Even Shlomo - Rav Shlomo Carlebach zt"l on the Weekly Parsha

The Torah tells us that Hashem appeared to Avraham Avinu at Elonei Mamre. But it never tells us what Hashem said. What kind of revelation takes place without a single word?

In this week's Even Shlomo on the Parsha, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David explore a remarkable teaching from Reb Shlomo Carlebach and the Ishbitzer tradition about what it really means to encounter Hashem.

What happens when the world around us feels unbearably dark? How do we recognize Hashem's presence in moments of suffering and uncertainty? And when something deep inside...

What does it really mean to live above and beyond nature? And how much of what we consider impossible is simply the result of the limits we've placed on ourselves?

In this week's Even Shlomo on the Parsha, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David explore a remarkable teaching from the Ruzhiner Rebbe, as shared by Reb Shlomo Carlebach, beginning with a subtle but profound difference between Noach and Avraham Avinu.

Through beautiful Chassidic stories and some surprisingly practical examples, this shiur challenges us to reconsider what it means to serve Hashem, how...

When we think of Parshat Noach, we usually think of the mabul, the teivah, the rainbow, and the dove returning with an olive leaf. 

But there's something about that little olive leaf that opens up an entirely different world.

This week in Even Shlomo, we're learning one of my favorite teachings from Reb Shlomo Carlebach. It's one of the most unexpected pieces I've ever learned, connecting Noach to some of the most significant moments in our history.

And underneath this remarkable teaching is something so important for us to remember, especially when we f...

How is it possible that someone can know so much Torah, teach it beautifully, and still leave us feeling absolutely nothing? And then someone else, who barely knows anything, can share one word that stays with us for the rest of our lives?

In this week's Even Shlomo on the Parsha, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David begin Bereishit with a remarkable teaching from Reb Efraim of Breslov, as brought down in Reb Shlomo Carlebach's Even Shlomo.

Through Adam HaRishon, the Akeidah, and the teachings of Rebbe Nachman and Reb Noson, we...

As Parshat Balak unfolds, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David explore one of the most uncomfortable questions in Judaism: what does it actually mean to be the "Chosen People"? Is chosenness about superiority, exclusivity, or something entirely different?

Drawing on the Even Shlomo, Rebbe Nachman, and a breathtaking reading of Balak's deepest desire, Rav Shlomo reveals that Balak's mistake wasn't simply hatred of the Jewish people. At his core, he longed for a world where everyone could be close to Hashem, but he misunderstood what that closeness truly meant.

Through the stories...

As Parshat Chukat opens with the mystery of the Parah Adumah, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David uncover a startling teaching hidden within its ashes. 

Drawing from  Reb Tzadok HaKohen, the Rambam, and Reb Shlomo Carlebach, this short but powerful shiur becomes a meditation on exile, redemption, and what it truly means to prepare for Mashiach.

Beginning with the Rambam's surprising prayer in the middle of Mishneh Torah, Rav Shlomo explores the deeper meaning of the Parah Adumah as a symbol of Am Yisrael itself: pure, whole, and sent "outside the camp" in...

Every year, we return to Parshat Korach, thinking we know the story. A jealous man challenges Moshe Rabbeinu, gets swallowed by the earth, and that's the end of it. But Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David explore a much deeper reading: Korach's downfall was not that he made a mistake. It was that he could not admit he had made one.

Drawing on the Ishbitzer, Chazal, and the inner relationship between Korach, Kayin, Hevel, and Moshe Rabbeinu, this shiur uncovers what may be the ultimate test of truth: not whether we know the truth...

As Parshat Shelach confronts us once again with the story of the Meraglim, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David uncover what may be the deepest question hidden beneath their report.

Were the spies really afraid?

Drawing from the Even Shlomo, Rav Shlomo suggests that the issue was not fear at all. The issue was רצון.

Because if there is something you truly want — something your life depends on — nothing can stop you. Obstacles only reveal uncertainty in the connection. When desire is absolute, doubt disappears.

In this powerful shiur, Rav Shlo...

As Parshat Behaalotecha opens with the lighting of the Menorah, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David uncover a deeper question hidden beneath the mitzvah: what was it that Moshe Rabbeinu could not understand about the Menorah?

Drawing from the teachings of Reb Leibel Eiger, the Sfas Emes, and Reb Shlomo Carlebach, this shiur explores the meaning of “fire” in Avodat Hashem — not external excitement, but the פנימיות שבפנימיות, the hidden flame burning deep within every Jewish soul. Rav Shlomo explains that Aharon HaKohen’s greatness was not simply lighting candles, but revealing to every Yid that there is already a fire...

