Explore every episode of the podcast The Laws of War and Peace with Rav Shlomo Katz
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2. Living in a Biblical Prophecy | 11 Mar 2026 | 01:00:29 | |
Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David learn that the wars of modern Israel are not merely political or historical events. But they are biblical events, unfolding in front of our eyes. Through the lens of Hilchos Milchamah VeShalom by Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, Rav Shlomo walks through the miracles of 1948, 1967, 1973, and the present moment, showing how again and again Am Yisrael has lived through the fulfillment of prophecy. But together with that miracle comes a warning: when Jews forget that Hashem is the One fighting behind the scenes, pride, confusion, and spiritual blindness begin to take hold. This is a piercing shiur about prophecy, victory, gaavah, focus, bitul, and the responsibility of building a life in Eretz Yisrael that is conscious of geulah. To live here truthfully is not just to survive history. It is to become aligned with what Hashem is revealing through it. CHAPTERS | |||
| 1. Never Get Used to Miracles | 09 Mar 2026 | 00:43:47 | |
In the opening episode of The Laws of War and Peace, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David begin learning from Hilchos Milchamah VeShalom by Rav Shmuel Eliyahu and ask a piercing question for our generation: what happens when Jews become used to miracles? As missiles fly, sirens sound, and impossible salvations become part of daily life, Rav Shlomo warns that the deepest danger is not only the threat from our enemies, but the possibility of losing our hakarah—that we are living inside open nissim from Hashem. From Moshe Rabbeinu saving a fellow Jew, to David HaMelech’s war with Goliath, to Mordechai and Esther’s holy courage, this episode lays the foundation for a Torah of gevurah: real Jewish strength is never self-worship. It is ויגבה לבו בדרכי השם—a heart lifted in the ways of Hashem. This is a Torah about war, humility, miracles, soldiers, aliyah, and the spiritual responsibility of living through history with open eyes. CHAPTERS | |||
| 5. Israel's Air Has Never Been More Pure | 25 Mar 2026 | 00:51:00 | |
Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David learn a breathtaking and deeply timely idea: the mesirus nefesh of Am Yisrael is not only protecting the nation — it is purifying the very air of Eretz Yisrael. Drawing from Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, Tanach, Chazal, and the story of Yitzchak Avinu, Rav Shlomo expands the meaning of mesirus nefesh beyond the battlefield itself. A soldier who enters danger and returns home whole is still a מוסר נפש. A support soldier is still part of that holiness. The wives, children, and families carrying this burden are part of it too. This shiur explores how mesirus nefesh brings רוח הקודש, kaparah, and taharah to Klal Yisrael; how Yitzchak Avinu becomes the great melamed zechus on the nation; and how the self-sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of chayalim may be lifting the entire people to a place we cannot yet fully comprehend. Rav Shlomo closes with a piercing reminder for these pre-Pesach days: when Jews are risking everything to save lives, we need perspective, gratitude, and the humility to realize that something holy is happening in the air right now. CHAPTERS | |||
| 4. A War of Kiddush Hashem | 23 Mar 2026 | 00:53:08 | |
Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David open one of the deepest foundations of מלחמה in Torah: when a Jew fights to protect Am Yisrael, he is not only defending lives — he is fighting a war of Kiddush Hashem. Learning through Tanach, Chazal, and Rambam, Rav Shlomo explores the greatness of the chayalim, the holiness of the war camp, and the responsibility to understand battle not as personal vengeance, but as מלחמות השם. From Moshe Rabbeinu and David HaMelech, to Rachav’s words after the victory over Pharaoh, to the tragic humiliation of Shaul HaMelech, this shiur shows that every Jewish victory reveals Hashem in the world — and every Jewish loss is, chalilah, a chillul Hashem. Rav Shlomo also speaks painfully and honestly about the strange reality of Jews trying to leave Eretz Yisrael through Egypt at a moment when we are living through open miracles here, and what that says about our consciousness of geulah, fear, and closeness to Hashem. The episode closes with a live warning siren going off in the middle of the room — a jarring reminder that these teachings are not theoretical. They are being learned in real time, in the heart of the story itself. CHAPTERS | |||
