Drawing from Torah, Jewish wisdom, matchmaking experience, and years of counselling singles and couples, Rabbi Bernath explores why dating is not a performance, why chemistry must never outrun character, how to distinguish genuine needs from unrealistic checklists, and why love is not simply something we find, it is something we build.

This class offers practical guidance for dating with clarity, choosing with wisdom, communicating honestly, repairing conflict, and creating a relationship rooted in generosity, commitment, faith, and emotional responsibility.

10 Jewish Relationship Truths

1. Know Who You Are Before Asking Someone Else to Join You
2. Don’t Become Good at Dating—Become Good at Relating
3. Stop Auditioning for Love
4. Don’t Let Chemistry Outrun Character
5. Talk About What Matters Before the Wedding
6. Look for Your Complement, Not Your Clone
7. Know Your Essentials, but Don’t Worship Your Checklist
8. Love Grows Through Giving, but Giving Is Not Self-Erasure
9. Love Is Not Tit for Tat
10. Don’t Date the Relationship to Death

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

In this special episode, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath opens his heart to the worldwide community that has grown around the podcast.

The podcast is more than a weekly teaching. It is part of the larger mission of Chabad NDG: creating spaces of belonging, supporting students and families, helping people through crisis, and bringing Torah, healing, hope, and Jewish wisdom into everyday life.

With the annual Chabad NDG raffle now 80% of the way toward its goal, Rabbi Bernath invites listeners to become active partners in sustaining this work. Every raffle ticket helps keep the doors open, in Montreal, online, and in the hearts of people around the world.

As a special gift, supporters will also receive access to the new Kabbalah for Everyone platform, featuring audio and video courses, practical spiritual tools, deeper teachings, and a growing community of people committed to learning and growth.

Support the raffle at www.ndgraffle.com.

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Key Points

Why some people are born with “thinner skin and deeper souls.” 

The world’s advice: harden yourself. Kabbalah advice: refine yourself. 

The exposed nekudas halev (point of the heart) and the spiritual gift of deep feeling.

The soul’s descent into the world as a mission of refinement, not self-protection.

The difference between iskafya (self-mastery) and ishapcha (inner transformation).

Why feeling overwhelmed does not mean you are failing spiritually.

Learning to distinguish between the voice of fear and the voice of the soul.

Healthy boundaries without losing compassion.

Transforming criticism, rejection, and emotional pain into spiritual growth.

How sensitive people can become extraordinary sources of healing, empathy, leadership, and light.

Practical daily Chassidic exercises for emotional resilience and refinement.

A birthday reflection on gratitude for the unique mission of every soul.

#Kabbalah #Sensitivity #SensitiveSouls #chassidus #Tanya #Rabbiyisroelbernath #JewishWisdom #EmotionalHealth #spiritualgrowth #InnerHealing #Refinement #Iskafya #Ishapcha #NekudasHalev #soul #emotionalresilience #MentalWellness #purpose #SelfMastery #HeartOpen #BirthdayClass #personalgrowth #chabad #Transformation #DeepSouls 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Takeaways:

Not All “G-ds" Are the Same
The God that many reject may not be the G-d Torah and Kabbalah actually describe.

Beyond Supernatural vs. Natural
Judaism sees G-d not as a supernatural being outside nature, but as the source and essence of all existence, both within and beyond nature.

Personal and Infinite
G-d is not a person, but also not less than personal. The Divine is both the cosmic Author and the intimate Listener.

Language & Metaphor Matter
The Torah uses varied metaphors to relate to G-d, each revealing a facet, none capturing the whole.

G-d Is Experienced, Not Just Explained
You may not "prove" G-d like a theorem—but you can encounter G-d in awe, in kindness, in Torah, and in the quiet moments of the soul.

#God #theology #thegodquestion #chassidus #Kabbalah #chabad #Spinoza #einstein #jewishphilosophy #Faith #personalgod #infinite #soul 

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Is the Torah a divine blueprint or a human masterpiece? Or… could it be both?

Together, we walk a path between Sinai and the seminar room, from ancient revelation to modern doubt and discover that sometimes, the questions themselves are the invitation to a deeper relationship with truth.

Key Takeaways:

1. Traditional Belief Holds Depth: Torah mi-Sinai means Moses recorded divine revelation over 40 years. It's not simplistic, it’s layered and deeply rooted in Jewish collective memory.
2. Modern Scholarship Brings Honest Challenges: Thinkers like Harari argue that the Torah was assembled over centuries, reflecting political and social needs. These critiques must be addressed, not ignored.
3. Kabbalah and Chassidus Provide a Bridge: Divine revelation doesn’t exclude human expression. The Torah flowed through Moses’ voice and personality, G-d worked with human vessels.
4. Assumptions Shape Interpretation: Believers and skeptics alike interpret the same data through different axioms. Acknowledging this fosters respectful dialogue rather than defensiveness.
5. The Torah’s Endurance Is Itself a Testament: Its moral vision, power to unite, and enduring relevance across time and culture hint at something more than human genius, it points toward the Divine.
6. This Is Not About “Winning” an Argument: It’s about honesty, humility, and the courage to explore big questions together.
7. The Torah Is a Living Document: Beyond history or philosophy, Torah continues to speak—not just inform, but transform. That may be its greatest proof of all.

#Torah #God #Judaism #sinai #Moses #Divinerevelation #Documentaryhypothesis #YuvalNoahHarari #Kabbalah #Jewishtradition #BiblicalCrticism #Tanya #Spinoza #chassidus #Faith #theology 

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Rabbi Yisroel Bernath connects two contemporary images: the debate over displaying the Ten Commandments in American classrooms and the haunting “blank Tanach” campaign in Israel. Both raise a deeper question: Is Torah something displayed on walls, or something written into our lives?

The sermon then turns to the mysterious two verses of “Vayehi binso’a ha’aron”, surrounded by inverted nuns and described by the Talmud as a “book” of its own. These verses appear at the turning point of Sefer Bamidbar: before them, the Jewish people are guided by faith, order, and Divine protection; after them come complaints, confusion, and crisis.

Rabbi Bernath’s message is clear and urgent: when the Jewish people enter the wilderness, whether physical, emotional, spiritual, or historical, we need two things: the Ark and each other. Torah gives us direction. Jewish unity gives Hashem a place to rest. The blank pages of Jewish life are filled not by slogans or outrage, but by Torah, Shabbos tables, questions, conversations, and a renewed commitment to live as Jews with purpose.

Key Takeaways

1. Torah is not just our history; it is our family story: The greatest danger is not only that Jews may not know a verse. It is that they may not know the verse is about them.

2. The “blank Tanach” is not only an Israeli education problem: Sometimes the Tanach is on our shelf, but not in our conversation. Sometimes Jewish identity awakens in crisis, but Torah must teach us how to live in quiet times too.

3. Beha’alotecha teaches us what to carry into the wilderness: The verses of Vayehi binso’a come exactly when the story shifts from hope to complaint. The Torah gives us a small “book” for hard chapters.

4. We need both Torah and unity: When we travel, the Ark travels with us. When we rest, Hashem rests among the tens of thousands of Israel. Torah gives us direction; unity gives Hashem a home.

5. Judaism cannot remain a poster on the wall: A Ten Commandments poster can be powerful, but Torah written into a life changes the world.

6. October 7 reminded us we are connected by fate. Torah reminds us we are connected by purpose: Fate says, “They hate us together.” Purpose says, “We are here to bring light together.”

#ParshatBehaalotecha #Behaalotecha #Rabbiyisroelbernath #BethTikvahDDO #DDOQuebec #BlankTanach #Judaism #Jewish #Torah #Bible #BibleStudy #jewishunity #JewishIdentity #TorahAndPurpose #ShabbatSermon #jewisheducation #AmYisraelChai 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

In this class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores the deeper story behind Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz through Midrash, Talmud, Zohar, and Kabbalah. Together we’ll uncover the shocking halachic debate surrounding Ruth’s conversion, the spiritual meaning behind her loyalty, and the extraordinary chain of Divine Providence that ultimately gave birth to King David and Moshiach. This is a story about what happens when life appears to fall apart… only to reveal a deeper plan unfolding underneath it all.

Key Points:
• Why Elimelech abandoned the Jewish people during the famine and the consequences that followed
• Ruth’s radical choice to embrace Judaism despite uncertainty and rejection
• The deeper meaning of “Where you go, I will go” according to the Talmud
• Boaz, Ruth, and the hidden hand of Divine Providence
• The controversial halachic debate: Could Ruth even marry into the Jewish people?
• Why King David’s lineage was questioned generations later
• The spiritual lesson of apparent failure, loss, and hidden redemption
• How the story of Ruth became the blueprint for Moshiach

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Key Points:

Malchut as “sovereignty through humility,” not control or domination

Why true leadership creates space instead of demanding attention

The paradox of Malchut: having nothing of its own, yet revealing everything

The symbolism of the moon, the sea, and the womb in Chassidic teachings

How listening, receptivity, and emotional presence create deeper relationships

The difference between grounded confidence and ego-driven authority

Why many people struggle more with receiving than giving

Shabbat and Malchut: learning to stop striving and simply dwell

How to embody dignity without needing external validation

Turning everyday moments into vessels for the Shechinah, the Divine Presence

#Judaism #Kabbalah #Malchut  #SefiratHaOmer #chassidus  #JewishWisdom #presence  #Leadership  #humility  #spiritualgrowth  #Authenticity  #DivinePresence  #Shechinah  #EmotionalGrowth  #SelfWorth  #Relationships #Mindfulness  #personalgrowth  #Shabbat  #InnerWork 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Drawing on teachings from Kabbalah and Chassidus we uncover the deeper meaning of authentic connection, what it means to show up fully, to be emotionally present, and to build relationships rooted in truth rather than fear. This is not just about connection, it’s about becoming someone who can be trusted with connection. Because Yesod asks one powerful question: Are you relating… or are you just reacting?

Key Points & Takeaways:

Yesod is the bridge between emotion and expression, it’s where everything you feel becomes how you connect.

True connection is not intensity, it’s consistency.

Healthy Yesod means being present, honest, and emotionally available without losing yourself.

Distorted Yesod shows up as people-pleasing, emotional dependency, or confusing attention for connection.

Real intimacy requires vulnerability, but also boundaries.

Trust is built not in big moments, but in small, repeated acts of alignment.

The goal is not just to feel deeply, but to connect truthfully.

