Hachana L'Shabbos

In this week’s Hachana L’Shabbos we return to Yedid Nefesh and the words: “ירוץ עבדך כמו איל – May Your servant run like a deer.” Chazal tell us: “לעולם ירוץ אדם לדבר הלכה אפילו בשבת – a person should run to a dvar halacha even on Shabbos,” and yet the pasuk they bring says “אחרי ה’ ילכו – they will walk after Hashem.” So are we meant to walk… or to run?With the help of the Chidushei HaRim, the Sochatchover Rebbe, the Klausenberger Rebbe, and the Piaseczna, we learn that inside every Jew lives a world of hidden kochos that usually stay asleep. A frail man who can’t carry a sefer suddenly lifts stones heavier than his own body in the camps. A mother flips a car to save her children. A Yid standing in a tunnel during a siren somehow stays calm for his wife and baby. In moments of danger, we discover that what we thought was “my limit” was often just a story.The Torah of this shiur is simple and devastatingly hopeful: those kochos were always there. They’re not “emergency powers” Hashem hands us only in crisis; they are part of who we are, usually operating at a tiny percentage. The avodah is to live with the awareness of sha’as sakana — spiritual and emotional — without waiting for another October 7th, another breakdown at home, another fire to wake us up.Practically, we speak about:Why “I’ll do whatever I can” is often a lie we tell ourselves, and how to start discovering what we actually can do.How to feel the urgency of lanus min ha’aveirah – to run from aveirah and toward mitzvah – without needing a catastrophe.Everyday examples of hidden strength: putting the phone away for five minutes, not snapping at our spouse or children, taking one small step toward kedushah even when we feel totally drained.We are infinitely stronger than we think we are. Every step we run toward what really matters brings the Ribbono Shel Olam immeasurable nachas and pulls the geulah closer – not just bimheira b’yameinu, but teikef u’miyad mamash.----------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

In this week’s Hachana L’Shabbos Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David learn that there’s a difference between believing in Hashem and leaning on Hashem. It’s one thing to say “I have emunah.” It’s something else entirely to make the Ribbono shel Olam your mish’enet – the crutch you actually put your weight on when nothing in your life logically adds up.Through a piercing Midrash about a wanderer who calls himself “ben beiso shel melech” and the fiery Torah of the Piaseczna Rebbe from inside the Warsaw Ghetto, we hear that it’s not such a chochmah to believe when you can still see a plan. The avodah of a Yid is to say: “In my mind there is no way out. And still, Hineni – I lean on You.” That kind of bitachon, says the Rebbe, doesn’t block the shefa – it pulls the yeshuah closer.This week’s kabbalas Shabbos work is simple and radical: find one place where you’re done trying to force a natural solution, and instead of spiraling, whisper: “Hashem, You’re my mish’enet. I’m putting my weight on You here.” When nothing adds up, that’s often where the deepest opening begins.In memory of שלמה ליב בן רפאל גדליה----------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

In this week’s Hachana L’Shabbos we linger in Mizmor L’David and reach the line that so many of us recite without understanding: שבטך ומשענתך המה ינחמוני “Shivtecha u’Mishantecha, hema yenachamuni.” How can a shevet (rod/whip) possibly console? Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevre of Shirat David learn that what feels like the blow often becomes the very mish’enet (staff) we lean on later.We hear a searing, hope-filled story from the recent wedding of Rachel Goldberg and Aminadav Rotenberg where 11 children who buried a parent danced to מלך ממית ומחיה ומצמיח ישועה “Melech meimis u’mechayeh… u’matzmiach yeshuah,” and we meet the Shatzer Rav’s teaching that even when the world goes dark, Hashem is still sprouting salvation from within it.Together we explore:Rod → Staff: training our eyes to notice how past “patches” became future supports.When to speak, when to hold: why this isn’t a vort for a shivah house—it’s an inner avodah for Shalosh Seudos.Practical kabbalah for this week: name one place you’re fighting reality and choose, just for seven days, to lean on it with emunah.May we taste the nechama that comes when the Shepherd’s rod becomes our staff, and may new yeshuos quietly begin to sprout.— For more shiurim and music from Rav Shlomo Katz: https://ravshlomokatz.com Join the WhatsApp community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KHKOhhPaeHx5Kb74WL9L9a?mode=ems_copy_t

Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David enter Mizmor L’David (Tehillim 23) through the eyes of Rav Tzadok HaKohen (ר׳ צדוק הכהן) and discover why David HaMelech shifts from לשון נסתר (speaking about Hashem)—“יַרְבִּיצֵנִי… יְנַהֲלֵנִי… יַנְחֵנִי”—to לשון נוכח (speaking to Hashem)—“כִּי אַתָּה עִמָּדִי.” The teaching is piercing and tender: most of us turn to אַתָּה (You) only in the גֵּיא צַלְמָוֶת (valley of shadow), but the avodah is to live in אַתָּה even on the green pastures.We sing the נוסח (melody) for Mizmor L’David that Reb Shlomo Carlebach composed at his mother’s levayah, and we learn how תְּפִלָּה תָּמִיד (constant prayer) keeps us awake to the מְנַהֵג לַבִּירָה (One who runs the “castle,” i.e., the world)—so we don’t need painful wake-ups. From a Chassid who broke his hand yet whispered “בִּנְאוֹת דֶּשֶׁא…”, to the line “עם ה׳—חוצים ים; בלא ה׳—אין עוברים מפתן (with Hashem you cross a sea; without Him you can’t cross a doorstep)”, we practice thanking, pleading, and noticing while the fridge is full and the house is calm.Takeaways:Train your heart to say אַתָּה (You) in moments of plenty—set two daily “calm-time” tefillos of gratitude.Add a quiet Mizmor L’Todah (מִזְמוֹר לְתוֹדָה) before מִמַּעֲמַקִּים—praise before plea.Place שִׁוִּיתִי ה׳ לְנֶגְדִּי (I have set Hashem before me) on your phone lockscreen; touch it before you touch your day.When you notice success, speak out loud: “לֹא כֹחִי וְעֹצֶם יָדִי (not my own strength)”—and name one gift that clearly isn’t yours.----------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

In this week’s Hachana L’Shabbos, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David enter the niggun of “ה׳ רֹעִי לֹא אֶחְסָר” and ask a very simple, very brave question: am I still wrestling with life, or am I letting the Shepherd lead?Together we learn that Shalosh Seudos is an עת רצון to be led: to discover what we truly want, to cry for it, and to begin living it now. From the Slonimer and the mefarshim on Tehillim 23, and from the image of ra’aya meheimna (Moshe the “faithful shepherd”), we hear that leaders don’t just inspire. They plant אמונה until following Hashem becomes natural, not forced.We explore:Why “Hashem is my Shepherd” is not poetry but a posture: when He’s leading, what am I really lacking?The animal-market mashal: resisting the pull of the Shepherd bruises us; softening to His guidance brings calm and protection.Yaakov’s secret—“הָאֱ-לֹקִים הָרֹעֶה אֹתִי… עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה”: a lifetime of hard chapters without losing the Shepherd-consciousness.What true ביטול looks like (not becoming “gefilte-fish frum,” but awake, dignified surrender).Practice for this Shabbos: choose one place you’ve been fighting reality. During Shalosh Seudos, whisper: “Ribono Shel Olam, You are my Shepherd here too.” Then let your next small step follow, not drag.May we merit to feel guided, guarded, and gently gathered, so our bodies stop bracing, our hearts stop bruising, and Shabbos becomes the pasture of trust.----------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

In this week’s Hachana L’Shabbos — The Shabbos between Yom Kippur and Sukkot — we breathe in the freshness after Ne’ilah and learn how to land with gentleness. Join Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David in learning from the Slonimer Rebbe: this Shabbos holds two lights at once— יום השביעי that carries the love and cleansing of Yom Kippur, and תחילה למקראי קודש that calls out the joy of Sukkot. From Rav Kook we receive the avodah of these days: to re-educate our return to olam hazeh with קדושה—less סבלנות (gritting teeth) and more הַמתנה (patient waiting as a gift).Together we explore:• Why this Shabbos can be the holiest of the year—where YK’s “בני, אל תמאס” meets Sukkot’s “זמן שמחתנו.”• How to guard calm—כל מלאכתך עשויה—even while building the sukkah, chasing schach, and lists upon lists.• A simple practice: welcome Shabbos with one conscious hamtanah—slow Kiddush, a softer niggun, or a whispered “thank You for letting me come back gently.”May the Ribbono Shel Olam let our bodies be proud of our souls this week, as heaven and earth meet in patience, joy, and Shabbos-peace.----------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

