Collected Talks of David Solomon

By David Solomon

Society & Culture History Philosophy Religion & Spirituality Judaism

What's Collected Talks of David Solomon about?

A Jewish podcast experience like no other. David Solomon’s “enlightening and engaging” talks on the Hebrew Bible, Jewish History, Kabbalah, and Jewish Philosophy and Thought will leave you immersed in information and inspired to learn more. Collected Talks of David Solomon is a podcast of lectures by internationally renowned educator, writer, translator, and scholar David Solomon. With the skill of a seasoned story-teller, David delivers dynamic and entertaining lectures filled with volumes of fascinating, well-researched content. These lectures, recorded before live audiences around the world, are delivered with clarity and insight, poignancy and humour by a world-class Jewish educator who is not to be missed. Download and subscribe now or learn more at davidsolomon.online

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#118 Why Titus Should Have ...

08.07.2022

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, ...

Collected Talks of David Solomon episodes:

08.07.2022 #118 Why Titus Should Have Worn a Mask 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, ...
06.30.2022 #117 Kabbalah on the Jewish Bookshelf 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, ...
05.27.2022 #116 Torah & Text in an Age of Turmoil 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 ...
05.13.2022 #115 Jewish History in Six Chapters (6) 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 ...
04.29.2022 #114 Jewish History in Six Chapter (5) 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 ...
04.14.2022 #113 Jewish History in Six Chapters (4) 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 ...
03.31.2022 #112 Jewish History in Six Chapters (3) 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 ...
03.10.2022 #111 Jewish History in Six Chapters (2) 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), ...
03.03.2022 #110 Jewish History in Six Chapters (1) 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 ...
01.02.2022 #109 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (4) 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: ...
12.15.2021 #108 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (3) Messiahs of the post-Talmudic period to the Renaissance are the subjects of the third lecture in David’s series “The Messianic Idea in Jewish History.” David discusses: The emergence of ‘the Midrashic Messiah’ The concept of the false messiah The disappointment ...
12.02.2021 #107 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (2) Fervent messianism in the land of Israel in the first century CE is the focus of this lecture, the second in David’s series “The Messianic Idea in Jewish History.” In the latter years of the second temple in Jerusalem, the ...
11.17.2021 #106 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (1) In this new four-part lecture series, David discusses how the concept of the messiah emerges in Jewish History, beginning with the biblical period. This first lecture examines the appearance of the messianic idea in Tanach, charting its metamorphosis towards a ...
11.03.2021 #105 A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time (4) David examines major works and ideas in Kabbalah over the past five centuries in this final part of his lecture series, A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time. The talk explores the contributions of: The GR”A, the Vilna Gaon Rabbi Chaim Luzzatto, ...
10.21.2021 #104 A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time (3) Two towering kabbalistic figures of the 16th century are examined in this third part of David’s lecture series, A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time. David explores the ideas of Rabbi Moshe (Moses) Cordovero (the RaMaQ) and Rabbi Yitzchak (Isaac) Luria (the ...
10.07.2021 #103 A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time (2) “The Zohar is not a book but a phenomenon.” David’s second lecture in his series, A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time, explores the extraordinary ideas and contributions of the: Zohar, Tikkunei HaZohar, and Sefer ha-Temunah. In his discussion of the Zohar, ...
09.23.2021 #102 A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time (1) David provides a remarkable historical overview of the origins of Kabbalah through the emergence of its early fundamental texts. The series explores numerous questions regarding the development of Kabbalah: What are the key kabbalistic books to have shaped our understanding ...
09.10.2021 #101 The Power of Change, the Challenge of Teshuva (4) This final part in David’s four-part Zoom series in the lead-up to Yom Kippur, The Power of Challenge, the Challenge of Teshuva, looks at the issue of repentance and forgiveness within community. David examines three fascinating and, at times, heartbreaking ...
09.02.2021 #100 The Power of Change, the Challenge of Teshuva (3) This third lecture in David’s Zoom series, The Power of Change, the Challenge of Teshuva, different ways the Talmud discusses the concept of teshuva. David explores three illustrative episodes from Tanach and the Talmudic period identified by the sages as: ...
