Rav Shlomo Katz

Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David explore one of the most urgent Torah questions of our generation: What does the Torah actually demand from Am Yisrael when danger is rising? Through the lens of הלכות מלחמה, Rav Shlomo learns the Rambam, Gemara, and Shulchan Aruch on מלחמת מצוה, לא תעמוד על דם רעך, and the obligation not only to respond to danger… but to prevent it. From October 7th to the roads of Shomron, from “quiet for quiet” to the spiritual confusion of exile-thinking, this conversation is a painful and clarifying look at what it means for a Jew to stop normalizing threat and start thinking like a nation entrusted with life. This episode was given with deep love for Am Yisrael, for our holy chayalim, and for a generation trying to rediscover what Jewish responsibility really means. ---------- For more Shuirim and Music from Rav Shlomo Katz, visit: https://ravshlomokatz.com Join Rav Shlomo Katz's WhatsApp Community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KHKOhhPaeHx5Kb74WL9L9a?mode=ems_copy_t CHAPTERS 00:00 Opening Blessings, Memorials, and Dedication 03:48 Personal Reflections: Happy and Sad on the Road to Yitzhar 06:21 Source of עזרת ישראל מיד צר in Tanach and Rambam 12:12 Gemara’s Three Categories of War: Reshut, Mitzvah, Chova 13:58 Obligatory War According to Rabbi Aha and Joshua’s Conquests 19:49 Modern Threats: Iran, Qatar, and Immediate Danger 22:28 Thunder Metaphor: Spiritual Shock After October 7 27:41 Preventive War and Milchemet Mitzvah Explained 32:04 Rules of Engagement vs Torah Thinking 36:18 The Deeper Meaning of לא תעמוד על דם רעך 41:02 Vivian Silver and the Confusion of Compassion 43:09 Golda Meir’s “Secret Weapon” Reconsidered

Recorded in the midst of painful and urgent questions surrounding war, leadership, and Jewish identity, this shiur dives into one of the deepest Torah concepts of our time: מלחמת מצווה. Drawing from Avraham Avinu, Yehoshua bin Nun, Rav Herzog, Rav Soloveitchik, and Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David explore what it actually means for Jews to fight a war with clarity, holiness, and purpose. Is defending Am Yisrael enough to define a war as holy? Does leadership need to understand why it’s fighting? And what happens when soldiers possess more אמונה than the people commanding them? From October 7th to Yehoshua stopping the sun in Givon, this episode wrestles honestly with the tension between Torah, Zionism, המדינה, and the spiritual destiny of Am Yisrael. ---------- For more Shuirim and Music from Rav Shlomo Katz, visit: https://ravshlomokatz.com Join Rav Shlomo Katz's WhatsApp Community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KHKOhhPaeHx5Kb74WL9L9a?mode=ems_copy_t CHAPTERS 00:00 Opening Remarks and Chuppah Experience 01:00 Why Do We Fight? The Core Question 03:05 Defining Milchemet Mitzvah vs. Reshut 05:08 Exploring the Traits of the Patriarchs 07:13 Joshua’s Conquests and Future Promise 11:05 The Mystery of the Sun That Stood Still 13:13 October 7th — Was It a Milchemet Mitzvah? 21:28 Is the Conflict Considered Milchemet Amalek? 24:10 Scope of Milchemet Mitzvah Explained 25:32 Rav Herzog and the State of Israel 31:10 Kol Dodi Dofek and the Zionist Debate 36:40 The Tension Between Torah and State Leadership 44:15 Can the Army Become Spiritually Aligned? 50:20 The Bottom-Up Generation of Redemption 54:00 Final Reflections and Closing Words

