Explore every episode of the podcast Chassidic Tales with Rav Shlomo Katz

A chassid told the Ruzhiner Rebbe his deepest kavana came during Shema Yisrael. But the Rebbe wanted to know—what about when you say Pote’ach et yadecha? What does it really mean to be a Ruzhiner chassid? 

The Ruzhiner Rebbe had a royal lineage from King David himself. But when his granddaughter married the son of Rav Hershele of Rimanov, the Rimanover’s “yichus” wasn’t a scroll—it was how he bought an extra apple each week l’kavod Shabbos. 
 
Sometimes the holiest legacy isn’t inherited....it’s lived.

At just three years old, a young Rav Shlomo Carlebach thought the Beis HaMikdash had been rebuilt because the fast was over and his parents were eating again. What followed was a chain of tears, memory, and a story passed down through generations, with no real ending. Maybe that’s the point.

In a Nazi general’s trash, the Bobover Rebbe discovered a torn page of Gemara and held it like a treasure. Elsewhere, a siddur scrap salvaged from an envelope sparked dancing in Siberia. What do we do with the full seforim at our fingertips?

When asked to sign a fast day decree, the Bobover Rebbe had a different proposal — one that fed hearts instead of emptying stomachs. What kind of proclamations are we signing today?

Just weeks before WWII, the Bobover Rebbe shared a haunting vision of how Mashiach would be greeted — with seforim soaked in tears. Decades later, we wonder: will he see those same tears in our eyes?

When a heartbroken woman comes to Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev with a surprising reason for her pain, the Rebbe turns her words into a cry heard far beyond Berditchev. Sometimes a simple question can echo through heaven.

Reb Levi Yitzchak and Reb Mendel of Vitebsk watched two men shine on their way to the mikvah, then saw that glow vanish when they emerged.
“They came in broken and longing,” said Reb Levi. “But they left thinking they were already fixed. The light comes from the yearning, not the arrival.”

When Reb Levi Yitzchak heard the town banned poor people from asking for tzedakah, he said:
 “This isn’t new. They tried that in Sodom.”

First meeting, first impression — and the town never looked at him the same again.

When a staunch opponent of the Chassidic movement spits in the face of Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev in public, the Rebbe's response isn't anger, it's compassion. Instead of reacting with outrage, he sees the man’s pain and offers him something rare: understanding.

In this unforgettable tale, Rav Shlomo Katz shares the depth of Reb Levi Yitzchak’s empathy and how true leadership can turn humiliation into holy kindness.

When Reb Moshe Leib of Sassov joined Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev for Shabbos at a poor tailor’s home, what should have been a meager, near-inedible meal turned into pure Gan Eden. Why? Because Reb Levi Yitzchak’s love for another Jew was so deep, it could sweeten even spoiled sauerkraut. A story of the power of preserving another's dignity at all costs.

When a broken Yid unloads his doubts and frustrations, Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev responds again and again with radical empathy: “Maybe you're right.” In this stirring tale, Rav Shlomo Katz reveals how deep listening can disarm the most wounded hearts, and how just one gentle reply can open the gates for truth to enter: “But maybe... I’m right.”

When asked for a letter of recommendation, Rav Yosef Chaim Zonenfeld had just one question: "Can your school produce Mashiach?" Rav Shlomo Katz shares a piercing story that redefines what true Jewish education must aim for, and what kind of vision our children deserve.

Rav Shlomo Carlebach once witnessed a Tisha B’Av custom in France: each person blew out their candle during Eicha—then relit it. But one Jew did something Rav Shlomo never forgot. When the lights go out, sometimes the deepest prayers are the ones left unspoken.

Each night, Reb Zusha would whisper his cheshbon hanefesh — a humble, tearful dialogue with himself and with Heaven. Rav Shlomo Katz brings us into the room where Reb Elimelech once listened in, as his brother pleaded, doubted, and promised once more: “Tomorrow, Zusha will be better.” A glimpse into the tender soul of a true tzaddik.

