"The whole world is waiting to sing the song of Shabbos" - Reb Shlomo Carlebach

SImchat Shomo is a Yeshiva in the heart of Nachlaot, Jerusalem. We get together most shabbatot and have 3rd meal together where we sing this series of special songs to uplift the holy time of when Shabbat is coming to an end. סעודת שלישית - 3rd meal is open to everyone. Please join us some time very soon!

סעודת שלישית

Rebbe Levi Yitzchak of Berditc

Bnei Heichala

The Gift of Shabbos

Mizmor L'david

Join Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David as we step from the awe of Rosh Hashanah into the יום של אמת of Yom Kippur—where the day itself reveals who we’ve been all along. With the Shem MiShmuel and a luminous teaching from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, we learn that on Yom Kippur the מידת האמת shines, the עצם הנשמה is uncovered, and עיצומו של יום מכפר—the core of the day atones. From that place, even על חטא turns future-facing: “That was last year; this year you won’t recognize me.” And with the Radomsker Rebbe’s reading of the Mishnah, we enter the Kodesh HaKodashim carrying one short tefillah of the Kohen Gadol: לא להבהית את ישראל—Hashem, don’t let Your children live in fear.

Practical avodah to take into Yom Kippur:
• Learn 10 quiet minutes before Kol Nidrei on מידת האמת—so the simchah of truth feels familiar, not foreign.
• Reframe על חטא: name one pattern from last year, then write its new, honest opposite for this year.
• Two moments of “eye contact” with Hashem (no words): once after Ashamnu, once before Ne’ilah—let the neshama speak.
• Whisper the Kohen Gadol’s line during Ne’ilah: לא להבהית את ישראל—and include tefillah for our soldiers and the return of all captives.
• Leave with one small kabbalah of emet—a truthful act you can keep the morning after.

May the Ribbono Shel Olam let us meet our truest self this Yom Kippur—חבוקה ודבוקה בך—and write us all into a year where truth dissolves fear, and the light of atonement becomes everyday life.

For more Shiurim and Music from Rav Shlomo Katz: https://ravshlomokatz.com

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What to Take with Me into Yom Kippur

In this week’s Hachana L’Shabbos — The Shabbos between Yom Kippur and Sukkot — we breathe in the freshness after Ne’ilah and learn how to land with gentleness. 

Join Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David in learning from the Slonimer Rebbe: this Shabbos holds two lights at once— יום השביעי that carries the love and cleansing of Yom Kippur, and תחילה למקראי קודש that calls out the joy of Sukkot. 

From Rav Kook we receive the avodah of these days: to re-educate our return to olam hazeh with קדושה—less סבלנות (gritting teeth) and more הַמתנה (patient waiting as a gift).

Together we explore:
• Why this Shabbos can be the holiest of the year—where YK’s “בני, אל תמאס” meets Succot’s “זמן שמחתנו.”
• How to guard calm—כל מלאכתך עשויה—even while building the sukkah, chasing schach, and lists upon lists.
• A simple practice: welcome Shabbos with one conscious hamtanah—slow Kiddush, a softer niggun, or a whispered “thank You for letting me come back gently.”

May the Ribbono Shel Olam let our bodies be proud of our souls this week, as heaven and earth meet in patience, joy, and Shabbos-peace.

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For more Shuirim and Music from Rav Shlomo Katz, visit: https://ravshlomokatz.com

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The Shabbos Between Yom Kippur and Sukkot 5785

R’ Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev and Parshat Bereishit on his Yahrzeit

In this week’s shiur, Rav Shlomo Katz continues our journey in "Know Your Children" toward a deeper parent–child bond—נפשו קשורה בנפשו / kesher nafshi—a two-way soul connection modeled by Yaakov and Binyamin. We review the “personalized funnel” of chinuch for each child and revisit the two loves that start every home—ahavah tiv’it (rooted in existence) and ahavah mutenet (shaped by traits)—then ask: how do we grow beyond one-way love into a shared inner bond without slipping into favoritism, enmeshment, or blurred boundaries?

Together we learn:
- Why every child demands a unique funnel from our heart to theirs—and why it begins with knowing ourselves.
- The limits of one-way love (newborn stage and trait-based affection) and the promise of two-sided connection.
- What “kesher nafshi” isn’t: dependency, replacing clear expectations, or making our child responsible for our feelings.
- How to model kibbud av va’em, set invitations (not ultimatums), and keep the family as the first lab for reciprocal relationships.
- Seeing our children inside Nishmat Kelal Yisrael—love that holds the individual and the bigger picture.

Practical takeaways:
- This week, offer one “invitation without expectation” for connection (walk, note, shared task) tailored to that child’s language of love.
- Before correction, ask: Am I speaking from ahavah tiv’it or from my need to feel loved? Adjust tone accordingly.
- Name and protect boundaries that keep closeness healthy (sleep, devices, respectful speech), so kesher can grow safely.

