Best Yeshu Podcasts (2026)

Rambam had a hard life, full of physical and religious challenges, and frustrations at the false ideas of his fellow-Jews, and his ideas re: Mashiach reflect this

1
A short history of פְּשַׁט vs. דְּרַשׁ in Jewish Bible Interpretation 33:12

Play Pause

3d ago33:12

33:12

A response to Karaism in e Early Medieval Period and later to Christian interpretation in the High Middle Ages

51
Parshas Shemos: Yaakov the Successful Parent 30:28

17h ago30:28

30:28

A Jewish Baby-Boom in our own country is celebrated. A Jewish Baby-Boom in someone else's country is considered a threat justifying a Holocaust! https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

1
A סִפְרִי re: Yaakov refraining from chastising his sons out of fear they will defect to "Eisav" - The "vengeful meshumad "in Jewish History 43:10

5d ago43:10

43:10

The Jew who defects to another faith out of conviction or opportunism vs. The Jew who defects out of resentment. Sources used by Candace Owens... https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

1
Haftarah VaYechi: David, Solomon, Joab the problem of getting the right kind of subordinates 29:07

4d ago29:07

29:07

David, who came to the throne in his 30s, was confident enough to surround himself with strong personalities who didn't always obey . Shlomo, a boy of 12, cannot afford to do so, though the alternative is to be surrounded by "yes-men"

1
Some thoughts about שִׂנְאַת חִינָם in Jewish History 38:41

5d ago38:41

38:41

A problem that cannot be solved, only managed. Some preliminary observations.

1
Parshas VaYechi: What was the “Acharis HaYamim” that Yaakov wanted to reveal to his sons? 35:52

5d ago35:52

35:52

Why didn't Joseph ask Pharaoh directly for permission to bury his father in Canaan?

1
The Israel-Somaliland Connection: Why is this so controversial? 40:20

8d ago40:20

40:20

The extraordinarily complex geopolitical situation in the "Horn of Africa," and its relation to Israel and Israel's haters. A classic case of international hypocrisy on the part of the latter. https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

1
Parshas VaYigash: Not saying dumb things that will hurt the Jewish People 29:15

12d ago29:15

29:15

See how Joseph doesn't trust his brothers. He stage-manages their encounter with Pharaoh and the Egyptians, micromanaging every aspect of the conversation, like a trial-lawyer with a client. (יוֹסֵף הַפִּקֵּחַ not יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק)

1
Haftarah Parshas VaYigash: The vision of grafting the two trees together 24:01

17d ago24:01

24:01

Will the tribes retain their individual identities and consciousness in the future Messianic Utopia?

1
Greece under the Metaxas Regime and a Siddur from 1941 27:52

14d ago27:52

27:52

A fascinating siddur published in Greece in 1941 which omits the word Yavan from Al HaNisim-At that moment, Greece under the Metaxas Regime was saving the Jews from Hitler and Mussolini

1
Parshas VaYigash: Was Joseph actually the VICEROY, the ruler of Egypt? Or czar of the economy? 33:27

15d ago33:27

33:27

The role of the Jew in the Egyptian economy foreshadowed the role of the Jew in later economies: find a niche not occupied by the native inhabitants. לע"נ יששכר מאיר בן ברוך סטפנסקי

1
Final Chanukah 2025 Thoughts: וּלְךָ עָשִֽׂיתָ שֵׁם גָּדוֹל וְקָדוֹשׁ בְּעוֹלָמֶֽךָ 26:03

20d ago26:03

26:03

"Olamecha" also means hidden or invisible. Through the miracle of the oil, an Invisible God became "visible" (so to speak)

1
Another Apocryphal "Midrash" on the Chanukah Story, with interesting takes on the discovery of the jar of oil 35:40

21d ago35:40

35:40

The jar of oil was located under the altar. Had they not torn down the existing altar (as an act of piety, to replace it with a new, unblemished altar), they would not have found the famous פַּךְ שֶׁמֶן https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

1
Haftarah Shabbos Chanukah: The Vision of Zachariah and its relevance to Chanukah 29:03

23d ago29:03

29:03

The Menorah that stayed lit for eight days was being fueled by the two (spiritual) olive trees in Zachariah's prophetic vision https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

1
Parshas Mikeitz: Yosef, the first "Court Jew" 25:47

24d ago25:47

25:47

Comparing & Contrasting Yosef with Hasdai ibn Shaprut, Shmuel haNagid, Benjamin Disraeli, and Henry Kissinger

