Pesach

There are years when the Seder feels familiar…and there are years when it asks something completely new of us.This is one of those years.In this deeply personal Shabbos HaGadol drasha, recorded before Shabbos so it could be shared with everyone, Rav Shlomo Katz goes straight to the heart of והגדת לבנך: what does it actually mean to tell over the story this year? Not just to our children… but to ourselves.Drawing from the Beis Yaakov of Izhbitzer and the words of Yeshayahu — בעשותך נוראות אשר לא נקוה — we’re invited into a different kind of emunah. Not just believing that Hashem can save us, but freeing ourselves from needing to understand how.From war, uncertainty, and unimaginable נסיונות…to the possibility of a ישועה greater than anything we could ever dream of, this isn’t about telling the same story better. It’s about telling a completely different story.One where we stop limiting Hashem and begin to live and teach, with true cheirus.May we be zocheh this year to sit at the Seder as truly free people — and to sing a שירה חדשה.----------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_tCHAPTERS00:00 Opening niggun & introduction 03:00 A new kind of Shabbos HaGadol26:52 A greater salvation beyond expectations29:12 Two approaches to tefillah: asking vs trusting30:21 Moving from request to certainty31:34 War realities & unimaginable yeshuos33:46 Chinuch: what we really give over38:38 A new song & vision of freedom

On Seder night, we don’t just tell the story of leaving Egypt. We repair what Egypt broke.Drawing from a powerful ma’amar of Rav Avraham Tzvi Kluger, this shiur reveals how the four cups of wine are part of a spiritual tikun that reaches back to the earliest cracks in humanity. From the generation of the flood to the sins of Cham, the raven, and the dog, something broke in how we saw ourselves. Pesach night gives us a chance to fix it.Rav Shlomo Katz walks us through this multi-generational healing, showing how the act of drinking on this night reminds us of who we became and who we’re still becoming. It’s not about looking back with guilt. It’s about remembering we have the tools to move forward, not just for ourselves, but for the entire chain of generations that came before us.

There’s a difference between leaving Egypt and crossing the sea. One takes you out of slavery. The other begins to teach you how to dream.In this powerful pre–Shevi’i shel Pesach shiur, Rav Shlomo Katz challenges us to look beyond survival. It’s not enough to escape exile. The question is: what now? What do we actually want from our lives, our Yiddishkeit, our future?Drawing from Rav Shlomo Carlebach, Rav Itchie Meir Morgenstern, personal stories, and a raw letter from a doctor during the early days of COVID, this shiur confronts us with the uncomfortable truth: maybe we’ve been aiming too small. Maybe Hashem is asking us to want more — not just for ourselves, but for the whole world.

It’s always there, sitting quietly on the Seder plate. A simple egg. But what’s it really doing there?Rav Shlomo Katz delves deeply into the soul of this mysterious symbol, following Rav Kluger's teachings. Why is the egg a sign of mourning, yet placed front and center on the night of redemption? Why does Tisha B’Av always fall out on the same night of the week as the Seder? What’s the deeper connection between exile and geulah, between heartbreak and hope?The egg whispers a hidden truth: Hashem’s love was never severed, even as we were sent into galut. On this night of freedom, the egg invites us to remember that every shattered moment holds the potential for reunion, for rebirth, and for love that lasts forever.

What happens when Pesach begins on Saturday night?This opens up the door to many different halachot that we generally are not accustomed to. In this class, we covered many of the possible issues that may come up,

An overview of the different times the Korban Pesach was brought, and a deeper look into the necessity of the mitzvah as a preparation for the Exodus.

A letter written by the Aish Kodesh to his followers on Erev Pesach 1939, a few months before the Second World War

Why does the Torah call the night or le’arba’ah asar—“the light of the fourteenth”—when it’s clearly dark outside? What’s this night trying to tell us?Join Rav Shlomo Katz and enter the hidden world of the night before Pesach. With the voices of Reb Nosson of Breslov and R’ Shlomo Carlebach echoing through the room, we learn how this is not just a night of cleaning and checking. This is a night of transformation.We begin to burn not only the chametz in our homes, but the chametz in our minds: the belief that nature is fixed, that our past defines us, that we’re stuck in darkness. On this night, we declare: darkness is an illusion. Night can shine like day. And within the cracks of our stories, those places that once hurt, we find the deepest light.The night of Bedikat Chametz is the beginning of redemption, not just for our homes, but for our souls.

A teaching on the preparation for Pesach from Reb Tzvi Meir Zilberberg

A teaching on the preparation for Pesach from Reb Tzvi Meir Zilberberg

The more you speak Emunah, the more it sinks in. Pesach is the holiday which opens the doors for Emunah to become rooted into our hearts for the whole year.