You don’t need to perform connection. You need to embody it.

#Kabbalah #chassidus #chassidut #SefiratHaOmer #Sefirah #sefirot #yesod #JewishWisdom #EmotionalConnection  #Authenticity  #HealthyRelationships  #spiritualgrowth #InnerWork #Connection #Trust  #Vulnerability  #Consistency 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Key Takeaways:

Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s being honest enough to let go of defensiveness

Why “being right” can quietly damage relationships and what to choose instead

The difference between healthy humility and losing yourself

How to say “I’m sorry” in a way that actually heals

Letting go of control as a path to deeper connection

How Hod creates space for others, for truth, and for growth

The role of acknowledgment in emotional and spiritual maturity

#Kabbalah #SefiratHaOmer #Sefirah #Hod #Spirituality #TreeofLife #humility #EmotionalGrowth #lettinggo  #Authenticity  #Relationships  #InnerWork  #chassidus  #JewishWisdom  #spiritualgrowth  #Connection  #healing  #RabbiBernath 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Takeaways:

How to recognize when your drive is coming from strength vs. insecurity.

The hidden cost of pushing too hard and how to avoid burnout.

A deeper definition of “winning” rooted in purpose, not ego.

Tools to access sustainable resilience in your daily life.

How Netzach, when balanced, becomes a force for transformation, not exhaustion

#Kabbalah #chassidus #Judaism #kabala #Netzach #SefiratHaOmer #EmotionalGrowth #resilience #innerstrength #JewishWisdom  #personalgrowth #Spirituality  #Burnout  #PurposeDriven  #MindfulLiving  #RabbiBernath 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Why do our best intentions so often hurt the people we love most? Because love without boundaries can suffocate… and truth without compassion can wound. As we enter the week of Tiferet in Sefirat HaOmer, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores the Kabbalistic art of emotional balance, the sacred harmony between Chesed (kindness) and Gevurah (strength). Tiferet is not compromise. It is not weakness. It is the mature, beautiful ability to give people not what we want to give, but what they actually need to receive. This class offers a practical roadmap for developing emotional attunement, relational wisdom, and the courage to live from the heart rather than from ego.

Key Takeaways

Tiferet is emotional maturity, the balance of kindness and discipline.

Intent matters, but impact matters too.

Love can hurt when it is driven by control, anxiety, or ego.

Truth becomes dangerous when it is weaponized instead of harmonized with compassion.

Compassion is not giving what flatters the giver, it is giving what fits the receiver.

Real beauty emerges when opposing traits work in harmony.

Healthy relationships require attunement, not just good intentions.

A holy “no” can sometimes be more compassionate than a misplaced “yes.”

The path to Tiferet begins with pausing before reacting.

Spiritual growth means becoming integrated, centered, and safe for others to experience.

—

A Brand-New Four Part Kabbalah Series

Turning Walls into Doorways

How to Transform Life’s Obstacles into the Path to Your Greatest Growth

Why do we keep hitting the same emotional walls? Why do certain fears, insecurities, patterns, and painful circumstances keep showing up in our lives, despite our best efforts to change? What if the obstacles in your life are not interruptions to your purpose… but the very path to it?

In this transformational four-part course, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores one of the deepest ideas in Jewish thought: That life’s struggles are not punishments. They are invitations.

Through Kabbalah, Chassidus, Torah psychology, and deeply practical tools, this course will help us understand:

• Why we struggle
• Why we feel stuck
• How our perceptions create our reality
• How self-limiting beliefs imprison us
• How to transform the walls in our lives into doorways to growth, healing, and purpose

Access HERE https://www.jewishndg.com/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=102

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

In this deeply practical and soulful class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores the hidden power of the final days of Passover, where we stop remembering freedom and start living toward it. Through the lens of the splitting of the sea, the mysterious idea of Moshiach as a “Caesar,” and the transformative ritual of Moshiach’s Seudah, this class reveals a powerful truth: You’re not as stuck as you think, you’re just one doorway away. Blending Chassidus, storytelling, and real-life application, this session gives you the tools to move forward, soften what feels frozen, and begin opening the doors that lead to your own personal redemption.

Key Takeaways

Not every closed door is locked… sometimes what you need isn’t force, it’s warmth.

Pesach doesn’t end, it evolves… the last days are about tasting the future, not closing the past.

Moshiach isn’t just a belief, it’s a breakthrough…. the power to open what feels impossible.

Redemption isn’t becoming someone new… it’s uncovering who you already are.

You don’t need to split the sea… just take one real step forward.

Small acts open big worlds… a message, a moment, a gesture can be someone else’s redemption.

#Pesach  #Passover  #Moshiach  #Redemption  #Breakthrough  #JewishWisdom  #Kabbalah  #chassidus  #spiritualgrowth  #InnerFreedom  #MindsetShift  #FaithInAction  #FromStuckToFree #JewishInspiration  #RabbiBernath 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

In this class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath uncovers the Seder as a 15-step journey of real transformation. A map for getting unstuck, from old habits, inner resistance, fear, and emotional baggage. Not just leaving Egypt… but finally letting Egypt leave you. This isn’t about doing the Seder better. It’s about becoming different because of it.

Key Points:

The Seder isn’t a story, it’s a step-by-step process of inner freedom

Why we start with holiness before fixing ourselves (Kadesh before Urchatz)

The power of being “broken” (Yachatz) as the beginning of real growth

Why we eat matzah (freedom) before maror (pain) and what that says about healing

How each step of the Seder reflects a stage in emotional and spiritual transformation

Identifying your personal “Egypt” what’s actually holding you back

How to walk into your Seder this year with intention and walk out different

 #Passover #Pesach  #Seder  #JewishWisdom  #Kabbalah  #InnerFreedom  #spiritualgrowth  #personalgrowth  #LetMyPeopleGo  #FromStuckToFree  #chassidus  #JewishLife  #MindsetShift  #HealingJourney  #Transformation  #RabbiBernath #chabad #PersonalExodus 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Most people prepare for the Seder like they’re hosting a dinner. The food is ready. The table is set. The Haggadah is in place. But the Seder was never meant to be something you run. It’s something you enter. In this class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath reframes Seder preparation, not as logistics, but as inner work. From the wine to the matzah, from the questions to the story, every detail becomes a doorway into something deeper: presence, identity, freedom, and transformation. Because the real preparation for Pesach isn’t just cleaning your home. It’s clearing space within yourself. This class walks you through how to prepare not just your table… but your mindset, your heart, and your story—so when the Seder begins, you’re not just going through it… You’re living it.

Key Takeaways

1. The Seder isn’t a performance, it’s an experience: You can do everything “right”… and miss the point. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s presence. Come as you are and step in fully.

2. Freedom is personal: Everyone has their own cup of wine—because everyone has their own Egypt. The question isn’t just what happened back then. It’s: Where am I stuck right now and what would freedom look like for me?

3. Matzah is not just food, it’s truth: Flat. Simple. No fluff. Freedom begins when you stop performing and start being real. Less image. More honesty.

4. The Seder holds opposites and so can you: Pain and gratitude. Bitterness and growth. Slavery and freedom. Real growth isn’t choosing one over the other. It’s learning how to hold both.

5. Curiosity is the gateway to freedom: The Seder is built on questions. Not because we don’t know, but because we’re still growing. The moment you stop asking… you stop moving.

6. You don’t need everything to begin: We break the matzah and tell the story over the smaller piece. Because transformation doesn’t start when you “have it all together.” It starts with what you have right now.

7. The story only works if you’re in it: If there’s no personal connection… it’s just history. The Seder becomes powerful when you realize: You’re not telling their story. You’re telling yours.

8. Freedom is built in small, intentional choices: Not one dramatic moment. But step by step. Choice by choice. Leaving Egypt is not an event. It’s a process.

9. The goal is not to escape life, but to elevate it: Wine, food, conversation… all physical. But each one becomes meaningful. Freedom is not leaving the world behind. It’s transforming the world you’re already in.

10. The only real preparation: be open… You don’t need to know everything.
 You don’t need to feel ready. You just need to show up with: curiosity, honesty and a willingness to move Because if you do… You won’t just run a Seder. You’ll walk out of Egypt.

#Passover #Pesach #Seder #SederNight #PrepareForPesach #MeaningfulSeder #JewishLife #JewishWisdom #chabad #chassidus #Kabbalah #spiritualgrowth #InnerFreedom #LeaveEgypt #PersonalExodus #FreedomJourney #BePresent #LiveTheSeder #SoulWork #JewishIdentity #GrowthMindset #AskQuestions #FindYourStory #FromSlaveryToFreedom #ElevateTheMoment #RealNotPerfect #StepIntoIt 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Because the real question of the Seder isn’t “What happened then?” It’s “Am I free now?”

In this special pre-Passover episode, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath shares an exclusive preview from the audiobook of The Forgiveness Experiment Chapter 9.

A look into the “Mitzrayim” within, the inner narrowness, the old voices, the quiet fears that still hold us back long after we’ve “left Egypt.” Drawing on timeless Torah wisdom, including the teaching that “in every generation… a person must see themselves as if they personally left Egypt” , this episode invites you into a different kind of Exodus:

One that happens not all at once… but step by step. Breath by breath. Choice by choice.

You’ll explore:

• Why freedom is not a moment, but a process
• How trauma keeps us attached to what we’ve already outgrown
• What it means to become your own Moses
• And how to gently lead the parts of yourself that are still stuck… toward something wider, softer, freer

This episode is deeply personal. Honest. Whether you’re sitting at the Seder this year wondering if anything has really changed… or you’re ready to take one small step out of your own inner Egypt…

This is your invitation.

Listen to this special preview now…

And if you’re ready to go deeper, the full audiobook of The Forgiveness Experiment is available on Audible US here https://www.audible.com/pd/B0GMS5DCKH/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-495504&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_495504_rh_us

In Canada here https://www.audible.ca/pd/B0GMS2HFL9/?source_code=AMNORWS022318003G-BK-ACX0-495504&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_495504_rh_ca

Take a breath. Open your heart. And begin the journey together.

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Discover how the Exodus introduced something the world had never known before: the possibility of change. A new language. A new identity. A new way to see yourself—not as a product of your past, but as a soul with infinite capacity to grow.

This isn’t about leaving Egypt. It’s about realizing you were never meant to stay.