1
Chanukah, the Maccabean Wars, and the Civil wars in Seleucid Syria 24:41

25d ago24:41

24:41

The Jews' final victory was due to the political disintegration of the Syrian state at that time

1
Some thoughts on the Chanukah Story and its historiosophical relation to גָּלוּת יָוָן 31:32

27d ago31:32

31:32

Two opposite models: A.) Alexander bows to the Kohen Gadol B.) Antiochus forces the High Priest and the Temple to "bow" to him https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

1
Some thoughts on today 24 Kislev and its famous prophecy in סֵפֶר חַגַּי (תְּרֵי עָשָׂר) 41:22

27d ago41:22

41:22

Does it prophecy the Maccabean Wars? The Messianic Wars? The current situation in Syria and the Middle East?

1
Parshas VaYeshev - Yaakov and Yosef "wake up," but too late! 27:50

1M ago27:50

27:50

Yosef was one his way to talk to his brothers in an altogether different tone, but they never gave him a chance. Yaakov was going to by colored coats for the other brothers too, but the bloody coat killed THAT plan! https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

1
How the Judith Story in the Apocrypha (or a different version of the story) entered orthodox rabbinic literature AND practice 42:02

1M ago42:02

42:02

Some old widespread chanukah customs had no source in REGULAR rabbinic literature, but were accepted (despite some opposition) by basing them on sources in IRREGULAR Jewish literature

1
Haftarah Vayeshev: Amos blasts the social injustice prevalent in his time 27:37

1M ago27:37

27:37

NOT the idolatry! Although there WAS idolatry, it is the abuse of the poor and helpless that will cause the חֻרְבַּן!

1
Parshas VaYeshev: The remarkable tale of the character-development of Joseph 28:39

1M ago28:39

28:39

From oblivious to the impact of his actions and words on others (in Canaan) to the extreme-opposite in Egypt. A lesson for us all? https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

1
Chanukah 2025: The Story of the Greeks depriving the Jews of doors and windows 43:03

1M ago43:03

43:03

From (apocryphal?) non-mainstream midrashim on the Hellenistic persecutions. This one is mentioned by Rambam in his אִגֶּרֶת הַשְׁמַד

1
The Current Big Threat to Israel from ... Turkey 30:27

1M ago30:27

30:27

Turkey today is more of a threat than Iran!

1
Haftarah VaYishlach: Who exactly was Ovadiah? 27:04

1M ago27:04

27:04

Past history PLUS future historical (cyclical?) patterns https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

1
Israel & France (and Syria) : Connecting Dots 35:12

1M ago35:12

35:12

The two faces of France in its dealings with Israel

1
Chanukah 2025: Was the oil in the jar in the Temple the only kosher oil available? 34:27

1M ago34:27

34:27

If you go by the Talmudic literature, there was other oil available, but they started with the oil in the famous jar and it burned for eight days. https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

1
Parshas VaYishlach: Why does Jacob say to Esau that he observed all 613 Mitzvos? 27:22

1M ago27:22

27:22

Why didn't Jacob send messengers to his father Yitzchak? Instead of to Esau? https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

1
The "בַּת עַיִן" in Historical Context (1765-1840) 1:11:46

1M ago1:11:46

1:11:46

The challenges of living in צְפַת in the terrible 1830s How to live in the old אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל without being victimized by the חֲלֻקָּה system

1
Haftarah VaYeitzei: Hoshea 11:7, an extremely difficult verse to parse 30:23

2M ago30:23

30:23

Sponsored by Dr. and Mrs. Mordy Gardyn 'in honor of my parents may they have אֲרִיכַת יָמִים וְשָׁנִים and sponsored by "a member of the local fan club"🙂 How can you get a unified response to crisis when the theological causes are not clear? וְאֶל עַל יִקְרָאֻהוּ יַחַד לֹא יְרוֹמֵםhttps://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast…

1
What's with this Israeli preoccupation with the bodies of their dead, killed by Hamas & Co.? 32:04

2M ago32:04

32:04

Why does Israel release live Arab terrorists (who admit they will kill again if they can!) in exchange for the corpses of Jewish dead? Is this a Halachic thing? A Zionist thing?