What happens when a child goes to shul… but never develops a taste for tefillah? In this deeply honest episode of Know Your Children, Rav Shlomo Katz and the women of Shirat David explore the tension every parent feels between obligation and connection. Is “good chinuch” just getting children to sit quietly in shul — or helping them discover something that genuinely touches their soul? Through the lens of chush ha’ta’am — a child’s inner sense of taste and emotional connection — this shiur opens up difficult but essential questions about parenting, authenticity, fear, and what children actually experience when they walk into a beit knesset. Along the way, Rav Shlomo speaks about compliments, expectations, honesty in religious life, the emotional memory of shul, and why the question “How was davening?” may not be enough. ---------- For more Shuirim and Music from Rav Shlomo Katz, visit: https://ravshlomokatz.com Join Rav Shlomo Katz's WhatsApp Community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KHKOhhPaeHx5Kb74WL9L9a?mode=ems_copy_t CHAPTERS 00:00 Sponsorship and Dedication for the Shiur 01:01 Humility Needed in Parenting Approaches 02:46 Introducing Chush HaTa’am Concept in Parenting 04:26 Taking Children to Shul: The Routine 05:35 Assessing the Child’s Reaction After Shul 08:30 When Kids Can Read Yet Miss the Meaning 10:48 Probing the Real Source of Shul Enjoyment 21:18 Role of Compliments in Encouraging Shul Attendance 23:24 Why Kids Need a Taste for Prayer 24:50 Balancing Obligations and Personal Experience 26:20 Adults Also Struggle with Shul Attendance 30:25 Modeling Joy in Shul for Kids 35:04 Unrealistic Expectations for Young Children 40:26 Honesty About Personal Shul Struggles 43:51 Fear vs. Authentic Parenting in Religion 45:10 When Answers Aren’t Satisfying 46:23 Isidor Rabi’s Deep Question to Children 47:35 Creating Spaces for Children’s Insight 49:37 Authenticity and Consistency Across Life 51:08 Modern Orthodoxy Identity Split 52:30 Family Tradition of Sitting Together 54:00 Changing Seats After Mourning 55:16 Rashi’s Query on Recounting Names

As Parshat Behar–Bechukotai closes Sefer Vayikra, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David explore one of the deepest teachings of the Ishbitzer on the words “אם בחוקותי תלכו.” What does it mean for Torah to become חקוק — engraved — inside a person? And how do you know if your mitzvot are truly becoming part of you, or just remaining external behaviors? In this shiur, Rav Shlomo weaves together Sefirat HaOmer, friendship, humility, and the danger of humiliating another Jew. Through a powerful story with IDF soldiers, the hidden meaning of counting the Omer, and the teachings of the Ishbitzer and Rebbi Akiva, he reveals that real spiritual growth happens not through perfection, but through closeness — closeness to Hashem, to Torah, and to each other. At the center of the episode is a piercing question: what if the deepest form of Torah is simply learning to look at another person and say, “I actually have no idea what they’re carrying”? ---------- For more Shuirim and Music from Rav Shlomo Katz, visit: https://ravshlomokatz.com Join Rav Shlomo Katz's WhatsApp Community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KHKOhhPaeHx5Kb74WL9L9a?mode=ems_copy_t CHAPTERS 00:00 Opening Niggun and Sponsorships 14:34 Bechukotai and the Depth of Connection 16:56 Achieving Bechukotai Through Not Humiliating Others 18:10 Uncertainty About Others' Struggles 22:01 Understanding Chokim and Human Reason 24:24 Sefirat HaOmer as Daily Spiritual Growth 26:07 Consequences of Missing Omer Counting 27:09 Friendship as the Essence of Omer Counting 40:48 Bottom-Up Influence of Friendship

