The Foundations of Chassidus with Rav Shlomo Katz

Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David begin the second perek of Yayin Yashan, Ma’alat Yisrael — and enter a series of teachings that are much harder to simply “know” than they first appear.

Through the Ramchal, Baal Shem Tov, R’ Baruch of Mezhibuzh, the Tanya, Toldos Yaakov Yosef, Shem MiShmuel, Maor Einayim and Ohev Yisrael, Rav Shlomo looks at one of the foundations of emunah: what a Jewish neshama actually is, what happens in the higher worlds when a Jew learns, davens or performs a mitzvah, and why even the Jew who looks completely covered in schmutz never loses the essential kedushah within.

Along the way, the conversation moves from Moshe Feiglin’s response to Tucker Carlson, to Jeremy Boreing’s recent Shabbos visit, to the Alter Rebbe’s astonishing teaching about what happens when ten Jews simply stand together. But underneath all of it is one question: what would our lives — and the way we looked at another Jew — actually look like if we had even a clue?    

--------
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 Greetings and Dedications
01:40 Ma’alat Yisrael: A New Foundation of Emunah
02:43 The Baal Shem Tov: Why Jews Are Compared to Stars
05:14 Moshe Feiglin, Tucker Carlson and Explaining What a Jew Is
06:29 Why a Jewish Neshama Is Greater Than an Angel
07:41 Stop Thinking Only About What You Haven’t Done
09:23 How Do We Actually Internalize These Teachings?
12:18 Seeing the Greatness in Every Other Jew
13:07 Your Torah and Tefillah Nourish the Higher Worlds
17:12 Hashem Is Waiting for Your Torah and Tefillah
18:01 You Are a Ladder Reaching Heaven
18:54 Jeremy Boreing, Shabbos and Righteous Gentiles
21:41 What Happens When Ten Jews Stand Together?
24:11 The Alter Rebbe: An Angel Couldn’t Withstand Ten Jews
25:47 Kedushat Yisrael Is Part of Who You Are
27:46 Gerim and Full Inclusion in Am Yisrael
29:43 This Is a Principle of Emunah
30:06 A Jew Can Never Lose This Kedushah
31:25 The Precious Stone Covered in Schmutz
32:06 Rav Shlomo Carlebach and the Rebbe’s Mikvah Story
33:35 Simmy Green Finds a Hidden Jew in London
34:45 Every Jewish Soul Will Ultimately Be Rectified
36:42 Hashem Does Not Want a Single Soul Lost
38:17 Gilgulim, Tikkun and the Final Redemption

In this shiur, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David continue learning Yayin Yashan and move through an extraordinary chain of teachings from the Chafetz Chaim, Chovot HaLevavot, Reb Aharon Karliner, the Me’or Einayim, Ma’or VaShemesh, Yesod VeShoresh HaAvodah, the Imrei Elimelech, the Baal HaTanya, and Yosher Divrei Emet — all circling one foundational point: what it means to actually believe in Hashem’s love for every Jew.

These sources push us far beyond the idea that Hashem’s love is something earned through performance. They ask us to believe that His love and compassion are beyond our measurements, that every Jew can give Him real נחת רוח, and that even the smallest act of Torah, tefillah, or connection carries a weight we barely understand.

-----

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

In this opening shiur of a new series on  the sefer יין ישן by Rav Nissan, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David begin where everything begins: Emunah אמונה.

Not the thin version of faith. Not just whether God exists. But the kind of Emunah that changes how a Jew walks through the world — how we think about Hashem’s greatness, His closeness, His presence in the smallest details of life, and the love He has for every Jew.

---------
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 Memorials and Sponsorships for the Breakfast
03:58 Winter Greetings and Thanks to the Community
07:17 Embarking on a Journey of Foundations and Learning
10:49 Understanding the Two Aspects: God Far and Near
23:53 Divine Providence: The Concept of Hashgacha Pratit
26:24 Private Divine Providence and Personal Insults
28:42 Stage Incident and Unexpected Blessing
33:31 Rabbi Shlomo's Trials and Resilience
36:13 God's Love Beyond Comprehension
37:58 Finding God in Natural Beauty
39:56 Jewish Concept of Faith
41:31 Upcoming Sessions and New Books