08.26.2021 #99 The Power of Change, the Challenge of Teshuva (2) Part two of David’s Zoom series, The Power of Change, the Challenge of Teshuva, looks at the idea of individual and collective teshuvah in Tanach. The lecture examines the story of the prophet Jonah and the teshuvah of the city ...
08.19.2021 #98 The Power of Change, the Challenge of Teshuva (1) he first episode of David’s Elul Zoom lecture series, The Power of Change, the Challenge of Teshuva, considers early biblical figures whose individual examples of teshuva illustrate a range of human responses to this powerful idea of self-investigation, repentance, and ...
08.12.2021 #97 Unorthodox Episodes from the Talmud (4) This final episode of David’s four-part series entitled Unorthodox Episodes of the Talmud explores the idea of the evil inclination – the yetzer harah – with a particular focus on problems relating to sexual temptation. David explains that sages of ...
08.05.2021 #96 Unorthodox Episodes from the Talmud (3) The third part of David’s series, Unorthodox Episodes from the Talmud, explores a fascinating series of interconnected stories involving: a high-level international diplomatic mission, undercover rabbinical espionage, a cast of remarkable Talmudic rabbinical figures, parental concern, a curious question of ...
07.29.2021 #95 Unorthodox Episodes from the Talmud (2) Part two of David’s Zoom series, Unorthodox Episodes from the Talmud, mixes Jewish history with textual learning and fascinating storytelling. The talk continues the story begun in the previous episode regarding Rav Kahana, a third-century sage who fled Babylonian authorities ...
07.22.2021 #94 Unorthodox Episodes from the Talmud (1) In this Zoom lecture series, David explores several fascinating episodes described in the Talmud. This first lecture in the series discusses an unusual Talmudic incident involving disloyalty, self-righteousness, contempt, justice, death, restitution, escape, and consequences. As with many stories from ...
07.15.2021 #93 The Twelve Minor Prophets (4) In the final lecture in his series on the twelve ‘minor’ prophets of Israel, the Trei Asar, David examines the prophets who lived during the period after Israel’s return to Zion, following the Babylonian exile, namely: Hagai Zechariah Malachi. With ...
07.08.2021 #92 The Twelve Minor Prophets (3) Part three of David’s lecture series on the Trei Asar, the twelve ‘minor’ prophets of Israel, examines the texts and themes of: Nachum, Habakkuk, and Tzephaniah. While these three books are short in length, David explains the importance of each, ...
07.01.2021 #91 The Twelve Minor Prophets (2) This second instalment of David’s series on the Trei Asar, the twelve “minor” prophets, explores the lives and books of: Ovadiah (Obadiah), Yonah (Jonah), and Michah. David examines the historical contexts of all three prophets and how they are reflected ...
06.24.2021 #90 The Twelve Minor Prophets (1) This first lecture in David’s four-part series on the Trei Asar, the twelve minor prophets, explores how these remarkable biblical figures transformed the idea of religious practice – in particular, the way in which nations and individuals should worship a ...
06.17.2021 #89 The Historical Story of Tanach In this Jewish History lecture, David follows the chronological narrative of the Tanach (Hebrew Bible), outlining the key figures and events of the biblical period, including: the patriarchs and matriarchs the Egyptian exile and the going out of Egypt the ...
06.10.2021 #88 Which Period of Jewish History is Most Similar to Our Own? In this fascinating lecture, David explores the timeline of Jewish History in search of a period that most resembles the current situation for the Jewish people. Roving from biblical times to an era commonly referred to as the Dark Ages, ...
06.03.2021 #87 Women in Jewish History: the Biblical Period In this Jewish History lecture, David explores the lives, contributions, and circumstances of 14 women from Tanach: Rachav Devorah Yael Bat Yiphtach Pilegesh Bagiv’ah Ruth Channah Michal Abigail Bat Sheva Jezebel Ataliah Yehosheva Chuldah Among their numbers were: queens prophets ...
05.27.2021 #86 A Journey Through Jewish Philosophy (8) In this final installment of his eight-part lecture series on Jewish Philosophy, David Solomon explores the philosophical contributions of six remarkable Jewish figures from the twentieth century: Rav Kook The Nazir Emmanuel Levinas Rabbi Joseph Ber Soloveitchik Yeshayah Leibovitz Rabbi ...
05.20.2021 #85 A Journey Through Jewish Philosophy (7) In this Jewish Philosophy lecture, David explores the ideas and contributions of four philosophers: Nachman Krochmal Hermann Cohen Franz Rosenzweig, and Martin Buber who lived from the late 18th to early 20th centuries. This post-Enlightenment period saw a movement from ...
05.13.2021 #84 A Journey Through Jewish Philosophy (6) The sixth instalment of David’s Jewish Philosophy lecture series considers two renowned, sometimes controversial, philosophers living during the Enlightenment: Baruch Spinoza, and Moses Mendelssohn. Watch the lecture here: https://youtu.be/IC_bZTM55yA In the first part of this Zoom lecture, David examines the ...
