Jewish History With Rabbi Dovid Katz

The Unusual Spanish-Portuguese Communities in 18th century Souther France. A different world

Whereas Hamas pursues an unabashed policy of Amalak, Russia pursues a policy of לָבָן (לְפִי פֵּרוּשׁ הַנְּצִי"ב)

A "rap song" about the angels surrounding the Heavenly Throne. Part of theSephardic liturgy. The cadence as well as the rhymes moves the worshiper to ectasy

What was the ultimate fate of צִדְקִיָּהוּ, the last King of Judah? The differing traditions

The difference between קְדוֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ vs. וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ לִי מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים וְגוֹי קָדוֹשׁ

Although an "old-fashioned" sefer, it had surprisingly modern features, which reflect the 18th century Englightenment Movement

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.She volunteered at the fledgling mesivta Chaim Berlin where Meshulem's father learned.

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

תַּרְגּוּם יוֹנָתָן בֶּן עֻזִּיאֵל describes her as a talmid chacham

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

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

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