Collected Talks of David Solomon

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 … Continue reading "#118 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 … Continue reading "#117 Kabbalah on the Jewish Bookshelf"

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"

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 … Continue reading "#115 Jewish History in Six Chapters (6)"

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 … Continue reading "#114 Jewish History in Six Chapter (5)"

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. … Continue reading "#113 Jewish History in Six Chapters (4)"

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 … Continue reading "#112 Jewish History in Six Chapters (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 … Continue reading "#111 Jewish History in Six Chapters (2)"

David Solomon’s 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). Lecture Summary In this six-part lecture series, speaker David Solomon provides an overview of Jewish history spanning 4,000 years, from 2000 BCE … Continue reading "#110 Jewish History in Six Chapters (1)"

David Solomon 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 Rabbi Ḥayyim Vital Shabbetai Zvi Rabbi Chaim Luzzatto, the Ramchal Rabbi Israel ben … Continue reading "#109 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (4)"