The Kotzk Podcast

This episode deals with an unusual and peripheral view that the biblical Sarah committed suicide after she heard that her son Isaac was bound on the altar. Suicide is a serious problem in many communities, and ours is no different. Reference to Sarah’s alleged suicide as a ‘virtue’ must be understood within the historical and literary context in which this idea was fermented, and not in any way as a religious sanction of such an act. I deal with it here knowing full well that ideas are dangerous, but equally aware that withholding them is more so (Kotzk Blog 563)

This episode—based extensively on the research by Professor Boris Czerny—examines some unusual similarities between the Baal Shem Tov (the founder of the Chassidic movement, c.1700-1760) and Oleksa Dovbush (the Ukrainian Robin Hood and rebel leader, 1700-1745) (Kotzk Blog 564)

In this episode—based extensively on the research by Dr Leore Sachs-Shmueli and Eynel Kapach examines the question of whether the Maharal of Prague  (1512-1609) was a philosopher or a Kabbalist (Kotzk Blog 562).

This episode—based extensively on the research by Professor Gideon Freudenthal—explores the possibility of a unio mystica (mystical union) attainable through Maimonidean philosophic and rationalist endeavours (Kotzk Blog 561)

This article examines the contested history surrounding the murder of R. Avraham Kohn on September 6, 1848. He was a student of the Chief Rabbi of Prague, Shmuel Landau, who ordained him in 1831. He was also a graduate of Charles University of Prague. R. Kohn, himself,  later became the Chief Rabbi of Lemberg (Lviv) (Kotzk Blog 559)

This episode—based extensively on the research by Professor Isaac Hershkowitz—examines the transformation of the Temple Mount from a previously marginal symbol to a current central component of Religious Zionism.. (Kotzk Blog 558)

The Babylonian Talmud in its original Persian-Iranian context:
This article looks at recent research into possible Sasanian-Persian influences on the Babylonian Talmud (Kotzk Blog 556)

This episode examines Jewish mysticism and Kabbalah from a historical, psychological and analytical perspective. If you prefer not to read such treatments of mysticism, you may wish to skip this piece (Kotzk blog 557)

This episode—based extensively on the research by Professor Israel Koren—explores a most unusual approach to sociability, friendship and family, in the teachings R. Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Izbica (Ishbitz) (1800-1854) (Kotzk Blog 555)

This episode traces how Renaissance rabbis alternately absorbed and resisted Mediterranean honour codes in confronting honour killings (Kotzk Blog 554)