Takeaways:

Egypt isn’t a place, it’s a mindset of limitation and resignation

The deepest slavery is when you stop believing change is possible

The Exodus gave the world a new “language of freedom”

Every inner shift, from fear to courage, from stuck to growth, is a personal Exodus

You don’t need to become someone new, you need to remember who you already are

Freedom begins the moment you challenge the story that says “this is just me”

#Judaism #Exodus #Pesach #Passover #PesachEnergy #InnerFreedom #BreakTheCycle#YouAreNotStuck #spiritualgrowth #JewishWisdom #Kabbalah #MindsetShift #EmotionalHealing #FromEgyptToFreedom #chassidus #PersonalTransformation #LetMyPeopleGo 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Through the lens of Kabbalah and Chassidus, you weren’t created to be perfect, you were created to transform imperfection. Your mistakes are not interruptions to your journey… they are the journey.

This class reframes failure, guilt, and self-doubt and replaces them with responsibility, growth, and deep self-compassion.

Takeaways:

The Torah’s radical view: failure is not a flaw, it’s part of your mission

Why people who never “mess up” often never fully show up

The difference between guilt that crushes… and responsibility that elevates

A Kabbalistic perspective on why G-d wants an imperfect world

How to stop fearing mistakes and start using them as fuel for growth

The secret to leadership, in your home, your relationships, and your life

Why accountability (not perfection) is the real goal

#Kabbalah #JewishWisdom #TorahLife #spiritualgrowth #SelfGrowth #MindsetShift #EmotionalHealing #Forgiveness #Leadership #PersonalDevelopment #chassidus #Vayikra #JewishLearning #purpose #GrowthMindset #InnerWork #LiveWithMeaning #RabbiBernath 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Drawing from the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe and Tanya, the class examines the difference between the “heavenly sanctuary” of our dreams and the “earthly sanctuary” we build through our struggles, relationships, and imperfections. The surprising message? G-d does not dwell in the perfect life we imagine. G-d dwells in the real life we build.

This class offers a calming and empowering perspective: the challenges, disappointments, and imperfections of our lives are not obstacles to holiness… they are the very materials through which we create it.

Key Takeaways

Every person lives with two realities: the life we imagined and the life we are actually living.

Western philosophy often values the ideal over the real, but Torah reverses that assumption.
 The Torah repeats the story of the Mishkan to teach that the earthly sanctuary is not a copy, it is the true destination.

G-d’s deepest presence is revealed not in perfection, but in the human effort to transform imperfect reality.

Your struggles, scars, and disappointments are not detours from your purpose, they are the building blocks of your spiritual home.

Holiness is not found in escaping life’s imperfections, but in transforming them.

True beauty emerges when we build meaning, faith, and love within the life we actually have.

#Kabbalah #JewishWisdom #VayakhelPekudei #chassidus #Tanya #spiritualgrowth #purpose #JewishLearning #InnerPeace #FaithInAction #TorahInsights #RabbiBernath #JewishNDG #MeaningfulLife #MindfulLiving 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Key Takeaways

Holiness is not limited to moments of perfection; it can emerge from our struggles and broken experiences.

The broken tablets in the Ark teach that failure and fracture still belong in the sacred space of our lives.

Sometimes our deepest connection to G-d happens not when we feel strong, but when we feel vulnerable and searching.

Brokenness can soften our hearts and deepen our compassion for others.

The Torah teaches that new wisdom and deeper growth often emerge after moments of spiritual collapse.

Our lives contain both “whole tablets” and “broken tablets” and both are part of the sacred journey.

#Judaism #Kabbalah #Jewish #BrokenTablets #Moses #GoldenCalf #JewishWisdom #spiritualgrowth #JewishInspiration #FaithInStruggle #TorahInsights #chassidus #personalgrowth #healing #resilience #MeaningInSuffering #RabbiBernath #JewishNDG #TorahClass 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

At Chabad NDG in Montreal, a Persian-themed Shabbat table became something deeper: a meeting point between ancient Persia and modern Iran. Between the story of Haman and the voices of real Iranian activists fighting for freedom today. Between fear… and courage.

Then came the moment no one planned.

Walking to synagogue the next morning, before even hearing the news, the streets began to speak. Neighbors stopped, embraced, thanked. By the afternoon, the entire area around Chabad NDG filled with music, celebration, life. And suddenly, an ancient custom, making noise for Haman felt different.

Because this isn’t just about a villain from 2,500 years ago.

From medieval children smashing stones with his name, to the teachings of the Rebbe, to a Midrash where noise literally drives away darkness—this episode explores a powerful idea:

Sometimes holiness isn’t quiet. Sometimes, the most spiritual thing you can do… is make noise. Not noise of chaos. Noise of clarity. Noise that says: Didan Natzach. We are still here.

Key Takeaways

Haman is not just a character, he’s a pattern. Every generation meets its version of Amalek. The question isn’t if, it’s how we respond.

Noise can be holy. From ancient Jewish customs to Midrashic stories, making noise isn’t childish, it’s spiritual resistance. It’s the soul refusing to be silent in the face of darkness.

Joy is not denial, it’s defiance. The celebrations outside weren’t ignoring reality. They were transforming it. That’s the deepest Purim energy: turning fear into song.

The street became a synagogue. When neighbors hug you, when music fills the air, when gratitude replaces tension, you realize holiness doesn’t only live inside walls.

Children understand something we forget. They bang, they stomp, they erase Haman without overthinking it. There’s a purity in that. A clarity adults sometimes lose.

“Didan Natzach” is not just a phrase, it’s a posture. It means: we don’t wait for darkness to pass. We confront it. Together. Loudly. Joyfully.

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Takeaways:

Why the Megillah goes into such vivid detail and what it’s trying to tell you

The danger of living a “half-lived” life

How to shift from holding back → showing up fully

A practical way to identify where you’re playing small

What it means to live “all in” without burning out

How your unique gifts are meant to impact the world

#Jewish #Judaism #Kabbalah #Purim #Megillah #LiveFully #AllIn #JewishWisdom #spiritualgrowth #purpose #StopPlayingSmall#PersonalDevelopment #TorahInsights #chassidus #Mindset #MeaningfulLiving #JewishLife 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

In this class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores how the Ark becomes a map of the inner life: A core that is pure and untouchable. A middle that feels messy, emotional, contradictory and an outer life that still has the power to shine.

Drawing from Tanya and Chassidic psychology, this episode reframes guilt, self-judgment, and spiritual exhaustion and offers a deeply compassionate model of growth.  It’s about learning how to live from your gold even on wooden days.

Key Takeaways

You are not defined by your moods, struggles, or inner noise

Your essence is intact, even if your emotions feel chaotic

You don’t need to feel holy to act holy

Conscious behavior can reflect Divine light, even when feelings lag behind

Growth doesn’t require repression, only honesty and choice

Nothing and no one can ever damage your inner gold

#Judaism #Torah #Kabbalah #RabbiBernath  #ParshatTeruma #Jewish #JewishSpirituality  #YoureNotBroken #YoureLayered #ParshatTerumah #KabbalahForRealLife #InnerGold #TheBenoniLife #JewishWisdom #chabad #Tanya #SpiritualPsychology #ShowUpAsYouAre #HolinessInRealLife 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Key Takeaways

The Torah acknowledges emotional resistance without letting it dictate behavior

Feeling something does not automatically make it true or actionable

Jewish Law validates emotions but prioritizes responsibility and mitzvah

Helping an “enemy” is about freeing yourself from the grip of impulse

In Kabbalah, the mind is meant to guide emotions like a wise parent, not silence them

Sometimes the heart follows the hands, action can lead emotion

#Judaism #Kabbalah #Jewish #Torah #TorahLessons #TorahPortion #Bible #BibleStudy #KabbalahForEveryone #EmotionalWisdom #torahpsychology #MoachShalitAlHalev #InnerWork #JewishMindfulness #SpiritualMaturity #HalachaAndHeart #chassidus #RabbiBernath #chabad

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

In this morning’s class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores the story of Jethro—not as ancient history, but as a living mirror. Through a surprising Talmudic question, we uncover what Jethro really heard that compelled him to move from observer to participant.

This class weaves together three forces that define the Jewish story, irrational hatred, the moral genius of Torah, and the supernatural resilience of the Jewish people and asks a deeply personal question:

What does Judaism ask of us when it’s easier to stay comfortable?

Jethro’s journey challenges us to stop watching Jewish life from the sidelines and start stepping into it with intention, courage, and responsibility.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Being inspired is easy. Showing up changes everything.

Irrational hatred is often the shadow cast by something deeply holy.

Torah isn’t just tradition, it’s a radical moral framework that reshaped civilization.

Jewish survival defies history, logic, and probability.

You don’t need to be born into greatness, but you do need to choose it.

Judaism isn’t meant to be admired from a distance, it’s meant to be lived.

The real question isn’t what did Jethro hear? It’s what are we hearing—and what are we doing about it?

#Jewish #Judaism #Torah #Bible #BibleStudy #TorahLessons  #Jethro #FromFanToPlayer #JewishIdentity #TorahLife #PurposeOverComfort #LivingJudaism #JewishResilience #WhyBeJewish #KabbalahForEveryone #RabbiBernath #JewishNDG #MeaningOverConvenience #StepIntoTheStory 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

This recording is from the Montreal launch of The Forgiveness Experiment, featuring the author Rabbi Yisroel Bernath in conversation with Ilana Zackon.

Ilana Zackon, an award-winning actor, writer, and filmmaker. Together, they dive into the heart of the book: why forgiveness matters, how it changes us, and what it means to live with open hearts even in a fractured world. Expect laughter, honesty, vulnerability, and plenty of inspiration.

Held in the days leading up to Yom Kippur, this wasn’t just a discussion about forgiveness, it was an exploration of freedom. Together, Rabbi Bernath and Ilana unpack the heart of The Forgiveness Experiment:

Why forgiveness isn’t about excusing harm. Why it’s not spiritual bypassing. And why, sometimes, forgiveness is the bravest form of self-respect.

What unfolds is honest, funny, vulnerable, and deeply human. Stories are shared. Assumptions are challenged. And the room slowly softens. 

This conversation and the book weaves together Jewish wisdom, lived experience, and psychological insight, offering a grounded, compassionate approach to letting go of pain without losing your truth.

If you’ve ever wondered: Why is forgiveness so hard? Is it possible to forgive without minimizing what happened? What if forgiveness is something I do for myself, not for them?