After fasting for days to understand a Rambam, Rav Yosef Karo finally grasped its meaning, only to hear young students explain it with ease the next day. In a dream, he was told, "When you sacrifice for Torah, you open the gates for all of Am Yisrael." Rav Shlomo Katz shares a story of holy effort and the unseen ripple effect of mesirus nefesh.

Reb Dovid Leikes prepared all year to spend Rosh Hashanah with the Baal Shem Tov—only to have his wagon break down near a small village desperate for a tenth man. He pressed on to his Rebbe, but the welcome wasn’t what he expected. Rav Shlomo Katz shares a story of holy longing, unexpected purpose, and the revelation that sometimes, a single mitzvah may be the very reason our soul came into this world.

Before traveling to Eretz Yisrael, the Baal Shem Tov warns a student to guard every word he speaks. When a mysterious man at the Kotel asks if the Jews are still “managing” in exile, his answer carries cosmic weight. Rav Shlomo Katz shares a chilling story of speech, exile — and a silent encounter with Avraham Avinu himself.

On Rosh Hashana, a sick student of the Baal Shem Tov suddenly craves… herring. Rav Shlomo Katz shares a surprising and mystical tale about how the yetzer hara targets the one thing that matters most, and how resisting a single bite can be the key to spiritual victory.

When the Seer of Lublin seeks deeper wisdom, Reb Zusha teaches him the secret of true teshuvah: not by scolding darkness, but by praying for light. Rav Shlomo Katz shares how the Baal Shem Tov’s revolution was to lift souls from within, not by shame, but by sacred love.

In a town full of skeptics, the Baal Shem Tov speaks one verse, and the fiercest philosophers begin proclaiming faith. Rav Shlomo Katz recounts a story of divine power, showing how even the sharpest minds are still held in the hands of Heaven.

Two tzaddikim, one conversation before sleep. The Riminover sweetens judgment in heaven; the Apter Rebbe prepares the angels for a new song. In this intimate and mystical tale, Rav Shlomo Katz asks: What are you busy with when the world is asleep?

The Apter Rebbe knew he’d fall short in davening, learning, even deeds — but not in love for fellow Jews. On his tombstone, as he requested, it says only: “Here lies a lover of Israel.” Rav Shlomo Katz shares a story of boundless ahavas Yisrael that defined a life and a legacy.

The Apter Rebbe wept for days, mourning not the past, but the unimaginable pain he foresaw in Am Yisrael’s future. When asked why, he replied: “Because I know how much we’re able to bear.” Rav Shlomo Katz shares a heart-wrenching story of prophetic grief, Jewish resilience, and the sacred hope for tears of joy.

Reb Baruch of Mezhibuzh wept over just a few lines in the siddur. So when his chassidim showed him an entire sefer on korbanos, he was stunned. How can you write calmly about something we no longer have? When Torah isn’t history—but heartbreak—you feel the loss. Do we?

As a child, he watched his mother quietly mend the torn clothing of sleeping strangers—and in that moment, he received Yiddishkeit. Rav Shlomo Katz shares a moving story of hidden chesed, where true Jewish identity is sewn not in words, but in silent acts of love.

In a moment of deep emotion, the Alexanderer Rebbe breaks down crying during davening, pouring out his soul in raw, wordless yearning. Rav Shlomo Katz shares a story of vulnerability, prayer, and the holiness that can erupt from a heart too full to speak.

When the chassidim shouted for a nudnik named Itzikel to leave the Rebbe’s room, the Rebbe, also named Itzikel, stood up and walked out. In this tender and humorous tale, Rav Shlomo Katz shares a glimpse of true humility from the Alexanderer Rebbe, the Akeidas Yitzchak, who never saw himself as above anyone.

A chassid admits he’s not sure he believes, and his Rebbe teaches him that even belief can be prayed for. In this gentle, transformative tale, Rav Shlomo Katz reveals how the words “Ani Maamin” are not declarations. They’re tefillos from the depths of a yearning soul.

When the Alexanderer Rebbe finds himself torn between his Rebbe’s presence and his own soul’s expression, he makes a courageous choice—to pray before the Master of the soul’s master. A story of authenticity, courage, and what it means to truly daven from the heart.