As Parshat Behar–Bechukotai closes Sefer Vayikra, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David explore one of the deepest teachings of the Ishbitzer on the words “אם בחוקותי תלכו.” What does it mean for Torah to become חקוק — engraved — inside a person? And how do you know if your mitzvot are truly becoming part of you, or just remaining external behaviors?

In this shiur, Rav Shlomo weaves together Sefirat HaOmer, friendship, humility, and the danger of humiliating another Jew. Through a powerful story with IDF soldiers, the hidden meaning of counting the Omer, and the teachings of the Ishbitzer and Rebbi Akiva, he reveals...

As Parshat Emor brings us into the avodah of Sefirat HaOmer, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David uncover a deep teaching from the Even Shlomo: the secret of time and space is not abstract. It’s the key to knowing where you are, who you are, and what this moment is asking of you.

In this shiur, Rav Shlomo explores why we specifically daven for the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash after counting the Omer, and how Sefirah trains a person to become sensitive to time itself and to feel that every רגע is completely new...

As Parshat Tazria–Metzora confronts the difficult reality of lashon hara, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David reveal a deeper and almost surprising truth: the one who speaks negatively is not small, but someone with a big soul.

Drawing from the Mei HaShiloach and the Meor Einayim, Rav Shlomo explores why the Torah דווקא calls the metzora an “Adam” — the highest name for a human being. What emerges is a powerful insight: lashon hara often comes not from pettiness, but from deep disappointment — from people who wanted something very much and couldn’t bear when it didn’t come tr...

There are stories in the Torah we think we understand… until we slow down and actually listen.

Nadav and Avihu are usually taught as a warning—two sons who did something wrong and paid the price.

But what if that’s not the real story?

In this shiur on Parshat Shemini, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David go deeper into one of the most misunderstood moments in the Torah and uncover what they were באמת afraid of.

What happens when serving Hashem becomes something we only do because we “have to”?  W...

As Parshat Vayikra opens the world of korbanot, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David uncover a deeper truth from the Even Shlomo: the purpose of a korban was never only to express guilt. It was to bring a person back to clarity — to help them leave the Beit HaMikdash knowing more deeply what truly matters, what doesn’t, and who they really are.

In this shiur, Rav Shlomo explores the inner meaning of charatah — regret — not as self-hatred, but as a revelation: this is not the real me. Drawing on Chazal, the Baal Shem Tov, and...

As the war with Iran widens, Rav Shlomo Katz turns to one word in Parshat Ki Tisa that may define this moment more than any other: Ayeh — Where? Recent days have brought more Israeli strikes, Iranian missile attacks, and a growing sense that the conflict is both militarily real and spiritually overwhelming.

In this shiur, Rav Shlomo explores Moshe Rabbeinu’s cry after the Golden Calf — “Har’eini na et kevodecha” — and the deeper avodah of “Ayeh mekom kevodo.” Drawing on Reb Shlomo Carlebach and Rebbe Nachman, he explains how the deepest question of faith is not pretending everyth...

As Purim approaches, Parshat Zachor arrives first—an annual call not only to remember Amalek historically, but to recognize Amalek as a force that shows up while you’re already on the way.

Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David explore “asher karcha baderech” as the place where momentum gets sabotaged: the moment someone begins real growth, a convincing inner voice appears in the name of “realism,” “compassion,” and “I’m just trying to protect you”—and tells them to stop before they disappoint themselves again. Drawing on Rebbe Nachman (as brought by Reb Shlomo Carlebach), the shiur re...

In Parshas Terumah, the Torah details the measurements of the Mishkan — broken numbers, halves, small dimensions. Why?

In this powerful shiur, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David uncover a radical truth from Reb Shlomo: holy light doesn’t overpower small light. It awakens us to it.

What’s the difference between holy money and unholy money? Between a big donation and a small one? Between psychedelic light and a tiny flashlight?

From the Kotel built from “pennies” to the קול דממה דקה hidden inside the shofar blast, this teaching reframes how we see value, contribution...

Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David learn the shocking Midrash from Parshat Yitro that says Am Yisrael were sleeping the night before receiving the Torah.

But Reb Shlomo Carlebach reveals something much deeper: it wasn’t laziness. It was small anava. The feeling of “Who am I to stand by Har Sinai?”

And Moshe Rabbeinu comes tent-to-tent with one last message before Torah can be given:

If you still see yourself as limited — if you’re still living inside “Beit Avadim,” the mindset of measuring and calculating what you think you’re capable...

Parshas Bo is not just the story of leaving Egypt. It’s the inner blueprint of freedom.

Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David opens an Even Shlomo that sounds “insane” at first: why does the Torah say “וישאלו איש מאת רעהו” — “ask from your friend” — when it’s describing Egyptians who enslaved us? Why call them re’ehu at all?

