Before a Jew speaks to Hashem, something deeper has to happen first.

In this powerful continuation of our learning on hitbodedut, Rav Shlomo Katz and the women of Shirat David explore the hidden avodah that comes before the words ever begin: silence, yishuv hadaas, longing, and preparing the heart to truly stand before the Ribbono Shel Olam.

Drawing from Rebbe Nachman and Reb Noson, this shiur opens up the inner world of hitbodedut — not as a technique, but as a lived relationship. What happens in those first quiet moments? Why is it so difficult to begin? How do we avoid turning authenticity into self-destruction? And what does it mean to receive words “like burning coals of fire” directly from Hashem?

Along the way, Rav Shlomo speaks about weddings, Rav Ginsburgh, the challenge of presence, the danger of negative self-talk disguised as honesty, and the possibility of hearing Hashem’s voice through your own.
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CHAPTERS
00:00 Opening and Sponsor Acknowledgment
02:42 Importance of Yishuv HaDaas and Hisbodedus
04:15 The 15-Minute Hisbodedus Challenge
05:16 How to Begin Hisbodedus: Practical Steps
07:11 Preparing the Mind Before Speaking
09:20 The Need for Silence According to Rav Noson
10:21 Rebbe’s Story of Waiting for the Frierdiker Rebbe
11:22 Wedding Example: Staying Present in Sacred Moments
13:08 Facing Opposition When Seeking Hisbodedus
17:16 Heavy Nature of Hisbodedus and Required Silence
19:51 Final Call: Daily Practice of Hisbodedus
23:48 Need for More Time and Rachamei Shamayim
26:52 Avoiding the Self-Perverted Authenticity Trap
29:13 Distinguishing Shleppers from the Truly Seeking
31:56 Approaching Hashem with Humility, Not Boasting
34:23 From Soft Beginnings to Burning Coals of Words
38:43 Hearing God’s Voice Through Hisbodedus
42:48 Sefirat HaOmer: Tuning Ears for Divine Messages
46:00 Source of the One-Hour Pre-Hitbodedut Practice
47:29 Rebbe’s Vision of All-Day Hitbodedus
48:50 Comparing Hitbodedut and Continuous Prayer
49:59 Focusing on One Middah in Practice

In this deeply practical shiur, Rav Shlomo Katz and the women of Shirat David open a doorway into one of Rebbe Nachman’s most essential teachings: hitbodedut.

Drawing from the sefer Eshpoch Lefanav Sichi and the teachings of Rebbe Nachman, Rav Shlomo reframes what it means to “talk to Hashem.” Not as something formal, structured, or intimidating, but as something raw, human, and deeply personal.

What does it actually mean to speak “as you would to a close friend”? Why do so many people feel resistance to hisbodedut? And how can just 15 minutes a day begin to bring real clarity, calm, and connection, even in a chaotic world?

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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 and Sponsor Acknowledgments
02:14 Purpose of Hisbodedus and Tranquility
07:27 Suggested 15-Minute Daily Practice
09:52 Pouring Out the Heart Like a Friend
16:41 Story of a Compassionate Friend in Tzfat
18:38 Challenges and Resistance to Daily Hisbodedus
24:01 Infinite Heart Talk vs. Structured Prayer
25:26 Keeping Deep Heart Secrets from the Untrusted
26:31 “Hashem Bored?” – The Prison Joke Analogy
27:34 Reb Noson on Small Details Before the Divine
30:34 Sitting Before Hashem: Pouring Out the Heart
32:56 Childlike Vulnerability in Hisbodedus
37:20 Yefaresh Sichaso: Interpreting the Inner Voice
41:57 Practical 15-Minute Hisbodedus Commitment
45:34 Outdoor Hisbodedus and Women’s Participation

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.
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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