Beste Rabbi Dr Dovid Katz podcaster (2025)

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More on angels in Jewish Liturgy 24:41

9h ago24:41

24:41

Differentiate between the prayers composed by חז"ל, and those composed by the great פַּיְטָנִים

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Angels in our liturgy 24:09

3d ago24:09

24:09

First you talk about angels surrounding the Heavenly Throne, but then you ringingly assert !שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ ה' אֶחָד

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Parshas Yisro: The oath Moshe swore to Yisro re: Gershom, Pt. 2 10:14

4d ago10:14

10:14

Both Moshe and Yisro probably thought Moshe's oath was binding. But after the miracles of Egypt, both men saw the oath had been without validity, indeed even sense

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What is the significance of Isaiah's prophetic career commencing with the death of King Uzziahu? 22:51

4d ago22:51

22:51

What does the prophet mean when he describes himself as an אִישׁ טְמֵא שְׂפָתַיִם?

1
Parshas Yisro: Yisro brings Gershom, whom he has already "ruined," hence the tense relationship 28:09

4d ago28:09

28:09

Did Yisro return to Midian and resume his job as High Priest of Paganism (for parnassah, of course!)?

1
The original printing of the famous עֵין יַעֲקֹב on the אַגָּדוֹת, being offered by Genazym 44:08

5d ago44:08

44:08

The 1516 and 1522 editions complied and explained by the famous father and son team רַבִּי יַעֲקֹב בֶּן חָבִיב and רַבִּי לֵוִי בֶּן חָבִיב ))(מהרלב"ח. Which had a profound impact on subsequent Jewish history.

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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 48:52

10d ago48:52

48:52

R Chaim was opposing the election of "Conservative Rabbi" חַיִּים נָחוּם, fearing he would spread הַשְׂכָּלָה וְקַלּוּת בְּמִצְווֹת among the Sephardic masses

1
A Real Life Case in 19th Century Kurdistan-וֶהֱוֵי מִתְאַבֵּק בַּעֲפַר רַגְלֵיהֶם, וֶהֱוֵי שׁוֹתֶה בַּצָּמָא אֶת דִּבְרֵיהֶם 25:21

11d ago25:21

25:21

The אֱמוּנָה פְּשׁוּטָה of some of the עֵדוֹת הַמִּזְרָח re: אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, even when they misinterpreted rabbinic dicta

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פָּרָשַׁת בְּשַׁלַּח תשפ"ה - Some Jews armed themselves to battle the Philistines when they left Egypt. Others were cowardly 26:21

11d ago26:21

26:21

Sponsored by Meshulem Epstein "Whose grandmother came in the early 1900s from Ukraine. Her mother ran a dry goods and her father was the mashgiach for milk production. The farm was right in Brownsville NY! She was of the generation to whom the Ribbono shel Olam was real and present.A "tehillim-zugger big time.A smile and a kind word for everyone.Sh…

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More correspndence between Ramchal and R Yeshaya Bassani: Whose soul did R Yeshaya possess? 33:56

12d ago33:56

33:56

Ramchal ascribes the most incredible and supernatural, indeed cosmic, significance to the Padua Eruv set up by R Yeshaya

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Haftarah BeShalach: Who exactly was Yael, Eshes Chever HaKeini? Which yeshiva did she learn in? 24:25

12d ago24:25

24:25

Targum Yonasan describes her as a talmid chacham

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Genazym is offering the famous math book: "סֵפֶר הַמִּסְפָּר" מֵאֵת רַבִּי אֵלִיָּהוּ מִזְרָחִי הַמְפֻרְסָם (בַּעַל הָרְאֵ"ם עַל פֵּרוּשׁ רָשִׁ"י עַל הַחֻמָּשׁ) 45:12

14d ago45:12

45:12

Published in the Turkish Empire in the 1500s by the famous Soncino Family, including a controversial colophon re: a fght between the Soncinos and the anisemitic Catholic "Billy Graham" - Friar John of Capistrano

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Haftarah Bo: Egypt will be devastated by a Babylonian invasion 25:20

17d ago25:20

25:20

Israel will be mauled (but will recover), Egypt & Co. will be destroyed and will not recover

1
Rabbi Katz Yahrtzeit Siyum on Mikvaos 43:23

17d ago43:23

43:23

Given 1/28

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Sumptuary decrees of 1767 issued by the נוֹדַע בִּיהוּדָה 47:19

18d ago47:19

47:19

Genazym auction in Sunday Feb. 16, 2025 The eternal struggle against excessive spending on simchas

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Psalm 90 - the Dearth of שמחה? Reflections of the aftermath of the Golden Calf? 25:22

18d ago25:22

25:22

תְּפִלָּה לְמֹשֶׁה אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים Moshe, the one who mastered (איש) the מִדַּת הַדִּין

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Parshas Bo: Were there apostates (משומדים) already at the time of יציאת מצרים? 31:20

20d ago31:20

31:20

Why does G-d warn Moses about the בן נכר before they even left Egypt? Was this part of his disagreement re: the עֵרוּב רַב?

1
Haftarah VaEra: Pharaoh the Crocodile 24:08

24d ago24:08

24:08

Why did the Jews always allow themselves to get "played" by the cynical Egyptians?

