The Torah Commentary of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach: Genesis, Part I (Hardcover)

But what many don't know is how much Torah this very learned rabbi knew and how much he shared in his own unique way. This superb book 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. 

Published by Urim Publications and The Shlomo Carlebach Legacy Trust 

publication: 2012 

Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach (Reb Shlomo) 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 set him apart from his peers as being amongst the most brilliant of the scholars. 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 since his passing in 1994, many lives have been influenced and touched by Reb Shlomo’s teachings, messages and melodies. 

Rabbi Shlomo Katz is a world renowned musician. He has released six albums, and has conducted numerous concert tours throughout the United 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 an integral part of building the Shlomo Carlebach Legacy Trust, which has been working to preserve, to publish, and to distribute the legacy of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach ztz”l as a Jewish national treasure. 

Along with his teaching at Yeshivat Torat Shraga and Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo, Shlomo continues to tour, teach and perform throughout the world. Shlomo lives in Neve Daniel, with his wife Bina, and daughters Tiferet and Ora Menucha.