05.06.2021 #83 A Journey Through Jewish Philosophy (5) In this fifth instalment of his Jewish Philosophy lecture series, David explores two significant Jewish thinkers living in Spain in the 14th and 15th centuries: Hasdai Crescas Yosef Albo. Watch the lecture here: https://youtu.be/uZ0C8w28boc He examines the philosophical contributions of ...
04.29.2021 #82 A Journey Through Jewish Philosophy (4) The fourth part of David’s Jewish Philosophy lecture series considers three giants of Jewish thought from the Medieval Period: Maimonides, the Rambam Avraham ibn Daud Rabbi Levu ben Gershon, also known as the Ralbag. David explores the centrality of Aristotelianism ...
04.22.2021 #81 A Journey Through Jewish Philosophy (3) This Jewish Philosophy lecture explores the emergence of Neoplatonism in Jewish philosophical thinking. David examines the ideas and works of three Jewish philosophers living during the later years of the Golden Age of Spanish Jewry: Shlomo Ibn Gabirol Baḥya ibn ...
04.15.2021 #80 A Journey Through Jewish Philosophy (2) This talk is the second instalment of David’s Jewish Philosophy series. In this episode, David examines the philosophical ideas and innovations of a towering figure of the early Middle Ages, Sa’adya ibn Yusuf al-Fayumi, commonly known as Sa’adya Gaon. Watch ...
04.08.2021 #79 A Journey Through Jewish Philosophy (1) This podcast episode launches David’s eight-part series on Jewish Philosophy. In this first lecture, David explores the earliest Jewish responses to the ancient Greek philosophers. Beginning by providing a summary of the early Greek philosophers, David defines Jewish Philosophy and ...
04.01.2021 #78 Passover Revelations The mystical interpretation of the festival of Passover (Pesach) is the focus of David’s latest podcast episode, a concentrated Kabbalah lecture delivered this week during chol hamoed Pesach. Kabbalistically, Pesach marks the birth of a nation, following its liberation from ...
03.24.2021 #77 Revelation & Revolution: Jewish History of the 18th Century (4) Although many of the remarkable developments in 18th-century Jewish life were set within the boundaries of Europe and Ashkenazi Jewry, so much was happening beyond this region. In this fascinating podcast episode, David explores some of the most remarkable events, ...
03.17.2021 #76 Revelation & Revolution: Jewish History of the 18th Century (3) In this podcast episode, David examines a phase in 18th century Jewish history that he calls the ‘zenith of rabbinics’ for its extraordinary collection of learned rabbis. Among this ensemble of remarkable figures, one man towered over the rest – ...
03.10.2021 #75 Revelation & Revolution: Jewish History of the 18th Century (2) This week David examines the beginnings of Chassidism, one of the most influential Jewish spiritual movements to emerge in the modern Jewish world. He discusses key individuals who launched – and developed – this extraordinary revolution and explores the central ...
03.04.2021 #74 Revelation & Revolution: Jewish History of the 18th Century (1) In this Jewish history lecture, David explores the early years of the 18th century, heavily overshadowed by two significant and difficult events of the 1600s – the cataclysm of the Khmelnytsky Massacres and the enormous reverberations of disappointment that followed ...
02.24.2021 #73 Women in Jewish History: the Second Temple Period In this absorbing Jewish history lecture, David examines the stories and contributions of nine remarkable, often powerful, Jewish women from the period of the second temple in Jerusalem, including: Queen Esther Judith (Yehudit) Hannah and her seven sons Hannah Maccabee ...
02.18.2021 #72 The Century of the Jewish Doctor For centuries, Jewish communities were known for producing doctors of the highest order. Even in the most profound climates of anti-semitism, kings and nobles sought the care of Jewish physicians. In this podcast episode, David examines the period he refers ...
02.10.2021 #71 A Prophetic Revolution In One Hour In the first millennia BCE, the prophets of Israel launched an unprecedented spiritual revolution, the impact of which has resonated throughout the ages and across the world. In this fascinating lecture, David presents an overview of the twelve ‘minor’ prophets ...
02.04.2021 # 70 From Exile in Paradise to Redemption in Hell: Jews and Judaism in Germany – past, present and future Although the Holocaust looms large as the defining feature of Jewish life in Germany, it was not an isolated historical event for German Jews. The Shoa followed a long and tragic trail of massacres, pogroms, and persecutions. However, the historical ...
12.23.2020 #69 Great Battles in Jewish History (Part Four) In this podcast episode, the final part of this four-part series on Great Battles in Jewish History, David examines two military episodes from the past century – the Battle of Latrun in 1948 and the Yom Kippur War of 1973. ...

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