Because the night of Yetzias Mitzrayim wasn’t only an exit from suffering. It was a flash of Mashiach reality: a moment where Hashem’s light was so clear that no human being could be anyone’s master. Not Pharoah over Egypt. Not fear o...

This week in Even Shlomo on Parshat Va’era, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David go straight into the cry so many of us are holding: “Ribono Shel Olam… for what? Haven’t we been through enough?” Moshe Rabbeinu asks it too — and the answer isn’t a slogan, it’s a demand: Geulah is not “back to normal.”

Reb Shlomo teaches that the world’s “unnatural” situation can’t last forever — but the real question is what happens to us while we’re waiting. Do we settle for healthy, functional, status quo… or do we move into above nature: the...

What happens when an enemy loses every shred of humanity?

In a deeply personal and vulnerable Shemot shiur on Reb Shlomo’s birthday, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David confront the painful reality of our generation. Drawing from the Izhbitzer Rebbe (Mei HaShiloach), we explore the verse "The King of Egypt died." We learn that this does not merely refer to a physical death, but to the death of humaneness itself—a state where the enemy is no longer capable of basic human feeling.

From the tunnels of Gaza to the hallways of t...

In Parashat Vayechi, Yaakov Avinu gathers his children for what feels like the ultimate “final download” — He’asfu… and I’ll tell you what will happen at the end of days.

 And then… it disappears. Nistalka mimenu haShechinah.

In this shiur, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David learn a short but life-shaping Torah from Even Shlomo: sometimes the deepest clarity isn’t prophecy at all. It’s the holy not knowing that opens a person into yearning, into tefillah, into real closeness.

We speak about what a parent wants most for thei...

Parshat Vayigash is the moment the Ishbitzer says is the closest we can taste in this world to what it will feel like when Moshiach reveals himself.

Because “Ani Yosef” isn’t just a plot twist. It’s the revelation that everything that looked like hester panim… everything that felt like an enemy… everything that seemed like punishment… was actually part of the process that “squeezed” a deeper YOU out of you.

In this shiur, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David dive into the Even Shlomo which opens a daring question:

If not every Jew...

Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David open parshat Vayeshev in a way most of us never heard growing up. Instead of a childish tale of jealous brothers and a flashy coat, we meet two kings of Am Yisrael – Yosef and Yehuda – and an underground story of sacrifice, responsibility, and teshuva.

Drawing on Ishbitz, Zohar and Reb Shlomo Carlebach, Rav Shlomo explores the possibility that Yosef actually prayed to be the one who goes down to the exile of Egypt, taking the chains of slavery so his father and brothers wouldn’t have to. The brothe...

In this week’s Even Shlomo on the Parsha, Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevre of Shirat David walk with Yaakov into the darkest, most misunderstood place in the human heart – loneliness.

“ויבשר יעקב לבדו" – Yaakov was left alone.” Reb Shlomo reads this night of wrestling not as a tragedy, but as the moment Yaakov’s deepest self is revealed on the night he receives the name Yisrael and gives every Jew the strength to stand alone until the dawn of Geulah.

Rav Shlomo Katz unpacks:

In this week’s Even Shlomo on the Parsha, Rav Shlomo Katz learns a Beis Yaakov from Ishbitz on Yaakov Avinu’s first steps out into galus, and quietly rewrites our whole definition of “success.”

We follow Yaakov as he leaves Be’er Sheva and discovers that when you’re searching for Hashem, every step on the way already fills you, unlike the Western model where nothing “counts” until you close the deal, get the money, or hit the goal.

Rav Shlomo contrasts wanting money with longing for Hashem, shows how Shabbos and Matan Torah are tasted befor...

Parshat Toldot opens a door into spiritual speed. When Yitzchak asks, “ מַה־זֶּ֛ה מִהַ֥רְתָּ לִמְצֹ֖א בְּנִ֑י”—“How did you find it so fast?”—and Yaakov answers, “ כִּ֥י הִקְרָ֛ה ה׳ אֱלֹקיךָ לְפָנָֽי”—"Because Hashem has granted me good fortune"— Reb Shlomo Carlebach reads it as a secret of kefitzat haderech: the heart can shorten the road when there’s clarity, love, and the courage to truly see one another.

We trace that current back to Eliezer’s “וָאָבֹ֥א הַיֹּ֖ום אֶל־הָעָ֑יִן” (arriving today at the well), showing how the right shlichut, aligned with kedushah, compresses what “should” take years.

Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David explore how Yitzchak’s inner sight during the brachot let him finally “meet” Yaakov, and how that recognition accelerates redemption on t...

Chayei Sara is the world after the Akeidah: how Avraham and Yitzchak walked back into life with new eyes, and how we’re meant to daven with those eyes today.

Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevre of Shirat David learn a short, potent piece from Reb Carlebach's Even Shlomo about מיחדות—that inner point of “what’s special” inside every Jew—and why Yitzchak and Rivka’s shidduch had to be more than “compatible”; it had to be
"special meets special."

