, speaking engagements, or sponsorships contact us at jewishhistoryuncensored@gmail.com (CedarMedia Podcasting 2020)

Episode 12 - Vilna Gaon III - The Gaon’s Torah Accomplishments  In this episode we take a closer look at the  Vilna Gaon’s accomplishments in Torah. One of the key issues is proper understanding of the Vilna Gaon as a posek. How revolutionary was he? How much of a departure was he from the earlier poskim? One of the other key issues we look at is how to understand the Vilna Gaon’s editing of Shas and other Rabbinic material. Why did he edit some of these documents heavily and barely touch others?  ______________________________________________________________ Rabbi Arnie Wittenstein is a well known Torah scholar, Tanach expert, and Historian. He has lectured in the Mir Yeshiva, Torat Shraga, and and many Shuls internationally. These podcasts integrate his broad knowledge of many different facets of Torah and History. Join in weekly to gain accurate & in depth knowledge of some of the most important and controversial topics in Jewish History. Nach Yomi: Join R Wittenstein’s Nach Yomi on WhatsApp. We learn a perek a day five days a week, with a nine minute shiur covering the key issues. We are currently learning Tehillim. Click here to join!  For tours, speaking engagements, or sponsorships contact us at jewishhistoryuncensored@gmail.com (CedarMedia Podcasting 2020)

GAON #11 - Vilna Gaon - Legacy  In this episode we take a closer look at the image that the Vilna Gaon created in his student’s eyes. One of the primary examples is the Vilna Gaon’s legendary diligence. This is one of the most important legacy’s of the Gaon. We also discuss how to practically relate to this legacy. _______________________________________________________________ Rabbi Arnie Wittenstein is a well known Torah scholar, Tanach expert, and Historian. He has lectured in the Mir Yeshiva, Torat Shraga, and and many Shuls internationally. These podcasts integrate his broad knowledge of many different facets of Torah and History. Join in weekly to gain accurate & in depth knowledge of some of the most important and controversial topics in Jewish History. Nach Yomi: Join R Wittenstein’s Nach Yomi on WhatsApp. We learn a perek a day five days a week, with a nine minute shiur covering the key issues. We are currently learning Tehillim. Click here to join!  For tours, speaking engagements, or sponsorships contact us at jewishhistoryuncensored@gmail.com (CedarMedia Podcasting 2020)

Unit on the Vilna Gaon This part of the series looks at the Vilna Gaon. We will examine his life, his ambitious projects , accomplishments, his contributions to Torah, and his historical legacy. We will see how the Vilna Gaon clearly influenced Polish Lithuanian Jewry and how this left a deep historical imprint.  EPISODE 10  Vilna Gaon Early Life  In this episode we look at the family background of the Vilna Gaon. We will examine some of the legendary stories about the Vilna Gaon’s youth. We will look at the period of his voluntary exile and some of the fascinating results of that period. We will examine one of the greatest legacies of the Vilna Gaon, his incredible diligence in learning.  We also will discuss how the Gaon changed the conflict with the Besht and his Chassidim.   Other topics discussed are the difference between the way Chassidim and Misnagdim say stories.  Was the Besht aware of the Gaon? What would have happened if the Gaon met the Besht? The Ramchal?  _______________________________________________________________ Rabbi Arnie Wittenstein is a well known Torah scholar, Tanach expert, and Historian. He has lectured in the Mir Yeshiva, Torat Shraga, and and many Shuls internationally. These podcasts integrate his broad knowledge of many different facets of Torah and History. Join in weekly to gain accurate & in depth knowledge of some of the most important and controversial topics in Jewish History. Nach Yomi: Join R Wittenstein’s Nach Yomi on WhatsApp. We learn a perek a day five days a week, with a nine minute shiur covering the key issues. We are currently learning Tehillim. https://chat.whatsapp.com/BT7uWfbjk7wCMvT3UTjBbG For tours, speaking engagements, or sponsorships contact us at jewishhistoryuncensored@gmail.com (CedarMedia Podcasting 2020)