Pesach with Rav Shlomo Katz – Details, episodes & analysis

What lies at the heart of the rasha’s question at the Seder? Why does his challenge sting so deeply, and what does it reveal about our own spiritual journey? Rav Shlomo Katz dives into the profound teachings of the Torah to explore the rasha’s provocative query: “What is this service to you?” Uncover how this question, far from mere rebellion, mirrors a universal struggle within every soul — the yearning to find meaning in our toil. Discover how Pesach’s rituals, from reclining to recounting the Exodus, transform our work from slavery’s burden to a divine partnership in creation. This episode reveals how the rasha’s challenge at the Seder table becomes a gateway to living as free people, rooted in Torah and connected to Hashem.

torah, pesach, freedom, slavery, hashem, rav kluger, shlomo katz, shirat david, efrat

What would you do if you were told that if you put your heart and soul into one night, your children will be set forever?

pesach, passover, torah, judaism, shlomo katz, shirat david, efrat

As we prepare for Pesach, are we approaching the Seder with heavy intellectual burdens or with the pure joy of freedom?

Rav Shlomo Katz explores Rebbe Nachman's intense warning against the world of philosophy and over-investigation, which often injects a paralyzing doubt into our hearts under the guise of "finding truth."

Through the writings of Reb Nosson, we learn that the true prize of Yiddishkeit is not academic genius, but Ratzon—a burning, passionate will to be close to Hashem. This episode reminds us that when the Jews left Egypt, they didn't stop to philosophize; they ate Matzah and ran. We are invited to drop our calculators, stop overthinking our Mitzvos, and simply allow Hashem to insert the pure essence of truth into our hearts on Seder night.

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a look into the teachings of the Sod Yesharim of Ishbitz on true freedom

ishbitz, chassidut, baal shem tov, shlomo katz, torah, pesach, passover

What are the questions we are asking this year?
What aren’t the questions we are asking this year?

Pesach 5780
Shabbos Hagadol Drasha
Please open your heart, and be okay with not knowing what may arise.

matza, pesach, torah, shlomo katz, question, carlebach, mishna, weinberger, aish kodesh, vizh

אַתָּה הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים הַזָּן מִקַּרְנֵי רְאֵמִים וְעַד בֵּיצֵי כִנִּים, וְאַתָּה הוּא הַמֵּכִין כָּל צָרְכֵיהֶם, וְנוֹסָף עַל הַצְּרָכִים הַהֶכְרֵחִיִּים אַתָּה הוּא הַנּוֹתֵן בְּמִלּוּי וְרֶיוַח וְעֹשֶׁר וְכָבוֹד.כָּל זֶה אַתָּה עוֹשֶׂה בְּנִדְבַת לִבְּךָ הַטּוֹב. כִּי אַתָּה הוּא נָדִיב בֶּאֱמֶת, לֹא כְּמוֹ שֶׁקּוֹרִין לִפְעָמִים לְאָדָם אֶחָד נָדִיב, כִּי נִדְבָתוֹ אֵינָהּ אֲמִתִּית רַק לְתַשְׁלוּם גְּמוּל אוֹ בִּשְׁבִיל טוֹבָה שֶׁקִּדְּמוּהוּ וַהֲרֵי הוּא כְּסוֹחֵר. אָכֵן מִי הִקְדִּימְךָ וְשִׁלַּמְתָּ, וּבְנִדְבַת לִבְּךָ הַטּוֹב – טוֹב וּמֵטִיב אַתָּה לַכֹּל. וְלִי אֲנִי עַבְדְּךָ הֵטַבְתָּ עַל כֹּל, וְנָתַתָּ לִי עֹשֶׁר וּכָבוֹד מִיָּדְךָ הַכֹּל, בֵּרַכְתַּנִי מִכֹּל בַּכֹּל כֹּל, נָתַתָּ לִי סְפָרִים הַרְבֵּה, וְכֶסֶף וְזָהָב לָרֹב, וּמַלְבּוּשֵׁי כָבוֹד וְדִירָה בְּכָבוֹד, קָטֹנְתִּי מִכֹּל הַחֲסָדִים אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָ אֶת עַבְדֶּךָ, וְיָרֵא אָנֹכִי מְאֹד לְנַפְשִׁי שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה חַס וְשָׁלוֹם הָעֹשֶׁר שָׁמוּר לִי לְרָעָה לְהַאֲכִילֵנִי הַמְעַט מִזְּכוּיוֹתַי שֶׁבְּיָדִי, וּבְאִם הוּא כֵּן קַח נָא אֶת בִּרְכָתִי וְאַל אֶרְאֶה בְּרָעָתִי לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא עוֹלָם הַנִּצְחִי, וּבְאִם רְצוֹנְךָ הַטּוֹב לְמֵהַב וְלָא לְמִשְׁקַל, תֵּן בְּלִבִּי וּבְלֵב כָּל הַנִּלְוִים אֵלַי שֶׁלֹּא לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בְּמַתְּנוֹתֶיךָ לְתַעֲנוּגִים גּוּפָנִיִּים, וְיִתְפַּרְנְסוּ מִמֶּנּוּ בַּעֲלֵי תוֹרָה, אֲנָשִׁים כְּשֵׁרִים, אֲנָשִׁים הֲגוּנִים, עֲשׂוֹת צְדָקָה הַרְבֵּה וּגְמִילַת חֲסָדִים לִקְרוֹבִים וְלִרְחוֹקִים, וּדְבַר יי יָקוּם.יִהְיוּ לְרָצוֹן אִמְרֵי פִי וְהֶגְיוֹן לִבִּי לְפָנֶיךָ יי צוּרִי וְגֹאֲלִי.