In this week’s Hachana L’Shabbos—The Importance of a Real Third Meal—we sing our way into the year with ונאמר לפניו שירה חדשה and remember that Torah itself is a song: learning must stay fresh—אסור להזדקן—ever new. Then we turn to the hidden jewel of Shabbos: Seudah Shlishit, the ne’ilah of every Shabbos. With the Bnei Yissaschar (in the name of R. Menachem Mendel of Rimanov), we learn that at late-afternoon רצון דרצונות the original will to create the world resurfaces—יש מאין energy enters the air. That’s why tefillah there can open gates “beyond nature.” The Chafetz Chaim’s story of a father crying Tehillim at Seudah Shlishit—and the shidduch that birthed the Ketzot HaChoshen—reminds us what one cracked-open heart can draw down.Practical avodah for this Shabbos Shuvah: • Make Seudah Shlishit real (wash, sing, Tehillim, a few words of chizuk). • Guard the עת רצון: start Mincha earlier or plan a later Maariv so you’re not rushing. • Aim your tefillah from the heart—especially for others and for Klal Yisrael. • Choose one small “new note” in learning or song so Shabbos ends with חיות.May the Ribbono Shel Olam let this Seudah Shlishit lift us into a year of revealed mercy—where guf and neshamah, heaven and earth, meet in Shabbos-peace, and miracles above nature become our everyday path.----------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

In this week’s Hachana L’Shabbos—The Last Shabbos of 5785—Rav Shlomo Katz invites us to step out of autopilot and enter Shabbos as something utterly new. From the Baal Shem Tov’s teaching that on this Shabbos Hashem Himself blesses Tishrei—and through it the entire coming year—to the Shem MiShmuel and Avnei Nezer on “אם תשיב משבת רגלך”, we learn how to lay down our hergel (habit) and receive a heart that’s awake today—“היום אם בקולו תשמעו.”Together we explore: • Why each Shabbos is its own world—no “tashlumin next week,” only now. • Shalom between guf and neshamah—how the candles, Kiddush, and even our eating can rise instead of weigh us down. • The covered challahs: not a table custom, but a covenant of kavod habriyot—if we guard bread from shame, how much more a fellow Jew. • Practical avodah for this Shabbos: pause before Kiddush and name one “new” you’re bringing; choose one act of pre-emptive chesed (don’t wait for a shinui tzurah); and let one song or smile lift a soul.May the Ribbono Shel Olam bless our Tishrei, renew our strength, and grant a year where body and soul, heaven and earth, meet in Shabbos-peace—with חיות, dignity, and new song.----------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

In this week’s Hachana L’Shabbos, we enter the quiet glow of Friday night and the tefillah of “מגן אבות בדברו—מחיה מתים במאמרו.” Together we sing Shomer Yisrael and ונאמר לפניו שירה חדשה, then learn how Shabbos revives what feels lifeless—sometimes not by miracles, but by a word, a smile, or real listening. Through the Beit Avraham of Slonim, the Shevet Musar, the Maharal, and Chazal’s line “טוב המלבין שיניים לחברו יותר ממשקהו חלב,” we discover that to revive the living often means to speak gently and to hear deeply. The Kotzker reminds us: techiyat hameitim for those already alive is the hardest, and holiest, work. Don’t wait for a “שינוי צורה”; offer chizuk before someone breaks. This Shabbos, our avodah is simple and brave: one word, one hug, one moment of real shemi’ah that gives a friend back their will to live. May the Ribbono shel Olam make us agents of life—מחיה מתים במאמרנו ובשמיעתנו—and may every Shabbos restore us with חיות, warmth, and new song.----------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

Rav Shlomo Katz explores the depth and beauty of this popular Shabbos niggun, composed by Rav Aharon Hakoen of Karlin zy"a----------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

In this week’s Hachana L’Shabbos, Rav Shlomo Katz reminds us that Elul תשפ"ה is not a repeat of last year—it is brand new. Together we enter into the niggun of ונאמר לפניו שירה חדשה, the song of renewal, and the tefillot that prepare us for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Through the words of the Ibn Ezra and the teachings of Rav Biderman, the Shla Hakadosh, and the Ba'al Shem Tov, we learn that true life is found not only in feeling inspired, but in choosing to stay alive even through ניסיונות (challenges) that seem to make no sense. Torah and mitzvot done with חיות, with freshness and vitality, become our very source of life. May we merit not just to survive, but to feel renewed, uplifted, and alive every single Shabbos.

