Collected Talks of David Solomon

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)" The post #113 Jewish History in Six Chapters (4) first appeared on David Solomon. Related posts: #108 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (3) #10 From the Rambam to the Zohar: Jewish History of the 12th & 13th Centuries (Part 4: 1250-1300) #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 … Continue reading "#112 Jewish History in Six Chapters (3)" The post #112 Jewish History in Six Chapters (3) first appeared on David Solomon. Related posts: #111 Jewish History in Six Chapters (2) #110 Jewish History in Six Chapters (1) #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 … Continue reading "#111 Jewish History in Six Chapters (2)" The post #111 Jewish History in Six Chapters (2) first appeared on David Solomon. Related posts: #112 Jewish History in Six Chapters (3) #73 Women in Jewish History: the Second Temple Period #36 Chazal in the Age of Empires: An Overview of the Talmudic Period (part 3)

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)" The post #110 Jewish History in Six Chapters (1) first appeared on David Solomon. Related posts: #115 Jewish History in Six Chapters (6) #93 The Twelve Minor Prophets (4) #73 Women in Jewish History: the Second Temple Period

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)" The post #109 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (4) first appeared on David Solomon. Related posts: #114 Jewish History in Six Chapter (5) #108 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (3) #107 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (2)

In this lecture series, David Solomon comprehensively traces the evolution of the Jewish messianic idea as it developed through history. This lecture provides an in-depth examination of how the messianic concept transformed from the end of the Talmudic period up until the European Renaissance era, analyzing how changing circumstances and events impacted and propelled shifts … Continue reading "#108 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (3)" The post #108 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (3) first appeared on David Solomon. Related posts: #113 Jewish History in Six Chapters (4) #109 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (4) #107 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (2)

David Solomon explores the evolution of the messianic idea in Jewish history following the Second Temple era. He examines how circumstances and events propelled transformations in messianic thought. With the Temple’s destruction in 70 CE, David traces the emergence of apocalyptic notions fused to Davidic restoration hopes. He then analyses and contrasts two radically different … Continue reading "#107 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (2)" The post #107 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (2) first appeared on David Solomon. Related posts: #109 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (4) #108 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (3) #106 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (1)

In these lectures, David Solomon will examine how the Jewish idea of the messiah changed over history. He starts by explaining the messiah idea is the expectation that a special time or “end of days” will come when a leader or redeemer will make the world much better. David says this idea kept evolving based … Continue reading "#106 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (1)" The post #106 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (1) first appeared on David Solomon. Related posts: #109 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (4) #108 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (3) #107 The Messianic Idea in Jewish History (2)

David Solomon 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, the Ramchal Rabbi Naphtali Bacharach. It also discusses the ideas of the following rabbis: … Continue reading "#105 A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time (4)" The post #105 A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time (4) first appeared on David Solomon. Related posts: #104 A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time (3) #103 A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time (2) #60 Kabbalah Since the AR”Y (2)

The third part of David Solomon’s lecture series, A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time, examines two towering kabbalistic figures of the 16th century. David explores the ideas of Rabbi Moshe (Moses) Cordovero (the RaMaQ) and Rabbi Yitzchak (Isaac) Luria (the AR”Y), whose contributions to Kabbalah – both emerging in late 1500s in the town of Tzfat … Continue reading "#104 A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time (3)" The post #104 A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time (3) first appeared on David Solomon. Related posts: #103 A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time (2) #102 A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time (1) #59 Kabbalah Since the AR”Y (1)

“The Zohar is not a book but a phenomenon.” David Solomon’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, David examines its dynamic interpretation of the Torah and how it applies this interpretation … Continue reading "#103 A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time (2)" The post #103 A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time (2) first appeared on David Solomon. Related posts: #117 Kabbalah on the Jewish Bookshelf #105 A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time (4) #104 A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time (3)

David Solomon provides a remarkable historical overview of the origins of kabbalistic ideas 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 of Jewish mysticism? When did they appear? And what were the profound ideas … Continue reading "#102 A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time (1)" The post #102 A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time (1) first appeared on David Solomon. Related posts: #105 A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time (4) #104 A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time (3) #103 A Kabbalistic Journey Through Time (2)

This final part in David Solomon ‘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 stories from Jewish History of people who have: accepted their mistakes, sought communal … Continue reading "#101 The Power of Change, the Challenge of Teshuva (4)" The post #101 The Power of Change, the Challenge of Teshuva (4) first appeared on David Solomon. Related posts: #100 The Power of Change, the Challenge of Teshuva (3) #99 The Power of Change, the Challenge of Teshuva (2) #98 The Power of Change, the Challenge of Teshuva (1)

This third lecture in David Solomon’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: Examples that teach the importance of teshuva Halachic guidance in the process of seeking … Continue reading "#100 The Power of Change, the Challenge of Teshuva (3)" The post #100 The Power of Change, the Challenge of Teshuva (3) first appeared on David Solomon. Related posts: #101 The Power of Change, the Challenge of Teshuva (4) #99 The Power of Change, the Challenge of Teshuva (2) #98 The Power of Change, the Challenge of Teshuva (1)

Part two of David Solomon’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 of Nineveh. David explores different views around the city’s repentance and its connection to … Continue reading "#99 The Power of Change, the Challenge of Teshuva (2)" The post #99 The Power of Change, the Challenge of Teshuva (2) first appeared on David Solomon. Related posts: #101 The Power of Change, the Challenge of Teshuva (4) #100 The Power of Change, the Challenge of Teshuva (3) #98 The Power of Change, the Challenge of Teshuva (1)