The High Holidays, made practical
A large share of Rabbi Mordechai Kalatsky's recorded teaching gathers around the Yamim Noraim. His Rosh Hashanah shiurim are notably practical: titles like "Practical Advice to Maximize the Day" and "Malchiyos, Zichronos and Shofros — Making It Real" aim to turn the abstract themes of the day into something a person can actually do while standing in shul. He treats the machzor not as a script to get through but as a structure to engage.
This practicality carries into Yom Kippur, where a shiur such as "13 Attributes of Mercy" opens the central themes of the day for a listener seeking more than the words on the page. His approach assumes that the High Holidays can feel remote, and he works to close that distance — giving concrete handholds so a person enters the season with a plan rather than only good intentions.
Growth and breaking through walls
Beyond the calendar, a recurring theme in his teaching is personal growth and the obstacles that block it. A shiur titled "Breaking Through Walls" names the idea directly: the internal barriers — habit, fear, discouragement — that keep a person from becoming who they could be. He frames avodas Hashem as a matter of pushing past those walls, one honest step at a time.
His Rosh Hashanah shiur "Getting the Promotion" reflects the same optimism, casting the day of judgment as an opportunity for advancement rather than only a moment of dread. Even his Tu B'Av talk, "I Want, I Need, I Am," turns a lesser-known day into an occasion for self-understanding. The consistent message is that growth is available to anyone willing to work at it.
The festivals as tools for the year
The festivals, in his teaching, are tools rather than dates. He returns to gatherings such as the "Agudah Summer of Torah" and draws out the particular opportunity each occasion offers, so that a holiday becomes a lever for change during the rest of the year. His talks tend to end with a listener holding something usable — a resolution, a reframing, a next move.
He also spoke to the moment during difficult times, offering chizuk when communities needed encouragement. Across his catalog the tone is warm and motivating, aimed at helping ordinary people believe that meaningful change is within reach. For a family, his High Holiday shiurim in particular make a natural companion to the season.
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At a glance
Key takeaways
- Rabbi Mordechai Kalatsky teaches heavily on the Yamim Noraim — Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
- His High Holiday shiurim are practical, aimed at making the day's themes real and usable.
- A recurring theme is growth and "breaking through walls" — the internal barriers to change.
- He frames the festivals as tools for personal development throughout the year.
- Search FilteredTube for kosher, approved Torah video — the catalog grows every day.