Even Shlomo - Rav Shlomo Carlebach zt"l on the Weekly Parsha

Balak | The Secret of Being God's Chosen People

As Parshat Balak unfolds, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David explore one of the most uncomfortable questions in Judaism: what does it actually mean to be the "Chosen People"? Is chosenness about superiority, exclusivity, or something entirely different? Drawing on the Even Shlomo, Rebbe Nachman, and a breathtaking reading of Balak's deepest desire, Rav Shlomo reveals that Balak's mistake wasn't simply hatred of the Jewish people. At his core, he longed for a world where everyone could be close to Hashem, but he misunderstood what that closeness truly meant. Through the stories of Ruth HaMoaviah, Pinchas, Ger Tzedek Avraham Potocki, and Reb Tzadok HaKohen, this shiur uncovers the inner meaning of בינו לבין קונו—a deeply personal relationship with the Ribbono Shel Olam that cannot be reduced to ritual alone.  Chosenness, Rav Shlomo explains, isn't about excluding others. It's about becoming so deeply connected to Hashem that your greatest joy is seeing the entire world draw close to Him as well. ---------- 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 00:00 Opening Nigun, Dedication, and Netanel's Birthday 05:06 Introducing Parshat Balak: The Seemingly Simple Portion 08:32 Balak vs. Bilaam: Why the Parsha Bears Balak's Name 13:16 Chosenness vs. Political Correctness 16:23 Balak's Jealousy and His Desire for Universal Closeness 19:16 The Miss America Analogy and the Meaning of Chosenness 23:19 Idol Worship vs. True Service of Hashem 27:02 Ger Tzedek Avraham Potocki's Final Reflection 28:43 Refining the Inner Self Takes a Lifetime 29:53 Why Pinchas Appears at the End of Parshat Balak 31:18 Pinchas: The Tikkun of Anger and Jealousy 33:05 The Personal Relationship with the Ribbono Shel Olam 34:08 Beino L'Vein Kono: The Messianic Secret 36:23 Balak's Dream Fulfilled Through Ruth 38:12 You're Not Disappointing Your Ancestors

Chukat | Why Mashiach Needs Both Eretz Yisrael and the Six Million

As Parshat Chukat opens with the mystery of the Parah Adumah, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David uncover a startling teaching hidden within its ashes.  Drawing from  Reb Tzadok HaKohen, the Rambam, and Reb Shlomo Carlebach, this short but powerful shiur becomes a meditation on exile, redemption, and what it truly means to prepare for Mashiach. Beginning with the Rambam's surprising prayer in the middle of Mishneh Torah, Rav Shlomo explores the deeper meaning of the Parah Adumah as a symbol of Am Yisrael itself: pure, whole, and sent "outside the camp" into centuries of galut. Yet the story does not end there. One day, the ashes will be gathered. From the haunting image of the ashes of Majdanek to Avraham Avinu's first prayer in the Torah, a profound teaching emerges: before Mashiach comes, a Jew must be connected to both the dust of Eretz Yisrael and the ashes of the Six Million. Not one without the other. ---------------------- For more Shiurim 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

Korach | We Want to Handle the Truth

Every year, we return to Parshat Korach, thinking we know the story. A jealous man challenges Moshe Rabbeinu, gets swallowed by the earth, and that's the end of it. But Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David explore a much deeper reading: Korach's downfall was not that he made a mistake. It was that he could not admit he had made one. Drawing on the Ishbitzer, Chazal, and the inner relationship between Korach, Kayin, Hevel, and Moshe Rabbeinu, this shiur uncovers what may be the ultimate test of truth: not whether we know the truth, but whether we can accept it when it exposes our own flaws. Why is it often harder for religious people to admit they're wrong? What separates Moshe's humility from Korach's certainty? And why does genuine teshuvah require the courage to dismantle structures we've spent decades building? From shalom bayis and friendship to leadership and spiritual growth, this episode becomes a powerful meditation on humility, learning, and the liberating realization that being wrong is not the end of the story. It may be the beginning of redemption. ---------- 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

Shelach | Nothing Can Stop a Yid Who Knows What He Wants

As Parshat Shelach confronts us once again with the story of the Meraglim, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David uncover what may be the deepest question hidden beneath their report. Were the spies really afraid? Drawing from the Even Shlomo, Rav Shlomo suggests that the issue was not fear at all. The issue was רצון. Because if there is something you truly want — something your life depends on — nothing can stop you. Obstacles only reveal uncertainty in the connection. When desire is absolute, doubt disappears. In this powerful shiur, Rav Shlomo explores the difference between responsibility and ratzon, the deeper meaning of אין דבר עומד בפני הרצון, the spiritual root of the Meraglim's mistake, and why Eretz Yisrael remains the ultimate test of what Am Yisrael truly wants. Through stories of parents risking everything for their children, hostages who discovered hidden strengths, the Six-Day War, Oslo, and the eternal longing for Yerushalayim, this episode becomes a meditation on the question that every Jew must eventually ask: What do I want so deeply that nothing in the world could stop me? ---------- 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 Intro & Opening Blessings 02:37 Identifying the Core Issue of Today’s Shiur 13:17 When Obstacles Reveal a Flaw in Our Connection 14:36 The Unstoppable Drive: Jumping Into a Stormy Ocean 17:07 A Mother’s Heroic Act in a Car Accident 23:38 Lessons from the Meraglim’s Report 26:47 Reordering Responsibility and Ratzon

Behaalotecha | What Moshe Rabbeinu Couldn’t Understand About the Menorah

As Parshat Behaalotecha opens with the lighting of the Menorah, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David uncover a deeper question hidden beneath the mitzvah: what was it that Moshe Rabbeinu could not understand about the Menorah? Drawing from the teachings of Reb Leibel Eiger, the Sfas Emes, and Reb Shlomo Carlebach, this shiur explores the meaning of “fire” in Avodat Hashem — not external excitement, but the פנימיות שבפנימיות, the hidden flame burning deep within every Jewish soul. Rav Shlomo explains that Aharon HaKohen’s greatness was not simply lighting candles, but revealing to every Yid that there is already a fire inside them that never truly goes out. ---------- 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 theme introduction 08:40 Moshe's difficulty with the Menorah explained 13:09 Reb Leibel Eger on the nature of fire 15:38 Aharon HaKohen reveals the inner fire of mitzvah 18:24 Rebbe’s torch: fire that spreads the world 19:42 Maftirz becha – divine request for fire 23:35 Avoiding transgression with inner fire 28:23 Sefer Bamidbar’s perpetual failures and fire plea 29:33 Miriam’s Fire Extinguished – Keep Your Spiritual Flame Alive 34:48 Skeptics Question the Longevity of Our Community’s Fire 36:02 Moshe’s Struggle with the Menorah’s Eternal Flame 38:20 Returning to the Vision: The Menorah as a Divine Mirror 42:15 Overcoming the Inner Cynic with Aharon’s Persistent Fire