Chassidic Tales with Rav Shlomo Katz

A chassid told the Ruzhiner Rebbe his deepest kavana came during Shema Yisrael. But the Rebbe wanted to know—what about when you say Pote’ach et yadecha? What does it really mean to be a Ruzhiner chassid? 

The Ruzhiner Rebbe had a royal lineage from King David himself. But when his granddaughter married the son of Rav Hershele of Rimanov, the Rimanover’s “yichus” wasn’t a scroll—it was how he bought an extra apple each week l’kavod Shabbos.  Sometimes the holiest legacy isn’t inherited....it’s lived.

They thought holiness meant always doing the right thing. But the Ruzhiner Rebbe showed them something deeper—what it means to be honest with your own heart.

They found a starving nine-year-old boy dancing on a broken porch, glowing with joy. When asked why, he said, “I realized how much I have—and how little I’ve thanked Hashem for it.” That boy became the Rebbe Menachem Mendel of Rimanov. 

On Tisha B'Av, the Rhuziner’s chassidim tried anything to escape the sadness, even setting a wild prank in the beis medrash. But when the rope accidentally hoisted the Rebbe himself, his response wasn’t anger....it was a tefillah.

A chassid came to say goodbye. It just wasn’t working out for him in Eretz Yisrael. But when his Rebbe said, “If Yerushalayim had found grace in your eyes, you would’ve found grace in hers,” something shifted.May we all merit to find grace in Yerushalayim, and bring her the one thing she’s still waiting for.

By the heilige Rav Naftali of Ropshitz, every Motzei Shabbos was a gentle goodbye to Shabbos and a warm welcome to the Yom Tov that followed.....except one - Tisha B’Av.Some guests we just don’t want to let in.

The Chofetz Chaim would weep when he recalled how the Beis HaLevi agreed to become Rav of Brisk after hearing, “25,000 Jews are waiting for you.” And then he’d ask: What if we turned to Hashem and said, “Master of the world, millions of Yidden are waiting for Moshiach…” Wouldn’t that change everything?

Before his student left for Yerushalayim, the Sanzer Rav cried out: “Send my love. Tell her I’m coming. Slowly, limping, but I’m coming.” Sometimes all Yerushalayim is waiting for… is our regards.

Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa had nothing, but he still dreamed of bringing an offering to the Beis HaMikdash. What happened next is a reminder that when the heart burns with pure desire, even the heaviest stones can be lifted.