Hachana L'Shabbos with Rav Shlomo Katz

Rav Shlomo Katz
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Rav Shlomo Katz shares ideas that enhance our ability to connect to Shabbat.

  1. Sep 18

    The Shabbos That Lets You Begin Again | Shabbat Shuvah

    In this shiur on Shabbos Shuvah, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David explore why this Shabbos carries such a unique place within the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah. Beginning with the Magen Avraham, Mateh Moshe, and Mareh Yechezkel, Rav Shlomo traces the origins of the Shabbos Shuvah drasha and the deeper reason this Shabbos became a time for awakening people toward teshuvah. He then turns to Rav Tzadok and the Sefat Emet to understand why Shabbos itself is a time of return, clarity, and reconnection to the deepest point of who we are. Along the way, Rav Shlomo discusses Aseret Yemei Teshuvah as “days of wet cement,” the meaning of ruach shtus, the difference between our mistakes and our essential identity, and why Shabbat Shuvah gives us a unique opportunity to decide who we want to become while the year is still taking shape. ---------- 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 CHAPTERS00:00 Opening Chant and Sponsorship Announcements06:41 Introducing the Shabbat Shuvah Lecture07:42 Magen Avraham on the Name Shabbat Shuvah10:02 Mateh Moshe's Explanation of Shabbat Shuvah11:28 Midrash Proof Linking Drasha to Kapparah13:49 Mareh Yechezkel on Naming After the Haftarah15:41 Aseret Yemei Teshuvah as a Chol Hamoed23:48 Rabbi Tzadok on Teshuvah Specific to Shabbat Shuvah29:01 Introducing Sefat Emet on Shabbat Shuvah30:07 Chazal on Ruach Shtus and Sin31:42 Sefat Emet on Shabbat Clarity and Responsibility33:17 Ruach Shtus as a Michshol (Stumbling Block)35:18 World Returning: Shabbat Shuvah Makes Change Easier

    The Shabbos That Lets You Begin Again | Shabbat Shuvah

  2. Mar 27

    Why Are We Still Stuttering? | Shabbos HaGadol

    There are moments in history when the greatest miracle isn’t what we do… but how clearly we can say why we’re doing it. On the original Shabbos HaGadol, Bnei Yisrael didn’t just take the korban Pesach. They were asked by the Egyptians what they were doing… and they answered בלי גמגום. No hesitation. No confusion. Total clarity. This wasn’t just bravery. This was a miracle. In this deeply timely Hachana L’Shabbos, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David explore why Shabbos HaGadol is not named for the date, but for the day, and what that reveals about the כוח of Shabbos to transform who we are. From the teachings of the Ohev Yisrael, we learn that Shabbos is not just a day of rest. It’s the מקור הברכה, the place where a person becomes someone capable of דברים שלא חלמתי עליהם. And maybe the biggest avodah right now? To stop stuttering. To speak clearly, to our אויבים, to our children, and even to ourselves, about who we are and why we’re here. May this Shabbos give us the כח to live, to believe, and to speak… clearly.----------For more Shuirim and Music from Rav Shlomo Katz, visit: https://ravshlomokatz.comJoin Rav Shlomo Katz's WhatsApp Community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KHKOhhPaeHx5Kb74WL9L9a?mode=ems_copy_t CHAPTERS00:00 Opening niggun & reflection 02:54 Looking back at past Shabbos HaGadol06:33 Why it’s called Shabbos HaGadol14:08 Why the miracle is tied to Shabbos (not the date)17:17 The Ohev Yisrael on timing & כוח20:07 Shabbos HaGadol as a spiritual launchpad22:48 The role of drashos & speaking clearly

    Why Are We Still Stuttering? | Shabbos HaGadol

  3. Mar 13

    The "Good Old Days" Are Irrelevant | Shabbos Hachodesh

    In this Hachana L’Shabbos for Parshas Hachodesh, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David open up one of the deepest avodos of this season: hischadshus—not changing into someone else, but renewing yourself exactly from where you are right now. Drawing from the Chiddushei Harim, the Beis Avraham of Slonim, Reb Nosson, and Rebbe Nachman, this shiur is a call to stop waiting for the “right time,” the “better version” of yourself, or the return of the so-called “good old days.” The mitzvah of Hachodesh hazeh lachem was given דווקא in Mitzrayim to teach us that renewal begins in the mud, in the constriction, in the place where a person feels most stuck. Rav Shlomo explores the danger of becoming a matzevah—a fixed monument to your old self—and the holiness of small acts of mesirus nefesh that open the gates to real growth. From the symbolism of fish scales swimming against the current, to the challenge of not letting yesterday enslave today, this is a powerful preparation for entering Shabbos Hachodesh with courage, honesty, and hope. ----------For more Shuirim and Music from Rav Shlomo Katz, visit: https://ravshlomokatz.comJoin Rav Shlomo Katz's WhatsApp Community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KHKOhhPaeHx5Kb74WL9L9a?mode=ems_copy_t CHAPTERS00:00 Opening encouragement for Shabbat preparation01:44 Yahrtzeit reminder and linking to Chiddushei Harim04:45 Renewal is in our hands – Chiddushei Harim quote15:00 Reb Nosson on grabbing moments for spiritual growth19:16 Small actions as the catalyst for true hischadshus23:58 Aliyah as a Matzevah: Growing Beyond Past Selves24:59 Finding the Middle Path Between Matzevah and Asherah27:59 Avoiding the Mask: Don't Create a God of Yourself29:48 Fish Scales as Symbols of Purity Against the Current32:34 Rethinking Prime Years: Beyond Shana Aleph35:54 Seizing the Moment for Mesirus Nefesh

