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Jewish History with Rabbi Dr. Dovid Katz — 1000 episodes
Rabbi Yekusiel Aryeh Kamelhar (1871-1937), life in the Jewish Galicia in the fin de siècle
Major Alfred Mordecai US Army (1804-1887): Can one stay frum at West Point?
Rosh Hashanah and the Dangers of AI: An interpretation of the theme of Malchiyos
A Historical Introduction to the Drashos HaRamban to Rosh HaShanah, Pt. 2
A Historical Introduction to the Drashos HaRamban to Rosh HaShanah, Pt. 1
Rosh Hashanah: A Suggested History of Malchiyos, Zichronos and Shofros in the Common Liturgy (5787)
Haftarah Nitzavim-VaYelech: Angelology and the Final Redemption
Parshas Nitzavim-VaYelech: "הַנִּסְתָּרוֹת וְהַנִּגְלוֹת" לְמַה בְּדִיּוּק מִתְכַּוֵּן הַתּוֹרָה?
R’ Yeshayahu di Trani- “The Tosafos Rid” (1150s-1240s): THE Gadol of Italy & the Byzantine Empire
What is the exact history of the practice of 30 shofar blasts? Part 2
Haftarah Ki Savo: The Nations of the World "See the Light"
Tekias Shofar as part of anti-Karaite/Sadduceean Rabbinic Judaism
Did World War Two end widespread antisemitism in America?
Rabbi Aharon of Narbonne (Luniel), late 1200s-early 1300s, the אָרְחוֹת חַיִּים
What is the exact history of the practice of 30 shofar blasts? Part 1
Haftarah Ki Seitzei: The Childless woman discovers she has children!
Parshas Ki Seitzei: Moshe Switches From Mussar to Halacha
The Imprisonment of the Tosafos Yom Tov in the Historical Context of the Thirty Years War
Some Original Thoughts about the Original Elul
Haftarah Shoftim: Don't give up hope for a Glorious Future!
Parshas Shoftim: Moses Shifts Gears From Mussar Schmooze to Practical Directions for Government
Pshat vs. Drash in Judaism and Christianity: A Tale from the Shevet Yehudah
Rabbi Abraham Bing of Frankfurt and Wurzburg (1752-1841), the most influential modern German Gadol you never heard of
Haftarah Re’Eh: A Bais HaMikdash constructed out of diamonds? Literally?
Parshas Re’Eh: Are you Bonim or are you Avodim?
The fight in Israel over who exactly is being פּוֹרֵשׁ מִדַּרְכֵי הַצִּבּוּר?
The current Moroccan "invasion" of Spanish Ceuta and Melilla and its possible effect on Israel
Jewish Communists of the 20th Century, particularly in Poland
Historical Megatrends: The "Secular Episode" in Western History and the rise of the State of Israel
Tu B’Av: The existential Jewish tension between Tribalism and Nationalism
Haftarah Eikev: The Depression of Zion and the melodramatic transformation
Trump and His Seesaw on the Iran War
Parshas Eikev: What happened during those 38 years missing from the Torah's narrative?
Haftarah Shabbos Nachamu: The Highway to Hashem
Tisha b’Av 5786 (2026): Why Jews Were Exiled in the Biblical Era-Another Opinion
Parshas VaEschanan: The strange passage " וַיִתְעַבֵּר הַשֵּׁם בִּי"
What is the meaning of גָּלוּת, as in גָּלוּת אֱדוֹם? Afterall, the Romans did not kick the Jews out of Israel?
Haftarah Shabbos Chazon: Isaiah blasts the smug survivors of the Assyrian Holocaust
Parshas Devarim: Is Moses talking about "Greater Israel"?
More on Ancient Judaism, Christianity, and the Question of Proselytism
Why has (Rabbinic) Judaism not encouraged Proselytizing?
Haftarah Matos-Masei: The Broken Cisterns (Bein HaMitzarim)
Henry (Tzvi Hirsh) Gersoni 1844-1897: a story of בְּנוֹת מוֹאָב and בַּעַל פְּעוֹר in Czarist Russia
Haftarah Matos-Masei: The Massacre of the Midianites
Some reflections on בֵּין הַמְּצָרִים in light of Current Events
Shiva Assar B’Tammuz and other events, such as July 4, 1776! And July 15, 1099
Haftarah Pinchas (Bein HaMitzarim): Jeremiah is from the non-corrupt, banished, kohanim
Parshas Pinchas: Pinchas criticizes Hashem and is rewarded by Hashem for it
The Tosfos Shantz: Rabbi Samson of Sens (1150-1211), Pt. 3
Haftarah Chukas-Balak: Micah's hortatory message
Parshas Balak: Balak's Grand Strategy
More on the Abarbanel's commentary on the מורה נבוכים: Giving Exodus 24 the "Companton Treatment"
Parshas Chukas-Balak: Reading the story in conjunction with the account in Deuteronomy
הָרַשְׁבָּ"א בַּעַל הַתּוֹסָפוֹת - הר"ש מִשַּׂאנְץ - Rabbi Samson of Sens (1150-1214) Part 2
Hadran on Yerushalmi Yoma on My Mother's 18th yahrzeit (2 Tamuz)
Haftarah Korach: Samuel's reaction to rejection
הָרַשְׁבָּ"א בַּעַל הַתּוֹסָפוֹת - הר"ש מִשַּׂאנְץ - Rabbi Samson of Sens (1150-1214) Part 1
Parshas Korach: Was Moshe good at debate and repartee? From the story of Korach it does not seem so
Alharizi as an observer of the Maimonidean Controversies of the 13th century (it is not boring)
The Ri HaZaken- Rabbi Isaac Meir of Danpierre, Mister Tosafaos!
Haftarah Shelach: Joshua and Rachav
The Rashba on the possibility or impossibility of נְבוּאָה בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה Part 2
Parshas Shelach: The מַעְפִּילִים and how not to repent
Haftarah BeHaaloscha: The Political Meaning of the Prophetic Vision of the Golden Menorah
Parshas BeHaaloscha: Moses the Non-Tyrant
The Rashba on the possibility or impossibility of נְבוּאָה בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה
Maimonides vs. Abarbanel on the necessary Propaedeutics for Prophecy
Haftarah Naso: Manoach and the Angel - שִׁיטַת הַמּוֹרֶה נְבוֹכִים
Parshas Naso: Does Judaism have "Trial by Ordeal?"
Some thoughts on the current situation in the Middle-East
Shavuos-Matan Torah: Servitude or Marriage?
King David and the "Moabitess Issue”-Even after he became king?
More on Rambam and נְבוּאָה: The "physical process"
Milchigs on Shavuos - Historical background
The Controversy over the Rambam's Real Opinion of נְבוּאָה
From the Memoirs of Meir Bar-Ilan: A visit to "The Frum German shul" in Baltimore in 1913
פָּרָשַׁת בַּמִּדְבָּר תשפ"ו - The Beginnings of Bureaucracy in Jewish History
הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת בַּמִּדְבָּר ("מָחָר חֹדֶשׁ") - Reading the Bible through the lenses of Talmudic Halachah
Does נְבוּאָה require הֲכָנָה (as per the מוֹרֵה נְבוֹכִים)? The Abarbanel's interpretation of the "Burning Bush" Account
הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת בְּהַר-בְּחֻקּוֹתַי תשפ"ו - Jeremiah on the difference between Israel and the nations re: repentance
Parshas Behar-Bechukosai: The incredible stubbornness of the Jewish People
An "Old Baltimore" Angle on the Controversy re: the Kashrus of Coca Cola
Lag Ba’Omer: Two different approaches to hostile regimes: R’ Shimon vs. R’ Yehudah
What's with the burning of clothes at Meron on Lag b'Omer?
Interesting (and bizarre) aspects of the Portuguese Marranos in 17th Century France
Haftarah Emor: Good Kohanim vs. Bad Kohanim
The מֶשֶׁךְ חָכְמָה and the מַהַרַ"ל on גֵּר שֶׁנִּתְגַּיֵּר כְּקָטָן שֶׁנּוֹלַד דָּמִי
Parshas Emor: אֱמֹר וְאָמַרְתָּ
Parshas Acharei Mos-Kedoshim, Pt. II: "You will be different!" or "You should be holy" ?
Haftarah Acharei Mos-Kedoshim: How are the Jews like Ethiopians?
An interesting responsum from the חֲתַם סוֹפֵר re: the מִצְוָה of כְּבוֹד מְלָכִים. Is it a חֹק?
Sober thoughts on Israel's upcoming 78th birthday
Parshas Acharei Mos-Kedoshim: Some thoughts about the consequences of the עֲרָיוֹת laws
The Two Metaphors of שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים: Individual spirituality and national chosennesss
Some thoughts about "Schlissel Challah" (Really)
Seder Thoughts 2026
Plagiarism in Rabbinical Literature - The case of the נוֹדַע בִּיהוּדָה
Passover in Jewish history: Some Historical questions re: how it was celebrated
Shabbos HaGadol 2026
What's the first thing the Jews do after Pharaoh give the permisson to leave?
Tucker Carlson & Henry Ford - Compare and contrast
פָּרָשַׁת צַו תשפ"ו (שַׁבָּת הַגָּדוֹל) - the מֶשֶׁךְ חָכְמָה and the theory of the two types of קָרְבָּנוֹת
הַפְטָרַת שַׁבָּת הַגָּדוֹל תשפ"ו - Why is Elijah the one sent before "The Great and Terrible Day"?
Rabban Gamliel and the Matzah at the Seder - the interpretation of Abarbanel
"The Chuck Norris Era" in American popular culture as it relates to the Arab-Israeli Conflict
More on Israel-German Relations (and Non-Relations) in the 1950s and 60s. And some comments on Trump's retort to the Japanese today
הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת וַיִּקְרָא תשפ"ו - Korbanos in Judaism and in Paganism
Various definitions of אִשָּׁה חֲשׁוּבָה (Passover Seder)
פָּרָשַׁת וַיִּקְרָא תשפ"ו - Rambam on Korbanos that don't make sense
More Strange Bedfellows: Germany financed Israel's A- Bomb Project (Dimona) back in the 1960s. A story in the news today
זֵכֶר יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם VS סִפּוּר יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם part 1
Some historical considerations re: Poles, Jews, Hitler, Food, and the Holocaust
הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת הַחֹדֶשׁ תשפ"ו - Abrabanel: "ha-ha מְשֻׁמָּדִים וּמְסִיתִים וּמַדִּיחִים, don't tell me THIS prophecy is metaphorical!"
פָּרָשַׁת וַיַּקְהֵל-פְּקוּדֵי תשפ"ו The Contrast between the מִשְׁכָּן-idea and the שַׁבָּת-idea
Abarbanel on Messianism Part 2. R Katz gives a historical introduction to Abarbanel's יְשׁוּעוֹת מְשִׁיחוֹ" עַל מַאַמׇרֵי חֲזַ"ל בְּסִפְרוּת הַתַּלְמוּד”
הַפְטָרָה פָּרָשַׁת פָּרָה תשפ"ו - The Red Cow as a Historiosophical Mystical Reality
פָּרָשַׁת כִּי תִּשָּׂא תשפ"ו - Why the Juxtaposition of the קְטֹרֶת and the עֵגֶל הַזָּהָב?