| 3. The Hidden Army Fighting for Israel | 16 Mar 2026 | 00:35:58 | |
In this episode of The Laws of War and Peace, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David open a deeper dimension of Jewish war that most people never think about: when Am Yisrael goes out to battle, it is not only the soldiers on the ground and not only the Ribbono Shel Olam above — the neshamos of tzaddikim from across the generations join the fight as well. Learning from Midrash, Zohar, and the teachings brought in Hilchos Milchamah VeShalom, Rav Shlomo explores how Moshe Rabbeinu, Mordechai, Eliyahu HaNavi, the avos, nevi’im, and tzaddikim are somehow bound up with the souls of today’s chayalim. At the same time, he reveals the frightening parallel: the forces of evil also awaken in times of geulah and gather around Yerushalayim. This is a shiur about the hidden spiritual front of war, the mystery of Jewish strength, the danger of kochi ve’otzem yadi, and the living awareness that Israel never goes to battle alone. CHAPTERS | |||
| 19. Can We Rely on Miracles? | 24 Jun 2026 | 00:47:54 | |
Can a Jewish leader take a massive risk in order to save the Jewish people? Or does Torah demand that we avoid relying on miracles? In this final shiur of the season, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David explore one of the deepest and most sensitive questions in Jewish history: Was it permissible for Ben-Gurion to declare the State of Israel when the odds of survival seemed impossible? Beginning with the story of Matityahu and the Maccabees, the shiur examines the Torah's approach to military risk, faith, and leadership. Why did some great rabbanim oppose Zionism? How should we understand those positions today? And how do Torah leaders balance military expertise with spiritual vision when making decisions that affect the lives of an entire nation? Along the way, Rav Shlomo reflects on the divisions within Am Yisrael, the legacy of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rav Mordechai Eliyahu, Oslo, Iran, and the ongoing challenge of building a Jewish future rooted in both faith and responsibility. ---------- CHAPTERS | |||
| 18. Who Shouldn't Serve in the Army? | 22 Jun 2026 | 00:54:24 | |
Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David dive into the heart of the current debate surrounding the IDF draft and Torah study. Seeking a "brand new light" to heal the divisiveness, the Shiur explores the historical precedents of Avraham and King Asa, who were both punished for taking Torah scholars out to war. Rav Shlomo addresses the complex realities on both sides: the genuine fear of spiritual decline in the army, balanced against the ultimate mitzvah of saving lives (Pikuach Nefesh) and the reality that the Shechinah (Divine Presence) dwells in the army camp. Exploring the nuanced rulings of Rav Moshe Feinstein and the successful model of Hesder yeshivas, this episode calls for a massive paradigm shift and a bottom-up spiritual awakening. Join Rav Shlomo Katz's WhatsApp Community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KHKOhhPaeHx5Kb74WL9L9a?mode=ems_copy_t CHAPTERS | |||
| 9. How a Jew Becomes a Pioneer | 06 May 2026 | 00:30:47 | |
What does it actually mean to be a חלוץ? Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David dive into Hilchos Milchama VeShalom, and uncover the hidden meaning behind one of the most familiar phrases in bentching: “Retzei V’Hachalitzeinu.” Far beyond the modern image of pioneers and soldiers, Rav Shlomo explores the Torah concept of chalutziut — the courage to break free from habits, fear, exile-consciousness, and spiritual paralysis. Drawing from Yeshayahu HaNavi, Chazal, Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, and the reality of today’s soldiers in Eretz Yisrael, this shiur reframes what it means to become spiritually awake, mission-driven, and truly alive. ---------- CHAPTERS | |||
| 8. What Yom HaZikaron Is Really Asking of Us | 21 Apr 2026 | 00:39:47 | |
Recorded on ערב יום הזיכרון, standing in the חלקה הצבאית of כפר עציון, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David reflect on what it means to stand among קדושים who gave everything for עם ישראל. Through the lens of חז״ל, the story of לוליאנוס ופפוס, and the halachic depth of מסירות נפש, a different picture of Yom HaZikaron begins to emerge. This isn’t only a day of grief. It’s a day of gratitude. A day of clarity. And maybe most of all, a day that asks a question we can’t run from: What are we doing with the lives they gave us?