Friends, in this powerful shiur, we journey deeply into the beautiful zemer, "Kah Ribon," exploring the heartfelt call from Hashem to rebuild the Beit Hamikdash within each of us. Together, we uncover profound teachings from Rav Birmann, the Belzer Rebbe, the Mei HaShiloach (Izhbitzer Rebbe), and other holy sources that illuminate how every act of holiness we choose shapes the Divine sanctuary in heaven. Imagine Hashem Himself longing for your next moment of kedushah, waiting with infinite love and patience for us to make space for Him in our hearts. Take this deep Torah, carry its sweetness and truth into your homes, and invite Hashem to your Shabbat table this week.

As we conclude the Kah Ribon series, Rav Shlomo Katz takes us deep into the hauntingly beautiful stanza למקדשך תוב ולקדש קדשים -  exploring what it truly means to become a Mishkan, a sanctuary, for Hashem.Drawing from the Ohr HaChaim, the Ramchal, and the Akedat Yitzchak, this shiur uncovers the profound teaching that God's dwelling is not limited to a structure. It resides within the soul of every Jew. We revisit Shlomo HaMelech's dedication of the Beit HaMikdash and his hidden fear: that the external grandeur of the Mikdash might make us forget to build the inner sanctuary within.Are we making space inside ourselves for the Divine Presence? Can we let go of self-doubt long enough to believe that even our flesh and blood can be a holy dwelling place?This is a shiur for those who long for the Beit HaMikdash. Not just the one to descend from Heaven, but the one that is waiting to be built inside our own hearts.

“I Know It’s You, Hashem.”In one of the most heart-piercing shiurim of the year, Rav Shlomo dives into the stirring words of the Modzitz niggun:“וְאַפֵּיק יַעַס עַמָּךְ מִגּוֹ גָּלוּתָא, עַמָּךְ דִּי בְּכֵי אֶת מִכְּלַל אוּמַיָּא” “Take the wrath from Your people, Hashem… Your people who cry out from among the nations.”Through tears, song, and Torah, Rav Shlomo invites us to see through the terrifying masks of exile, fear, and suffering, and to recognize that it’s all still our loving Father beneath the lion’s skin.Whether you’re afraid, confused, inspired, or just holding on — this shiur gives language and melody to the soul’s deepest plea.In this Shiur:- A chilling parable about a lion entering a Jewish home.- The deep Kabbalistic and emotional meaning of אריותא (lions) in the current moment.- Insights from the Modzitz Rebbe, Reb Shlomo of Zvhil, Rav Ginsburgh, and Rebbe Simcha Bunim of Peshischa.- What it means to cry out “למענך” — not for our sake, but for Yours, Hashem.

What if every struggle, every detour, every moment in your life was really just a hidden encounter with God?In this week's shiur on Kah Ribon, Rav Shlomo Katz dives into the soul of the verse לו יחיה גבר שנין אלפין לא יעל גבורתך בחושבניה—uncovering a radical teaching from the Vorker Rebbe, the Magaleh Amukos, Rav Baruch of Mezhibuzh, and Rav Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin. It's not just that Hashem’s might is beyond calculation. It's that when we choose to see the Aleph, the אלופו של עולם, the Master of the World, in every moment, even the harshest judgments melt away.This is the difference between exile and redemption. One small letter—Aleph. One shift in consciousness. The moment we live with Emunah that nothing is mikreh (random), we sweeten all judgments and begin to taste geulah.🔹 Why חטא (sin) has a silent Aleph🔹 The power of Shehakol in the face of death🔹 How Yaakov Avinu saw only Alephs—even in Lavan and Eisav🔹 The secret of turning גלות into גאולה🔹 And what it means to live like Adam HaRishon—with everything created just for youIf you’re mevakesh emunah—if you’re even just seeking to believe—Hashem already begins to forgive.

Based on the teachings of R' Meilech Biderman, we get a glimpse into the mitzvah of lighting the Shabbos Candles being the gate opener that can really only be done by women.shabbos, sabbath, shabbat, torah, shlomo katz, shirat david, candles, zusha, biderman

Based on the teachings of Rav Biderman, we learn in this class what lies at stake at the Shabbos Table.It's much deeper than we think.torah, shlomo katz, shabbos, sabbath, shirat david, efrat, carlebach, biderman