On Rebbe Nachman’s 254th birthday, Rav Shlomo Katz and the women of Shirat David open a different kind of door.

Not just into the teachings of the Rebbe, but into the mystery of what hiskashrus really means — what it means to feel that a tzaddik was sent into the world with your soul in mind.

Through a deeply personal text from Rav Erez Moshe Doron, this shiur explores why connection to the tzaddik can sound so foreign from the outside, and yet feel like the most intimate truth in the world from the inside. What does it mean to say, “I am Rebbe Nachman’s”? Is that threatening? Is it liberating? Is it a surrender of self, or the first time a person truly begins to find their real self?

Rav Shlomo weaves together the worlds of emunah, bittul, self-acceptance, loneliness, healing, and avodah, showing how the tzaddik does not come to replace a person’s relationship with Hashem, but to lead them toward the G-dly light within.

This is a birthday shiur, but really it is a love letter: to the Rebbe, to the soul, and to the hope that no part of a person is beyond repair.

And the practical takeaway is as clear as ever: if you want this Torah to enter the heart, begin with 15 minutes of hisbodedus a day.
----------
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 Opening Blessings and Sponsor Acknowledgments
01:06 Rebbe Nachman's Birthday and Its Significance
02:11 Birthday vs Yahrtzeit: Spiritual Meaning
04:29 Neighborhood Group’s Struggle with Chassidus
05:41 The Pasuk as Basis for Tzaddik Connection
07:01 Experiencing Rebbe’s Guidance in Personal Anxiety
08:07 Breslov’s Unique Stance on Tzaddik Relationship
09:24 Personal Identification with Rebbe Nachman
13:45 Self-Acceptance Through Kinyan Gamur
20:40 Transformative Stories of Rebbe Nachman’s Influence
24:40 Personal Transformation Through Hiskashrus
25:43 Uniqueness of Breslov vs Other Chassidic Groups
29:03 Need for Gedolim in Religious Zionist World
30:36 Echad L'Echad Initiative to Elevate Yeshiva Leaders
33:34 Writing a Hiskashrus Document at the Kotel
43:36 Breslov Avoda and the Role of the Ovdim
44:49 Eternal Love and Longing for the Rebbe
47:54 Feeling Alone and Telling My Own Story
51:28 Rebbe Nachman's Contrary Approach to Tzaddikim
52:58 Desire to Cry Out in Loneliness
53:58 Hope for Future Transformation
55:19 Rebbe as Spiritual Psychologist
57:02 Trusting the Rebbe Over Self
58:09 Guided Towards Inner Light
64:26 Practical Daily Hisbodedus Advice