David Solomon 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 of emperor, in a negative light. However, others claimed that Titus …

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1. #107 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (2)
2. #68 Great Battles of Jewish History (Part Three)
3. Tisha B’Av – Why Titus should have worn a mask

David Solomon 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 for a …

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1. #104 A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time (3)
2. #103 A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time (2)
3. #59 Kabbalah Since the AR”Y (1)

David Solomon’s siyum on the Talmudic Tractate of Sotah was a (pre) Tikkun Leil presentation 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 Tikkun Leil …

Continue reading "#116 Torah & Text in an Age of Turmoil"

1. #115 Jewish History in Six Chapters (6)
2. #100 The Power of Change, the Challenge of Teshuva (3)
3. #96 Unorthodox Episodes from the Talmud (3)

This final part of David Solomon’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 …

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1. #92 The Twelve Minor Prophets (3)
2. #89 The Historical Story of Tanach
3. #71 A Prophetic Revolution In One Hour

David Solomon 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 …

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1. #109 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (4)
2. #76 Revelation & Revolution: Jewish History of the 18th Century (3)
3. #60 Kabbalah Since the AR”Y (2)

The fourth lecture in David Solomon’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. …

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1. #108 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (3)
2. #10 From the Rambam to the Zohar: Jewish History of the 12th & 13th Centuries (Part 4: 1250-1300)
3. #7 From the Rambam to the Zohar: Jewish History of the 12th & 13th Centuries (Part 1: 1100-1150)

This third instalment of David Solomon’s overview series of Jewish History explores the years between 500 and 1000 CE, known as the period of the Geonim. Lecture Summary In this six-part lecture series, David Solomon provides an overview of Jewish history spanning 4,000 years, from 2000 BCE to 2000 CE. He explains that to comprehend …

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1. #111 Jewish History in Six Chapters (2)
2. #110 Jewish History in Six Chapters (1)
3. #33 The Geonic Period: Jewish History of the 6th to 10th Centuries (part 3)

This Jewish History lecture is the second talk from 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 Talmudic Period. Lecture Summary In this six-part lecture series, David …

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1. #112 Jewish History in Six Chapters (3)
2. #73 Women in Jewish History: the Second Temple Period
3. #36 Chazal in the Age of Empires: An Overview of the Talmudic Period (part 3)