The shaky acceptance of Purim by the Jewish people back at the time of Mordechai
Iran and Hamas: בּוֹר כָּרָה וַיַּחְפְּרֵהוּ וַיִּפֹּל בְּשַׁחַת יִפְעָל ("Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit they have made.")
Analyzing the קִיְּמוּ וְקִבְּלוּ episode. If it is actually a valid complaint, why were the Jews punished for sins in the Biblical Era?
The archaeology of a Dvar Torah - The כְּתַב סוֹפֵר on the last verse in the Megilah
Addendum to the podcast this morning re: הֵגֶא סְרִיס הַמֶּלֶךְ שֹׁמֵר הַנָּשִׁים
Why some rabbis disliked Mordechai - They thought the was being מחמיר at the expense of the entire Jewish People
הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת זְכֹר תשפ"ו - What the is the meaning of " זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק"
Who exactly is הֵגֶא סְרִיס הַמֶּלֶךְ שֹׁמֵר הַנָּשִׁים? Is he a "hidden hero" of the story?
Abarbanel on Messianism Part 1 - this historical context of the late 1490s
How did Mordecai & Esther know the contents of the private conversation between Haman and the King?
פָּרָשַׁת תְּצַוֶּה תשפ"ו - The source of Moses' moral authority
Why did Moshe accept the עֵרוּב רַב and Mordecai the מִתְיַהֲדִים?
הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת תְּרוּמָה תשפ"ו Was Shomo's Temple popular?
Malbim on Messianism and the Messianic Era Part 2
The new English translation of the Classic R Yehonasan Eibeschutz sefer on Megilas Esther
וְרַבִּים מֵעַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ מִתְיַהֲדִים כִּי נָפַל פַּחַד הַיְּהוּדִים עֲלֵיהֶם - Did they actually convert?
פָּרָשַׁת תְּרוּמָה תשפ"ו - Stationary and Mobile
וְאֶל מֹשֶׁה אָמַר עֲלֵה אֶל יְהֹוָה - What does this actually mean?
הַפְטָרָה פָּרָשַׁת שְׁקָלִים תשפ"ו - Fundraising techniques 2800 years ago
The Malbim on Messianism Part 1
Genazym s offering (this Sunday!) the first edition of the classic סֵפֶר אֱמוּנוֹת וְדֵעוֹת לְרַב סְעַדְיָה גָּאוֹן (Istanbul 1562)
הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת מִשְׁפָּטִים תשפ"וו - Facing doom but still unable to let go of their (illegally held) Hebrew slaves
פָּרָשַׁת מִשְׁפָּטִים תשפ"ו - Saadia Gaon's remarkable in sight into the Torah's statement re: Kidnapping
Genazym is auctioning a letter from the famous Sir Moses Montefiore to the Jews of Baghdad assuring them there will be no pogrom!
Current Events: Ehud Barak, the Epstein tapes, and Ashkenazi Jewish Racism
הפטרת פרשת יתרו תשפ"ו - The Great Hall in Heaven Filled with smoke
פָּרָשַׁת יִתְרוֹ 2026 - The Chronology Problem
Genazym is auctioning the Landau Family (as in Noda BiYhudah)'s copy of the 17th century Kabbalistic classic טוּר בָּרֶקֶת עַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן עָרוּךְ
פָּרָשַׁת יִתְרוֹ תשפ"ו חָתָן וְחוֹתֵן
Utopia- a חידוש of the Torah
Haftarah Parshas Beshalach 2026 - Was Yael a Judge?
A Document of Spicy Prague Rabbinical Controversy History (From the Genazym Auction)
Parshas Beshalach: What was the nature of Moshe's reputation among the Egyptians?
Ramban on the Mashiach and Messianism
Genazym is offering (on Feb. 15) an autograph from R Yehonasan Eibeschutz which reflects why he was so successful as a Rosh Yeshiva
Haftarah Bo: The Invasion of Egypt By Nebuchadnezzar
The Institution of the Cities of Refuge
The Holiday of the 2nd of Shvat: The Anniversary of the Death of Herod
More on Sinas Chinam in Jewish History - a reference to the destruction of the 2nd Temple
Parshas Bo: When did Moses become humble?
"Persian Gulf" in Chronology: Three takes on the discrepancy in Ancient Sources
The Current Situation in France (Christians, Moslems, Jews) in Light of French History
Haftarah VaEra- The Saadia-Dunash Debate (10th Century) on the Meaning of "אֲנִי עֲשִׂיתִנִי"
The Jews of Bucovina, an important community in Central Europe You never heard of
The Current Situation in Iran: Will Trump go in? I don't think so
Who is putting up Hitler's speeches (in English) on you tube? And why?
פָּרָשַׁת וָאֵרָא תשפ"ו - Two opposing traditions re: what language the Jews spoke in Egypt
"Persian Gulf" in Chronology Part 1 : three takes on the discrepancy in ancient sources
הַפְטָרָה פָּרָשַׁת שְׁמוֹת תשפ"ו - A Glimpse into Isaiah's Utopia
How Maimonides' Messianic Doctrines were a reflection of his times
A short history of פְּשַׁט vs. דְּרַשׁ in Jewish Bible Interpretation
Parshas Shemos: Yaakov the Successful Parent
A סִפְרִי re: Yaakov refraining from chastising his sons out of fear they will defect to "Eisav" - The "vengeful meshumad "in Jewish History
Haftarah VaYechi: David, Solomon, Joab the problem of getting the right kind of subordinates
Some thoughts about שִׂנְאַת חִינָם in Jewish History
Parshas VaYechi: What was the “Acharis HaYamim” that Yaakov wanted to reveal to his sons?
The Fast of the Ninth of Teves and the Toldos Yeshu
The Israel-Somaliland Connection: Why is this so controversial?
Parshas VaYigash: Not saying dumb things that will hurt the Jewish People
Haftarah Parshas VaYigash: The vision of grafting the two trees together
Greece under the Metaxas Regime and a Siddur from 1941
Parshas VaYigash: Was Joseph actually the VICEROY, the ruler of Egypt? Or czar of the economy?
Final Chanukah 2025 Thoughts: וּלְךָ עָשִֽׂיתָ שֵׁם גָּדוֹל וְקָדוֹשׁ בְּעוֹלָמֶֽךָ
Another Apocryphal "Midrash" on the Chanukah Story, with interesting takes on the discovery of the jar of oil
Haftarah Shabbos Chanukah: The Vision of Zachariah and its relevance to Chanukah
Parshas Mikeitz: Yosef, the first "Court Jew"
Chanukah, the Maccabean Wars, and the Civil wars in Seleucid Syria
Some thoughts on the Chanukah Story and its historiosophical relation to גָּלוּת יָוָן
Some thoughts on today 24 Kislev and its famous prophecy in סֵפֶר חַגַּי (תְּרֵי עָשָׂר)
Parshas VaYeshev - Yaakov and Yosef "wake up," but too late!
How the Judith Story in the Apocrypha (or a different version of the story) entered orthodox rabbinic literature AND practice
Haftarah Vayeshev: Amos blasts the social injustice prevalent in his time
Parshas VaYeshev: The remarkable tale of the character-development of Joseph
Chanukah 2025: The Story of the Greeks depriving the Jews of doors and windows
The Current Big Threat to Israel from ... Turkey
Haftarah VaYishlach: Who exactly was Ovadiah?
Israel & France (and Syria) : Connecting Dots
Chanukah 2025: Was the oil in the jar in the Temple the only kosher oil available?
Parshas VaYishlach: Why does Jacob say to Esau that he observed all 613 Mitzvos?
The "בַּת עַיִן" in Historical Context (1765-1840)
Haftarah VaYeitzei: Hoshea 11:7, an extremely difficult verse to parse
What's with this Israeli preoccupation with the bodies of their dead, killed by Hamas & Co.?
Parshas VaYeitzei: What is Yaakov afraid of?
Some thoughts on Self-Hating and Self-Denying Jews in the current antisemitic climate, now and a century ago
Answering a listener's query re: allegorical interpretations of Biblical stories in ultra-orthodox sources
The Recent Posthumous Promotion of Alfred Dreyfus to General in the French Army
Haftarah Toldos: Quantity vs. quality in the performance of mitzvos. An age-old problem. Sigh
Manasseh Ben Israel's (very recently translated from the Latin) "Thirty Problem Concerning מַעֲשֵׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית"
Parshas Toldos: Was Yitzchak Avinu poverty-stricken (Ibn Ezra)?
The recent 50th anniversary (November 10, 1975) of Moynihan's great speech at the UN excoriating the אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם for officially branding Zionism as Racism
Rabbi Michoel Forshlager of Baltimore: His recent yahrtzeit and some thoughts on this remarkable gadol
הַפְטָרָה פָּרָשַׁת חַיֵּי שָׂרָה תשפ"ו Adonijah vs. Shlomo: the Background
Parshas Chayei Sarah: Why does Avrohom adjure Eliezer not to take a wife from the Bnos Knaani for Yitzchok?
The Current Christian Dispute Between Philosemites and Antisemites
Haftarah VaYera: Elisha and the Shunamis
Psalm 83 and the current coinciding of שִׂנְאַת יִשְׂרָאֵל on the part of the Antisemitic Christian influencers and their counterparts in the בני ישמעאל world
Parshas VaYera: The Rashbam's unique take on Abraham's encounter with the Three Angels
Part 2: The Other "Hellenistic Judaism" - not the Chanukah villains
The Current Wave of Antisemitism in Italy - My reaction to a podcast
Part 1: The Other "Hellenistic Judaism" - not the Chanukah villains
Haftarah Lech Lecha: Drawing inspiration from Abraham's victory over the Four Kings
Parshas Lech Lecha: "And he will be a wild donkey of a man..."
The Abarbanel on the Stories in Genesis: The relationship between literal and symbolic meanings of Scripture
Haftarah Noach: The Flood as a metonymy for Jewish suffering down the Ages...
Parshas Noach: Noah and "the Day After"
Is Donald Trump a "Second Cyrus"?
Rabbeinu Tam and Count Henry I of Champagne (and Countess Marie)
Haftarah Bereishis: Israel will survive (Al Aqsa) Floods and even the fires of internal strife
Parshas Bereishis: The world was created for a UNITED Klal Yisroel
The Strage history of Hoshanah Rabbah in the Temple: The Willow vs. the Palm Frond ( הַלּוּלָב שֶׁנִּפְרְדוּ עָלָיו)
The Chasam Sofer, the Yad haMelech and the "Overused" Esrog - Haredi vs. Maskilic notions of aesthetics
נִעֲנוּעִים: The ritual of lulav-waving and its contemporary relevance in the year 5786 (2025)
Sukkos 2025: What's with the strange ritual of פָּרֵי הַחַג?
Today is the (English) anniversary of the Yom Kippur War of 1973, another conflict in which Israel was surprise-attacked
The Four Minim and the Wars of Sichon and Og: A Different take on the אַרְבָּעָה מִינִים
A Different Understanding of the Holiday of Sukkos
Sukkos: The Symbolism of the sukkah under a tree
The Lishkas HaParvah in the Avodah of Yom Kippur- Who was הַפַּרְוָה? Why does the High Priest purify himself there?