This conversation is for you.

Since that night, The Forgiveness Experiment has become a #1 bestseller on Amazon, and Rabbi Bernath has traveled across North America sharing its message.

Recorded live at the Montreal Book Launch at Rohr Chabad NDG on September 28, 2025

Filmed and recorded by Yehuda Chiche

Available now:

Paperback (US): https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Paperback (Canada): https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

It's also available on Amazon just about everywhere else, UK, Australia, Europe... 

The audiobook is on the way and will be released next week.

If you’d like to take this work a step further check out www.forgivenessbook.org 

If this conversation resonates, consider subscribing, sharing, or leaving a review. Your voice helps this message travel further.

#Forgiveness #Judaism #theology #Rabbi #chabad #theforgivenessexperiment #EmotionalHealing #selfforgiveness #Jewish #Judaism #lettinggo #letitgo #JewishSpirituality #JewishWisdom #trauma 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

In this class, Rabbi Bernath explores an ancient debate that turns out to be a timeless conversation about leadership, growth, and personal responsibility. Is a leader meant to be followed, echoed, or outgrown? And what does it mean to stop repeating someone else’s song and finally sing your own?

Key Points

The Song at the Sea as the birth moment of the Jewish voice.

Three models of leadership hidden in one ancient song

The difference between submission, discipleship, and empowerment.

Why real transformation doesn’t come from echoing, but from ownership.

What it means to be given a match, not a melody.

Takeaways

True leadership doesn’t create followers, it awakens leaders.

Unity isn’t sameness; it’s shared purpose with individual voice.

You don’t need permission to sing what’s already inside you.

The most enduring influence is what continues after the leader steps back.

Your voice matters, not later, not someday, but now.

#Jewish #Judaism #Bible #Torah #chabad #Rebbe #YudShevat #SongAtTheSea #Leadership #FindingYourVoice #ShiratHayam #personalgrowth #JewishWisdom #ParshatBeshalach #Beshalach#InnerFreedom #EmpoweredLiving #SingYourSong #RabbiBernath 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

In this episode Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores a profound teaching from the Zohar and Chassidic thought: when we face a “Pharaoh” in our lives… fear, resistance, heartbreak, failure, or a person who seems to block our freedom… we are never sent alone. G-d says: Come with Me.

Even more startling, G-d adds: “Because I hardened his heart.” The resistance itself is Divine. Not to stop redemption, but to reveal it.

Through Torah, Kabbalah, psychology, and powerful stories (including the donkey in the pit and a letter from the Rebbe), this class reframes life’s hardships as portals, not barriers. What feels like opposition is often the very force meant to uncover our deepest strength, courage, and soul-power.

This is a class about fear, faith, resilience and discovering that the path forward is often a winding one, but it always leads upward.

Key Takeaways

You never face adversity alone. “Come to Pharaoh” means G-d walks with you into your hardest moments.

Resistance is not random. Some of the strongest opposition in life is part of the redemption process itself.

Pharaoh is not in control. What looks overwhelming is often a tool, not a tyrant.

Obstacles are portals. Life’s blockages are invitations to excavate hidden strength.

Growth is uncomfortable by design. Muscle only grows by tearing and so does the soul.

The dirt can bury you or elevate you. Shake it off. Step up. Rise.

Your hardest challenges may reveal your greatest light. You discover who you truly are not when life is easy, but when it demands more of you.

#Judaism #chabad #Kabbalah  #ParshatBo #Torah  #TorahPortion  #TorahLessons#ComeToPharaoh #NotAlone #FaithOverFear #KabbalahForLife #SpiritualResilience #PortalsNotBarriers #InnerFreedom #DivinePlan #SoulStrength #JewishWisdom #TheZigZagPath #Redemption #chassidus #RabbiBernath #lubavitch #Rebbe 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

In this morning’s Kabbalah class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores why Divine Providence chose such an unlikely path for Israel’s future leader and what it reveals about the nature of freedom.

Drawing on Chassidic insights into the word sivlot“ burdens” that also mean tolerance, this class reframes redemption as a psychological and spiritual awakening. True liberation begins not when suffering becomes unbearable, but when we refuse to accept it as normal.

Through the lens of Moses’ outsider perspective, the Israelites’ cry in Egypt, and our ongoing experience of personal and collective exile, the class challenges us to examine what we’ve learned to tolerate in our own lives. With warmth, depth, and practical reflection, this session invites participants to rediscover holy dissatisfaction, reclaim dignity, and begin their own daily Exodus from narrowness to possibility.

Key Takeaways

Redemption begins internally: Before freedom can happen externally, we must stop tolerating what diminishes us.

Tolerance is not always a virtue: Sometimes patience becomes a prison that keeps us stuck in unhealthy patterns.

Moses could lead because he never internalized slavery: Growing up in Pharaoh’s palace gave him the clarity and courage to challenge injustice.

The cry matters: Change begins when we allow ourselves to feel the pain we’ve been numbing and cry out honestly.

Exile becomes dangerous when it feels normal: Personally and collectively, redemption starts when we remember that brokenness is not the natural state.

Standards shape destiny: What we accept defines what we become, raising our inner standards opens the door to transformation.

Every day is an Exodus: Leaving Egypt isn’t a one-time event; it’s a daily practice of refusing limitation and choosing growth.

#Jewish #Kabbalah #Torah #Exodus #TorahPortion #Bible #BibleStudy #Moses #moshe #ParshatVaera #SlaveMentality #Mitzrayim #Tolerance #freedom #PersonalRedemption #chassidus #SlaveMentality  #innerExile #EmotionalHealing  #spiritualgrowth #Moshiach #Geulah  #humandignity #BreakingPatterns 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

In this class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores the moment that changes everything: not charging forward, not fixing the world, but simply turning your head. Through the burning bush, the Midrashic debate, and Moses’ three objections, we uncover how purpose actually shows up, why resistance is part of the calling, and how your deepest struggles may be the doorway to your greatest contribution.

This isn’t about becoming someone else. It’s about finally noticing what’s been calling you all along.

Key Takeaways

Calling begins with attention, not action. G-d speaks when we notice, not when we’re ready.

Purpose doesn’t consume you; it sustains you. A real mission burns without burning out.

You don’t need five steps, sometimes a turned head is enough.

Insecurity, blame, and perfectionism are spiritual disguises for fear.

Your thorn bush is not your weakness, it’s your credential.

Redemption starts when someone says “Hineni” before knowing how it ends.

#Jewish #Judaism #Torah #TorahPortion #Bible #BibleStudy #Moses #moshe #mosesleadership #BurningBush #purpose #calling #hineni #Midrash #destiny #perfectionism #insecurity #Responsibility #soulmission 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Key Points

Light isn’t proven in comfort. It is revealed in contrast. Joseph’s greatness emerged not in his father’s home, but in Egypt’s darkness.

Your story is not a detour. The very chapters you wish you could erase are often the ones that unlock your deepest purpose.

What looks like a mask may be protection. Joseph wasn’t hiding his soul, he was carrying it through hostile terrain until it was safe to reveal.

Stop living in “if only.” Joseph teaches us that spiritual greatness is not about ideal circumstances, but about faithfulness where you are.

Darkness can be a catalyst, not a contradiction. The pit, the prison, and the palace were all part of one divine choreography.

You are more than how you appear. Others may misread you, but your soul is not confused about who you are.

True brotherhood begins with seeing. Healing starts when we learn to recognize the divine light in one another, even when it’s hidden.

Your struggle did not weaken you, it refined you. Fire doesn’t destroy the coal; it reveals what was already burning inside.

#LightOverDarkness #chabad #Torah #TorahPortion #Bible #BibleStudy #Joseph #LightFromDarkness #TheFireInTheCoal #HiddenLight #Kabbalah #chassidus #PurposeThroughPain #NoIfOnly  #SpiritualResilience #SoulIdentity #FromPitToPalace #DarknessToLight #InnerFire #GrowthThroughStruggle #torahwisdom #SeeingTheSoul #RedemptiveJourney 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

In the shadow of the tragic attack at the Chabad Chanukah celebration in Bondi Beach, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath delivers a sermon that explores a timeless Jewish truth: Judaism does not survive through museums or memory alone, but through lived action. Like Joseph in Miketz, who steps forward from darkness with faith and purpose, we are asked to respond to pain not by retreating, but by lighting, loving, and living more Jewishly than ever before.

Key Takeaways

The miracle of Chanukah was not the oil, it was the choice to use it.

Judaism survives not by being preserved, but by being practiced.

Darkness is real, but it never gets the final word.

Every mitzvah, no matter how small, carries generational power.

In moments of pain and fear, our response is not silence, but light.

Honoring tragedy in Jewish history means responding with deeper Jewish life.

Like Joseph in Miketz, we don’t need to know the ending, we just need to show up with what we have.

Help the families of Sydney Attack: https://www.charidy.com/supportsydney

 #BondiBeach #chabad #Judaism #hanukkah #LightOverDarkness #Chanukah #ParshatMiketz #LiveJewish #RespondWithLight #JewishResilience #AmYisraelChai #Rabbi #Sermon 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Rabbi Eliezrie speaks of the Rebbe’s profound influence on Montreal, from the spiritual infrastructure he inspired, to the seeds of community he planted that continue to flourish today. Along the way, Rabbi Eliezrie shares gripping stories, newly uncovered insights, and the human side of a leader whose love for every Jew was as fierce as his fight for our future.

This conversation isn’t only about the past, it’s about the fire that still burns in us. The Previous Rebbe taught us to never bow to fear, never settle for less, and never stop believing in the infinite power of the Jewish soul.

Rabbi David Eliezrie, a master storyteller, community builder, global Jewish leader, and the author of the newly released Undaunted, his monumental biography of the Frierdiker Rebbe, the Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe whose life reads like a symphony of faith and fearlessness. Rabbi Eliezrie is the senior Shliach in Yorba Linda, president of the Rabbinical Council of Orange County, a senior advisor to JRNU, and a respected voice in Jewish life both in Israel and around the world. He’s written bestselling works (The Secret of Chabad was a National Jewish Book Award finalist) and has the rare gift of being able to weave historical depth with a storyteller’s heart.

This book, Undaunted is something different. It’s sweeping, deeply researched, and filled with moments that remind you what spiritual courage looks like in real life. It’s the story of a Rebbe who fought czars, communists, assimilation, and despair… and somehow managed to strengthen Judaism in every place he touched.