shla, parnasa, daven, shlomo katz, nissan, rosh chodesh, money

R’ Shlomo Carlebach a’h

Everyone wants to be free, but how do I start believing that I could become free? How do I get my mind out of Egypt?

The Zohar Hakadosh says that a baby does not know whom their father or mother are until it eats bread. That means that bread gives strength to my mind to be connected to those who love me. Only after I eat bread do I know what life is all about, do I know whom my father and mother are. Now listen to something even deeper. Matza gives my mind strength too, but it’s working from another side. Eating matza gives me strength to be connected to myself and to all who are important to me – but this connection is done without thinking about it. How so?

Reb Nachman says there are two kinds of minds. There is a slave mind and a free mind. A slave mind always has ten thousand excuses to not get out of something. Everybody is drowning in something, Egypt is all about getting out of what you drowned in. Everyone is tied to something, chained to something. We need to have serious compassion on our souls to just get out of it.

We all go through plagues, witnessing tremendous miracles, but so many of us are still in Egypt. To really leave the things you are tied to, to leave all the things you had excuses for is the greatest test in the world. Everyone talks about how beautiful it would be if they could set themselves free from whatever is holding them back, but unfortunately most people can’t let go.

How do you get out of Egypt? “Bechipazon” (Shmos 12:11). You have to get out fast. How do you run out of Egypt? Reb Nachman says something unbelievably deep. How fast can I walk while I am thinking? Very slow. When you are talking to someone and are engrossed in conversation, you walk very slowly. But if you want to run, you have to stop thinking.

I must remember that I am not my mind, I am stronger than that. I have to stop my mind. So therefore Reb Nachman says that matza is called the bread of poverty. We are not necessarily talking about poor people can’t afford bread, we are talking about poverty of the mind.This means that in a good way - I have no mind . The Gemara says Ein Ani Ela Beda’as (Tractate Nedarim 21:1). A poor man is someone who doesn't think. But on Pesach I flip this concept over. On Pesach I am so strong, I say to myself 'I want to be poor. I got to get out of Egypt, fast’. If I stop thinking – I become poor, I have no mind. I might be poor, but this is the sign of utmost strength. What’s the sign of having a strong mind? When my mind says to me 'stop thinking, right now there is no time for thinking, just do it’. What does Matza do to my mind? My mind tells me 'let go, let go... it's okay, I know what to do'.

rebbe nachman, reb tzadok, shlomo katz, carlebach, torah, pesach, matza, chametz

In this shiur, we spend time delving into this powerful word 'Vehi'. Some may see this word as being the crucial moment of the hagada of yesterday, the hagada of today, and without a doubt, the hagada of tomorrow.

torah, seder, passover, pesach, shlomo katz, judaism, holiday

The opportunity which takes place seder night can be overwhelming. Where do we start? what is it that is available?

pesach, seder, emuna, slonim, torah, Israel, shirat david, efrat

As we march toward freedom, we can now take the light of Purim as the candle to search for the Chametz, in order to have the cleanest Chametz free pesach

pesach, purim, rebbe nachman, arizal, torah, shushan, Israel, jew, Judaism, holy temple, Shlomo Katz