The Pros and Cons of Publicly Confessing Your Sins to the Rest of the Congregation
Yonah: Compare and contrast with Akeidas Yitzchok
Late Antiquity in Eretz Yisroel (300-600 C.E.): The Early History of the Yom Kippur Liturgy
Haftarah Ha'azinu: Victory Middle Eastern Style
Parshas Ha'azinu:זְכֹר יְמוֹת עוֹלָם, אֲבָל בִּינוּ שְׁנוֹת דּוֹר וָדוֹר
Rabbi Katz's Shabbos Shuvah Drashah: Primordial or Mosaic?
Haftarah Shabbos Shuvah: ?" "שׁוּבָה עַד?" אוֹ "שׁוּבָה אֶל
Penance (not repentance!): Some famous cases in the Sefer Chasidim and Responsa of the Maharam Lublin
Parshas VaYelech: Hester Panim
The Debate in the Mishna whether the Shliach Tzibur should be motzi the intelligent worshipers on Rosh HaShanah - שֶׁהוּא יוֹם הַדִּין
Haftarah Nitzavim: Delighting in G-d - "How is that done?
The Middle East: G-d's Chess Board - R' Katz discusses current events in Egypt, Israel, Yemen, and Ethiopia
A Suggested History of Tekias Shofar - Involving the Masses, the Satan, and Chazal
The Haredi Who Spied for Iran and Committed Sabotage on Their Behalf
Parshas Nitzavim: Trying to match the glorious prophecy with recent Jewish history
"Shouting Match" Between Prime Minister Sanchez of Spain and Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel: The Freudian Aspects
Haftorah Ki Savo: The Days of Moshiach Without War
A Suggested History of Shofar Blowing
Parshas Ki Savo: The Abarbanel v. the Netziv
The Giant Water Crisis Threatening the Entire Middle East - in the context of the current Arab-Israeli conflict
Why does a shofar have to be from a from a horn whose inside layer can be removed?
Why is Rosh Hashanah decribed as "covered up" or obscure? תִּקְעוּ בַחֹדֶשׁ שׁוֹפָר בַּכֵּסֶה לְיוֹם חַגֵּנוּ?
Haftarah Ki Seitzei: Isaiah predicts the expansion of Israel in the Messianic Era. Will Israel annex Turkey and Spain?!
A Personal Letter From R' Ovadia Yosef to R' Shlomo Zalman Auerbach re: High Israeli Politics concerning the Shas Party- An offering from Genazym
פָּרָשַׁת כִּי תֵּצֵא תשפ"ה - יְפַת תֹּאַר בְּעוֹלַם הַקַּבָּלָה
Genazym is offering the Prague 1595 edition of the famous Ramban theological essay דְּרָשַׁת "תּוֹרַת הַשֵּׁם תְּמִימָה"
Haftarah Shoftim: "סוּרוּ סוּרוּ צְאוּ מִשָּׁם, טָמֵא אַל תִּגְּעוּ"
Parshas Shoftim: What is the actual meaning of "צֶדֶק צֶדֶק תִּרְדֹּף"?
Psalm # 2 and Israel's Losing of the Current Propaganda War
Genazym: The First Printing of the classic בֵּית מֵאִיר (1787), the author's own copy with extensive handwritten glosses on the sides!
A recent find of of an ancient coin in Jerusalem, and thoughts about the Messianic Era . Some "dirt" re: Ptolemy III and Berenice II
Genazym is auctioning the 15h century classic of Talmudic Methodolgy - הֲלִיכוֹת עוֹלָם, first complete edition (Constantinople 1510)
Moses' warning: אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל can easily become a קְלָלָה!
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
Haftarah Re'eh: A future without fear? Really?
Parshas Re'eh: Keep the booze out of the house of the fellow in recovery
R' Naphtali Katz (1648-1719), Part 2
R' Naphtali Katz (1648-1719): The Baal Semichas Chachamim, Part 1
Moses and the Bones of Joseph: Two different models of Jewish leadership?
Pirkei Avos, Ch. 4: Why is the phrase אַל תִּפְרֹשׁ מִן הַצִּבּוּר associated with the Tanna R' Tzadok?
Haftarah Eikev: The Revolution in Identity in the Messianic Era
Parashas Eikev: The Wild Beasts
Parshas VaEschana: Zachor or Shamor? Is the Sabbath theology or history?
The curious but vital role of Egypt in the current Gaza War.
הַפְטָרַת שַׁבַּת נַחֲמוּ תשפ"ה - Prophets cannot provide comfort to survivors; Prophets are too "frum"
פָּרָשַׁת וָאֶתְחַנָּן תשפ"ה - וְנוֹשַׁנְתֶּם
15th of Av - Humpty-Dumpty Day?
R' Katz' Tisha b'Av Kinos Explication 5785/2025
The Arizal: Thoughts on one of the most mysterious yet influential figures in Jewish History
Haftarah Shabbos Chazon: Isaiah Decries Organized Crime in Ancient Jerusalem
This Tisha B’av, turn tears into Action
Torah Im Derech Eretz in a Different Key, Pt. 1: Four Gedolim who dropped-out of college but utilized their secular education
Parshas Devarim: The strange story of how the Transjordan was divided-up by Moses, not G-d
Torah Im Derech Eretz in a Different Key, Pt. 2
The Sinister Role of Turkey, Currently Israel's Mortal Enemy, in the Goings-On in Syria and the Middle East
Parshas Matos 5785 What happened to the kids of the two and a half tribes while the fathers were away fighting on the other side of the Jordan River?
Haftarah Matos-Masei: A Famous Jeremiad
Rashi's Raw Hatred of the Crusaders - The Vicious Poem תִּתְּנֵם לְחֶרְפָּה
Parshas Matos-Masei: The War of Revenge in Midian and the War Against Hamas in Gaza
Haftarah Pinchas: The Relationship between Pinchas and Eliyahu -Are they literally the same person?
The Druze, Syria, Israel, and the USA - An Analysis
The Influence of R' Saadia Gaon on the Rambam and all the other Medieval Jewish Philosophers
Isaac Ochberg of Cape Town (1878-1937): Rescuer of Orphans from World War I
Parshas Pinchas: The Bloody Discrepancies
Bilam's observation of הֶן עָם לְבָדָד יִשְׁכֹּן and the current phenomenon of Jews being abandoned by their supposed "allies"
What is the Oldest Source for the "Three Weeks"?
Haftarah Balak: Will some Jews choose to remain in Chutz L'Eretz in the Messianic Era?
Quaker Ger Tzedek: Warder Cresson of Philadelphia and Jerusalem (1798-1861)
Parshas Balak: Bil'am and the Current War in Gaza
The Connection Between Drafting the Bnei Torah and the Possibilities of Peace with Syria? - The Current Situation in Middle East
R' Saadiah Gaon and the Moshiach: The Reasons for Saadia Gaon's Messianic Speculation in the 10th Century Abbasid Caliphate
Haftarah Chukas: Was Yiftach a Shofet? Or was he a general?
Parshas Chukas: The Cedar, Hyssop, and Crimson Wool - The Three Types of Worshipers of the Golden Calf?
עַל כֵּן יֹאמְרוּ הַמֹּשְׁלִים בֹּאוּ חֶשְׁבּוֹן - Some philosophical thoughts on Oct. 7, 2023 vs. June 12, 2025
Messianism in Jewish History: The Specific Historical Context - The Case of Biblical and then Ancient Judaism
הַדְרָן עַל מַסֶּכֶת שְׁבוּעוֹת לז"נ אִמִּי לֵאָה בַּת אַרְיֵה לֵיבּ הַלֵּוִי זַ"ל יָארְצַיְט ג תַּמּוּז תשפ"ה
Haftarah Korach: The two groups who did not want Shaul as King
Parshas Korach: The Even Ezra - An EGREGIOUS example of אֵין מֻקְדָּם וּמְאֻחָר בַּתּוֹרָה !
"I was asleep, but I have now woken up!" The Third Pslam and the current Israel-Iran War
The Prospects for Regime Change in Iran? What Does This Mean? - An Analysis
The "Bustenai Controversy" of the Gaonic Era: The Reish Gelusah Who "Married" an Iranian Princess...Or Did He?
The "Tucker Carlson & Co." Anti-Israel Isolationism Phenomenon - An Analysis
Haftarah Shelach: The Tradecraft Mistakes of the Two Spies in Jericho
Parshas Shelach: The Flaw in Intelligence Procedures That Resulted in the Sad Episode of the Meraglim
The Strange History of Israel, the Mossad and the Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK)
The Amazing R' Nassan Nota Shapiro of Cracow (1584-1633) AKA the Mekaleh Amukos
Rabbi Katz Analyzes the Current Israel-Iran War
Haftarah Behaaloschah: The Prophecy of Zechariah
Parshas Behaaloschah: What is the meaning of the strange phrase :"בְּכָל בֵּיתִי נֶאֱמָן הוּא"?
"More Judaico" - The humiliating oath Jews were required to utter when they were sworn into gentile courts in pre-modern times
Pirkei Avos: Is it possible to calculate which mitzvos count more than others? Which aveiros are worse than others?
Haftarah Naso: Was Samson an actual Nazir (Rambam)?
Parshas Naso: The Sotah and Structurally flawed marriages
Different Types of Judaism in the Era of the Amora'im: The Queen Zenobia of Palmyra and the Amora'im
Rabbi Katz's schedule for Shavuos night in his shul
Haftarah Bamidbar: The promiscuous wife and the husband who neverheless wants to stay married to her
Shavuos: Why count 50 days if the Torah was actually given on day 51?
Megillas Rus: A Controversial Book? Did she convert? When? How many times?
The Martyrs of Lvov (1728) - Tortured to Death by the Catholic Church on Erev Shavuos (this is not Count Potocki)
Shavuos and Yisro: Why does the story of Yisro precede מַתַּן תּוֹרָה? Hpw did Yisro create אַחְדוּת among כְּלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל?
Parshas Bamidbar: Abarbanel - The Levites too were enslaved in Egypt!
Haftarah Behar-Bechukosai: G-d tells Jeremiah he may not get married and raise a family
Parshas Behar-Bechukosai: King David, the Brachos in the Parsha, and Depression
R' Shimon ben Yochai and his son: the Aftermath of the Cave
The Future of Syria and Israel: An Analysis of the Current Situation in the Middle East
Haftarah Emor: Ezekiel and Priestly Functions in the Third Temple
Parshas Emor: May a kohen marry a promiscuous woman?
R ‘ Chaim Kohen Rapoport of Lvov, Pt. 3
Lag B’Omer and the Story of R’ Shimon bar Yochai in the Cave: Critical considerations
Rabbi Katz's new lecture series in Baltimore: May 12, 14, 19, 21, and 26
The Barbary Pirates, Jefferson and Donald Trump's Reported Deal with the Houthis
Haftarah Acharei Mos-Kedoshim: Destruction and then Restoration
Parshas Achrei Mos-Kedoshim: Why is the Yom Kippur Ritual associated with the deaths of Nadav and Avihu?