You can purchase the book 

INDIGO https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/undaunted-how-the-sixth-lubavitcher-rebbe-yosef-yitzchak-schneersohn-saved-russian-jewry-reimagined-american-judaism-ignited-a-global-jewish-renaissance/9781592647262.html

AMAZON USA https://www.amazon.com/Undaunted-Lubavitcher-Schneersohn-Reimagined-Renaissance/dp/159264726X

AMAZON CANADA https://www.amazon.ca/Undaunted-Lubavitcher-Schneersohn-Reimagined-Renaissance-ebook/dp/B0FT3GYP31

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Key Takeaways

• Start Where You Are
  The ladder begins on the ground — spiritual growth doesn’t require feeling spiritual at first.
• Prayer Has Four Stages
  The siddur intentionally guides us from action → emotion → insight → connection.
• Small Steps Matter
  Even a single focused phrase or breath can shift us into a higher state of being.
• Two-Way Ladder
  As we elevate ourselves through prayer, G-d brings strength, clarity, and blessing down into our everyday life.
• You Are the Ladder
  Like Jacob, compassion is our bridge of every kind act connects heaven and earth.

#Kabbalah  #KabbalahForEveryone #JacobsLadder #FourWorlds #chassidus #PrayerJourney  #JewishWisdom #SoulConnection #MindfulPrayer #HeavenAndEarth #CompassionInAction #ChassidicTeachings #JewishSpirituality #DailyTefillah #WorldOfAction #WorldOfFormation #WorldOfCreation #WorldOfEmanation #RatzovShov #RunAndReturn #SoulAwakening #chabad 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Shift the Lens
Learn how to reframe struggles as signs of life, love, and purpose.

Emotional Resilience from Rachel
Understand how one biblical phrase can help us find strength today.

Gratitude as a Superpower
Explore how gratitude keeps us spiritually anchored when the world feels overwhelming.

Joseph’s Legacy of Joy
Discover why Yosef remained positive through betrayal, isolation, and fear—and how we can too.

A Practical Practice
Walk away with simple habits that bring more calm and meaning into everyday moments.

#Jewish #Torah #Kabbalah #torahwisdom #gratitude #livinwithblessing #chassidus #chassidut #innerstrength #rachel #rochel #rochelimeinu #emotionalresilience #Spiritual #spiritualmindset #BibleStudy #Bible #ParshatVayeitzei 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Why does the Torah use a word for laughter to describe intimacy? Why is the first Jew born into the covenant literally named “He Will Laugh”? And why does Rivkah’s name hint to a yoke of oxen, two forces pulling together toward transformation?

Using Rashi, Midrash, Zohar, and the Alter Rebbe’s revolutionary maamar from 5569, we uncovered a powerful Chassidic idea: Laughter is born from contradiction. From the unexpected. From two worlds that shouldn’t fitand yet somehow do. That’s the secret of Yitzchak and Rivkah. That’s the secret of humanity. And that’s the secret of marriage.

Today’s class explored how two people with different histories, tendencies, wounds, and temperaments can build something eternal… precisely because of their differences. When we choose holiness over instinct, love over ego, repair over distance, Heaven itself, the Alter Rebbe says, “laughs with delight.” Marriage, it turns out, is the ultimate divine joke. And our job is to embrace the punchline.

TAKEAWAYS

Laughter = Transformation

The Alter Rebbe teaches that laughter is triggered when reality breaks its own rules. When a human transcends instinct choosing holiness over ego that is the greatest “cosmic joke.”

Yitzchak’s Name Isn’t Cute … It’s His Mission

“He will laugh” means the whole purpose of Jewish life is rising above our programmed nature. This is why the Torah uses metzachek: intimacy is the fusion of two worlds that shouldn’t naturally fit.

Rivkah Is the Model of Human Greatness

Raised in corruption, she becomes a “rose among thorns.” She is proof that background does not define destiny. She is the surprise that makes Heaven smile.

Marriage Thrives on Differences, Not Sameness

The clash, the contrast, the contradictions—these are not obstacles. They are the very material through which G-d’s laughter emerges. The greatest holiness comes from uniting opposites.

Every Conflict Is an Invitation

When your instinct says defend, and you choose softness… When your body says withdraw, and you choose connection… When your ego wants to be right, and you choose to be kind… That is holy laughter. That is Yitzchak.

This Is Why Avimelech Knew

Only husband and wife can create the kind of oneness that blends two spiritual worlds into something new. That oneness is holiness. That holiness is laughter.

#Kabbalah #Torah #chassidus #Bible #BibleStudy #chassidut #kabala #Spiritual #spiritualgrowth #yitzchak #rivkah #ParshatToldot #parshastoldos #opposites #oppositesattract #marriage #intimacy 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

From this, the Chedushei HaRim teaches that Sarah lived every moment so fully that each second became a kingdom of its own. Rabbi Akiva’s message? Every moment we “sleep through” is a world lost. Through humor, wisdom, and a dash of Churchill’s charm, Rabbi Bernath reminded us that time is not money, it’s life itself.

Takeaways:

Every Moment Matters: Like Sarah, each of us has the power to turn seconds into significance.

Wakefulness Is Spiritual: Falling asleep… literally or metaphorically means missing the miracle of now.

Time Is Life, Not Money: The Rebbe taught that time is not a commodity but a living gift. Use it with purpose.

Presence Is Royalty: Esther’s reign flowed from Sarah’s lived time; our own “reign” depends on how awake we are to our days.

Humor and Holiness Coexist: Even Churchill and Rabbi Akiva knew that a good laugh can wake up the soul.

#Kabbalah #chassidus #Judaism #Jewish #jewishmysticism #time #presence #purpose #life #chabad #spiritualgrowth #Spiritual #chassidut #kabala #sarah 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Takeaways:

Every soul possesses a pure “cruse of oil” an unbreakable core of divine essence untouched by pain, doubt, or apathy.

When inspiration runs dry, the key is action: fill your life with “empty vessels” of goodness, even if your heart isn’t fully in it yet.

Emotional numbness doesn’t mean the soul has died it’s a signal that something deeper is ready to be rediscovered.

Love, awe, and purpose can be reclaimed through consistent small acts of holiness they become the vessels for divine flow.

The moment the spark reawakens, all your past “empty” deeds become filled with meaning, joy, and light.

#Bible #Kabbalah #Judaism #Jewish #mysticism #jewishmysticism #chassidus #chassidut #spiritualgrowth #Rabbi #chabad #spiritualgrowth #inspiration #soul #essence #Spiritual #divinespark 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Rabbi Bernath explores how Jewish identity transcends denominational labels. Drawing on teachings from Tanya and Rashi, he reminds us that every Jewish soul is a piece of G-d, unbreakable and equally precious.

This conversation becomes more than an answer, it’s an invitation to rediscover who we are beneath the labels. It’s a love letter to every Jew who has ever wondered if they still belong.

Takeaways:

There are no “levels” of Jewishness. Every Jew, regardless of affiliation or observance carries the same Divine spark.

Denominations are man-made; the soul is G-d-made. Labels were meant to organize ideas, not divide hearts.

Jewish identity is a relationship, not a category. Wherever you learn, pray, or grow, your connection to G-d is real and alive.

Belonging is not earned — it’s inherited. You’re part of the same eternal covenant, the same people, the same love story that began at Sinai.

Your light matters. Every small act of faith, study, or kindness sustains the Jewish people.

#Judaism #Jewish #JewishIdentity #reform #orthodox #belonging #Kabbalah 

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Why does G-d suddenly appear and tell him, “Lech Lecha — Go to yourself”, without any explanation of why him?

The Ramban and later Chassidic masters reveal something extraordinary: G-d didn’t just speak to Abraham. He speaks to everyone. The difference is — Abraham heard it.

“Lech Lecha” is not a one-time command; it’s a timeless call to every soul to move forward, step out of fear, and become the person G-d created us to be.

Rabbi Bernath illustrated this with the story of Avraham Vetzler, a 90-year-old Holocaust survivor who, after eight decades of silence, suddenly felt the call to return—to light, to Torah, to G-d. His story reminds us that it’s never too late to hear our own Lech Lecha.

Key Takeaways:

G-d is always speaking. The question is: am I listening?

“Lech Lecha” is a call to every human being — to leave behind fear, comfort, and old patterns and journey toward our truest self.

Growth begins when we notice that inner whisper and take one brave step forward.

You’re never too old, too far, or too lost to hear the call again.

#Kabbalah #Judaism #Jewish #LechLecha #Abraham #purpose #Faith #mysticism #spiritualgrowth #BibleStudy #Bible #Parsha #ParshatLechLecha #chassidus #chassidut 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Drawing on a 1964 teaching from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Bernath reframed the question: the Sages weren’t diminishing Noach, they were elevating him. Noach wasn’t perfect. He doubted. He hesitated. He stumbled. But he built an ark anyway. And that’s precisely why he’s the hero for the rest of us, for the ordinary, flawed people who still try to do good in a noisy, cynical world.

Noach reminds us that you don’t need to be Abraham or Moses to make a difference. You just need to build your ark, an island of sanity, compassion, and moral courage, right where you are.

Key Takeaways:

Imperfect Righteousness Is Still Righteousness.
The Torah’s praise of Noach is not about spiritual perfection, but about moral persistence. Doing good in a corrupt world is itself greatness.

The Power of Ordinary People.
Noach’s story teaches that world-changing moments often come from those who don’t feel extraordinary, just steady souls who keep showing up.

Struggle Is Part of the Journey.
Unlike “cookie-cutter” saints, real people wrestle with doubt, temptation, and fatigue. Noach’s humanity is his heroism.

Build Your Ark.
In a world flooded with noise and confusion, our job is to create spaces of kindness, faith, and integrity, shelters of light in turbulent waters.

Every Small Act Matters.
Like the girl tossing starfish back into the sea, we can’t save the whole world, but we can change someone’s world.

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

The first creation describes Adam and Eve as one, a fused, bi-gendered being. The second describes their separation. From this, Rabbi Bernath revealed a timeless model: every relationship, whether between man and woman or humanity and G-d, must pass through three stages, oneness, separation, and reunion.

Through this lens, the Genesis narrative becomes not ancient history but a living blueprint. It explains the evolution of human intimacy, feminism, secularism, and the search for Divine connection in the modern age, showing that we are now entering the third stage: the age of chosen unity, love and faith born not of obligation, but of conscious choice.