From Eliezer’s test at the well, to zeh Keili v’anveihu (a personal, beautiful connection to Hash...

In Vayera, the name Yitzchak —“laughter”— opens a window into two kinds of kedushah: the holiness we build through our choices, and the inborn holiness that no failure can touch. On Reb Shlomo’s 31st yahrtzeit, we sing, remember, and learn how courageous love makes our days longer and our lives larger.

Drawing from Even Shlomo, we explore why the world “burst into laughter” at Yitzchak’s birth: Avraham and Sarah toiled for years so a new truth could enter creation: that Jewish children are born holy. From there, we look at how we can learn to see that holines...

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 relationsh...

In one of the most hidden episodes of the Torah, Parshat Balak reveals a dimension of Hashem’s love that we never even knew was happening. Am Yisrael was entirely unaware while curses were being transformed into blessings, because Hashem simply refused to hear anything negative about His people.

Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David take us deep into the teachings of the Izhbitzer and Chazal, showing how the story of Bilam, the story of Iyov, and the Five Books of the Torah form a complete spiritual picture: what we feel when Hashem seems ab...

What happens when the well of connection dries up?

Join Rav Shlomo Katz and the Chevra of Shirat David as they explore the mysterious link between Miriam HaNeviah and the life-giving waters that sustained Am Yisrael in the desert. Why did the water cease with her passing? What does it mean to “taste infinity” in a mitzvah, a relationship, or even a single word of Torah?

From perfectionism in spirituality to the infinite power of a single drop of water, this shiur travels from Moshe’s grief to Miriam’s unique essence of chibur—connection. Through Ch...

What makes someone truly great? Is it perfection, success, or never making a mistake? Rav Shlomo Katz dives deep into Parshat Korach, uncovering profound insights from the teachings of Reb Leibele Eiger and Even Shlomo. Discover why genuine greatness isn't about always being right—but about the courage to admit when you're wrong. Explore the critical difference between truth and the "truth of truths," and learn how the ultimate test of character lies in embracing humility and vulnerability.
This shiur illuminates what it truly means to be an איש אמת (a person of truth) in a world full of confusing messages...

Join Rav Shlomo Katz as we dive deep into one of the most vulnerable, explosive, and essential teachings of the Ishbitzer Rebbe: the yearning for a lev basar — a heart of flesh.

Why did Bnei Yisrael suddenly ask for meat in the desert, after witnessing the greatest miracles in history? Was it physical craving... or a spiritual cry to feel something again?

Drawing from the teachings of Rav Shlomo Carlebach, the Ishbitzer Rebbe, and the prophetic vision of the Messianic era, Rav Shlomo challenges us to ask: Are we strong because we're tough, or are we...

Why does the Torah open Parshat Naso with בני גרשון—and why are they the ones who need their heads lifted?

Join Rav Shlomo Katz as he dives deep into the Torah of Even Shlomo, the teachings of Rav Shlomo Carlebach, to reveal the inner world of those who feel cast out, rejected, or spiritually divorced from their source. What does it mean to feel מגורש—exiled, pushed away? And how does the Torah respond?

Through the lens of the name גרשון, Rav Shlomo brings healing to anyone who’s ever felt like God wasn’t interested in them. We learn that lif...

Why did Rav Shlomo Carlebach call Sefer Bamidbar “The Book of Mistakes”?

Join Rav Shlomo Katz as he reflects on the teachings of Even Shlomo, the Torah of Rav Shlomo Carlebach, revealing how Bamidbar is not just a book of wandering, but a book of becoming. From Moshe Rabbeinu’s failure to enter Eretz Yisrael to the downfall of the meraglim (spies), we learn that failure isn’t the end. It’s part of the path.

As Rav Shlomo Carlebach writes, “The higher the goal, the more you’re going to fall on the way.” Rav Shlomo Katz...

What does it mean to live with Hashem engraved in your soul?

This shiur dives into the Torah of חקיקה — of engraving. Not just doing mitzvot, but becoming someone who can't not. Someone whose subconscious, whose smallest actions, carry Hashem’s light.

Drawing from the teachings of Rav Shlomo Carlebach, the Izhbitzer, and Chazal, we explore what happens when the inner world becomes clean, when your heart cries out even before you speak.

We talk about the power of פנימיות, of the צעקה של הלב, the scream of the heart that goes deeper than tefillah. And we ask the uncomfortable questio...

What if the greatest danger to your soul isn’t failure… but arrival?

This week’s Torah hits a deeper nerve: what happens when the thing you begged for actually happens? You’re here. You’re holding it. Now what?

What if we’ve stopped dreaming because we think we’ve already arrived?