Walking Through Yemot HaMashiach with Rav Shlomo Katz

What do King David and King Shlomo teach us about the soul of Mashiach? Rav Shlomo Katz explores a powerful tension in the Torah: Why was David HaMelech, our greatest warrior and servant of Hashem, not allowed to build the Beit HaMikdash? And how is Mashiach, who must also fight great wars, able to build the Third Temple? Drawing from the Rambam, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and Chassidic masters, Rav S...

Rav Shlomo Katz dives deep into the Chassidic understanding of Geulah (redemption), explaining how the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov and other tzaddikim reveal the hidden essence of reality. It's already here, just waiting to be uncovered. Drawing from the Alter Rebbe, Rashbi, and the Vitebsker Rebbe, we explore how Chassidus helps us build the spiritual vessels to live with Mashiach-consciousnes...

We daven for Mashiach every day. We say the words. We hope it's near. But what are we actually waiting for? What will change in the days of Mashiach and what will stay exactly the same? What does life look like in a world filled with emunah, clarity, and Geulah? This shiur explores the teachings of Chazal, Rambam, and classic Torah sources on Yemot HaMashiach. We explore how this is not a new real...

Rav Shlomo Katz unpacks the mystery of Gog U’Magog — the war that Chazal and the prophets call the final confrontation before Geula. Through the words of Yechezkel and Zechariah, he explores how this “war” may already be unfolding in spiritual and moral dimensions — refining Am Yisrael, revealing Hashem’s justice, and awakening the world’s awareness of His oneness. 

Rav Shlomo explores the sources on where Mashiach’s revelation begins—Yerushalayim, the Galil, or even outside of Israel—weaving Rambam and Chazal with the idea that redemption may unfold in phases. The takeaway: don’t get stuck on the map; strengthen tefillah and achdut so that wherever it starts, we’re ready to walk it home.

Rav Shlomo Katz walks through classic sources—especially the Rambam—asking whether Mashiach’s revelation unfolds as open miracles or through a natural process that becomes wondrous later. Along the way, he shows how our avodah and merit can tilt the path of Geula, inviting us to live as partners in its unfolding.

The origins of Mashiach ben Yosef and his role.

What will be different from the redemption we are anticipating as opposed to the redemption from Egypt? What is the difference between Moshe Rabbeinu and Mashiach?

What does the sense of smell have to do with the manner in which Mashiach will carry out judgment?

Is Mashiach in a state of sleep until he is chosen?

In order to understand King Mashiach's role post redemption, we have to go back to the Torah and understand why we were reprimanded for the manner in which we initially asked for a king.

Why does Mashiach have to be a human being? Why does redemption have to be through a human being?

One of the key components which blocks us from believing in the coming of Mashiach is Mashiach himself. How so?

In our generation, we are witnessing an amazing phenomenon. On the outside, it seems so depressing and sad, but on the inside, it is beyond exciting.

What is it about our generation, that is ready for the coming of Mashiach, more than other generations that came before?

We delve deep into the statement of Rabbi Yochanan from the Gemara in Sanhedrin who says that Mashiach will come in a generation that is either fully worth or fully guilty.

What can be done to bring the redemption closer?

Based on the words of the Zohar Hakadosh, we can understand the tumultuous times we are living in, within the context of Mashiach's imminent arrival.

The Gemara, as well as the Abarbanel and Maharal, discuss the division of 6000 years of this world. The Ramban and the Alter Rebbe discuss the division as well, all pointing us to the time we are living in, a time primed for the coming of Mashiach.

In this class, we learn from the Alter Rebbe and the seventh Rebbe what it means to believe with complete faith that Mashiach can come today, especially when it doesn't look like it can.

Did Chazal really tell us to distract ourselves from anticipating the arrival of Mashiach?

The Midrashim, R' Shimon bar Yochai and the Chida explain how the merit to redemption lies within the anticipation.

One who believes in the coming of Mashiach without anticipation is left with a very weak sense of believing in the coming of Mashiach. What is necessary in order to truly anticipate the arrival of Mashiach?

An integral part of our learning is focusing in on the following: do we really understand what we are asking for when praying for the coming of Mashiach? Is it just to bring an end to war, or is that just an external piece of the enterprise?

Nothing should really shock us today. When we look deeply into our holy sages of 2000 years ago, they, more or less, gave us a play-by-play of the unfolding of our current times. Based on words from R' Menachem Brod, we stay focused and gain clarity regarding the times we are living in, the days that precede the coming of Mashiach.