Rambam and Korbanos Part 3
R’ Chaim Kohen Rapoport of Lvov (1699-1771) Part 2: Internal machlokes
Haftarah Tazria-Mazora: Gechazi is "Attacked" by the Yetzer HaTov
Parshas Tazria-Metzora: Biblical Leprosy and Its Role in Promoting Sincere Social Relations
Rav Chaim Kohen Rappaport of Lvov (1699-1771), Pt. 1: A Great Gadol You Probably Never Heard of
The Rambam and his different discourses on korbanos & other matters, Pt. 2
הַפְטָרָה פָּרָשַׁת שְׁמִינִי תשפ"ה - Dovid vs. Nadav & Avihu
Parshas Shmini: Nadav and Avihu
Conditions in Eretz Yisroel in the early 19th century - life under the rapacious Muslims and hope from England
The Rambam and his different discourses on korbanos and other matters: Part 1
Haftarah Acharon shel Pesach: Discrepancies between the accounts of Hezekiah and Sennacherib
Shevii Shel Pesach - The Splitting of the Sea: הֶאֱמִינוּ וְשׁוּב לֹא הֶאֱמִינוּ
The Historical Background to the 1830s controversy re: הַקְרָבַת קָרְבַּן פֶּסַח בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה - What was going on in Turkish Palestine at that time
Seder Thoughts 2025 (תשפ"ה)
When historical knowledge provides an insight into a Responsum: The Noda BiYhudah and the Ben Ish Chai
Pesach, Bitul Chametz, and the eternal battle of ideas between Jewish and Egyptian theological ideas. Really
The Rambam and His Thoughts About the Hagadah
Haftorah Shabbos Hagadol - Elijah: Unite or Die!
Parshas Tzav (Erev Pesach) - Changing attitudes towards the Temple Sacrifices
Haftarah Parshas VaYikra: "הֶעֱבַדְתַּנִי בְּחַטֹּאותֶיךָ הוֹגַעְתַּנִי בַּעֲוֹנֹתֶיךָ
The current war in light of וְהִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְלָנוּ שֶׁבְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר עוֹמְדִים עָלֵינוּ לְכַלּוֹתֵנוּ וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַצִּילֵנוּ מִיָּדָם
The Pesach Haggadah: רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר
Parshas VaYikra: הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת לְעֻמַּת הַקָּרְבָּן פֶּסַח
Parshas HaChodesh: The seemingly disjuncted narrative
R’ Chaim Sinwani of Yemen and Israel (1897-1979)
Haftarah HaChodesh: Princely corruption even in the time of the Third Temple?
Parshas Pekudei- מִי הָיוּ לֵצָנֵי הַדּוֹר
Trump, Polk, Bibi: Some cautionary lessons from the past
Haftarah Parshas Parah- Jewish misconduct in the lands of exile
Parshas VaYakhel- No fire outside the miskan, but yes fire inside the mishkan!
Purim live 5785 (2025)
Tefilah: Why does God say to Moses : לֹא תוּכַל לִרְאֹת אֶת פָּנָי, but subsequently וְדִבֵּר הַשֵּׁם עִם מֹשֶׁה פָּנִים אֶל פָּנִים?
Donald Trump's fascination with America's 11th President James K. Polk (1845-1849)
17th of Adar: Anniversary of a massacre and rescue in Northern Syria of Chachmei Yisroel
Two Short Purim Vorts
Is Israel becoming more religious in the wake of the Gaza War? Some thoughts upon reading an article in הָאָרֶץ
Purim 2025, Pt. 2: How Esther hid her identity-Didn't the Jews say אָחוֹת יֵשׁ לָנוּ בְּבֵית הַמֶּלֶךְ?
Haftarah Ki Sisah: Eliyahu at Har HaCarmel
Purim 2025 in the light of the October 7, 20243 Pogrom
Parshas Ki Sisa (Shoshana Purim): The Eigel and Purim
Purim 2025: What is the source in the Megilah for the opposing opinions of רשב"י and his talmidim ?
Circumcision and the Marranos - from the סֵפֶר הַזִּכְרוֹנוֹת מֵאֵת רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל אַבּוּהַב מִוֶנִיצִיׇהּ
Haftarah Zachor: The Story of Saul and Agag in the light of the current war with Hamas
Parshas Tetzaveh: Was Aaron chosen for the priesthood before the episode of the Golden Calf?
A selection of interpretations of the bizarre story of Rabbah killing R Zeira at a Purim party
The spontaneous prayers of the hostages during their captivity in Gaza
Rabbi Raphael Meldola of Bayonne, France (1686-1748) the שׁוּ"ת מַיִם רַבִּים
R Katz analyzes the current Mid-East Situation, especially the Russian Role
From The Golden age of Spanish Jewish Poetry: Ibn Gabirol's שִׁנְאַנִּים שַׁאֲנַנִּים
Haftarah Mishpatim: Reneging on Emancipation
Parshas Mishpatim: Creating a sacred polity is harder than creating a holy individual
The Ramchal and the history of his most famous work, Mesilas Yesharim - Some thoughts
More on angels in Jewish Liturgy
Angels in our liturgy
Parshas Yisro: The oath Moshe swore to Yisro re: Gershom, Pt. 2
What is the significance of Isaiah's prophetic career commencing with the death of King Uzziahu?
Parshas Yisro: Yisro brings Gershom, whom he has already "ruined," hence the tense relationship
The original printing of the famous עֵין יַעֲקֹב on the אַגָּדוֹת, being offered by Genazym
Genazym is auctioning a political-lobbying letter from R Chaim Brisker to his friend the בַּעַל "דּוֹרוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים"re: the elections for Chief Rabbi of the Turkish Empire
A Real Life Case in 19th Century Kurdistan-וֶהֱוֵי מִתְאַבֵּק בַּעֲפַר רַגְלֵיהֶם, וֶהֱוֵי שׁוֹתֶה בַּצָּמָא אֶת דִּבְרֵיהֶם
פָּרָשַׁת בְּשַׁלַּח תשפ"ה - Some Jews armed themselves to battle the Philistines when they left Egypt. Others were cowardly
More correspndence between Ramchal and R Yeshaya Bassani: Whose soul did R Yeshaya possess?
Haftarah BeShalach: Who exactly was Yael, Eshes Chever HaKeini? Which yeshiva did she learn in?
Genazym is offering the famous math book: "סֵפֶר הַמִּסְפָּר" מֵאֵת רַבִּי אֵלִיָּהוּ מִזְרָחִי הַמְפֻרְסָם (בַּעַל הָרְאֵ"ם עַל פֵּרוּשׁ רָשִׁ"י עַל הַחֻמָּשׁ)
Haftarah Bo: Egypt will be devastated by a Babylonian invasion
Rabbi Katz Yahrtzeit Siyum on Mikvaos
Sumptuary decrees of 1767 issued by the נוֹדַע בִּיהוּדָה
Psalm 90 - the Dearth of שמחה? Reflections of the aftermath of the Golden Calf?
Parshas Bo: Were there apostates (משומדים) already at the time of יציאת מצרים?
Haftarah VaEra: Pharaoh the Crocodile
Psalm 81 הַיּוֹם יוֹם חֲמִישִׁי בְּשַׁבָּת Commemorating the First Liberation
Parshas VaEra: Redemption without repentance?
The Hostage Deal and the Current Matzav
Haftarah Shmos- "הַנִּדָּחִים בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם"
Psalm 94 - The Call for Revenge, when is it appropriate?
Ramchal and his Rebbe, Pt. 2. - More on the remarkable relationship
Parshas Shmos: A Three Day Holiday?
Asarah B'Teves: Then and Now
An Analysis of the Current Influence of Turkey in Syria and Israel
Dovid and Yoav: Why really did Dovid resent Yoav?
Why was there a military escort at Jacob's funeral?
The Shma Prayer in its original context
Haftarah VaYigash: Unity Before Geulah
Parshas VaYigash: Why did Joseph supply his brothers with literally all their need?
The Ruthless Use of Hostages: The assasination of Judah Maccabee's brother Shimon and its aftermath
נְחֹשֶׁת: דְּבַר תּוֹרָה לַחֲנֻכָּה תשפ"ה
Lighting Inside v. Lighting Outside: History of Controversy
The prophecy of 24 Kislev (סֵפֶר הַנָּבִיא חַגַּי) and current events in the Middle East
Al HaNissim- When was it composed?
Haftarah Shabbos Chanukah - Zechariah Magical Menorah
Mikeitz and (metaphysical) Chanukah: The two dream stories - Joseph and Daniel
Parshas Mikeitz: Joseph the first "galus yid" in history
Seudas Chanukah: How old is this custom? Did it predate Rabbinic Literature?
Peacemaking with the enemy? A cautionary tale from the Book of Maccabees
What kind of peace should we pray for in The North?
Haftarah VaYeshev: Amos decries social injustice (at G-d's direction)
Parshas VaYeshev: Contrasting the sibling relationships between the 12 brothers of the Joseph story and the 5 brothers of the Macabee story
R' Yeshaya Bassan and the Ramchal: The remarkable correspondence between rebbe and talmid
Shechem - Some of the Brothers Killed, Other Brothers Looted (Parshas VaYishlach)
Tefilah in the Context of the Current Situation in Syria
Sefer Ovadiah HaNavi (Haftarah VaYishlach)
Parshas VaYishlach: The challenges of Jewish survival in hostile environments
An Analysis of the Latest Events on the Israel-Syria Border
R' Marcus (Mordecai) Jastrow (1829-1903), Pt. 2
R' Marcus (Mordecai) Jastrow (1829-1903), Pt. 1
The Ramchal on Why People Avoid Learning Kabbalah
Haftarah VaYeitzei: The Kingdom of the North blows its last chance by retaining the Golden Calf
Parsas VaYeitzei: What does Jacob mean by הָיָה הַשֵּׁם לִי לֶאֱלֹהִים?
The Recent Developments in Syria and the Middle East
Thanksgiving as an American (but not Christian) Religious Holiday
Haftarah Toldos: Goofing off in the Bais HaMikdash
The War in Lebanon and Psalm 110
Parshas Toldos: The Palestinian (Plishti) Peace Proposal
Are the Jews a religious group? A nationality? An ethnicity?
Haftarah Chayei Sarah: Adoniyahu or Shlomo
Parshas Chayei Sarah: Oy shidduchim, shidduchim
The Aleinu Prayer: What is its context?
The Hasmoneans and the Question of Drafting the Yeshiva Bachurim
Haftarah VaYera: אֱלִישָׁע מְחַיֶּה הַמֵּת
The Iranian-Israel Conflict in light of interesting internal developments in Iran
Parshas VaYera: The הַשְׁגָּחָה פְּרָטִית in the sequence of events in the Abraham story
R Shimon Sofer, Pt 2: Walking a political tightrope for Galician Jews trapped between Germans, Ukrainians, and Poles
R Shimon Sofer (1820-1883), Pt. 1: The complexities of Jewish ethnic politics in Central Europe (Galicia) in the 19th century
Parshas Lech Lecha: The conquest of Semitic Israel by Hamitic invaders
Haftarah Lech Lecha: The Dust of Abraham
Parshas Lech Lecha: Abraham and Shem
R' Katz discusses the newest Genazym auction, featuring (inter alia) the seal the famous Italian Rabbi Yeshaya Bassan (1673-1739)
Haftorah Parsha Noach: The Abandoned Wife Discovers She is not abandoned after all
The Story of Nimrod- Who was he? (Parshas Noach)
R' Shmuel Leib Kauder (1770-1835) Last of the Bohemian Gedolim
The Simchas Torah Massacre in Cracow 1655
Parshas V'Zos HaBrachah: G-d offers the Torah to the other nations but they turn down the offer
The History and Meaning of the נִעֲנוּעִים
Where is the Garden of Eden? (Parshas Bereishis)
R' Katz speculates on the origins of the שִׂמְחַת בֵּית הַשּׁוֹאֵבָה
The Original Sukkos: Was it BOTH Clouds of Glory and סֻכּוֹת מַמָּשׁ- first one and then the other?
