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...

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...

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...

What's the proper course of action when one arrives late to synagogue, and the service has already begun? Though traditional sources emphasize the importance of reciting the Amidah with the community, and recommend that latecomers change the order of their tefillot to accomodate this, many people have the practice of reciting the entire service in order -- no matter what. In this episode, Gavin and Jordan discuss the origins of this custom in early 18th-c. Amsterdam, the cultural climate that...

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...

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...

The Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides (often referred to by his Hebrew acronym, RaMBaM) has come to be seen as the intellectual leader of the rationalist approach to Jewish tradition. However, his writings attracted fierce opposition from the Egyptian Jewish community of his day, which was deeply influenced by the mystical approaches of its Muslim neighbours. In this episode, Gavin and Jordan discuss documents from the Cairo Geniza, including a chance finding of a letter from a close...

The Babylonian Geonim were the successors of the Rabbis of the Talmudic era, and were the pre-eminent Rabbinic authorities between the 7th and 11th centuries. On the death of Rav Hai Gaon -- the last of the Geonim -- in 1038, the centre of gravity of the Jewish world shifted westward. The major Jewish communities in Europe and North Africa each wished to be seen as the true inheritors of Geonic authority. In this episode, Gavin and Jordan discuss the lines of evidence each community used to...

The siege and mass suicide of the Zealots at Masada in 73 CE is legendary in Jewish history, but the Rabbis of both the Mishnaic and subsequent eras do not mention it at all. In this episode, Gavin and Jordan explore some possible reasons for this, and discuss how suicide for theological or military reasons has been addressed in halacha.   Original link: https://www.kotzkblog.com/2020/05/274-why-is-masada-absent-from-halachic.html

R' Yaakov Koppel Lifschitz was an early-18th-century Kabbalist whose key writings -- the Sha'ar Gan Eden ("Gateway to the Garden of Eden") and the Siddur Kol Ya'akov -- evinced strong Sabbatean influences. They, in turn, were held in very high esteem by the Ba'al Shem Tov. In this episode, Gavin and Jordan explore Lifschitz as a possible link between Shabbetai Tzvi's legacy and the early years of the Hassidic movement, with some digressions into R' Nachman of Breslov's attitude toward...

The events surrounding messianic claimant Shabbetai Tzvi's rise to fame coincided with the emergence of newspapers in western Europe. In this episode, Gavin and Jordan discuss how Shabbetai Tzvi was portrayed in these newspapers, both during his heyday in the mid-17th century and after his apostasy and imprisonment in 1666. Read the source article at https://www.kotzkblog.com/2019/12/257-shabbatai-tzvi-as-reported-in.html

The messianic claimant Shabbetai Tzvi rocked the Jewish world in the mid-17th century, counting perhaps half the Jews of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East among his supporters. Though he is often treated as a footnote in Jewish history, his influence persisted for centuries after his conversion to Islam in 1666. In this episode, Gavin and Jordan discuss the story of Shabbetai Tzvi, tracing his legacy through the 18th and 19th centuries and into the present day.   

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