When the Rebbe of Alexander questions his own worth, a five-year-old chassid’s simple plea melts his doubt: “Rebbe, we’re all waiting for you.” In this soul-stirring tale, Rav Shlomo Katz reminds us how sincere longing can bring redemption closer — both personal and collective.

On Motzei Tisha B’Av, the Lelover Rebbe told the Bialer Rebbe why the fast felt easy: “I didn’t think I’d need to finish it.” When you live expecting the Geula any minute, time bends differently… 

Can you hear the stones cry? Reb Shloime’le of Zvhil said you can, especially during the Three Weeks. And one tzaddik refused to visit the Kosel on Tisha B’Av… because even the walls go silent.

While mourning the Churban on Tisha B’Av, a man was interrupted with a request for help. The Premishlaner Rebbe gently told him: You were just handed a chance to start rebuilding the Beis HaMikdash. What do we choose—tears, or bricks?

One Friday night in Auschwitz, two Alexander chassidim whispered memories of their Rebbe’s tish and suddenly, every Shabbos they ever experienced returned in full.

Rav Shlomo Carlebach heard the story. What does it mean to taste eternity in the darkest place on earth?

At a Vishnitzer tish, the Rebbe gave overflowing honor to someone no one recognized, and who didn’t seem to "deserve" it. When asked why, his answer held the key to rebuilding the Beis HaMikdash. 

After the horrors of Auschwitz, two survivors finally looked in a mirror, and couldn’t bear what they saw.
But when they looked at each other, something else emerged.

What does it mean to see beauty with the eyes of the Beis HaMikdash?

When a chassid came to the Apter Rebbe for personal advice, the Rebbe suddenly broke down in tears. But not for the reason you’d expect.

Sometimes, the deepest tears aren’t about you at all.

They thought holiness meant always doing the right thing. But the Ruzhiner Rebbe showed them something deeper—what it means to be honest with your own heart.

When fierce winds threatened to blow out the Shabbos candles, the Rimanover Rebbe didn’t close the windows.

He spoke to the wind.

What happens when you treat even the wildest forces with reverence for the light they’re endangering?

They made him a Shabbos robe of gold and silver. Maybe this one he’d finally keep.

But when a clumsy chassid spilled soup all over it, the Rimanover’s reaction wasn’t anger. It was something else entirely…

Not every beggar is asking to receive.

The holy tzaddikim, like the Rebbe of Ruzhin, saw some beggars as messengers sent not to take, but to give. What if the one holding out their hand is actually answering your prayer?

Why was the Rav of Anipoli always so angry? Reb Zusha had one simple answer—about weddings, expectations, and what it really means to feel full.

A lesson in humility from one of the gentlest tzaddikim in Chassidus.

The Vizhnitzer baby wouldn’t stop crying, and no one could understand why.

Until the holy Ruzhiner Rebbe remembered his own tears at a bris long ago.

The Seer of Lublin finally opened Reb Shmelke’s mysterious incense box only to find something unexpected.

So, where was the heavenly fragrance in the room really coming from?

The Noam Elimelech tried to shield his brother, Reb Zusha, from more shame, but the drunks still dragged Reb Zusha out again. And with a gentle smile, he whispered the words that say it all: "This is what Hashem wants."

When Reb Moshe Leib of Sassov returned from one of his journeys without gifts for his children, their disappointment sparked a profound realization: What will we bring back with us when we come home to Heaven?

At just 13 years old, Rebbe Nachman walked around his wedding asking every guest a question: "What are you doing here?" Most thought he meant, “Whose side are you on?” But one young guest understood what he was really asking.

What happens when a tzadik hears someone truly speak to God? When the Berditchever davened in Chernovitz, it shook Reb Chaim to the core. He came home unable to make kiddush, feeling as though he had never truly prayed in his life. 

They found a starving nine-year-old boy dancing on a broken porch, glowing with joy. When asked why, he said, “I realized how much I have—and how little I’ve thanked Hashem for it.” That boy became the Rebbe Menachem Mendel of Rimanov.