| |||
| 7. Where Is Today’s David HaMelech? | 15 Apr 2026 | 00:39:24 | |
There’s a question that refuses to go away: If David HaMelech were here today… would we recognize him? In this shiur, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David go back to the roots of leadership in Torah—what Moshe Rabbeinu was searching for, what Yitro advised, and why it took generations until someone finally embodied it fully. Through the stories of Boaz, Ruth, and ultimately David HaMelech, we uncover the rare combination the Jewish people actually need: And then we ask the uncomfortable question: From Shaul HaMelech to Yerovam ben Nevat, from ancient kings to modern leadership, we begin to see a pattern—and the cost of getting it wrong. CHAPTERS | |||
| 6. Would Moshe Choose Israel's Leaders Today? | 13 Apr 2026 | 00:49:38 | |
There’s a question sitting quietly beneath everything we’re living through right now: If Moshe Rabbeinu were here today… would he recognize our leaders of war? In this shiur, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David open up one of the most uncomfortable and necessary teachings in Torah: the gap between strength and spirit. Yitro tells Moshe to appoint leaders who are not just powerful, but Anshei Chayil and Yirei Elokim—people of action and deep inner connection. And maybe… that struggle never ended. We speak about:
CHAPTERS | |||
| 17. Can a Jew Sit on the Sidelines During a War? | 17 Jun 2026 | 00:43:34 | |
One of the most powerful sections in all of Tanach is not a battle. Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David explore Shirat Devorah and the extraordinary way Devorah HaNeviah speaks about those who came to help Am Yisrael in a time of war—and those who chose not to. Why does Devorah bless Yael alongside Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel, and Leah? Why are some tribes praised while others are sharply rebuked? And why does Chazal derive the laws of nidui and cherem from Devorah's response to those who stayed on the sidelines? Moving beyond technical halachic discussions, this shiur asks a deeper question: What does the Torah expect from us when Jews are under attack? ---------- Join Rav Shlomo Katz's WhatsApp Community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KHKOhhPaeHx5Kb74WL9L9a?mode=ems_copy_t CHAPTERS 00:00 Opening: Page 78 and the General Principle | |||
| 16. The Draft Debate and the Meaning of Shevet Levi | 10 Jun 2026 | 00:44:30 | |
The conversation around drafting yeshiva students often begins with opinions. This shiur begins with Torah. Continuing the exploration of one of the most sensitive issues facing Am Yisrael, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David examine the Rambam's famous discussion of Shevet Levi and the claim that Torah learners occupy a unique role within the Jewish people. But does the Rambam actually exempt Torah learners from military service? Why doesn't he explicitly say so? Why were all the other tribes counted among those who went out to war? And what can we learn from the surprising role of Kohanim in Jewish battles throughout Tanach and Chazal? Rather than offering slogans or easy answers, this shiur uncovers the deeper roots of the debate and challenges listeners to approach the subject with humility, seriousness, and a genuine search for truth. ---------- Join Rav Shlomo Katz's WhatsApp Community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KHKOhhPaeHx5Kb74WL9L9a?mode=ems_copy_t CHAPTERS | |||
| 15. Can We Talk About the Draft Without Hating Each Other? | 03 Jun 2026 | 00:52:05 | |
Few conversations in Israel today are more painful, emotional, or explosive than the question of drafting yeshiva students into the army. But in this shiur, Rav Shlomo Katz insists on approaching the topic not through politics, anger, or slogans — but through Torah. Beginning with the census of מלחמה in Sefer Bamidbar, the role of Shevet Levi, the Rambam’s understanding of Torah leadership, and the relationship between mesirus nefesh and השראת השכינה, the conversation becomes an honest and vulnerable exploration of responsibility, achdus, and what it means to carry the burden of Am Yisrael together. More than anything, this shiur wrestles with the emotional and spiritual fracture inside Am Yisrael itself, and the challenge of remaining rooted in ahavat Yisrael even during the hardest disagreements imaginable. ---------- Join Rav Shlomo Katz's WhatsApp Community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KHKOhhPaeHx5Kb74WL9L9a?mode=ems_copy_t 00:00 Dedication of Niggun for Yonatan Razel's Recovery | |||