L’ilui nishmat Batya Feiga bat Yisrael, Levi ben Yosef; for refuah sheleimah of Aliza Chana bat Naomi—tachat sha’arei shamayim.

For more Shiurim and Music from Rav Shlomo Katz: https://ravshlomokatz.com

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Aiming Towards a Kesher Nafshi

Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David learn Reb Usher’s short but piercing letter about the “game” Hashem set into creation: neshamas sent into gufim—so that our way to powers lema’alah min ha’teva (above our nature) actually runs through the body, not around it. We explore free will in real time (not acting on every thought), the danger of turning streaks of self-control into self-worship, and the quiet addiction to feeling like a victim. The avodah is to notice the strength we’re given, trace it back to its Source, and live like a baby held by its mother—safe, nourished, and not compelled by every impulse.

Topics include:
“The game”: souls in bodies—why access to kochos she’me’al hateva is davka through the guf.
Bechira in the moment: thoughts arise constantly; emunah means I don’t have to act on them.
Streaks vs. Source: when discipline becomes ego-service—and how to turn victories into thanksgiving.
The quiet pleasure of sadness: how victimhood removes responsibility—and how to break its spell.
“Like a baby in its mother’s arms”: cultivating felt safety with Hashem to dissolve compulsion.
Reading the paragraph again (and again): training the eye to see that every strength is a gift.
Touching Or HaGanuz—the light of Bereishit—without pretending we’re perfect.
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 For more Shiurim and Music from Rav Shlomo Katz, visit: https://ravshlomokatz.com

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Accessing Supernatural Powers

In this week’s Hachana L’Shabbos, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David enter the niggun of “ה׳ רֹעִי לֹא אֶחְסָר” and ask a very simple, very brave question: am I still wrestling with life, or am I letting the Shepherd lead?

Together we learn that Shalosh Seudos is an עת רצון to be led: to discover what we truly want, to cry for it, and to begin living it now. From the Slonimer and the mefarshim on Tehillim 23, and from the image of ra’aya meheimna (Moshe the “faithful shepherd”), we hear that leaders don’t just inspire. They plant אמונה until following Hashem becomes natural, not forced.

We explore:

Why “Hashem is my Shepherd” is not poetry but a posture: when He’s leading, what am I really lacking?

The animal-market mashal: resisting the pull of the Shepherd bruises us; softening to His guidance brings calm and protection.

Yaakov’s secret—“הָאֱ-לֹקִים הָרֹעֶה אֹתִי… עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה”: a lifetime of hard chapters without losing the Shepherd-consciousness.

What true ביטול looks like (not becoming “gefilte-fish frum,” but awake, dignified surrender).

Practice for this Shabbos: choose one place you’ve been fighting reality. During Shalosh Seudos, whisper: “Ribono Shel Olam, You are my Shepherd here too.” Then let your next small step follow, not drag.

May we merit to feel guided, guarded, and gently gathered, so our bodies stop bracing, our hearts stop bruising, and Shabbos becomes the pasture of trust.

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For more Shuirim and Music from Rav Shlomo Katz, visit: https://ravshlomokatz.com

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Has God Become Your Shepherd Yet?

In this week’s shiur, Rav Shlomo Katz asks the heart-level question: Do I Want to Know My Child’s World?

We deepen last week’s kesher nafshi—a two-way soul-bond—by facing a common gap: many parents are pouring from their world into children living in a different one. Without curiosity and reciprocity, the funnel leaks; with it, chinuch can finally land.

Together we learn:
- Why a mutual bond (ke-mayim ha-panim) is the only stable “funnel” for real chinuch.
- How to enter a child’s dor (generation) with humility—see, listen, learn—before you speak.
- The difference between organic kibbud av va’em and guilt-based demands—and how to keep it gentle.
- Why relying on “passive osmosis” (they’ll just pick it up) isn’t a shittah—we need a conscious method.
- Creation’s order as a model: a spousal kesher of mutuality precedes and teaches the parent–child bond.

Practical takeaways:
- Schedule one curiosity block this week (10–15 min): ask about their music, friends, game, class—no fixing, just “teach me your world.”
- Before giving mussar, ask: Do I have a funnel here? If not, build it first (listen, reflect back, then speak briefly).
- Name one gentle boundary that keeps connection safe (tone, timing, devices), and keep it with consistency and warmth.
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L’ilui nishmat Batya Feiga bat Yisrael; Levi ben Yosef; Avraham Mordechai ben Yosef.
For refuah sheleimah Aliza Chana bat Naomi; Shoshana Yona bat Eidel—תחת שערי שמים.
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For more Shuirim and Music from Rav Shlomo Katz, visit: https://ravshlomokatz.com

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Do I Want to Know My Child’s World?