Seder night is the most prepared-for night of the year, and yet, somehow, the night we often feel least prepared for. That contradiction? It’s not a mistake. It’s the holy essence of the night itself.In this shiur, we explore the dance between hishtadlus and surrender, structure and surprise, longing and gratitude. With stories, soul, and laughter, Rav Shlomo takes us deep into the contradictions that define Pesach—from parenting to prayer, from planning sedarim to missing flights. Real freedom, it turns out, comes not when everything makes sense but when we can ask the question "Why me?" and be okay not having an answer.

Pesach class, based on the teachings of Rav Kluger

Is it possible to fake out the kategor, the prosecution which stands against man?

Drawing the light of the future redemption into the now, based on the teachings of Rav kluger

When was the first Seder kept, and by who?

The connection between the birthday of Rebbe Nachman (Rosh Chodesh Nisan) and the redemptive path to Pesach.

The inner meaning of this in-between time of the redemption of Purim and the redemption of Pesach.

From the teachings of Rav Erez Moshe Doron on the inner meaning of cleaning for Pesach.

The Pesach we commemorate and the Pesach of the future redemption.From the teachings of Rav Kook.

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

Based on a teaching from R' Avraham Tzvi Kluger, we took a second to prepare to digest a mitzva, the mitzva of eating matza.matza, pesach, passover, emuna, faith, belief, shlomo katz, shirat david, efrat

How could a Seder take place in the heart of slavery, before redemption even began? What power did that first night hold to transform exile into freedom? Drawing on the heartfelt teachings of Rav Kluger, Rav Shlomo Katz explores the profound origins of the Pesach Seder, held in Egypt amidst oppression and fear. Discover how the Israelites’ unwavering emunah— believing in Hashem’s promise as if it had already happened — drew down divine redemption. Uncover the secret of that first Seder’s rituals, from the Pesach offering to matzah, which turned slaves into a nation of faith. This episode reveals how our Seder today can channel that same transformative faith, rooting us in Torah and connecting us to Hashem’s timeless light.pesach, geula, redemption, shlomo katz, shirat david, efrat, Israel, idf, rav kluger, breslov, baal shem tov

from the teachings of Reb Ya'akov Meir Shechterpassover, pesach, torah, judaism, jewish, shlomo katz, breslov

When someone knows the halacha - they do not need to take an extra chumros. Rebbe Nachman's approach to Pesach and to mitzvahs in general.rebbe nachman, breslov, breslev, torah, chassidut, chassidus, shlomo katz

What does it mean to be a “plucked Jew,” adrift in exile, yearning for a foundation that holds firm? How has Am Yisrael survived centuries of uprootedness, clinging to a spiritual homeland amidst the darkness of galut? Rav Shlomo Katz delves into the luminous teachings of Rav Kook’s Ma’amaray HaRa’aya to explore the soul’s journey from the misery of displacement to the bliss of redemption.Discover how the Torah became Israel’s unshakable ground, a divine lifeline that preserved the nation through the pain of exile. Uncover the secret of our resilience — a spiritual spark that no force could extinguish — and learn how our return to the holy land heals the wounds of disconnection. What does it mean to truly “recline” at the Seder? This episode reveals how Pesach’s rituals ground both body and soul in a life of Torah, mitzvot, and connection to Hashem, transforming us from wanderers to a rooted nation.

Before the splitting of the sea, before the ten commandments, came this. “HaChodesh HaZeh Lachem”—this month is yours. The first mitzvah ever given to Am Yisrael wasn’t about sacrifice or prayer. It was about time. About renewal. About not waiting. Even while still sunk in the depths of Mitzrayim, Hashem handed us the power to begin again. Rav Shlomo Katz draws from the holy words of the Chiddushei HaRim, the Beit Avraham, Rav Biderman, and the Shem MiShmuel, to explore what it means to claim your time, your mind, your life, and return to Hashem with the gift of renewal. torah, chiddushei harim, biderman, michael jordan, Hashem, shlomo katz, efrat, shirat david, pesach, passover

