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Jewish History with Rabbi Dr. Dovid Katz

To help support this podcast, please consider giving a tax deductible contribution here: 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: [email protected].

Seder Thoughts 2026

40 mins; March 31, 2026

Plagiarism in Rabbinical Literature - The case of the נוֹדַע בִּיהוּדָה

50 mins; March 31, 2026

Passover in Jewish history: Some Historical questions re: how it was celebrated

34 mins; March 29, 2026

Shabbos HaGadol 2026

78 hours 4 mins; March 28, 2026

What's the first thing the Jews do after Pharaoh give the permisson to leave?

26 mins; March 26, 2026

Tucker Carlson & Henry Ford - Compare and contrast

26 mins; March 25, 2026

פָּרָשַׁת צַו תשפ"ו (שַׁבָּת הַגָּדוֹל) - the מֶשֶׁךְ חָכְמָה and the theory of the two types of קָרְבָּנוֹת

24 mins; March 25, 2026

הַפְטָרַת שַׁבָּת הַגָּדוֹל תשפ"ו - Why is Elijah the one sent before "The Great and Terrible Day"?

30 mins; March 23, 2026

Rabban Gamliel and the Matzah at the Seder - the interpretation of Abarbanel

37 mins; March 22, 2026

"The Chuck Norris Era" in American popular culture as it relates to the Arab-Israeli Conflict

26 mins; March 21, 2026

More on Israel-German Relations (and Non-Relations) in the 1950s and 60s. And some comments on Trump's retort to the Japanese today

46 mins; March 19, 2026

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

28 mins; March 17, 2026

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

23 mins; March 17, 2026

Various definitions of אִשָּׁה חֲשׁוּבָה (Passover Seder)

34 mins; March 17, 2026

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

37 mins; March 15, 2026

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

53 mins; March 13, 2026

זֵכֶר יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם VS סִפּוּר יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם part 1

25 mins; March 11, 2026

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

36 mins; March 09, 2026

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

25 mins; March 09, 2026

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

26 mins; March 09, 2026

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

62 hours 6 mins; March 08, 2026

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

23 mins; March 05, 2026

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

30 mins; March 04, 2026

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

41 mins; March 04, 2026

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

38 mins; March 02, 2026

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

36 mins; March 02, 2026

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

37 mins; March 01, 2026

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

8 mins; February 25, 2026

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

32 mins; February 25, 2026

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

31 mins; February 25, 2026

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

32 mins; February 25, 2026

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

45 mins; February 23, 2026

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

25 mins; February 23, 2026

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

23 mins; February 23, 2026

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

25 mins; February 18, 2026

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

26 mins; February 17, 2026

Malbim on Messianism and the Messianic Era Part 2

41 mins; February 17, 2026

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

28 mins; February 16, 2026

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

32 mins; February 16, 2026

פָּרָשַׁת תְּרוּמָה תשפ"ו - Stationary and Mobile

32 mins; February 16, 2026

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

25 mins; February 10, 2026

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

30 mins; February 10, 2026

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

56 mins; February 09, 2026

The Malbim on Messianism Part 1

56 mins; February 09, 2026

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

38 mins; February 09, 2026

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

25 mins; February 08, 2026

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

26 mins; February 08, 2026

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

39 mins; February 08, 2026

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

45 mins; February 08, 2026

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

23 mins; February 04, 2026

פָּרָשַׁת יִתְרוֹ 2026 - The Chronology Problem

25 mins; February 04, 2026

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

34 mins; February 04, 2026

פָּרָשַׁת יִתְרוֹ תשפ"ו חָתָן וְחוֹתֵן

32 mins; February 03, 2026

Utopia- a חידוש of the Torah

30 mins; January 29, 2026

Haftarah Parshas Beshalach 2026 - Was Yael a Judge?

33 mins; January 27, 2026

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

37 mins; January 26, 2026

Parshas Beshalach: What was the nature of Moshe's reputation among the Egyptians?

31 mins; January 26, 2026

Ramban on the Mashiach and Messianism

66 hours 21 mins; January 26, 2026

Genazym is offering (on Feb. 15) an autograph from R Yehonasan Eibeschutz which reflects why he was so successful as a Rosh Yeshivas

33 mins; January 25, 2026

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

30 mins; January 23, 2026

Some thoughts about the institution of the עָרֵי מִקְלָט

22 mins; January 20, 2026

The holiday of 2 Teves (בּ טֵבֵת) , the anniversary of the death of Herod

34 mins; January 19, 2026

More on שִׂנְאַת חִנָּם in Jewish History, with special reference the the destruction of the Two Temple of Jerusalem

37 mins; January 19, 2026

Parshas Bo: When did Moses become humble?