Key Takeaways:

Genesis isn’t contradiction, it’s choreography.
The two accounts of creation mirror the cosmic dance between unity and individuality, dependence and independence, G-d and humankind.

True love is chosen, not imposed.
Adam and Eve’s separation allowed them to rediscover each other voluntarily, the foundation of mature, lasting relationships.

History mirrors the Garden.
From religious dependence, to secular independence, humanity now yearns for integration, faith and freedom intertwined.

Marriage is self-discovery.
In loving another, we reunite with the missing part of ourselves; separation was never punishment, but preparation for deeper connection.

The third stage is now.
Our generation is called to embody integration, where spirituality and modernity, masculinity and femininity, body and soul harmonize again.

#Genesis #Kabbalah #Judaism #Jewish #adamandeve #feminism #Faith #marriage #Relationships #Unity #Sprirital #Bible #BibleStudy #TorahPortion #TorahLessons #Torah #torahpsychology 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Rabbi Bernath reminds us that Jewish joy cannot be taken, it is divine, defiant, and eternal. Through the story of Isaac’s hidden treasure and the timeless circle of Torah dance, he calls every Jew, believer and skeptic alike, to join the dance of unity, gratitude, and faith reborn.

Key Takeaways:

A Living Prophecy:
Jeremiah’s words, “Your children shall return to their borders”  come alive as we witness the hostages’ return, transforming tears of despair into tears of gratitude.

The Essence of Simchat Torah:
Unlike other festivals tied to specific mitzvot, Simchat Torah’s commandment is simply to rejoice. We dance with closed Torah scrolls because joy transcends knowledge, it’s about belonging, not perfection.

Eternal Jewish Joy:
The attack that began on Simchat Torah was meant to steal Jewish joy, yet this very year, that joy is reclaimed. Jewish joy is not circumstantial; it’s the pulse of our people.

The Treasure Within:
Like Isaac discovering the treasure under his own oven, we rediscover that the greatest strength and hope lie not in distant places, but within ourselves and our faith.

A Call to Dance:
Rabbi Bernath invites everyone, regardless of belief or pain, to dance with Heaven itself. This Simchat Torah, every step is a declaration: Am Yisrael Chai.

#hostages #Judaism #Jewish #hostagesreturn #jewishunity #simchatorah #AmYisraelChai #Faith #resilience #Israel #IsraelHamas 

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Through stories that span from ancient Rome to post-Holocaust Budapest, Rabbi Bernath reveals the unbreakable resilience of Jewish spirit and the eternal power of ideas that can’t be burned, silenced, or washed away.

Takeaways:

1. Faith in Motion: Even when life feels unstable, your sukkah, your faith, your values, your light, can stand strong.
2. Resilience Is Our Heritage: From Rabbi Akiva’s ship to a siddur saved from the ashes, Jewish history proves that our strength comes from rebuilding, not retreating.
3. Ideas Outlive Empires: The Romans burned scrolls, but not the words. Power fades; purpose endures.
4. Your Sukkah Is a Statement: Every mitzvah you do in today’s world is an act of defiance against despair and a declaration of hope.
5. We Are the Calm in the Storm: Our task is to build joy, faith, and community even when the waves rise because that’s where holiness truly lives.

#sukkot #resilience #sukkah #sukkah2025 #sukkot2025 #sukkos #rabbigamliel #rabbiakiva #Hope #HopeAndResilience #JewishIdentity #Talmud #LightOverDarkness #joy #JewishHistory 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Rabbi Yisroel Bernath’s Rosh Hashanah sermon reminds us that the world doesn’t change through headlines or massive movements alone, it turns on small hinges. From Newton’s apple to Rosa Parks’ quiet defiance, from Elkanah’s changed walking route to Raoul Wallenberg’s forged passports, history is reshaped by individuals who cared enough to act.

Each of us is that “breeze” a gentle but decisive force nudging another soul toward light, dignity, and hope. The shofar calls us not to despair at the scale of the world’s darkness, but to rise with courage, to see that every mitzvah matters, and to live as though even one small act can tilt the future. This Rosh Hashanah, the call is clear: be the breeze that shifts the course of another’s life.

Key Takeaways

• Small Acts Matter: World-changing moments often begin with the smallest gestures, a smile, a word of encouragement, an invitation to Shabbat.
• History Turns on the Individual: From scientists to prophets, seamstresses to diplomats, one person’s choice has often redirected the course of nations.
• Jewish Legacy of Influence: The story of Elkanah and Shmuel teaches that our steps, words, and presence ripple far beyond what we see.
• Moral Courage is Contagious: Rosa Parks’ bus seat and Wallenberg’s forged passports remind us that courage inspires movements.
• The Shofar’s Call: Rosh Hashanah summons us to battle despair with action, to hear the call of responsibility, and to know that every soul counts.

#RoshHashana #RoshHashanah #HIghHolidays #Judaism #Rabbi #yisroelbernath #chabad #Antisemitism #Jewish #Jewishfuture #JewishIdentity #resilience #Sermon 

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

In this Rosh Hashanah sermon, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath weaves humor, Torah, and Jewish resilience into a message of hope and renewal. Beginning with laughter, he acknowledges the fears weighing on the Jewish heart today, rising antisemitism, uncertainty, and the heaviness of history. But he reminds us that the Jewish story begins not with despair, but with laughter: the birth of Yitzchak to Abraham and Sarah. Through a transformation of identity and vision, G-d teaches them, and us, that our destiny is not defined by the past but pulled by the promise of the future.

The sermon moves through stories of Jewish survival, historical cathedrals, personal anecdotes, and Sheldon Adelson’s shoes in Jerusalem, all to paint a vivid picture: we are builders of a spiritual architecture that spans generations. Each mitzvah is a chisel, each act of faith a brick, each Jew a builder. And above all, our answer to fear and hatred has always been joy.

Key Takeaways

1. Identity Shapes Destiny
   Abraham and Sarah became parents only after G-d changed their names, showing us that how we see ourselves changes how we live.
2. History Pulled by Promise, Not Pushed by the Past
   Jewish survival isn’t logical, it’s miraculous. Our story isn’t driven by yesterday’s pain but by tomorrow’s promise.
3. Laughter as Our Legacy
   The first Jewish child was named Yitzchak, laughter, teaching us that joy and hope are the foundation of Jewish life.
4. Generational Builders
   Like the cathedrals built over centuries, Jewish life is a project carried forward by every generation. Each mitzvah is part of a vast spiritual architecture.
5. Joy as Resistance
   When the world says to give up, we laugh. When it says to despair, we believe. Our answer to hatred has always been love, laughter, and building.

#RoshHashana #RoshHashanah #HIghHolidays #Judaism #Rabbi #yisroelbernath #chabad #Antisemitism #Jewish #Jewishfuture #JewishIdentity #resilience #Sermon 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

On Rosh Hashanah, Judaism invites us to ask these very questions. And at the heart of the holiday is a mysterious, beloved prayer: Hayom Harat Olam, “Today the world is born.”

But did you know? The same phrase appears in the Book of Jeremiah with an opposite meaning, not birth, but never being born at all. Why would our sages choose such a paradox for the High Holidays?

In this inspiring High Holiday sermon, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath takes us on a journey through:

• The prophet Jeremiah’s cry of despair
• The Netziv’s life-changing decision as a child
• Michelangelo’s challenge to Raphael: Amplius,Think bigger!
• The shofar’s call for authentic self-expression
• The hidden Jewish spark that even Soviet oppression couldn’t extinguish

This Rosh Hashanah, the shofar asks each of us: Will you live as an echo, or will you give birth to your true self?

Key Takeaways

1. Rosh Hashanah is not only the birthday of the world, it’s the birthday of your world. Each year, we can choose to start anew.
2. Harat Olam has two meanings: remaining unborn potential or becoming a living expression of your G-d-given gifts.
3. The shofar rejects echoes… it calls us to live authentically, not as faint imitations of who we’re meant to be.
4. Amplius, Think bigger! Don’t live small when your canvas is vast.
5. Every Jew has a hidden spark… no matter how distant, it can be awakened in a single moment of courage, connection, or faith.

#RoshHashanah #Judaism #Jewish #RoshHashana #chabad #newyear #Shofar #hayomharatolam #inspiration #Teshuvah #teshuva #jewishsermon #jewishnewyear #Elul #YomKippur 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Confession, then, isn’t meant to break us, it’s meant to fix us. It’s not about shame; it’s about uncovering the truth that we are divine souls who sometimes fall short but are always capable of rising higher. By celebrating our goodness first, we create the spiritual courage to transform our failures into growth.

Key Takeaways

• Confession in Judaism isn’t only about failure: The Torah’s “tithing confession” is actually a declaration of success.
• Celebrate your victories: By verbalizing what you’ve done right, you strengthen your belief in your own holiness and capacity.
• Healthy confession = owning both sides: “I am good and capable, and that’s why this mistake doesn’t fit me, and I can do better.”
• Encouragement inspires growth: Just as children thrive when parents highlight strengths before weaknesses, we too change more when we see ourselves through the lens of goodness.
• Chassidic joy in confession: Like the Baal Shem Tov’s cantor, we can sing our confessions, not out of arrogance or denial, but because cleansing the soul is a joyful act of uncovering diamonds beneath the dirt.
• Confession challenge: In the next 24 hours, “confess” something good you’ve done, out loud, to yourself or someone you trust. Let it remind you who you really are.

#Judaism #Jewish #chabad #Rabbi #Kabbalah #Torah #TorahLessons #TorahPortion #torahwisdom #BibleStudy #Bible #confession #goodness #psychology #baalshemtov #KiTavo #Teshuvah #ViduiMaaser #JewishGrowth

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Key Takeaways

• Two Souls Within: We each have a “beloved” side (our Divine soul) and an “unloved” side (our animal soul) — both are part of our relationship with G-d.
• The Power of Struggle: G-d delights not only in saintly ease but especially in the victories that come from our inner battles.
• A Double Portion: What feels despised in us can be the source of double blessing when transformed.
• Self-Compassion: Instead of hating our struggles, we can embrace them as the very reason we were created (Tanya ch. 27).
• Messianic Promise: In the era of Moshiach, the hidden “firstborn” light of our struggles will be revealed in full splendor.