In Parshat Lech Lecha, Avraham Avinu begins the journey that defines what it means to be a Jew, and asks the question that still echoes through every generation: “במה אדע כי אירשנה” — “Hashem, how will I know that this Land is truly ours?”

Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David explore Reb Shlomo Carlebach’s teachings on the Even Shlomo, uncovering why Eretz Yisrael is the deepest and most complicated question in the world. Through the words of the Aish Kodesh, the Izhbitzer, and Reb Shlomo, we learn that the promise of the Land is not a guarantee — it’s a relationship. A relationship that can only survive when it rises מעל הבחירה — beyond choice.
A connection that demands not just faith in Hashem, but a longing to hear directly from Him.

Takeaways:
– The bond with the land of Israel mirrors the bond with Hashem — it only lasts when it’s beyond choice.
– The hardest questions in faith aren’t a lack of belief; they’re part of how we stay in the conversation.
– Our generation’s holy chutzpah — to want to hear directly from Hashem — is itself a sign of Geulah.
– The question “Why is Eretz Yisrael so complicated?” isn’t a doubt — it’s a calling.
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For more Shuirim and Music from Rav Shlomo Katz, visit: https://ravshlomokatz.com

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Lech Lecha 5786: Why is Eretz Yisrael So Complicated?

Rav Shlomo Katz and the women of Shirat David open a tender gate into תפילת נשים: the gift of בינה יתירה—a woman’s inner knowing to separate עיקר (primary) from טפל (secondary). Returning to “לא תירא לביתה משלג כי כל ביתה לבוש שנים,” we hear how “snow” (the Amalek-cold that numbs holy feeling) is disarmed by a woman’s warm feeling for Hashem. With Sarah Imeinu and Rivka Imeinu as living guides, we learn how a mother’s כח הבחנה—her ability to detect what truly matters—clothes an entire home in confidence, prayer, and purpose.

This shiur is an invitation to trust that voice: to aim tefillah at what’s essential, to stop pouring koach into what doesn’t serve, and to let a woman’s daas build a bayit ne’eman from the inside out.

What you’ll hear

- “Lo tira…mi’sheleg” as Amalek’s cooling vs. a woman’s warming fire
- Rav Tzadok & Chazal on בינה יתירה: להבין דבר מתוך דבר in tefillah
- Sarah Imeinu’s clarity (גרש את בן האמה) and why Hashem says “שמע בקולה”
- Rivka Imeinu seeing through appearances: loving Yaakov, reading Esav
- Ikar vs. tafel: blessing your home by investing koach where it counts
- Why women’s tefillah is uniquely targeted—and how it protects “kol beitah”
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For more Shuirim and Music from Rav Shlomo Katz, visit: https://ravshlomokatz.com

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A Woman’s Ability to Detect Importance

Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David enter Mizmor L’David (Tehillim 23) through the eyes of Rav Tzadok HaKohen (ר׳ צדוק הכהן) and discover why David HaMelech shifts from לשון נסתר (speaking about Hashem)—“יַרְבִּיצֵנִי… יְנַהֲלֵנִי… יַנְחֵנִי”—to לשון נוכח (speaking to Hashem)—“כִּי אַתָּה עִמָּדִי.”

The teaching is piercing and tender: most of us turn to אַתָּה (You) only in the גֵּיא צַלְמָוֶת (valley of shadow), but the avodah is to live in אַתָּה even on the green pastures.

We sing the נוסח (melody) for Mizmor L’David that Reb Shlomo Carlebach composed at his mother’s levayah, and we learn how תְּפִלָּה תָּמִיד (constant prayer) keeps us awake to the מְנַהֵג לַבִּירָה (One who runs the “castle,” i.e., the world)—so we don’t need painful wake-ups. From a Chassid who broke his hand yet whispered “בִּנְאוֹת דֶּשֶׁא…”, to the line “עם ה׳—חוצים ים; בלא ה׳—אין עוברים מפתן (with Hashem you cross a sea; without Him you can’t cross a doorstep)”, we practice thanking, pleading, and noticing while the fridge is full and the house is calm.

Takeaways:
Train your heart to say אַתָּה (You) in moments of plenty—set two daily “calm-time” tefillos of gratitude.
Add a quiet Mizmor L’Todah (מִזְמוֹר לְתוֹדָה) before מִמַּעֲמַקִּים—praise before plea.
Place שִׁוִּיתִי ה׳ לְנֶגְדִּי (I have set Hashem before me) on your phone lockscreen; touch it before you touch your day.
When you notice success, speak out loud: “לֹא כֹחִי וְעֹצֶם יָדִי (not my own strength)”—and name one gift that clearly isn’t yours.
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For more Shuirim and Music from Rav Shlomo Katz, visit: https://ravshlomokatz.com

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Rebbe Levi Yitzchak of Berditc

Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo

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