| 14. The Torah Knows Jews Are Too Compassionate for This War | 01 Jun 2026 | 01:01:24 | |
“We are rachmanim bnei rachmanim.” Again and again throughout this shiur, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David return to that reality: the Jewish people are compassionate by nature. And precisely because of that, the Torah forces us to confront Amalek over and over again. Moving through Shaul HaMelech’s mercy on Agag, the obligation of Parshas Zachor, October 7th, the moral confusion surrounding modern warfare, and Rav Shmuel Eliyahu’s understanding of Amalek in our generation, this conversation wrestles honestly with one of the hardest Torah topics imaginable. Not as a political discussion. Not as slogans. But as Torah. A raw and emotionally charged shiur about compassion, survival, responsibility, and why the Torah insists that evil must still be recognized clearly, even by a people whose instinct is mercy. CHAPTERS | |||
| 13. Amalek: What Can We Actually Do Today? | 27 May 2026 | 00:57:42 | |
After learning about Amalek in theory, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David turn to the question everyone eventually reaches: So what are we actually supposed to do with this? This is not a shiur about slogans or politics. It’s an honest conversation about galus mentality, October 7th, “quiet for quiet,” fear, leadership, and whether Am Yisrael is emotionally prepared to confront evil without falling back into illusion. Moving between Rav Soloveitchik, Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, the failures of Oslo, and the spiritual confusion of modern Jewish life, Rav Shlomo explores why clarity itself has become one of the hardest things for Jews to hold onto — and why the next generation may be forced to think differently. ---------- CHAPTERS | |||
| 12. Does Amalek Exist Today? | 25 May 2026 | 00:48:35 | |
In this deeply charged shiur, Rav Shlomo explores one of the most difficult and misunderstood sugyos in Torah: Amalek. Through the writings of the Rambam, Ramban, and Rav Soloveitchik, the conversation moves beyond slogans and politics into the deeper Torah question: what does Amalek actually mean in our generation? Is Amalek only an ancient nation that disappeared long ago, or is there still a spiritual and national force in the world whose entire identity is rooted in hatred of Am Yisrael? This episode wrestles honestly with memory, morality, מלחמת מצוה, October 7th, and the responsibility of Jews to learn these sugyos from Torah rather than from emotion alone. A difficult but essential conversation for this moment in Jewish history. ---------- CHAPTERS | |||
| 11. We Don’t Wait for Danger: The Law of Preventive War | 13 May 2026 | 00:46:35 | |
Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David explore one of the most urgent Torah questions of our generation: Through the lens of הלכות מלחמה, Rav Shlomo learns the Rambam, Gemara, and Shulchan Aruch on מלחמת מצוה, לא תעמוד על דם רעך, and the obligation not only to respond to danger… but to prevent it. From October 7th to the roads of Shomron, from “quiet for quiet” to the spiritual confusion of exile-thinking, this conversation is a painful and clarifying look at what it means for a Jew to stop normalizing threat and start thinking like a nation entrusted with life. This episode was given with deep love for Am Yisrael, for our holy chayalim, and for a generation trying to rediscover what Jewish responsibility really means. ---------- Join Rav Shlomo Katz's WhatsApp Community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KHKOhhPaeHx5Kb74WL9L9a?mode=ems_copy_t CHAPTERS | |||
| 10. Is This a Milchemet Mitzvah? | 11 May 2026 | 00:43:53 | |
Recorded in the midst of painful and urgent questions surrounding war, leadership, and Jewish identity, this shiur dives into one of the deepest Torah concepts of our time: מלחמת מצווה. Drawing from Avraham Avinu, Yehoshua bin Nun, Rav Herzog, Rav Soloveitchik, and Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David explore what it actually means for Jews to fight a war with clarity, holiness, and purpose. Is defending Am Yisrael enough to define a war as holy? Does leadership need to understand why it’s fighting? And what happens when soldiers possess more אמונה than the people commanding them? From October 7th to Yehoshua stopping the sun in Givon, this episode wrestles honestly with the tension between Torah, Zionism, המדינה, and the spiritual destiny of Am Yisrael. ---------- CHAPTERS | |||