#Jewish #Judaism #Torah #TorahPortion #TorahLessons #BibleStudy #Bible #FirstbornRights #AnimalSoul #Divine #DivineSoul #KiSeitzei #KiTeitzei #Moshiach #chabad #chassidus #Kabbalah #Rabbi 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Key Takeaways

• Oneness ≠ sameness: G-d is One, but He created a world of diversity.
• The danger of single-stone thinking: When we make faith, truth, or life only in our image, we exclude everyone else.
• The power of many stones: Each person carries a unique piece of truth, and together we make the divine symphony whole.
• Celebrating difference: Authentic spirituality means honoring the uniqueness of others, not fearing it.
• Practical takeaway: Stop trying to make others fit your mold; instead, see how their “stone” adds to the altar of life.

#diversity #Judaism #Jewish #Torah #TorahPortion #TorahLessons #BibleStudy #oneness #individuality #Unity #Faith #community #pluralism #spiritualgrowth #beloning #community 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Takeaways:

1. Courtship with G-d: The month of Elul as a time of divine dating, where G-d meets us in our natural state, inviting us to connect authentically.
2. Engagement Proposal: Rosh Hashanah as the moment of commitment, where G-d proposes a deeper relationship, and we respond with the cry of the Shofar.
3. Marriage Ceremony: Yom Kippur as the day of divine union, where we fast, atone, and solidify our eternal bond with G-d.
4. Celebration and Intimacy: The festivals of Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah as the celebration and intimate consummation of our relationship with the Divine.
5. Real-Life Relationship: The month of Cheshvan as the time to nurture our ongoing relationship with G-d in the everyday moments, discovering the sacred in the ordinary.

#Spiritual #Judaism #Jewish #HIghHolidays #RoshHashana #RoshHashanah #Yom kIppur #Kabbalah #Torah #chabad #mysticism #sukkot #simchatorah

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

-Nazi Germany had ambition without integrity — brilliance used for destruction.

-Radical Islam represents integrity without ambition — piety warped into death and stagnation.

-The Jewish mission is to embody both: to live with moral armor and to harness our talents fully, so we don’t just survive, we shine.

The lesson is timeless: G-d doesn’t only want us to be “good”; He wants us to transform the world with goodness, courage, and light.

Key Takeaways

1. Integrity without ambition leads to stagnation or fanaticism.
2. Ambition without integrity leads to brilliance that destroys.
3. A kosher life = both: moral protection (scales) + bold drive (fins).
4. Jewish history and today’s crises prove: our task is to shine with values intact.
5. G-d calls us not only to resist evil, but to increase Torah, life, and light.

#Israel #Hamas #Judaism #Torah #TorahPortion #TorahLessons #BibleStudy #Bible #Morality #Jewish #chabad #Rabbi #Rabbiyisroelbernath #yisroelbernath #fins #scales #October7 #Kosher #koshersigns #LightOverDarkness 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Jeffrey brought honesty, courage, and an open heart to this dialogue. We explored the struggles and joys that come with being young, building relationships, and searching for purpose. It’s not polished, it’s not scripted, it’s simply real. And I’m so excited for you to spend this time with us.

---

Support Jeffrey and His Family

Jeffrey’s story doesn’t end with this conversation. His family is facing a heartbreaking reality. In September 2024, his father suffered a stroke that left him paralyzed, while his mother continues her long battle with Multiple Sclerosis. Both now require 24/7 care. Jeffrey and his siblings, all full-time students, are doing everything they can to keep their parents safe and supported, but the need is overwhelming.

If this conversation touched you, please consider helping Jeffrey and his family in this urgent time of need.

👉 Donate to the Warner Family GoFundMe

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

In this timely and emotionally-charged class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath unpacks a Midrashic conversation between Moses and G-d that reveals something deeper than geography: the power of Jewish identity without shame. Joseph never let go of his roots, even when it cost him everything. Moses, for reasons of his own, allowed others to misidentify him.

What emerges is not a critique, but a calling.

This is a class about Eretz Yisroel, yes. But it’s also a class about spiritual backbone, about moral clarity, and about what it means to be a proud Jew in a world that often wants us to shrink.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Being “too Jewish” is never the problem, being disconnected is.
Joseph’s merit was his unapologetic loyalty to Israel, even in exile.
Spiritual identity is not something we rent. It’s who we are.
Moses was not punished, he simply wasn’t a fit for a mission he didn’t fully embody.
Today, being a Joseph means embracing our role as G-d’s ambassadors, even in the toughest rooms.
Israel is not just a land—it’s the soul’s homeland. Even from across the globe, we are rooted there.
When we stop apologizing for our presence, our light begins to shine.

#Israel #Judaism #Jewish #Zionism #EretzYisrael #Midrash #Moses #Joseph #IsraelHamas #IsraelWar #MoralClarity #JewishHistory #Torah #TorahPortion #TorahLessons #torahwisdom #torahpsychology #BibleStudy #Bible #BiblicalCrticism 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Rabbi Yisroel Bernath opened the evening with a heart-stirring monologue, inviting us not to perform grief, but to hold it. To slow down. To soften. To sit low with history and let the silence speak.

Rabbi Yosh Berkowicz then chanted Megillat Eicha, Lamentations, in its original Hebrew, each verse a cry from the Prophet Jeremiah that echoed through centuries of loss—and resilience. Participants followed along in English, or simply let the rhythm wash over them like waves of collective memory.

Following the reading, Rabbi Bernath led a reflective journey through Jewish history, from the destruction of both Temples to the Crusades, from the Spanish Expulsion to the Holocaust—framing Tisha B’Av not only as a night of mourning, but as an ongoing thread of survival and spiritual resistance.

A deeply moving segment explored the story of the Conversos—Jews forced to hide their faith in 15th-century Spain. Their secret fasts, their quiet mitzvot, and their admiration for Queen Esther became metaphors for our own inner strength. Esther, the hidden heroine, became theirs—and perhaps ours.

From there, the group entered a sacred space of reflection with personal prompts. Participants journaled, sat in silence, or shared memories and prayers aloud in a gentle, optional open-mic circle. Candles flickered. Tears flowed. And still—hope rose.

Three Prophets, Three Eichas, One Call to Action
Rabbi Bernath wove together the three biblical voices that cry out “Eicha”—Moses, Isaiah, and Jeremiah. Each saw the Jewish people at a different point: in their dignity, in their moral decline, and in their devastation.

 Each Eicha reminds us: the question isn’t just historical, it’s existential.

 “How can I carry this alone?”

 “How can it be that righteousness has been replaced by ruin?”

 And…

 “How can it be that a holy city sits in desolation?”

The Rebbe taught that we are the answer. That we must turn the Eicha of exile into the Eicha of leadership. That each of us is a shliach, a messenger, charged with rebuilding—one mitzvah, one soul, one light at a time.

 As the evening closed, Rabbi Bernath reminded us:

“We’ve sat together in the ruins. We’ve cried the ancient cries.
 But we’re not meant to live in sorrow.
 We are the generation of redemption.”

May this year’s fast be the last one in exile.
 May we merit to read the next scroll with joy.
Together. In Jerusalem rebuilt.

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

This class explores the roots of generational trauma in the Jewish psyche, from the fear of the spies to the quiet despair echoing through the Jewish community today. We'll dive deep into the psychological and spiritual scars left by centuries of exile, oppression, and self-doubt and discover how fear can shape reality more powerfully than facts.

Using Torah, Talmud, Chassidut, and modern psychological insight, we’ll unpack how vain tears become real sorrow—and how breaking the cycle starts with reclaiming our Divine power. From elephants in the circus to Harvard psychology experiments, this session will challenge you to reframe your internal narrative, discard inherited limitations, and begin the long-awaited journey from grief to redemption.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• The Origin of Tisha B’Av: Understand the deeper meaning behind the “vain tears” of our ancestors and why this night became one of generational grief.
• Trauma as Inheritance: Discover how Jewish despair today is often rooted not in current events, but in stories, beliefs, and fears passed down through generations.
• The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Learn how our perception of self shapes our destiny—and why seeing ourselves as grasshoppers ensures others will too.
• From Powerlessness to Purpose: Gain tools to shift from victimhood to empowerment, and how G-d never asks us to face a challenge without first giving us the strength to overcome it.
• Healing the Diaspora Spirit: Explore how our generation can begin to break the cycle of inherited fear and transform Tisha B’Av into a festival of light.

#TishaBav #VainTears #GenerationalTrauma #Bible #BibleStudy #spies #TorahLessons #TorahPortion #Torah #Devarim #Deutoronomy #inneregypt 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

From Moses to modern marriage, from a misunderstood heretic to the Maggid of Mezritch, we dive into the soul’s secret defense system and how to disarm it with self-worth, humility, and Chassidic wisdom.

Takeaways:

1. The power of silence: Sometimes, it’s more spiritually transformative to listen to criticism than to justify ourselves, especially when it comes from someone wise.
2. Criticism doesn’t define you: When you know your core worth, you can absorb criticism without collapsing.
3. Not all rebuke is rejection: Moses’ rebuke was intense, but it came from leadership and love.
4. Marriage tip: Your spouse’s critique might not be a judgment, it might be a chance to expand your perspective.
5. The Maggid’s wisdom: True self-esteem is found when neither praise nor criticism defines your value.
6. Criticism is holy rain: It should nourish, not erode. But to receive it, we need rooted self-worth.

#Bible #Torah #criticism #TorahPortion #TorahLessons #BibleStudy #Moses #selfesteem #God #self-esteem #sefasemes #maggid #solomonmaimon #humility #personalgrowth #Spiritual #spiritualleadership #emotionalresilience #torahwisdom 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Takeaways:

Not All “G-ds" Are the Same
The God that many reject may not be the G-d Torah and Kabbalah actually describe.

Beyond Supernatural vs. Natural
Judaism sees G-d not as a supernatural being outside nature, but as the source and essence of all existence, both within and beyond nature.

Personal and Infinite
G-d is not a person, but also not less than personal. The Divine is both the cosmic Author and the intimate Listener.

Language & Metaphor Matter
The Torah uses varied metaphors to relate to G-d, each revealing a facet, none capturing the whole.

G-d Is Experienced, Not Just Explained
You may not "prove" G-d like a theorem—but you can encounter G-d in awe, in kindness, in Torah, and in the quiet moments of the soul.