29 mins; January 19, 2026

"Persian Gulf" in Chronology: Three takes on the discrepancy in Ancient Sources

55 mins; January 16, 2026

The Current Situation in France (Christians, Moslems, Jews) in Light of French History

31 mins; January 13, 2026

הַפְטָרָה פָּרָשַׁת וָאֵרָא תשפ"ו - The Saadia-Dunash Debate (10th century) re: the meaning of "אֲנִי עֲשִׂיתִנִי"

29 mins; January 12, 2026

The Jews of Bucovina, an important community in Central Europe You never heard of

32 mins; January 12, 2026

The current situation in Iran: will Trump go in? I don't think so

22 mins; January 12, 2026

Who is putting up Hitler's speeches (in English) on you tube? And why?

30 mins; January 11, 2026

פָּרָשַׁת וָאֵרָא תשפ"ו - Two opposing traditions re: what language the Jews spoke in Egypt

30 mins; January 11, 2026

"Persian Gulf" in Chronology Part 1 : three takes on the discrepancy in ancient sources

57 mins; January 11, 2026

הַפְטָרָה פָּרָשַׁת שְׁמוֹת תשפ"ו - A Glimpse into Isaiah's Utopia

29 mins; January 08, 2026

How Maimonides' Messianic Doctrines were a reflection of his times

45 mins; January 07, 2026

A short history of פְּשַׁט vs. דְּרַשׁ in Jewish Bible Interpretation

33 mins; January 06, 2026

פָּרָשַׁת שְׁמוֹת תשפ"ו Yaakov the Successful Parent

30 mins; January 05, 2026

A סִפְרִי re: Yaakov refraining from chastising his sons out of fear they will defect to "Eisav" - The "vengeful meshumad "in Jewish History

43 mins; January 04, 2026

הַפְטָרָה פָּרָשַׁת וַיְחִי תשפ"ו -- David, Solomon, Joab - the problem of getting the right kind of subordinates

29 mins; January 02, 2026

Some thoughts about שִׂנְאַת חִינָם in Jewish History

38 mins; January 01, 2026

פָּרָשַׁת וַיְחִי תשפ"ו - What was the אַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים that Yaakov was (unsuccessfully) intending to reveal to his sons?

35 mins; December 31, 2025

The Fast of the Ninth of Teves and the Toldos Yeshu

33 mins; December 30, 2025

The Israel-Somaliland Connection: Why is this so controversial?

40 mins; December 28, 2025

Parshas VaYigash: Not saying dumb things that will hurt the Jewish People

29 mins; December 24, 2025

הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת וַיִּגַּשׁ תשפ"ו - The vision of grafting the two trees together

24 mins; December 23, 2025

R Katz discussesa fasinating siddur published in Greece in 1941 who omits the word יָוָן from עַל הַנִּסִּים

27 mins; December 23, 2025

פָּרָשַׁת וַיִּגַּשׁ תשפ"ו - Was Joseph actually the VICEROY, the ruler of Egypt? Or just the czar of the economy?

33 mins; December 22, 2025

Final Chanukah 2025 Thoughts: וּלְךָ עָשִֽׂיתָ שֵׁם גָּדוֹל וְקָדוֹשׁ בְּעוֹלָמֶֽךָ

26 mins; December 21, 2025

Another Apocryphal "Midrash" on the Chanukah Story, with interesting takes on the discovery of the jar of oil

35 mins; December 21, 2025

הַפְטָרַת שַׁבַּת חֲנֻכָּה תשפ"ו - The Vision of Zachariah and its relevance to Chanukah

29 mins; December 18, 2025

פָּרָשַׁת מִקֵּץ תשפ"ו - Yosef, the first "Court Jew"

25 mins; December 17, 2025

Chanukah, the Maccabean Wars, and the Civil wars in Seleucid Syria

24 mins; December 16, 2025

Some thoughts on the Chanukah Story and its historiosophical relation to גָּלוּת יָוָן

31 mins; December 14, 2025

Some thoughts on today 24 Kislev and its famous prophecy in סֵפֶר חַגַּי (תְּרֵי עָשָׂר)

41 mins; December 14, 2025

פָּרָשַׁת וַיֵּשֶׁב תשפ"ו חֵלֶק ב - Yaakov and Yosef "wake up," but too late!

27 mins; December 10, 2025

How the Judith Story in the Apocrypha (or a different version of the story) entered orthodox rabbinic literature AND practice

42 mins; December 08, 2025

הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת וַיֵּשֶׁב תשפ"ו - Amos blasts the social injustice prevalent in his time

27 mins; December 08, 2025

פָּרָשַׁת וַיֵּשֶׁב תשפ"ו - The remarkable tale of the character-development of Joseph

28 mins; December 08, 2025

Chanukah 2025: The Story of the Greeks depriving the Jews of doors and windows

43 mins; December 07, 2025

The Current Big Threat to Israel from ... Turkey

30 mins; December 07, 2025

הַפְטָרָה פָּרָשַׁת וַיִּשְׁלַח תשפ"ו מִי הָיָה עוֹבַדְיָה? - Who exactly was Ovadiah?

27 mins; December 04, 2025

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Jewish History with Rabbi Dr. Dovid Katz

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