R' Katz on the Four Minim
Sukkos in the Light of the Current War
Was Columbus Jewish? R' Katz weighs in
A Quick History of Israel's Diplomatic Relations (and lack of relations) with Moslem Countries
The Jonah Story: Some sober thoughts in light of current events
Sair L'Azazel-"Is there a plain meaning?"
The Episode of Elephantine: A Jewish Garrison on the Egyptian-Sudan Border in the Times of Ezra, Nehemiah & Co.
Confession on Yom Kippur: Competing Sensibilities
Yom Kippur and the Oct. 7th Massacres: R' Katz Responds to a Query
Haftarah Ha'azinu: The Power of Words
Parshas Ha'azinu: The speech of Moshe to the elites (having given up on the masses)
An Analysis of the Current Israeli Invasion of South Lebanon
R' Katz speculates on the historical origin of the custom of blowing the shofar to confuse the Satan
The Historical Background of the Dispute Between the Geonim and the Rambam on the Break in the Tradition of What the Teruah is
R' Katz analyzes the current situation in the Middle East
Haftarah Nitzavim-VaYelech: The United Nations will Applaud Israel ... in the Messianic Era!
Parshas Nitzavim-VaYelech: Above all, Moshe fears the hypocrites in his audience
The Ben Ish Chai and Baghdad, Pt. 2: Thinking historically about the Ben Ish Chai and the remarkable Jewish community of Baghdad in the 19th century
Tekiah Teruah Tekiah: Joy, Weeping, Joy: Symbolism in the Ritual
Haftarah Parshas Ki Savo - Isaiah paints the Jewish Utopia
The Ben Ish Chai and Baghdad, Pt. 1: Thinking historically about the Ben Ish Chai and the remarkable Jewish community of Baghdad in the 19th century
Parshas Ki Savo: The Terrible Tochecha - Why is Devarim's worse than VaYikra's?
Haftarah Ki Seitzei: The woman who medically could not bear children suddenly has sextuplets!
Thoughts on the curved shofar vs. the straight shofar
Parshas Ki Seitzei: Amalek in Our Parsha and the Attack on October 7
The Expulsion from Prague (1745) and The Network of Rich European Jews: A Tale of Achdus, Pt. 2
Haftarah Parshat Shoftim: Redemption comes to a battered and bloodied Jewish People
Parshas Shoftim: The False Prophet in Jewish History
The Expulsion from Prague (1745) and The Network of Rich European Jews: A Tale of Achdus, Pt. 1
Elul and the Current Situation in the State of Israel
Haftorah Parshas Re'eh - The glorious house with the diamond chandeliers
Pirkei Avos - אַל תַּעַשׂ תְּפִלָּתְךָ קֶבַע
Parshas Re'eh: "V'Yishavtem Betach-" Secure Internally? Or Externally?
The Great Semicha Controversy of Safed (צפת): The controversy in the 16th century within the broad framework of Jewish History
Abraham haKohen Herera of Italy and Amsterdam (c. 1570-1635)
Parshas Eikev: The 3 Great Dangers
Haftarah Eikev: Isaiah predicts the rescue of the hostages in Gaza!
15th of Av 2024 - The Dance of the Maidens
Pirkei Avos: אַל תִּתְחַבֵּר לָרָשָׁע
The Role of Moshe in the "Second" Ten Commandments (Parshas VaEschanan)
Haftarah Shabbos Nachamu: Glorious news to a battered people
Parshas VaEschanan: Gratitude and Ingratitude
Kinnos, Pt. 2
Kinnos, Pt. 1
Tisha b"Av 2024 (5784)
Pirkei Avos, Ch. 4: R' Masia ben Cheresh
Haftarah Parshas Chazon: Isaiah blasts the hypocrisy of the Jewish leadership class
Parshas Devarim: A Geographical Nightmare
Pirkei Avos, Chapter 2: Rabbi Gamliel Jr. and תּוֹרָה עִם דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ
Glory, Tragedy, and Identity Fluidity: A tale of a modern Ger Tzedek in Germany a century ago
The Jewish general who commanded the Roman armies that destroyed the Bais HaMikdash
Revenge, the Current Middle East Crisis and Parshas Matos
Haftorah Three Weeks - The Jewish Trait of Ingratitude (Jeremiah Ch. 2)
Pirkei Avos Ch.1: Why does it say Moshe got the Torah from Sinai? Sinai did not give him the Torah!
Parshas Matos-Masei: Why the Jews could not get Egypt out of their systems even after 42 journeys
Chinuch in the 20th Century from the Perspective of the 21st
Pirkei Avos, Ch.6
Haftarah Bein HaMitzarim
Parshas Pinchas: Bilaam, Pinchas and the Hamas Attacks
Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison and Their Impact on Jewish History
The two models of שְׁאֵרִית יַעֲקֹב בְּקֶרֶב עַמִּים רַבִּים
Bilam and the modern Hamasniks ימ"ש
Why Abraham vs. Bilam? Why not Moshe vs. Bilam?
Rabbi Katz is having a lecture series starting next week on Zionism in its early years
A Dvar Torah on מסכת ברכות on the 16th Yahrtzheit of Rabbi Katz's Mother ע"ה
Was Yiftach Violent and Crimes Oriented ( in his first iteration)? Or a Kid Mistreated by the ציבור?
Pirkei Avos: What is the context of אַל תְּהִי בָז לְכָל אָדָם? Could it have involved שידוכים?
Parshas Chukas: What EXACTLY was the sin of Moshe?
Two famous icons of anti-religious culture: What caused them to go OTD?
The “Old Haskalah” - Comfortably Nestled within Cultural Insularity
Haftarah Korach: Do you fire a good leader because they are old?
How could Korach successfully challenge the bona fides of Moses? After מַתַּן תּוֹרָה!
The Social Interaction Aspect of Piety (Pirkei Avos, Ch. 3)
Herzl and the British Offer to Create a State of Israel...in Africa!
Haftarah Shelach: The Remarkable Career of Rachav
Parshas Shlach and October 7th
R’ Chanina Sgan Kohanim and His Conservative Political Philosophy (Avos Ch. 3)
Herzl, Political Zionism, and the Campus Riots, Pt. 6
Observations About Politics in the Dynasty of Hillel - Pirkei Avos, Ch. 2
Haftarah BeHaaloscha: The prophet describes the intermarriage scandal, but in oblique language
Parshas BeHaaloscha: Who is חוֹבׇב exactly?
An Analysis of the Current Extremely Dangerous International Situation?- Are we headed for World War
The Bach: One of the Leading גדולים of the Golden Age of Polish Jewry (16th-17th Centuries)
Shavuos: Grass, Trees, and Roses. Was there vegetation at Mount sinai?
Was Hashem originally planning to do מתן תורה at another location?
The Rambam's Philosophical Problems with מַעֲמַד הַר סִינַי
A Renaissance Edition of Azarya de Rossi's Controversial Book - Being Auctioned by Genazym
Hosea tells the Jews not to turn away from Hashem and trust their "allies"
What was the relationship between the two luchos and the rest of the Torah?
Theodore Herzl, Political Zionism, and the Current Campus Riots - Part 5
Yom Yersushalyim: No country recognizes Jerusalem as legally being Israeli territory
Hereditary Elites vs. Meritocratic Elites (Pirkei Avos, Ch. 6)
Haftarah Bechukosai: Jeremiah (לְפִי הָאַבַּרְבָּנֵאל) discusses the chemistry of הִשְׁתַּדְּלוּת and בִּטָּחוֹן
Parshas Bechukosai: The תוכחה was pronounced right after the Ten Commandments
The David-Jonathan Friendship: Was it a two-way street?
Herzl and Political Zionism, Pt. 4 - Zionism's Relationship to Marxism and Frum Judaism
The ibn Ezra: More on his particular historical context, and the time before the fall
Lag b'Omer: When did רשב"י write the Zohar?
Parshas Behar: The theory that both בְּהַר בְּחֻקּוֹתַי were pronounced in פָּרָשַׁת מִשְׁפָּטִים
Haftarah Behar: Jeremiah and the land deal - Preserving hope among the doomed
Biden: It's a good thing we have a President who grew up with the JEWISH version of the Holocaust
R’ Akiva’s Students - When exactly did the 24,000 students die? What was the historical context?
The Bitter, Non-Frum Opposition to Herzl and His Proposal -Theodore Herzl, Political Zionism, Pt. 3
Gain Mastery of Hilchos Shabbos in This Online Program
Haftarah Emor: Who are the people referred to strangely as הַכֹּהֲנִים ַלְּוִיִּי?
Parshas Emor: The existential struggle against worshipping כּוֹחוֹת הַטֻּמְאָה
Israel’s PR Battle: Why is Israel doing a poor job on PR in this war? Why is Hamas beating them?
Theodore Herzl, Political Zionism and the Current Campus Riots, Pt. 2
R’ Sherira Gaon on Sefer Shiur Komah: Does being a rationalist preclude a belief in mysticism?
Unconditional Surrender in American History and Its Relevance to the Gaza War
Rationalism in Gaonic Responsa - Generated by Empirical Evidence, and Sound Theology
Haftarah Kedoshim: The most controversial Haftarah of the year?
Parshas Kedoshim: Does one size fit all?
Theodore Herzl, Political Zionism and the Current Campus Riots, Pt. 1
Rationalism (as opposed to rationality): An example from שׁוּ"ת רַב הַאי גָּאוֹן
The Campus Riots' Objective: Excising Zionism from the bounds of civil discourse
Haftarah Acharei Mos: The Prophet Amos and the Parable of the Sieve
Parshas Acharei Mos: Was Aharon a born אוֹהֵב שָׁלוֹם וְרוֹדֵף שָׁלוֹם, or did he become one?
The Campus Demonstrations and Anti-Semitism: Parallels between 2024 and 1391
Shir HaShirim and Passover - What is the Connection?
The Meaning of the Dry Bones in the Prophecy of Yechezkel (Haftarah Shabbos Pesach)
Did you ever realize the slavery in Egypt commenced shortly before the birth of Moses?
Did the slaves view their plight from within an Egyptian pagan narrative?
The שיטות that one may keep חמץ at the home of a gentile on פסח without selling it
What were the theological perceptions of Jews on the night of Pesach? Maimonidean? Astrological?
Haftarah Shabbos HaGadol: Why was it chosen? What does it have to do with Passover?
Parshas Metzora: Why Did Tzaraas Cease
The Iran Attack on Israel: Why did Jordan help Israel shoot down the Iranian missiles?
What's with the debates as to how many plagues were there @the Red Sea?
Pesach: Why was it necessary to go through the first nine plagues?
Moses Hess and R’ Yehosef Zechariah Stern on אַהֲבַת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְחִבַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל
Haftarah Tazria: Naaman & Elisha - A Repetition of the Abraham and Pharaoh Story?
Parshas Tazria: If the marchers for Hamas were stricken with צרעת, would they change?