1
Psalm 81 הַיּוֹם יוֹם חֲמִישִׁי בְּשַׁבָּת Commemorating the First Liberation 22:15

25d ago22:15

22:15

The extraordinary transformation of Joseph in Egypt, foreshadowing the later Exodus. And Divine frustration at the obtuseness of the liberated

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Parshas VaEra: Redemption without repentance? 25:01

25d ago25:01

25:01

The Jewish slaves cried out to God in pain. But they did not repent!

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The Hostage Deal and the Current Matzav 30:40

27d ago30:40

30:40

R Katz analyzes the sobering reality of no victory, balanced by the need to not give in to יֵאוּשׁ, and creating new countermeasures

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Haftarah Shmos- "הַנִּדָּחִים בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם" 30:16

1M ago30:16

30:16

Who are the Jews Cast Off in the Land of Egypt? Did 4/5 die in Egypt? Or did they assimilate?

1
Psalm 94 - The Call for Revenge, when is it appropriate? 27:43

1M ago27:43

27:43

The Historical Context of Psalm 94, and its relevance to the current מַצָּב

1
Ramchal and his Rebbe, Pt. 2. - More on the remarkable relationship 55:28

1M ago55:28

55:28

Ramchal in Amsterdam (1730s-1740s), where he wrote the works that made him famous

1
Parshas Shmos: A Three Day Holiday? 31:02

1M ago31:02

31:02

Who was Moshe deceiving? Pharaoh? Or the Jews!

1
Asarah B'Teves: Then and Now 31:14

1M ago31:14

31:14

The theme of siege in Torah Judaism and Jewish Memory

1
An Analysis of the Current Influence of Turkey in Syria and Israel 30:11

1M ago30:11

30:11

Is Erdogan trying to recreate the old Turkish Empire in 21st century form?

1
Dovid and Yoav: Why really did Dovid resent Yoav? 26:23

1M ago26:23

26:23

Was David's reign an ideal era in Jewish History?

1
Why was there a military escort at Jacob's funeral? 28:25

1M ago28:25

28:25

Jacob's insistence that his grandchildren not touch his coffin?

1
The Shma Prayer in its original context 30:56

1M ago30:56

30:56

Jacob & Sons in Egypt. what was the challenge שמע addressed?

1
Haftarah VaYigash: Unity Before Geulah 23:22

1M ago23:22

23:22

Was the modern State of Israel created "out of order?"

1
Parshas VaYigash: Why did Joseph supply his brothers with literally all their need? 33:00

2M ago33:00

33:00

Altruism or Cynicism?

1
The Ruthless Use of Hostages: The assasination of Judah Maccabee's brother Shimon and its aftermath 36:29

2M ago36:29

36:29

The assassins used hostages to get away with their crimes: a cautionary tale re: Gaza?

1
נְחֹשֶׁת: דְּבַר תּוֹרָה לַחֲנֻכָּה תשפ"ה 34:19

2M ago34:19

34:19

Yavan, Copper, and the Copper Snake

1
Lighting Inside v. Lighting Outside: History of Controversy 41:47

2M ago41:47

41:47

Jews lit inside even when there is no danger

1
The prophecy of 24 Kislev (סֵפֶר הַנָּבִיא חַגַּי) and current events in the Middle East 24:12

2M ago24:12

24:12

"I will overthrow regimes and destroy armies through civil wars!"

1
Al HaNissim- When was it composed? 27:30

2M ago27:30

27:30

Was Chanukah ordained as a day of הַלֵּל וְהוֹדָאָה? Or was it ordained as a day of שִׂמְחָה וְהַלֵּל?

1
Haftarah Shabbos Chanukah - Zechariah Magical Menorah 22:44

2M ago22:44

22:44

Did the Maccabees know about this prophecy? How could they not?

1
Mikeitz and (metaphysical) Chanukah: The two dream stories - Joseph and Daniel 28:45

2M ago28:45

28:45

Both involve the dream of a gentile king concerning his kingdom; both dreams contain a subtext for the future of Klal Yisroel

1
Parshas Mikeitz: Joseph the first "galus yid" in history 27:02

2M ago27:02

27:02

Negotiating both Jewish as well as Egyptian identities: not an easy task

1
Seudas Chanukah: How old is this custom? Did it predate Rabbinic Literature? 28:12

2M ago28:12

28:12

Which parts of חֲנֻכָּה are דְּאוֹרָיְתָא, and which parts are דְּרַבָּנָן?

1
Peacemaking with the enemy? A cautionary tale from the Book of Maccabees 22:30

2M ago22:30

22:30

Bacchides massacres the trusting frummies under a flag of truce

1
What kind of peace should we pray for in The North? 25:17

2M ago25:17

25:17

What kind of peace should we pray for in Gaza?

1
Haftarah VaYeshev: Amos decries social injustice (at G-d's direction) 27:55

2M ago27:55

27:55

History teaches that morality collapses among the very rich and the very poor

1
Parshas VaYeshev: Contrasting the sibling relationships between the 12 brothers of the Joseph story and the 5 brothers of the Macabee story 26:37

2M ago26:37

26:37

The trick is not to be jealous of any sibling's special talents, but rather to discover the talents of each, and follow that brother in his area of special excellence