The Torah Commentary of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach : Genesis, Part II

The Torah Commentary of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach provides a glimpse into the unusual way in which the late Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach received and transmitted Torah. It also aids the reader in bridging “Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach the great composer/singer” and “Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach the great scholar/teacher.” Those who sing his songs, but do not learn his Torah, only sing half a song. When Reb Shlomo speaks of Abraham and Sara, you are sure he is speaking about his own grandparents. When delving into the lives of Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob, Rachel and Leah, it is as if he is speaking of his own parents.

The teachings in this book of commentary are not just meant to be read – they are intended to be enjoyed and experienced as “holy music.” Ultimately, they are intended as a lesson in living a “holy life.” Wherever Reb Shlomo traveled in the world, he brought several suitcases of holy books with him. This book makes Reb Shlomo’s teachings accessible to help us carry on our journey through life.

Includes the final six parshiyot/sections in the book of Genesis.

About the author:

Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach was born in Berlin, Germany in 1925. He grew up with his twin brother, Eli Chaim and his sister, Shulamith near Vienna where his father, Rabbi Naftali was Chief Rabbi. In 1939, as the war began to escalate and the Nazis’ grip tightened, Shlomo and his family miraculously escaped to New York where he spent time learning by some of the greatest Torah scholars of the last century, such as Rabbi Ahron Kotler, Rabbi Shlomo Heiman and the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Even as a young boy, Shlomo’s vision and clarity of thought always set him apart from his peers as being amongst the most brilliant of the scholars around him. Through that vision, courage, and a deep love of all people, Shlomo took on a mission and set off on a path that many didn’t believe in.

Reb Shlomo believed that to uplift, inspire, and bring joy to every human being was truly his reason for existing. Through his words of Torah, his music and his stories, Reb Shlomo touched the hearts and souls of all who were blessed to hear him. He sought to remind people that they are never alone, that there is one God who loves them, and that every person has a unique and important mission to discover for themselves. He was able to mend the spirits and lives of the most broken, distraught people worldwide – people of all faiths and cultures. Much of Reb Shlomo’s life was spent traveling the world where he would sing with the poor, the lost and the lonely, and always swear he learned from them.

Even now, since his passing in 1994, hundreds of thousands of lives are changed by Reb Shlomo’s teachings, messages and melodies.

About the Editor:

Rabbi Shlomo Katz is a world renowned musician. He has released six albums, and has conducted numerous concert tours throughout the Unites States, Israel, South America, Australia, Asia and Europe. In the summer of 2006, Shlomo received his rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Chaim Brovender and Rabbi Shlomo Riskin at Yeshivat Hamivtar. Shlomo has been one of the driving forces behind the effort to preserve, publish and distribute the legacy of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach ztz”l as a Jewish national treasure.

In between his teaching at Yeshivat Torat Shraga and Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo, Shlomo continues to tour, teach and perform throughout the world. Shlomo lives in Efrat, Israel, with his wife Bina, and daughters Tiferet and Ora Menucha.
www.shlomokatz.com

The Shlomo Carlebach Foundation

All over the world, one hears the joyous singing of the lilting soulful melodies created by Reb Shlomo Carlebach.

Why have so many individuals of different ages, from diverse backgrounds adopted these melodies, for contemplation, inspiration and for celebration?

The musical notes and niggunim, embody the teachings of how a person may cultivate and achieve a life rich with meaning and hope. Reb Shlomo was born into a rabbinic