משך חכמה על "בשעה שיש מצה ומרורים (לא הפסח!) מונחים לפניך"
Pesach: The Original Passover, the Plague of Darkness, & the Din of מְנוּיִים
Italian Jewry and Playing Tennis on Shabbos and Yom Tov
The Arab tactic of demonstrating in front of synagogues in America
Haftarah HaChodesh: The prophecy of Ezekiel includes crowd and traffic control
Parshas Shmini: A reason for the deaths of Aaron's two sons
מִי הוּא הַ"נָשִׂיא" בְּהַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת הַחֹדֶשׁ?
Parshas Shmini: What is the meaning of the statement that Nadav & Avihu were שְׁתוּיֵי יַיִן?
Haftarah Parah: The Strictly Ceremonial Nature on an Individual Level in Terms of Taharah
Parshas Tzav: The concept of sacrifice in the Temple, as well as in the current war in Gaza
An Analysis of the Current State of the Gaza War and Its Fallout, by Rabbi Katz
R’ Yehuda Brieli of Mantua 17th century -Another Italian גָּדוֹל -צַדִּיק-מַשְׂכִּיל
Purim Mesiba 2024
Purim: Why was it Esther (not Mordechai) who pressured the חכמים to make Purim a holiday?
Parshas VaYikra: The Primarily Educative Nature of the Korbanos
Haftarah Zachor: Exactly why did Saul spare Agag, after wiping out his people?
The Baltimore Background to the Billion Dollar Gift to Einstein Medical School
The Letter of Haman: Its demonization of Jews and ordering their death
Purim and Parshas VaYikra: What's Up With the Angels, the Korbanos, and Vashti?
The Consequences of Jewish Disunity and Irresponsibility During the Current War
Why is Purim not on the day of the victorious fight, but on the day after?
R’ Moshe Provenzalo of Renaissance Italy (Mantua)
Haftarah Pekudei: Why did Shlomo stash-away his father's gold?
Parshas Pekudei: When is a Mishkan a Full-Blown Mishkan? And When is it Just a Glorified בָּמָה?
Recent Trends in Antisemitism in America - An Analysis by R’ Katz
The מַחְבֶּרֶת of Menachem Ben Siruk- The New Edition of This Tragic 10th Century classic
Haftarah VaYakhel: Hiram of Tyre, King Solomon's " Michaelangelo?"
Parshas VaYakhel: Why Make Keruvim After the Fiasco of the Golden Calf?
Parshas Ki Sisah: What ever happened to the tablets Moshe shattered?
The 1555 Edition of HaChasid Yavetz on Pirkei Avos Being Offered by Genazym
The Confusing Story of 12 Adar - יוֹם טְרָיׇנוּס
Haftarah Ki Sisah: Elijah "Twists the Arm of G-d" (כִּבְיָכוֹל)
Sefer Shalsheles HaKabbalah, the Renaissance Classic, is Being Offered in the New Genazym Catalog
Parshas Ki Sisah: What exactly was the אִסּוּר of making an image of Hashem?
Haftarah Tetzaveh: The Building of the Second Temple
Historic Handwritten Letter by R’ Chaim Brisker from 1909 Auctioned by Genazym
Parshas Tetzaveh: Use of the Spoils of Egypt for the Mishkan
Mantua Zohar, Pt. 3. The "Litvish"Defense by R’ Moshe Provençal of Mantua
The Mantua Zohar Controversy, Pt. 2: Arguments Pro and Con
The Mantua Zohar Controversy of 1558-1560, Pt. 1: Should Kabbalah be put into the public domain?
Haftarah Terumah: Was Shlomo's labor force Jewish? Canaanite? Converts?
Parshas Terumah: Will the Third Temple have any technology?
R’ Yehudah Moscato and his Commentary, Kol Yehudah, on the Kuzari
The Prosposed Jewish University in Mantua at the Time of Moscato
Some thoughts on the Gaza War as it enters its 4th month
Isaiah 66: The Temple of the Future Will Have Many Non-Jews (Haftarah Mishpatim)
Parshas Mishpatim: Warning About the Keruvim in the Temple
R’ Yehudah Moscato (1532-1590), Pt. 2: Famous Italian תַּלְמִיד חָכָם וְדַרְשָׁן
Yisro v. Ruth: Two Archetypes
Haftarah Yisro:Unlike Moshe, the prophetic experience of יְשַׁעְיָהוּ is a mediated one
The Famous R’ Yehudah Moscato of 16th Century Italy: A Recently Discovered Remarkable Episode
Parshas Yisro: Was Yisro a good guy? The arguments in favor
Moshe Rabbenu: Intellectual or Emotional?
Parshas Yisro: What is the meaning of the babyish truculence of the Jews at the Red Sea?
Parshas Beshalach: The Connection Between Circumcision and Krias Yam Suf
Haftarah Bo: The Two Babylonian iInvasions of Egypt? Who Cares?
R’ Mordecai Banet (1753-1829): Chief Rabbi of Moravia
Parshas Bo: Why Exactly is Moses Commanded לַחֲלֹק כָּבוֹד לַמַּלְכוּת?
Parshas Bo: What does G-d mean when He says He will punish the gods of Egypt?
The Famous Yad Malachi of Livorno (1700-1771)
What is Going on With the Conversation re: אֶהיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה? (Parshas VaEra)
Ezekiel: Egypt will suffer because it cynically & unscrupulously"played" Israel and Judah
Parshas VaEra: How Did the Jews Maintain Their Family Units Under Slavery ?
The UN Vote to Recognize the State of Israel, and the Arabs and Jews Prepare for War
Haftarah Shmos: Isaiah Blasts the Drunken Tyrants of the Northern Kingdom
Parshas Shmos: If they had yeshivos in Egypt, why did most Jews go off the derech?
Galus as a Core Component of Judaism and Jewish history
American Judaism a Century Ago (1880-1950)- Some Thoughts
Parshas VaYechi: Joseph's class-act in burying Jacob next to Leah
Haftarah VaYechi: David is Enraged at Joab. Why, Exactly?
R’ Eliyahu Mizrachi of Istanbul, the Greatest Romaniote Gadol
Arafat, Hamas and Terrorism: The Aftermath of Oslo
Parshas VaYechi: An Original Interpretation of Why Yehudah Got the Malchus- from the מֶשֶׁךְ חֲכָמָה
The Israeli Offensives in the War for Independence: Brilliant Successes and Devastating Failures
Yosifon's Counterhistory of the Translation of the Torah into Greek
Haftarah VaYigash: After the Dry Bones Comes the Achdus, Then מִלְחֶמֶת גּוֹג וּמָגוֹג
Asarah B’Teves: Fasting to Mourn the Septuagint Translation?
Parshas VaYigash: Joseph's References to His Kavod
What exactly is זֹאת חֲנֻכָּה ?
Again, Why Didn't Viceroy Joseph Contact His Father? (Parshas Mikeitz)
Reflections on Hellenists, Then and Now
Haftorah Mikeitz: King Solomon and the two "mothers"
Parshas Mikeitz: Joseph uses his prison time to learn Egyptian culture and politics
Judah Maccabee Storms Gaza- עַל פִּי יוֹסִיפוּן
Rambam in אִגֶּרֶת תֵּימָן: the "two-pronged" attack on Judaism... and Chanukah
Outbreak of the Revolt - 3 different versions of the story (Chanukah)
Chanukah: Why does Josephus call the holiday not Chanukah, but Festival of אוֹר?
Haftarah Chanukah: The High Priest is Given a Pass in the Heavenly Court, as a Shoah Survivor
Parshas VaYeshev: Oy, מַעֲשֵׂה אָבוֹת סִימָן לַבָּנִים in a Negative Way - the Sale of Joseph
Henry Kissinger: Good for the Jews? Bad?
Haftarah VaYishlach: Who Exactly was Ovadiah? When Did He Live?
The Israeli Hostages - Is the Story of David Rescuing the Hostages Relevant to Gaza?
Parshas VaYishlach: Shimon & Levi - Proportionate Response?
Rambam, Rav Zevin, & the Kehillos Yaakov on Fear in Combat
Thanksgiving and Jewish History: Were the Pilgrims of 1620 Antisemites, Philosemites or Both?
The Hostage Deal and Psalm 140: References to the Effective Propaganda Offensive of the Enemy
Hostage Deals in Jewish History
Haftarah Vayetzei: Remarkably Relevant to Current Events in Israel Over the Last Year
Parshas VaYetzei: Jacob's Character Development in This Parsha
Thoughts on President Kennedy on the Anniversary of his Assassination 11/22/63
Rabbanim and Chazzanim in the Past Two Centuries
Ahab and Ben Hadad: A Cautionary Tale
Haftarah Toldos: The Inherent Problem of Hereditary (as Opposed to Meritocratic) Authority
Parshas Toldos: The Difference Between the Relationships of יִצְחָק וְיִשְׁמָעֵאל vs. יַעֲקֹב וְעֵשָׂו
Rabbinic Influences on Voting: In the Old Autonomous Kehilos, and in Modern Democratic Elections
Psalm 91 and the Fighting in Israel and Gaza - Fits Like a Glove
Haftarah Chayei Sarah: The Central Role of Nathan the Prophet
Parshas Chayei Sarah: Abraham and Ephron in Light of Current Events
Iran’s Machiavellian Role in the Current Conflict - The Significance of Sunni vs. Shiite
Haftarah VaYera: Why Did Elisha Stay Davka at Her House?
Psalm 140 - The Massacre, the Booby Traps, the Rockets
Parshas VaYera: Why was Abraham Personally Invested in the Fate of Sodom?
The Current Amalekite Demonstrations Against the Jews in America
The Chazon Ish and Medinat Yisrael: Aspects of the Life and שִׁיטוֹת of the חֲזוֹן אִי"שׁ
Hashkafic Look at Psalm 79 in Light of War Against Hamas
Haftarah Lech Lecha: Isaiah Predicts the Current War Against Hamas Tunnels
Parshas Lech Lecha: The First Hostage Rescue Mission in History
Judaism and Proselytizing: Has Judaism Ever Sought Converts in its History
The Dilemma of Civilian Casualties in Urban Warfare
A Short History of the Hamas Tunnels in Gaza
A Hashkafic Look at Current Events and a Hostile Media
A Two Front War in Israel? - R’ Katz analyzes the latest events in the Gaza War
The Yom Kippur War, Part 3: Affliction
Haftarah Noach: Isaiah 54:17 in Light of the War Against Hamas
The Jews Who Support Hamas - The Jewish " Rachavs"
Tehillim and the Current War in Gaza: Read Psalms 79 and 60 and See the Parallels
Isaiah discusses the current situation in the Middle East. Really
Hamas' Error of Judgment? - More Analysis of the Current War Against Hamas
The Yom Kippur War, Part 2: Affliction
Thoughts on the Current War With Gaza
Parshas Bereishis: G-d Decided to Take the Land Away From Them and Give It to Us.
The Yom Kippur War, Part 1: Affliction
Shmini Atzeres: Its Role as Part of Sukkos, Not as a רֶגֶל בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ
R’ Katz Criticizes the Current Wave of Spitting in Light of Jewish History
An Analysis of the עֲרָבָה Ceremony on the Temple, and the Various Versions of How They Did It
R’ Aharon Shimon Shapiro of 17th Century Prague: One of the Greatest Gedolim You Never Heard of
Hashanah Rabbah: What is the meaning of יֹפִי לְךָ מִזְבֵּחַ?