    The "Good Old Days" Are Irrelevant | Shabbos Hachodesh

  4. Feb 27

    A Shabbos Zachor Above the Heavens

    Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David enter Shabbos Zachor in a moment unlike any other. There has never been a Shabbos Zachor like this one. Not in our lifetimes. Drawing from the Maggid of Mezeritch, Rav Biderman, the Ishbitzer Rebbes, and the holy Tiferes Shmuel, we explore Amalek’s true war — not against belief in God, but against belief in hashgacha pratis. Not “Does God exist?” but “Is He involved?” Amalek cools us off. He whispers: It’s all a coincidence. It’s all mitachas haShamayim. But the Torah commands us: Timcheh es zecher Amalek mitachas haShamayim. Wipe out the voice that says this world runs on its own. Through Moshe Rabbeinu lifting his hands, through the avodah of looking me’al haShamayim, we learn that the weapon against Amalek today is not panic, not argument, but strengthened emunah peshutah. Pure faith in a precise script. There is a script. You are not here by accident. This Shabbos Zachor, we choose to look up.----------For more Shuirim and Music from Rav Shlomo Katz, visit: https://ravshlomokatz.comJoin Rav Shlomo Katz's WhatsApp Community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KHKOhhPaeHx5Kb74WL9L9a?mode=ems_copy_t CHAPTERS00:00 Dedication, Sponsors, and Opening Niggun04:44 Finishing the Current Sefer and Looking Ahead11:57 Amalek’s Challenge: Hashgacha Pratis vs. Klalis22:18 Shiva House Story and Final Reflections27:45 Moshe on the Mountaintop Inspires Israel29:16 Reb Shlomo’s Quick Glance in Jerusalem30:24 Stuck in Mitachas Hashomayim – The Problem31:54 Shabbat Blessing and Hope for Me'ala Hashomayim

    A Shabbos Zachor Above the Heavens

  5. Feb 20

    Ultimate Trust in the One Above

    This week in Hachana L’Shabbos, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David take us deeper into the “benching series” with a powerful focus on bitachon—what it really means to trust Hashem, and how that trust changes a person from the inside out. Starting from the words we sing and say so often—“Baruch HaGever asher yivtach baHashem”—we explore why the pasuk repeats itself, and how Chazal read that repetition as a map of ultimate trust: not just believing in Hashem, but letting Hashem become the only “support beam” you’re leaning on. Along the way we move through a sweeping set of sources—Midrash, Rav Pinchas of Koretz, the Maggid, Arugas HaBosem, Sfas Emes, and the Modzhitzer Rebbe—until we land on the real test Rav Shlomo keeps returning to: If your trust is real… does it make you more calm, more alive, and even more joyful—right now?----------For more Shuirim and Music from Rav Shlomo Katz, visit: https://ravshlomokatz.comJoin Rav Shlomo Katz's WhatsApp Community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KHKOhhPaeHx5Kb74WL9L9a?mode=ems_copy_t Chapters00:00 Opening Nigun and Chant05:40 Yizkor and Yahrzeits Introduction07:09 Benching Depth and the Table of Gold11:38 Midrash on Trust and Godlikeness16:52 Rav Biderman on Extreme Bitachon25:24 Personal encounter with Reb Biderman and unique…26:38 Observations on others’ perceived laziness and…28:46 Three differing opinions on bitachon presented40:53 Sfas Emes perspective on ultimate trust and…43:52 Addressing Yossi’s question about “ani that doesn’t take”45:44 Modzhitzer Rebbe’s insight on desperation vs genuine…47:53 Rav Biderman on the purpose of bitachon49:06 Trust Amid Despair and Lost Hope50:20 Harder Than Arugas Habosem: True Trust51:23 Why This Trust Is the Hardest