מאמרי הראיה/חירותנו< מאמרי הראיהבדף זה מוצגים שינויים ממתיניםלא בדוקקפיצה לניווטקפיצה לחיפושהחירות שאנו מתרשמים בה ביותר בליל התקדש חג של זמן חירותנו, בעת אשר גם בעצם ימי הגלות והשעבוד לא חדלנו מלהביע את התגעגעותנו אליה באמרנו "השתא עבדי לשנה הבאה בני חורין"[1], היא מוכרחת להיות הולכת ומתפתחת בקרבנו פנימה מדריגה אחר מדריגה, עד אשר יבא היום אשר ינוסו הצללים[2], וחירותנו המוחלטת תאיר עלינו באורה המלא כעצם השמים לטוהר[3].אבל להתלמד אנו צריכים איך לסגל לנו את אותו הרוח הגדול של החירות אשר זרח עלינו אמנם בתקופות המאירות שלנו, ואשר יצא כברק[4] נוצץ בהופעתה של הגאולה הראשונה, גאולת מצרים, אשר נגלה עלינו מלך מלכי המלכים הקדוש ברוך הוא, בכבודו הגדול, וקרבנו לעבודתו שהיא חירותנו הגמורה, והרים אותנו משפלותה של העבדות הנכריה אשר שוא היא עבודתה.כיצד אנחנו צריכים להבין את אותה החירות המיוחדה שלנו וכיצד יהיה אפשר לנו להסתגל אליה במציאות החיים, וביחוד, כיצד נתאים את מדת החירות הזאת למצעדי חיינו החדשים שברקי חירות לאומית מתחילים להאיר עלינו בזהרם, בחסדי צור ישראל גואלנו מעולם ברוך הוא.ההבדל שבין העבד ובן החורין, איננו רק הבדל מעמדי, מה שבמקרה זה הוא משועבד לאחר, וזה הוא בלתי משועבד. אנו יכולים למצא עבד משכיל שרוחו הוא מלא חירות, ולהיפוך, בן חורין שרוחו הוא רוח של עבד. החירות הצביונית היא אותה הרוח הנשאה, שהאדם וכן העם בכללו מתרומם על ידה, להיות נאמן להעצמיות הפנימית שלו, להתכונה הנפשית של צלם אלקים אשר בקרבו, ובתכונה כזאת אפשר לו להרגיש את חייו בתור חיים מגמתיים שהם שוים את ערכם. מה שאין כן בבעל הרוח של העבדות, שלעולם אין תוכן חייו והרגשתו מעורים בתכונתו הנפשית העצמית כי אם במה שהוא יפה וטוב אצל האחר השולט עליו איזה שליטה שהיא, בין שהיא רשמית בין שהיא מוסרית, - במה שאותו האחר מוצא שהוא יפה ושהוא טוב.ואנחנו כבושי הגלות, שכל כך הרבה מאות בשנים היינו משועבדים בידי אדונים קשים, לולא פנימיות נשמתנו העליונה הספוגה רוח של חירות, רוח של הכרה עצמית פנימית "חרות על הלוחות, אל תקרי חרות אלא חירות"[5], לולא זאת המתנה הנפלאה שלנו שנתנה לנו מאז, בעת צאתנו לחירות עולם מיד פרעה מלך מצרים, לולא זאת, היתה הגלות יכולה להפך רוחנו בקרבנו לרוח של עבדים.אבל הננו מפגינים בזה ברוחב לב, בחג זמן חירותנו, כי באמת הננו חשים את עצמנו בני חורין בעצם מהותנו, והשאיפה הנאצלת שלנו אל הטוב ואל הנשגב היא אצלנו השאיפה העצמית שלנו, שאנו חשים ברוחנו פנימה מה הוא הטוב ומה הוא הנעלה. ולאור החירות הזה, החירות הפנימית ההולכת ומתגלה בקרבנו כעת במצעדי תחיתנו הלאומית על כל פנים בשיעורים מוגבלים לפי הערך של תוכני הגאולה המתגלים לנו, רק קמעה קמעה, נטף אחר נטף, לאורה הפנימי של החירות העצמית הזאת נסע ונלך להבליט יותר ויותר את עצמאותנו הרעננה הפנימית, אותה שקנינו על ידי גילוי שכינה, אותה החירות שקנינו על ידי הפלא הגדול היחיד בעולם, שנעשה עמנו בעת אשר גאלנו השם יתברך, וגאל את אבותינו ממצרים לחירות עולם.rav kook, torah, spirit, freedom, seder, passover, shlomo katz, shirat david, pesach, efrat

a deeper look into the search for chametz, based on the Apter Rebbe and the Kozhnitzer Maggidtorah, chametz, pesach, tshuvah, shlomo katz, efrat, shirat david, passover

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. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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

a look into the teachings of the Sod Yesharim of Ishbitz on true freedomishbitz, 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 5780Shabbos Hagadol DrashaPlease 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’hEveryone 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 pesachpesach, purim, rebbe nachman, arizal, torah, shushan, Israel, jew, Judaism, holy temple, Shlomo Katz

In this beautiful piece from 1929, the Piasetzner Rebbe brings to light the privilege and opportunity Pesach preparation provides for us.piasetzna, aish kodesh, torah, matza, pesach, passover, shlomo katz, shirat david, efrat

The season we are in presents before us a wonderful opportunity to align our physical work with our soul work. In this case - the midda of Nekiyut, Cleanliness.Pesach, passover, mesliat, cleanliness, shlomo katz, shirat david, efrat, torah, matza