Parshas V’Zos HaBrachah: An Explication of the Enigmatic Passage מְעוֹנָה אֱלֹהֵי קֶדֶם
Koheles: Money (Like the Sukkah) is a Symbol of Impermanence
Two Different Models on Unity: The Sukkah & the Arba Minim
The Buildup to the Yom Kippur War
King Solomon and the אַרְבַּע מִינִים
Unlike RH and Yom Kippur, Sukkos and ארבע מינים Cannot Be Done By a שָׁלִיחַ
Sukkos: What Happened at the Town of Sukkos in Egypt?
The Yom Kippur War of 1973: Thoughts on the 50th Anniversary
Yom Kippur: What If You Do a Partial Teshuvah?
The Fast of the 7th of Tishrei (אֹרַח חַיִּים תק"פ)
R’ Tzvi Hirsch Kaidenover and His 17th Century Classic, the Kav HaYashar
Haftarah Shabbos Shuva: Hoshea HaNavi Calls for the Religious Reform of the Northern Kingdom
Parshas HaAzinu: The Powerful Pessimism of HaAzinu
Rosh HaShanah: The Basic Three Sets of Blasts Correspond to מַלְכִיּוֹת זִכְרוֹנוֹת וְשׁוֹפָרוֹת
Observations on Devarim: Why is Moshe's Rhetoric Harsher in סֵפֶר דְּבָרִים Than Elsewhere in the Chumash?
Eating Before Shofar: The Historical Source for the Yeshivos Having a Kiddush Before Shofar-Blowing
R’ Joseph Ottolenghi: The One Whose Work You Skip Over in the Back of the Gemara
Rabbi Katz is leading a tour of the Bible Museum in DC on חול המועד סוכות
R’ Menachem Mendel Gluskin of Minsk and Leningrdad: Trying to Be Jewish Under Stalin
The First Zohar Ever Printed-Cremona 1559 - Offered by Genazym
Haftarah Netzavim-Vayelech: Isaiah's Vision of the Future - Redemption, But Not Followed By Peace
Parshas Netzavim-VaYelech: Moses' Demand for Perfection Runs into Human Nature
Elul: No Protection Against the Satan This Year on the First Day of Rosh Hashanah
Responsa Mahari ben Lev From Genazym (1598)
More on the New שׁוּ"ת חוּט הַשָּׁנִי Edition and the Famous Controversies of Yesteryear
Parshas Ki Savo: Abarbanel Applies the תּוֹכָחָה to the Marranos
The Strange History of Shevarim
Haftarah Ki Savo: Isaiah's Brilliant Use of אוֹר וְחֹשֶׁךְ, Not as Physical Light and Darkness
Sefer HaManhig: Genazym is Offering the Original Edition, By a Talmid of the ר"י בעל התוספת
Genazym Auction: Original סֵפֶר "תּוֹרַת הָעוֹלׇה" לִרְמָ"א
The שו"ת חוּט הַשָּׁנִי: Three Generations of Bacharachs
Elul: Why Do We Blow Shofar on Rosh Chodesh? Why the Rest of the Month?
Haftarah Ki Seitzei: Will We Be Ashamed of Our Many Past Sins in the Messianic Era?
Parshas Ki Seitzei: Is the Yefas Toar Just פָּשׁוּט פְּשַׁט, or is It a Wider Metaphor Too?
A Conversation w/ Gabe Aaronson, Chief Numbers-Cruncher for the OU
The Mateh Ephraim: The Richest Gadol in Many Centuries - How Did He Excel in Business and Torah?
Rosh Chodesh Elul: Why is There a זֵכֶר for the Third Round of 40 Days, But Not for the Second?
Abraham Drabkin (1844-1927): A Reform Rabbi in Czarist Russia?
Isaiah Says Only הקב"ה Can Provide Genuine Comfort for All the Sufferings of the Jews Down the Ages
The Drashos HaRan on Analyzing the Distinction Between Shoftim and Kings
The Great R’Shlomo Dovid Kahana, Pt. 3: Spirited out of the Warsaw Ghetto to Rav of the Old City
Parshas Re'eh and Jewish History: The Existential Tension in Jewish History Between the Centralizers and the Decentralizers
Kabbalist Questions (Summum Bonum): The Consequences of Stating That the Soul is a חֵלֶק אֱלֹהַּ מִמַּעַל
Haftarah Re’eh: Isaiah Envisions a World Where G-d Tells the Jews Which Minhag He Likes
Parshas Re'eh: What is the Meaning of לְשִׁכְנוֹ תִדְרְשׁוּ וּבָאתָ שָׁמָּה?
R' Shlomo Dovid Kahana, Pt. 2: Warsaw and Its Yeshivas
The Arizal and Summum Bonum: If People Have Multiple "Souls," Which Ones Go Where?
Tu B’Av: Is יוֹם שֶׁהֻתְּרוּ הַשְּׁבָטִים לָבֹא זֶה בָּזֶה the same as יוֹם שֶׁהֻתַּר בִּנְיָמִין
Haftarah Eikev: Did G-d Divorce the Kingdom of Yisroel (Not Judah)?
Parshas Eikev: Why the Strange Phrase "וְאָכַלְתָּ אֶת כָּל הָעַמִּים "?
R’ Shlomo Dovid Kahana: The Greatest Gadol of the 20th Century You Never Heard of, Part I
The Radbaz (Who was Big in Both נִגְלֶה וְנִסְתָּר) Describes the Rambam's Attitude Towards Gehinnom
Parshas VaEschanan: Moshe Says That the חֻקִּים Will Inspire the Admiration of the Gentiles. Why?
Tisha B'Av and Mesilas Yesharim: What is a Chasid (in the Classical Sense of the Term) Supposed to Think on Tisha B'Av?
Lewis Strauss - A Story About a Famous Reform Jew and His Connection to Klal Yisroel
Robert Oppenheimer and מִדָּה כְּנֶגֶד מִדָּה
Rabbi Katz’s Tisha B'Av Schedule This Year
Haftarah Devarim: Isaiah Does Not Mention Idolatry as the Problem, But Social Injustice!
Parshas Devarim: Why Are Some Laws Only in Devarim?
RFK Jr. and Dangerous Rhetoric re: Jews and Corona
שְׂכַר הַצַּדִּיקִים לְפִי הָרַמְחַ"ל
Ramban's Anxious Letter to His Son Who Lived With the Rich Jews at the Royal Court
Haftarah of the Three Weeks: Digging wells that turn out to have no water
Parshas Matos: Wars of Revenge?
Traditionalist Jews in Israel and the Question of Religious Coercion
Bastille Day 2023 - The Riots in France, and Jewish History
Shivah Assar B’Tammuz: Who was Apostomus? What Exactly Did He Do?
Haftarah Pinchas: Jeremiah, the Descendant of רָחָב הַזּוֹנָה
Parshas Pinchas: What is the Meaning of the Vague Phrase: אֱלֹהֵי הָרוּחֹת לְכָל בָּשָׂר?
More on the Fourth of July and Klal Yisroel
Cordovero's extremely vivid description of the different "departments" of heaven and hell
Thoughts on the Historical Legacy of R’ Yaakov Ruderman
The Fourth of July and the Jews
Haftarah Balak: What is the מוּסָר הַשְׂכֵּל the Prophet extracts from the Bilam story?
Parshas Balak: Unlike Balaam, the Patriarchs built 7 altars but did not offer sacrifices on them
Parshas Chukas: Are the Two Stories of Hitting the Rock (בשלח and חוקת) One and the Same?
Korach as a Leadership Type in Jewish History in the Diaspora
Dvar Torah on כריתות at yahrtzeit siyum for R Katz's mother
Haftarah Korach: Why Did G-d (and Samuel) Choose the Inexperienced Saul?
The Burning of the Talmud in Paris on Parshas Chukas- Memory vs. History
Parshas Korach: Korach and the Power of "Spin"
R’ Cordovero on the Summum Bonum- different departments of Heaven
Capsali's History of the Turkish Empire
Haftarah Shelach: Was Rachav HaZonah an Idealist or an Opportunist?
Parshas Shelach: What is the Meaning of כִּי לַחְמֵנוּ הֵם?
R’ Eliyahu Kapsali, Pt. 2: His Account of the Expulsion from Spain
Summum Bonum: The Style of the Kabbalists in Relating to All the Differing Chazals on Olam Haba, etc
The 20th of Sivan: R’ Katz Analyzes Some Cossack Massacres from the Perspective of 2023
Haftarah BeHaaloscha: What will the gentiles do in the Messianic Era?
Parshas BeHaaloscha: Did Moshe Marry an Ethiopian גִּיּוֹרֶת after מַתַּן תּוֹרָה?
R’ Elyahu Kapsali (1480-1550): A Rare Case of a Rov Who was Also a Historian
Intro to Cordovero (רמ"ק הקדוש) on the Summum Bonum
Parshas Naso: Some Thoughts re: The approach of HaRav Gershon Edelstein, זצ"ל
Simon Wolf (1836-1923): American Reform Jew Who Saved Vast Numbers of Eastern European Jews
Haftarah Naso: Why do Chazal Say Manoach was an Am HaAretz?
A 15th Century Letter Inviting All Ashkenazic Jews to Leave Germany and Move to Turkey
What Were the "Crowns" of Shavuos?
The Angel מְטַטְרוֹן and the Revelation on Shavuos
Shavuos: The Symbolism of the Waving of the Breads and the Sheep Together
Abraham Benvniste and the Yeshiva of Zamora in Castile: The Spanish "Lakewood" of the 15th Century
Shavuos: The רמ"א in תּוֹרַת הָעוֹלָה connects the שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם to מַתַּן תּוֹרָה
Another reason שבועות is not mentioned as זמן מתן תורתנו in the חומש
Hosea, Himself Married to a Faithless Wife, Blasts the Jews for Being Unfaithful to G-d
Shavuos and Matan Torah: Famous Critiques of the Chinuch-System of the Old Days
Parshas Bamidbar: The Logistics of the March from Sinai to the Promised Land
An Infinitely-More Complex Understanding of Life After Death and Reward and Punishment
Three Items from the Era of Sabbatean Fights (Genazym)
Abraham Benveniste (15th Century): Restored Yiddishkeit to a Bleeding Spanish Jewry
Genazym Offers a חומש from Prague from the בַּעַל שׁוּ"ת תְּשׁוּבָה מֵאַהֲבָה & His Close Catholic Friend
A Venetian Jewish MD and Spy in the 17th Century, Liked by Both Sides
The Prophet Jeremiah attacks syncretism & demands radical severance from paganism
Bechukosai: The Historical Significance of וְאֶתְכֶם אֶזָּרֶה בַּגּוֹיִם
Lag B'Omer: Why was Only R’ Akiva's Yeshiva Hit?
Genazym Offers the Notorious Giustiniani Edition of the Rambam, a Capitalist Fight of Long Ago
The Coronation of King Charles III: What is the Role of a King in Jewish Thought?
Rabbi Isaac Cantarini of Padua (1644-1723), Rov & MD, and the pogrom of 1684
Haftarah Emor: The Bad Kohanim Who "Went-Along," and the Good Ones Who Remained Loyal
Chasdai Crescas: Is G-d Omnipotence? Omniscience? Or Love?
Parshas Emor: Did the Blasphemer Curse G-d? Or G-d's Name?
