In this Jewish History lecture given for the fast of Tisha B’Av, David examines Jewish discussions on the death of Titus, the Roman general who presided over the siege in Jerusalem which led to destruction of the Second Temple. Unsurprisingly, many Jewish commentators throughout history have painted Titus, who followed his father into the role … The post #118 Why Titus Should Have Worn a Mask first appeared on David Solomon. Related posts: #107 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (2) #68 Great Battles of Jewish History (Part Three) Tisha B’Av – Why Titus should have worn a mask ..read more

In this talk, David examines the question: Which books of Kabbalah should a person have when building a Jewish library? He also speaks for the first time publicly about completing the first-ever full English translation of the cornerstone kabbalistic text, Tiqqunei HaZohar. David begins his presentation with a broad overview of the foundational texts required … The post #117 Kabbalah on the Jewish Bookshelf first appeared on David Solomon. Related posts: #104 A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time (3) #103 A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time (2) #28 Kabbalah ‘in one hour ..read more

This talk, a siyum on the Talmudic Tractate of Sotah, was a (pre) Tikkun Leil presentation David delivered online on the eve of Shavuot in 2020 due to COVID restrictions preventing traditional in-person learning on the first night of the festival. The talk includes an exploration of the: historical background to the development of the … The post #116 Torah & Text in an Age of Turmoil first appeared on David Solomon. Related posts: #106 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (1) #100 The Power of Change, the Challenge of Teshuva (3) #96 Unorthodox Episodes from the Talmud (3 ..read more

This final part of David’s Jewish History overview series explores the biblical period, from Avraham to the Jewish return to Zion after the Babylonian exile. The talk covers: the patriarchs and matriarchs the Egyptian exile and the going out of Egypt the settling of the land and the period of the judges the period of … The post #115 Jewish History in Six Chapters (6) first appeared on David Solomon. Related posts: #92 The Twelve Minor Prophets (3) #89 The Historical Story of Tanach #71 A Prophetic Revolution In One Hour ..read more

This lecture explores the past 500 years of Jewish History, from approximately 1500 to today. In this talk, David examines each century in detail, looking at: Sixteenth Century –  Johannes Reuchlin The printing of the Talmud  Shlomo Molcho and David HaReuveni Yosef Karo Moshe Isserles Azariah de Rossi Donna Gracia  Suleiman the Magnificent and the land … The post #114 Jewish History in Six Chapter (5) first appeared on David Solomon. Related posts: #112 Jewish History in Six Chapters (3) #111 Jewish History in Six Chapters (2) #110 Jewish History in Six Chapters (1 ..read more

The fourth lecture in David’s overview series of Jewish history examines the years 1000 to 1500, known as the period of the Rishonim. The talk explores the complex and sometimes contradictory experiences of different Jewish populations over these centuries, their lives and safety often dependent on their location, rulers, and the whim of history. In … The post #113 Jewish History in Six Chapters (4) first appeared on David Solomon. Related posts: #108 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (3) #10 From the Rambam to the Zohar: Jewish History of the 12th & 13th Centuries (Part 4: 1250-1300 ..read more

This third instalment of David’s overview series of Jewish History explores the years between 500 and 1000 CE, known as the period of the Geonim. In this talk, David discusses: · The geonim, including who they were and the significance of their spiritual authority  · The political leadership of the Reish Galuta · The great … The post #112 Jewish History in Six Chapters (3) first appeared on David Solomon. Related posts: #111 Jewish History in Six Chapters (2) #33 The Geonic Period: Jewish History of the 6th to 10th Centuries (part 3) #31 The Geonic Period: Jewish History of the 6th to 10 ..read more

This Jewish History lecture is the second of David Solomon’s six-part overview series. The lecture examines the first five hundred years of the common era (0 to the year 500 or 3760 to 4260 in the traditional Hebraic calendar), known in Jewish History as the Talmud Period. This period covers the destruction of the Temple by … The post #111 Jewish History in Six Chapters (2) first appeared on David Solomon. Related posts: Jewish History in Six Chapters (1) #106 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (1) #68 Great Battles of Jewish History (Part Three ..read more

This Jewish History lecture examines the Second Temple Period (Bayit Sheini), which spans from approximately the year -500 (or 500 BCE) to the theoretical year 0 (3260 to 3760 in the traditional Hebraic calendar). The period is divisible into four distinct phases, named after whichever political power was in control of the Jewish People in the Land … The post Jewish History in Six Chapters (1) first appeared on David Solomon. Related posts: #93 The Twelve Minor Prophets (4) #73 Women in Jewish History: the Second Temple Period #47 Two Temples (part 3 ..read more

New episodes will resume in February 2022. In the final part of this series, David explores messiahs of the modern period of Jewish history and the dangers of mystical attempts to bring about redemption. Among the figures David discusses are: Yosef Della Reina Rabbi Avraham ben Eliezer ha-Levi Shlomo Molcho and David haReuveni Asher Lemlein … The post #109 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (4) first appeared on David Solomon. Related posts: #108 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (3) #107 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (2) #106 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (1 ..read more