1
Parshas VaYeitzei: What is Yaakov afraid of? 30:51

2M ago30:51

30:51

Let's examine the image of the ladder closely

1
Some thoughts on Self-Hating and Self-Denying Jews in the current antisemitic climate, now and a century ago 33:20

2M ago33:20

33:20

When Arabs slaughtered (literally) the Jew in Hebron in 1929, the Communist Party said it was the fault of the Jews and the Arabs were in the right. And Jewish Communists sided with the Party! Similar things are happening today ... https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

1
Answering a listener's query re: allegorical interpretations of Biblical stories in ultra-orthodox sources 27:15

2M ago27:15

27:15

If the Hebrew language pre-existed the physical world, then it is not subject to the rules of linguistic evolution, and if is constitutive of the physical world and its history, then the non physical interpretations are NOT at the expense of the literal meanings. https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast…

1
The Recent Posthumous Promotion of Alfred Dreyfus to General in the French Army 47:23

2M ago47:23

47:23

Was Alfred Dreyfus really a self-hating or self-denying assimilated Jew?

1
Haftarah Toldos: Quantity vs. quality in the performance of mitzvos. An age-old problem. Sigh 26:15

2M ago26:15

26:15

"אֶת עֵקֶב אָהַבְתִּי וְאֶת עֵשָׂו שָׂנֵאתִי" - ?Why

1
Manasseh Ben Israel's (very recently translated from the Latin) "Thirty Problem Concerning מַעֲשֵׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית" 28:23

2M ago28:23

28:23

Giving the Jewish POV of Genesis to the world of European Intellectuals in the 17th Century

1
Parshas Toldos: Was Yitzchak Avinu poverty-stricken (Ibn Ezra)? 26:13

2M ago26:13

26:13

Yaakov acquires claim to Israel through purchase, a sale subsequently resented by the seller. Sounds like Jewish History in Israel 1880-1948 https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

1
The recent 50th anniversary (November 10, 1975) of Moynihan's great speech at the UN excoriating the אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם for officially branding Zionism as Racism 29:54

2M ago29:54

29:54

One of the great speeches in the English language of the 20th century חֲבָל עַל דְּאָבְדִין וְלָא מִשְׁתַּכְחִין https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

1
Rabbi Michoel Forshlager of Baltimore: His recent yahrtzeit and some thoughts on this remarkable gadol 54:08

2M ago54:08

54:08

Whole busloads come to Baltimore every week to pray at the kever of a person who, a short time ago, was unknown...

1
הַפְטָרָה פָּרָשַׁת חַיֵּי שָׂרָה תשפ"ו Adonijah vs. Shlomo: the Background 28:01

2M ago28:01

28:01

Was it just a case of political intrigue? Or did people sincerely distrust Nathan re: the David Bathsheba story?

1
Parshas Chayei Sarah: Why does Avrohom adjure Eliezer not to take a wife from the Bnos Knaani for Yitzchok? 34:32

2M ago34:32

34:32

Abraham's visit to his relatives in אֲרַם נַהֲרַיִם https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

1
The Current Christian Dispute Between Philosemites and Antisemites 25:23

2M ago25:23

25:23

It all goes back to 1657 and that strange episode of English Christian would-be missionaries who sent money to Jerusalem to save the starving Jews there. https://thechesedfund.com/rabbikatz/support-rabbi-katzz-podcast

1
Haftarah VaYera: Elisha and the Shunamis 23:12

2M ago23:12

23:12

Elisha does not blame the death of the child on the woman's sins. "The Buck stops here!"

1
Psalm 83 and the current coinciding of שִׂנְאַת יִשְׂרָאֵל on the part of the Antisemitic Christian influencers and their counterparts in the בני ישמעאל world 26:16

2M ago26:16

26:16

כִּי הִנֵּה אוֹיְבֶיךָ יֶהֱמָיוּן וּמְשַׂנְאֶיךָ נָשְׂאוּ רֹאשׁ: ד עַל עַמְּךָ יַעֲרִימוּ סוֹד וְיִתְיָעֲצוּ עַל צְפוּנֶיךָ: ה אָמְרוּ לְכוּ וְנַכְחִידֵם מִגּוֹי וְלֹא יִזָּכֵר שֵׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹד: ו כִּי נוֹעֲצוּ לֵב יַחְדָּו עָלֶיךָ בְּרִית יִכְרֹתוּ: ז אָהֳלֵי אֱדוֹם וְיִשְׁמְעֵאלִים