A Famous Story About Abraham Benveniste, an Honest King, and an Attempted Blood Libel
Abarbanel & Kli Yakar Summarize Opinions on Sumum Bonum
Amos' Summum Bonum in the Here and Now: A Rebuilt Prosperous Kingdom in אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל (Haftarah)
Parshas Acharei Mos-Kedoshim: Blood and the "Battle" Between the Beis HaMikdash and the Bamos
Shem Tov ben Shem Tov: Looking for reasons for the Holocaust of 1391. Part 1
Haftarah Shabbos Rosh Chodesh: How will Christians and Muslims Feel in the Messianic Era?
The Political Crisis in Israel: Drafting the Bnei Torah, and Ketores Considerations
What's the Meaning of Isaiah's Reference to a New Heaven & Earth? (Sumum Bonum)
Parshas Tazria-Metzora: What is Unique About the Leprous House?
Shlomo Alami's contemporary harsh criticism of Spanish Jewry in the wake of 1391
Crescas: Will the Moshiach be a Greater Prophet than Moshe?
The Rambam vs Shem Tov on the Theological Significance of קְרִיעַת יַם סוּף
The Crisis in Spanish Jewry 1391-1492: The Shem Tovs and Their Differences
The Abarbanel's fascinating connecting the Jewish fate in Egypt to the מְכִירַת יוֹסֵף
Haggadah 2023: What Does It Mean, "The רשע Would Not Have Been Redeemed?" Many Were!
The colloquy between the Wise Son and his father: a Second Temple Convers
Why Davka Elijah the Prophet as the Great Reconciler? (Haftarah Shabbos HaGadol)
Parshas Tzav: The Two Types of Sin Offerings: Outer and Inner
The Korban Pesach: Why is a Goat OK? For the Original Passover in Egypt?
The Alshich - From the Golden Age of Safed in the 16th Century
The Four Sons historically considered
Did ALL the Jews Do the Original Korban Pesach?
The Great Philosopher Chasdai Crescas on תְּחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים
Haftarah Vayikrah: The Three Big Sins of the First Temple Era
Parshas Vayikrah: Speaking to Moshe From the אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, Not From the Adjacent Mt. Sinai
Yeshiva Politics from Nosson HaBavli: The Extreme Formality of the Yarchei Kallah - Gaonic Gossip
Ramban on Olam Habah as a New Physical World
Haftarah Vayakhel-Pekudei: Will Korbanos and other Mitzvos Change in the Messianic Era?
Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudei: The Human Logistics of the Fundraising Campaign (Mishkan)
A Frum Cassandra: Zorach Wahrhaftig in 1939-‘40 Lithuania
Haftarah Ki Sisa: Elijah the Religious Radical - “If you are not frum, get out of here!”
Parshas Ki Sisa: The Second Tablets Contained More Than the First Tablets
Ramban's Complicated Description of Gan Eden - The One "Downstairs" and the One "Upstairs"
Gaonic Gossip: The Famous Description of the Inaugural Ceremonies of the Reish Galusah in Baghdad
Rabbi Katz Responds to a Mischaracterization re: a Recent Podcast
The 7 year Machlokes Between Saadia Gaon and the Reish Galusah - Gaonic Gossip
Gaonic Gossip from Nasan HaBavli: The Deposition of Ukvah the Reish Galusah
How Did They Know Heaven had Confirmed Purim (קִיְּמוּ לְמַעְלָה מַה שֶׁקִּבְּלוּ לְמַטָּה)?
Parshas Tetzaveh: The Moreh Nevuchim's Take on the Splendid Bigdei Kehunah
Purim: Esther’s Hidden Identity
The Ramban's Detailed Description of the Sinner in Gehinnom - R’ Katz Discusses
Haftarah Terumah: Shlomo's Corvee was the Fulfillment of the Warning of שְׁמוּאֵל הַנָּבִיא
When was the Mishkan Commanded? During the First 40 days, or During the Third 40 days?
The Controversial but Popular מַסֶּכֶת פּוּרִים (Venice 1552) from the Genazym
Sherira Gaon and Jewish Politics in 10th Century Babylonia
Haftarah Shekalim: Why Didn't the King Just Raise the Money for the Temple by Appealing to the Public?
Nahmanides on Gehinnom - Sinners Do Actually Burn in a Certain Kind of Fire. It's Not an Allegory
A יְרוּשַׁלְמִי שְׁקָלִים from the Famous Bomberg ש"ס of the 1520s - For Sale at Genazym
The unscrupulous "richie-riches" free the Hebrew slaves whom they have held too long
The connection between the מִשְׁפָּטִים and the Yisro incident
R’ Judah Mintz (1405 -1508), Who Turned Padua into the "Lakewood " of Italy
Ramban's Theory of the Sumum Bonum
Isaiah's Vision of G-d Seated on a Throne etc. Subjective Reality vs. Objective Reality
Chaim Grade (1910-1982): Some Thoughts About the Yiddish Novelist
What exactly did Yisro mean that Moshe should be מוּל הָאֱלֹהִים ?
Eliyahu HaBachur HaAshkenazi (1470-1549)
The Aftermath of the Maimonidean Controversies, Lecture 7 of 7
Rambam on Resurrection (which is not part of nature)
Haftarah Beshalach: How is the Story of Pharaoh Similar to That of Sisera?
Parshas Beshalach: The Complaints Against Moshe's Leadership - "Heading the Wrong Way!"
R’ Moshe Alashkar: One of the Greatest Sefardi Gedolim Who Left Spain in 1492
Did Abraham and Sarah Actually Exist? The Fight over Philosophical Homiletics (Part 6 of 7)
Parshas Bo: Why Does Moshe Deviate from His Instructions?
Rambam vs. Raavad and Others on the Difference Between תְּחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים וְעוֹלָם הַבָּא
Jews Burning Books? (Part II) The Controversy in Montpelier and the Aftermath
Moses Mendelssohn, Part 3
Moses Mendelssohn, Part 2
Jews Burning Books? The Controversy in Montpelier
Haftarah VaEra: Egypt will Suffer a Nuclear Holocaust and will be Empty for 40 Years
Parshas VaEra: The Role of Aaron in the Exodus Story - Negotiator with the Egyptians, acc. to Rashi
Parshas Shmos: The Individual Unique Experience of G-d vs. the Common Joint Experience
The First of the Maimonidean Controversies: Attacking the “Live Lion” (Pt. 3 of 6)
Maimonides the Great Popularizer - The Maimonidean Controversies (Part 2 of 7)
The Maimonidean Controversies: Revelation, Rationality and Rationalism In the Middle Ages - Pt. 1
Rabbi Katz Will Be in the Hospital This Week…
A Dying David Has to Weigh Killing שִׁמְעִי בֶּן גֵּרָא for Insulting & Cursing Him
Asarah B’Teves: Why Do We Specifically Commemorate the BEGINNING of the Siege of Jerusalem?
Where Did Joseph Acquire His Knowledge of Public Administration and of Macro-Economic Planning?
Moses Mendelssohn (1729-1785), Pt. 1: The Frum Member of the "Republic of Letters"
In His Mishnah Torah, the Rambam Gets into Greater Detail re: Summum Bonum - עוֹלָם הַבָּא.
Why did the Sages condemn the translation into Greek? Why is it different than Artscoll?
Ezekiel: First the Dry Bones Come Alive, Then They Join the Jewish People in a Real Unity
Parshas VaYigash: Joseph has a Whole Plan of Revenge, but in the End He Couldn't Go-Through With It
Chanukah and the current war in the Ukraine
Rambam on the Sumum Bonum - הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא
Chanuka in the Context of History: A Q&A w/ Rabbi Katz
The affairs of the High priest Joshua & his sons foreshadow the Chanukah strife of the priesthood
Joseph: A Rare Case of a Victim Finding Healing, Not Just Forgetfulness
The History of the Practice of הַדְלָקַת נֵרוֹת חֲנֻכָּה
Judah Maccabee: The Actual Historical Figure
שִׁיטַת הַ"כּוּזָרִי" עַל שָׂכָר וְעֹנֶשׁ
The Hellenistic Jews: What Exactly Provoked Them to Persecute the Frum?
Amos: You (אֶפְרַיִם וּמְנַשֶּׁה) whose ancestor was unjustly sold, how can you do it yourselves?
Parshas VaYeshev: How Did Joseph Handle His Mistreatment Psychologically? I Mean, נְחָשִׁים וְעַקְרַבִּים!
רַבִּי אַבְרָהָם אֲחִי הַגְּרָ"א בַּעַל סֵפֶר "מַעֲלוֹת הַתּוֹרָה ". (1722 -1804)
The view of שְׁלֹמֹה אִבְּן גַּבִּירוֹל מִסְּפָרַד on the nature of שְׂכַר וְעֹנֶשׁ
Rabbi Katz's Israel Trip is a Month Away!
Sefer Yosippon: A Historical Classic NOT Identical With the Books of Flavius Josephus!
Parshas VaYishlach: Esav Felt Cheated, but Didn't Allow that to Define His Life - He Built His Own
R’ Dovid Kimchi, the Radak (1260-1335) as Grammarian - The World of דקדוק
R' Hai Gaon: Aspects of His Messianic Theology
Haftarah VaYetzei: The Prophet Hosea Analyzes the Faults of Shevet Ephraim, Particularly Their Resentment of David
The Shechita Book of R' Yaakov Weil (15th century) - One of the Most Popular Books in Jewish History
R’ Yehoshua of Cracow (1578-1648): The Original פְּנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ
Parshas VaYeitzei: Why did Yaakov Kiss Rachel? Why did He Cry?
The 5th of Kislev - A Fast Day?
R’ Baruch Schick (1744-1808): A Maskil of the Type Approved by the Gra
Malachi Blasts the Schmoozers & Boozers in Shul. What's the Problem with Jews & Davening, Anyway?
Saadia Gaon's Version the Messianic Process - Two Alternative Scenarios
Parshas Toldos: Why was it Predestined That in This Family, the Siblings Should Not Get Along?
R’ Avraham ben HaGra: A Great Talmid Chacham But Also Interested in"Kosher Haskalah"
שִׁיטַת גְּאוֹנֵי בָּבֶל עַל יְמוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ וּתְחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים. תְּשׁוּבַת רַב הַאי גָּאוֹן
Abraham in his old age has a faithful-reliable Eliezer. King David has no one
Parshas Chayei Sara: Abraham, Efron, and "The Art of the Deal"
The Israeli Supreme Court and Its Critics: A Discussion on the Controversy in Israel
Look at how Elisha conducts himself around the woman
R Katz begins a new series, on Jewish theories of the Summum Bonum in לְעָתִיד לָבוֹא
G-d, Abraham, and Theodicy. For Once G-d Explains Himself (Sodom)
Yaakov Anatoli (1195-1256): Controversial Jewish Intellectual During the Maimonidean Controveries
Join Rabbi Katz's Jewish History Tour of Israel, January 9-15, 2023
Is מוֹדִים thanks for the protection of the nation, or is it thanks for our individual survival?
Isaiah salutes Abraham, who turned down the spoils of war because he was interested in higher things
Flavius Josephus' Description of Abraham's "Visit" in Egypt and It's Long Lasting Significance
רַבִּי יִצְחָק אַבּוּלַפִיָּה מִדַּמֶּשֶׂק בַּעַל שׁוּ"ת "פְּנֵי יִצְחָק " 1824-1910
R Ovadia Yosef and Edmund Burke
Isaiah Compares the Assyrian Holocaust to a Biblical Flood
The Flood - Who Won in the End G-d or the Snake? (Parshas Noach)