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The Kotzk Podcast

The Kotzk Podcast

By Rabbi Gavin Michal

Join Rabbi Gavin Michal for a look at some of the lesser-known events, books, and people in Jewish history. New episodes weekly based on articles from the Kotzk Blog, www.kotzkblog.com. This podcast was originated as conversations between Rabbi Gavin Michal and Dr Jordan Wosnick.
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Kotzk Podcast 466: Separating the text from the context: an early Chassidic approach to Torah study

The Kotzk PodcastMar 17, 2024

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01:03:52
Kotzk Podcast 466: Separating the text from the context: an early Chassidic approach to Torah study
Mar 17, 202401:03:52
Kotzk Podcast 465: Did R. Chaim of Volozhin intentionally alter the image of the Vilna Gaon?

Kotzk Podcast 465: Did R. Chaim of Volozhin intentionally alter the image of the Vilna Gaon?

Did R. Chaim of Volozhin intentionally alter the image of the Vilna Gaon?

Mar 17, 202401:05:51
Kotzk Podcast Ep012: The Turkish Jews still wave

Kotzk Podcast Ep012: The Turkish Jews still wave

Jews from Turkey and some Syrian communities have the unusual practice of waving to one another just prior to reciting the silent Amidah prayer. This ancient custom was first described in writing in the 17th century, and although many mystical and technical explanations have been advanced, its true origin remains unknown. In this episode, Gavin and Jordan explore the reasons for the custom and how it has been described -- and discouraged -- over the centuries.

Read the original blog post at https://www.kotzkblog.com/2021/01/308-turkish-jews-still-wave.html

Apr 06, 202140:44
Kotzk Podcast Ep011: Radical Rav Kook

Kotzk Podcast Ep011: Radical Rav Kook

Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook (1865-1935) was a fiercely independent thinker, and one of the leading figures of the emerging Religious Zionist movement in pre-State Mandatory Palestine. He held "unorthodox" views that were condemned by the religious world in his era, and the study of his writings is discouraged in many communities even to this day. In this episode, Gavin and Jordan explore Rav Kook's radical views on the interface of spirituality and halacha, of rationalism and mysticism, of the religious world and the atheist world, Rembrandt, vegetarianism, and much more.

Read the original article at https://www.kotzkblog.com/2017/02/114-radical-kook-rembrandt-atheists-and.html

Feb 28, 202144:53
Kotzk Podcast Ep010: Angels in Rabbinic literature: can we pray to them?

Kotzk Podcast Ep010: Angels in Rabbinic literature: can we pray to them?

Most Jews would readily agree that angels exist in Judaism -- they are mentioned in many places in the Chumash, and we incorporate them into hymns such as Shalom Aleichem. Interestingly, the Mishnah does not mention angels at all, and there was a vigorous debate among the Rishonim commentators as to the reality of angels. In this episode, Gavin and Jordan discuss the history of angels in Rabbinic thought, the rational and mystical approaches, and modern reactions to liturgical texts that invoke angelic intervention. 

Read the original articles at http://www.kotzkblog.com/2017/01/110-angels-in-rabbinic-literature.html and http://www.kotzkblog.com/2016/12/104-praying-to-angels.html

Jan 14, 202146:20
Kotzk Podcast Ep009: The origins of a latecomer davening in full, at the expense of reciting the Amidah with the community
Dec 08, 202046:52
Kotzk Podcast Ep008: We have books, we don't need teachers or permission to teach

Kotzk Podcast Ep008: We have books, we don't need teachers or permission to teach

In the time of the Mishnah and Talmud, the Halachic tradition was passed down orally, from teacher to student. The canonization of the Talmud in written form provided new pathways for the dissemination of Rabbinic teaching, and by the time of the Tosafists (12th-13th c., northern France), influential Rabbis were asserting the right to teach and even to contradict local Rabbinic authorities. In this episode, Gavin and Jordan discuss the cultural environment that made this possible, and some of the prominent figures who advocated for a massive change to the transmission of Judaism. 

Read the original article at http://www.kotzkblog.com/2020/09/293-tosafist-perspective-we-have-books.html

Oct 30, 202040:54
Kotzk Podcast Ep007: Was Rashi a mystic?

Kotzk Podcast Ep007: Was Rashi a mystic?

Jewish mysticism of 11th century Ashkenaz (Germany and northern France) was not Lurianic Kabbalah, but rather a much more primal form of mysticism based on the Merkava and Heichalot texts of the Rabbinic or Geonic periods. Despite some statements to the contrary, it appears that the great commentator Rashi -- known for his extensive and comprehensive commentaries on the Tanach and the Talmud -- was aware of these mystical traditions. In this episode, Gavin and Jordan discuss the evidence for Rashi's mysticism and where he might have learned it, with a side-discussion on the real reason why we spill drops of wine at the Passover seder.

Read the original blog post at http://www.kotzkblog.com/2020/08/290-was-rashi-mystic.html

Sep 03, 202042:48
Kotzk Podcast Ep006: Geniza document reveals first stirrings of anti-Maimonidean sentiment in Egypt
Aug 09, 202042:46
Kotzk Podcast Ep005: The shift from Babylonia to the West and the desperate need to re-establish Rabbinical authority
Jul 19, 202058:11
Kotzk Podcast Ep004: Why is Masada absent from halachic discussion?
Jun 22, 202001:03:09
Kotzk Podcast Ep003: R' Yaakov Koppel Lifschitz -- A Sabbatean who influenced the Ba'al Shem Tov?
May 31, 202050:04
Kotzk Podcast Ep002: Shabbetai Tzvi, as reported in the newspapers of his day
May 18, 202047:11
Kotzk Podcast Ep001: Shabbetai Tzvi - Roots Run Deep
May 04, 202001:14:21
Kotzk Podcast Ep000: About the Kotzk Podcast

Kotzk Podcast Ep000: About the Kotzk Podcast

Hosts Jordan Wosnick and Rabbi Gavin Michal introduce the Kotzk podcast, discussing Gavin's Kotzker Rebbe-inspired approach to Jewish history and thought.

May 04, 202031:23