Before a Jew speaks to Hashem, something deeper has to happen first. In this powerful continuation of our learning on hitbodedut, Rav Shlomo Katz and the women of Shirat David explore the hidden avodah that comes before the words ever begin: silence, yishuv hadaas, longing, and preparing the heart to truly stand before the Ribbono Shel Olam. Drawing from Rebbe Nachman and Reb Noson, this shiur opens up the inner world of hitbodedut — not as a technique, but as a lived relationship. What happens in those first quiet moments? Why is it so difficult to begin? How do we avoid turning authenticity into self-destruction? And what does it mean to receive words “like burning coals of fire” directly from Hashem? Along the way, Rav Shlomo speaks about weddings, Rav Ginsburgh, the challenge of presence, the danger of negative self-talk disguised as honesty, and the possibility of hearing Hashem’s voice through your own. For more Shuirim and Music from Rav Shlomo Katz, visit: https://ravshlomokatz.com Join Rav Shlomo Katz's WhatsApp Community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KHKOhhPaeHx5Kb74WL9L9a?mode=ems_copy_t CHAPTERS 00:00 Opening and Sponsor Acknowledgment 02:42 Importance of Yishuv HaDaas and Hisbodedus 04:15 The 15-Minute Hisbodedus Challenge 05:16 How to Begin Hisbodedus: Practical Steps 07:11 Preparing the Mind Before Speaking 09:20 The Need for Silence According to Rav Noson 10:21 Rebbe’s Story of Waiting for the Frierdiker Rebbe 11:22 Wedding Example: Staying Present in Sacred Moments 13:08 Facing Opposition When Seeking Hisbodedus 17:16 Heavy Nature of Hisbodedus and Required Silence 19:51 Final Call: Daily Practice of Hisbodedus 23:48 Need for More Time and Rachamei Shamayim 26:52 Avoiding the Self-Perverted Authenticity Trap 29:13 Distinguishing Shleppers from the Truly Seeking 31:56 Approaching Hashem with Humility, Not Boasting 34:23 From Soft Beginnings to Burning Coals of Words 38:43 Hearing God’s Voice Through Hisbodedus 42:48 Sefirat HaOmer: Tuning Ears for Divine Messages 46:00 Source of the One-Hour Pre-Hitbodedut Practice 47:29 Rebbe’s Vision of All-Day Hitbodedus 48:50 Comparing Hitbodedut and Continuous Prayer 49:59 Focusing on One Middah in Practice

What does it actually mean to be a חלוץ? Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David dive into Hilchos Milchama VeShalom, and uncover the hidden meaning behind one of the most familiar phrases in bentching: “Retzei V’Hachalitzeinu.” Far beyond the modern image of pioneers and soldiers, Rav Shlomo explores the Torah concept of chalutziut — the courage to break free from habits, fear, exile-consciousness, and spiritual paralysis. Drawing from Yeshayahu HaNavi, Chazal, Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, and the reality of today’s soldiers in Eretz Yisrael, this shiur reframes what it means to become spiritually awake, mission-driven, and truly alive. ---------- For more Shuirim and Music from Rav Shlomo Katz, visit: https://ravshlomokatz.com Join Rav Shlomo Katz's WhatsApp Community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KHKOhhPaeHx5Kb74WL9L9a?mode=ems_copy_t CHAPTERS 00:00 Opening and Sponsor Acknowledgments 01:32 Kavanah for Retzei v’Hachlitzeinu Question 02:47 Explaining the Meaning of v’Hachlitzeinu 04:25 Defining Chalutz and Its Biblical Source 09:07 Shabbat’s Unique Role in Chalutziut Prayer 13:02 First Level of Chalitza: Removing Habits 21:53 Gemara on Strengthening Bones and Final Thoughts

Lag BaOmer is not the day Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai passed away. It’s the day his light became impossible to hide. Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David enter the final moments of Rashbi’s life as described in the Zohar — a moment filled with fire, overwhelming אור, and a revelation that redefines what it means to leave this world. From Rabbi Abba’s struggle to record the words, to the תלמידים who couldn’t even approach the fire, to the פלא of what happened after… we begin to understand that this wasn’t a הסתלקות in the way we think. This is a גילוי. A revealing of a life that never ends. ---------- For more Shuirim and Music from Rav Shlomo Katz, visit: https://ravshlomokatz.com Join Rav Shlomo Katz's WhatsApp Community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KHKOhhPaeHx5Kb74WL9L9a?mode=ems_copy_t CHAPTERS 00:00 Opening greetings and dedication of the shiur 02:40 Introducing the Zohar study for Lag Ba'Omer 05:26 Rabbi Abba on Rav Shimon's unfinished blessing 07:17 The overwhelming light witnessed by the disciples 10:13 The unending fire surrounding Rav Shimon 11:37 Rav Yitzchak's sudden collapse during the shiur 14:19 After the fire ceased: seeing Rav Shimon 15:21 Rabbi Elazar’s heartfelt farewell to his father 17:59 From honey to blood: the shift in learning 19:52 Discussing the meis and need for zerizus 23:46 Confusion After the Tzaddik’s Death and Burial 25:35 Benei Meiron’s Opposition to Burial in Tzipori 26:35 Miracle of the Floating Body and Heavenly Voice 29:02 Shimon’s Eternal Share in Both Upper and Lower Worlds 32:34 Encouragement to Share a Lag BaOmer Story