    Ultimate Trust in the One Above

  6. Feb 6

    Acquiring Yirat Hashem

    What does it really mean to acquire Yirat Hashem without becoming anxious, rigid, or spiritually “small”? In this Hachana L’Shabbos, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David zoom in on the words we often rush past near the end of bentching: “Yiru es Hashem kedoshav, ki ein machsor l’yire’av.” Rav Biederman brings a powerful teaching בשם בית אהרן מקרלין: if a person is truly chasing Yirat Shamayim, nothing is missing — spiritually and emotionally. From there we open Rav Kook’s Middot HaRa’ayah and discover a surprising definition: real Yirah doesn’t weaken you. It gives oz v’gevurah, fills life with purpose and big aspirations, and elevates your talents with the light of a holy fire. And we clarify the essential distinction between fear-based Yirah (sometimes necessary as a guardrail) and Yirat Romemut — a higher awe that comes with ahavah and an inner Eden. A practical, uplifting reframing of Yirat Hashem so your avodah leaves you feeling more alive, more courageous, and more connected.----------For more Shuirim and Music from Rav Shlomo Katz, visit: https://ravshlomokatz.comJoin Rav Shlomo Katz's WhatsApp Community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KHKOhhPaeHx5Kb74WL9L9a?mode=ems_copy_t CHAPTERS00:00 Opening Nigun and Shabbat Greeting 01:43 Shabbat Welcome and Sponsorship 03:21 Benching Structure and the Rise Toward Mashiach 17:15 Exploring Kinyan Yirat Shamayim 19:26 Rav Kook on the Nature of Yirat Hashem 25:58 Distinguishing Fear from Awe in Yirat Hashem 27:12 Seeing Hashem Everywhere: a New View of Yirat Hashem 28:36 Fear (Eimah) Triggered by Seeing Hashem in Sin 30:58 Distinguishing Yirat Chet from Yirat Shamayim 36:49 Rambam vs. Ra’avad on Visualizing Kisse Hakavod 37:55 Rav Kook on Visualization for Higher Yirat Hashem 41:10 Yirat Romemut: Love and Inner Eden 42:18 Closing Blessing and Niggun for Yirat Romemut

    Acquiring Yirat Hashem

  7. Jan 30

    The Gates that Open During Bentching

    Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat Davud open a window into what really happens when we bentch. Drawing from the Baal Shem Tov, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, the Chofetz Chaim, and Rabbeinu Bachya,  we discover that Birkat HaMazon is not just gratitude after a meal. It is an eis ratzon, a moment when gates open in Shamayim. When a mitzvah d’Oraita is fulfilled with presence and kavana, something shifts. A person is no longer standing in the same place. And once the gates are open, the question becomes: do we walk through them? We explore why Chazal placed the Harachaman tefillos specifically after bentching, how true satiation comes from blessing rather than food, and how a Jew is invited to pour their deepest bakashos into the words of Birkat HaMazon. This is a shiur about trust, dependence on Hashem, and learning to recognize when Heaven is quietly saying: now is the moment. May we learn to slow down, to stay present, and to walk fully through the gates that open before us. ----------For more Shuirim and Music from Rav Shlomo Katz, visit: https://ravshlomokatz.comJoin Rav Shlomo Katz's WhatsApp Community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KHKOhhPaeHx5Kb74WL9L9a?mode=ems_copy_t Chapters 00:00 Niggun of the Baal Shem Tov01:50 The Completeness of Torah: תורת השם תמימה04:01 Blood Donation Example and Bentching Kavana06:27 Ikar, Tefillah, and Dependence on Hashem11:27 Harachaman After Birkat HaMazon13:14 Minhag of Stopping at Yachasreinu14:41 Benching Opens Gates to Heaven36:48 Metzius and Davening Climax38:24 Rabbi Chaya on Mitzvah Timing40:46 Benching Series and Shabbos Focus

    The Gates that Open During Bentching

  8. Jan 23

    The REAL Satiation of Food

    Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David step into a quiet but radical idea: food doesn’t truly satiate a Jew — blessing does. Beginning with niggun and moving into the inner meaning of Birchas HaMazon, we learn from Reb Shlomo of Karlin that “vesavata” doesn’t come from eating alone, but from uverachta. The real fullness is not physical; it’s spiritual. Through Chazal, Chassidus, and a powerful story carried through generations, this shiur reframes benching as the heart of Jewish life — our past, our survival, and our future. When blessing is said slowly, with presence and kavana, it becomes a source of sustenance, dignity, and quiet strength that no circumstance can take away. This is a preparation for Shabbos, and for living with inner satiation all week long. ----------For more Shuirim and Music from Rav Shlomo Katz, visit: https://ravshlomokatz.comJoin Rav Shlomo Katz's WhatsApp Community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KHKOhhPaeHx5Kb74WL9L9a?mode=ems_copy_t Chapters 00:00 Opening Niggun02:15 Shabbos as the Source of All Holiness05:10 Birchas HaMazon as the Story of Am Yisrael09:30 Why Benching Requires More Kavana Than Tefillah14:05 Mitzvos With “Mazal” — and One Without18:40 The Real Meaning of “Ve’Achalta Ve’Savata”22:55 Reb Shlomo of Karlin on True Satiation27:10 A Story of Survival Through Birchas HaMazon34:20 What Sustains a Jew Through Everything38:45 Bringing This Consciousness Into Shabbos

    The REAL Satiation of Food
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Rav Shlomo Katz shares ideas that enhance our ability to connect to Shabbat.

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