There are days in the Jewish calendar where we remember the brokenness of the world. And then there is Lag BaOmer — a day that doesn’t belong to that system at all. In this shiur, Rav Shlomo Katz and women of Shirat David enter the world of Reb Shimon bar Yochai — a world where churban doesn’t touch, where darkness doesn’t define reality, and where simcha isn’t dependent on understanding. Through the story of the Arizal and Reb Avraham HaLevi, and a deep teaching from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, we uncover what it means that there is one day a year where we are invited to step out of the pain and into something higher. CHAPTERS 00:00 Opening Sponsorships and Announcements 04:01 Story of Reb Avraham HaLevi’s Daily Churban Feeling 08:33 Arizal’s Prohibition of Nachem on Lag BaOmer 10:04 Question About People “Not Really Here” 15:44 Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Teaching on Lag BaOmer 17:15 Chassidic Wisdom Originating from Rabbi Shimon 19:48 Authenticity vs Forced Happiness ---------- For more Shuirim and Music from Rav Shlomo Katz, visit: https://ravshlomokatz.com Join Rav Shlomo Katz's WhatsApp Community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KHKOhhPaeHx5Kb74WL9L9a?mode=ems_copy_t

As Parshat Emor brings us into the avodah of Sefirat HaOmer, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David uncover a deep teaching from the Even Shlomo: the secret of time and space is not abstract. It’s the key to knowing where you are, who you are, and what this moment is asking of you. In this shiur, Rav Shlomo explores why we specifically daven for the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash after counting the Omer, and how Sefirah trains a person to become sensitive to time itself and to feel that every רגע is completely new. Drawing on the cheit ha’eigel, everyday life, and the inner world of Chassidut, he shows how losing touch with time leads to losing our sense of place, and how reconnecting to both restores clarity. From the idea that “nothing is ever wasted” on Pesach Sheni, to the deeper meaning of lashon hara, relationships, and מחדש בטובו בכל יום תמיד, this episode becomes a powerful meditation on living in the here and now, and what it really means to be ready for the Beit HaMikdash. ---------- For more Shuirim and Music from Rav Shlomo Katz, visit: https://ravshlomokatz.com Join Rav Shlomo Katz's WhatsApp Community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KHKOhhPaeHx5Kb74WL9L9a?mode=ems_copy_t CHAPTERS 00:00 Rav Ginsburgh and Pesach Sheni 03:22 Iyar Sponsorships and Memorials 05:14 Harachaman After Omer: Calling for the Beis HaMikdash 07:29 Knowing the Secret of Time and Space 10:40 Friend Reunion Analogy: Avoiding Lashon Hara 14:28 Forgetting Space: Disconnection from the Present 17:39 Yom Kippur’s Unique Shem HaShem Revelation 23:45 Sefirah Connects Time, Space, and the Temple 25:14 Personal Revelation and Giluy Naot 27:27 Unique Personal Interpretations of Omer 28:39 Seeing Everyone as Newly Created 30:19 Traversing the Seven Emotional Sephirot 31:23 Tefillin in the Bathroom: A Time/Space Lesson 32:35 Leaders Ignoring Time and Space 35:09 Prayer to Restore the Temple 37:14 Humility and Davening During the Omer