#God #theology #thegodquestion #chassidus #Kabbalah #chabad #Spinoza #einstein #jewishphilosophy #Faith #personalgod #infinite #soul 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Takeaways

Spiritual Warfare: The real battle wasn’t fought with swords, it was waged in the heavens. Balak understood the power of spiritual energy and tried to use it against the Jews.

Power of Blessing: Bilaam, despite himself, delivered the deepest praises of the Jewish people, because truth isn’t controlled by ego, but by G-d.

The Danger Within: When external curses failed, Bilaam exploited internal weakness—seduction and immorality. The greatest danger often comes from within.

Transformation is Inevitable: Even klipah (spiritual husks) serve holiness in the end. Bilaam’s blessings live on—while his plots fade into oblivion.

Identity is Non-Negotiable: The Jewish soul cannot be cursed. Our truth is eternal, our connection Divine, and our mission unshakable—even our enemies admit it.

#ParshatBalak #Balak #Judaism #Torah #Bible #BibleStudy #Bilaam #Moav #Moshiach #Curses #Prophecy #Parsha #TorahPortion #TorahLessons #TorahPortion 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Is the Torah a divine blueprint or a human masterpiece? Or… could it be both?

Together, we walk a path between Sinai and the seminar room, from ancient revelation to modern doubt and discover that sometimes, the questions themselves are the invitation to a deeper relationship with truth.

Key Takeaways:

1. Traditional Belief Holds Depth: Torah mi-Sinai means Moses recorded divine revelation over 40 years. It's not simplistic, it’s layered and deeply rooted in Jewish collective memory.
2. Modern Scholarship Brings Honest Challenges: Thinkers like Harari argue that the Torah was assembled over centuries, reflecting political and social needs. These critiques must be addressed, not ignored.
3. Kabbalah and Chassidus Provide a Bridge: Divine revelation doesn’t exclude human expression. The Torah flowed through Moses’ voice and personality, G-d worked with human vessels.
4. Assumptions Shape Interpretation: Believers and skeptics alike interpret the same data through different axioms. Acknowledging this fosters respectful dialogue rather than defensiveness.
5. The Torah’s Endurance Is Itself a Testament: Its moral vision, power to unite, and enduring relevance across time and culture hint at something more than human genius, it points toward the Divine.
6. This Is Not About “Winning” an Argument: It’s about honesty, humility, and the courage to explore big questions together.
7. The Torah Is a Living Document: Beyond history or philosophy, Torah continues to speak—not just inform, but transform. That may be its greatest proof of all.

#Torah #God #Judaism #sinai #Moses #Divinerevelation #Documentaryhypothesis #YuvalNoahHarari #Kabbalah #Jewishtradition #BiblicalCrticism #Tanya #Spinoza #chassidus #Faith #theology 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

-

I hope you are well. 

This Wednesday marks something deeply personal for me and Sara.

Exactly 20 years ago, we arrived in Montreal with a few suitcases, a tiny apartment… and one big, beating dream:

To build a Jewish home for anyone who needed one.

Not just a synagogue.

Not just programs.

But a place filled with warmth, love, and belonging for every soul.

In those early days, we ran school workshops and young professional events, saying yes to every opportunity to bring a little more light into the world.

And then 17 years ago, we opened our own little centre in NDG.

That dream — it grew.

Today, thanks to the incredible community we’ve built together, that small seed has become something beautiful:

-JMontreal our matchmaking service (212 engagements and counting!)

-A Jewish centre where everyone is welcome.

-Montreal’s only Jewish shelter for young adults in crisis

-Mental health and life coaching for those struggling

-A hospitable oasis for Jewish Students facing anti-semitism at Concordia.

Some of you know me from Instagram or the Kosher Love documentary.

But this… this is the heart of my life’s work.

And now, we’re dreaming even bigger.

We want to grow the shelter.

Support more young people.

Make more matches.

Create more space for joy, healing, and Jewish connection.

But we can’t do it alone.

That’s why I’m writing to you today.

This Wednesday, our 20-year anniversary is also the last day to buy a raffle ticket.

Your ticket is more than a donation. It’s a vote of confidence.

It says: "I believe in this. I want this to grow."

And yes, you can also win big!

Buy your raffle ticket here

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being part of this journey.

Let’s build the next 20 years — together.

With love and gratitude,
Rabbi Yisroel Bernath

P.S. If you’ve already bought tickets — thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Your support means the world to us, and you’re helping us make this dream grow stronger every single day.
Please consider forwarding this email to a friend who might also want to be part of something meaningful.

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Why did G-d command Moses to use the very symbol of suffering, the snake, as a healing instrument? What does it mean that people had to look up at the snake to be cured?

Through timeless Jewish wisdom, vulnerable personal insight, and psychological depth, Rabbi Bernath explores the mystery of pain, the challenge of resilience, and the spiritual art of transforming darkness into light. You’ll walk away with a new perspective on your own struggles and perhaps, a new path to healing.

Key Takeaways:

Transformation, Not Avoidance:
True healing doesn’t come from avoiding our pain, but from facing it with courage and elevating it with meaning.

The Snake Above vs. the Snake Below:
The same experience can be seen from a higher or lower perspective. One brings despair; the other, depth.

The Poison Is the Cure:
Just like antivenom is made from venom, your healing may emerge from the very thing that once hurt you.

Don’t Run, Look Up:
When we stop running from the “snakes” in our lives and look upward—to G-d, to our higher selves—we discover the blessing buried in the bite.

Every Crisis Holds a Blessing:
Like Jacob wrestling the angel, we can say to our struggle: “I will not let you go until you bless me.” That’s Jewish resilience.

You Are Sacred Even in Pain:
Sometimes the deepest truth is not an answer to your question, but the awareness that your soul is Divine, loved, and never alone.

#healing #Judaism #Jewish #coppersnake #healingthroughpain #TorahPortion #TorahLessons #Torah #torahpsychology #JewishResiliance #struggle #Redemption #divinepurpose #traumatotransformation #trauma #God #snake #parshatchukat #spritualgrowth 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Through an exploration of four key episodes involving Dathan and Abiram, Rabbi Bernath uncovers their long history of discord and defiance. Yet the class’s emotional apex comes with Moses’ unexpected final act: rising to personally appeal to his bitterest enemies, even after G-d commanded their separation. Why? Because Moses could never give up on the potential for peace—even with those who never sought it.

Drawing from the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s insights on Parshas Korach, this class challenges us to ask: When is the pursuit of unity too much? And what makes someone truly worthy of leadership?

Takeaways:

1. True Leadership Is Relentless Love:
   Moses teaches us that real leadership isn’t about titles or power, it’s about never giving up on people, even those who oppose you.
2. Some Quarrels Are Lifelong—Still, We Try:
   Dathan and Abiram weren’t new to conflict; they had a history of opposition. Yet Moses still pursued peace, one last time.
3. “Do Not Keep Up a Quarrel” Isn’t Just a Nice Idea—It’s a Lifesaving One:
   The Talmud’s teaching, rooted in Moses’ actions, reminds us that unity is sacred—even if it means swallowing our pride.
4. The Power of One Final Attempt:
   “Moses stood up and went to Dathan and Abiram.” That one verse becomes a model for all of us: Don’t assume it’s too late to make peace.
5. We Each Carry a Spark of Moses:
   As the Tanya teaches, every Jew carries a part of Moses’ soul. That means we each have the capacity to rise above ego and reach out in peace.
6. Peace Doesn’t Mean Passivity:
   Pursuing peace doesn’t mean tolerating abuse, it means knowing when to fight injustice and when to humble yourself for healing.

#Torah #Moses #Judaism #Bible #BibleStudy #Korach #ParshatKorach #humility #Rebbe #mosesleadership #Peace #TorahLessons #TorahPortion 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

This class explores the deeper meaning of those "vain tears" through Torah, psychology, and metaphor. From the self-fulfilling prophecy of the spies, to Harvard's famous "Rosenthal Experiment," to the chained circus elephant who forgot her strength, we see how fear and self-image can imprison entire generations.

But we are no longer that generation. We are living in a time of healing and empowerment. This Tisha B’Av, we are called to rewrite the script. To cry no more. To rise with resolve. To finally break free and bring healing, light, and redemption to our world.

Key Takeaways:

Fear isn’t always logical, but it’s always powerful.
Even miracles won’t help if we don’t believe in ourselves.

Vain tears become real pain.
When we cry over imagined powerlessness, we invite genuine suffering, because we surrender our G-d-given strength.

We see ourselves as grasshoppers and so does the world.
The way we perceive ourselves shapes how others treat us.

Belief creates reality.
Like elephants chained by false memories, we stay stuck not because we are weak, but because we think we are.

This is the age of healing.
We’re not grasshoppers. We’re not victims. We are a generation with tools, strength, and clarity. It’s time to remember who we are.

Tisha B’Av will be transformed.
With courage, truth, and unity, even our day of weeping will become a day of joy, with the coming of Moshiach.

#fear #healing #Jewish #Judaism #shlach #TorahPortion #Torah #TorahLessons #Bible #BibleStudy #TishaBav #Spirituality #Moshiach #Spiritual #lubavitch #RabbiWisdom 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

We explore the legacy of Joseph, alone, enslaved, and tempted and how a single vision of his father reminded him: One action changes everything.
Joseph, who kept Shabbat even in Egypt, is rewarded not with rest but with purpose, his descendant offering a sacrifice on Shabbat itself, transforming a personal act into a communal revelation.

With wisdom from the Lubavitcher Rebbe and reflections on our divine spark, we are reminded that every choice we make is a nuclear reaction of holiness. We are not small. We are not powerless. We are G-d’s partners in redeeming this world.

Key Takeaways

We begin with a prayer for those wounded and shaken by the hate-fueled Anti-Jewish violence in Boulder. We must never grow numb to evil nor dismiss the power of standing up for what's right.

Moral failure begins the moment we excuse the first injustice. As seen in Nuremberg and echoed in our lives, passivity is complicity.

Joseph’s strength came not from Torah laws, but from internalizing his worth. His vision of Jacob, representing all of humanity reminded him that his actions mattered deeply.

You are not a chemical reaction, you are a nuclear reaction. One spark of holiness from you can ripple outward infinitely.

Keeping Shabbat in Egypt wasn’t just ritual—it was a declaration: Even in exile, I matter. Even in isolation, my light changes the world.

You are the world. As the Lubavitcher Rebbe taught: One human, one deed, one moment, can shake the heavens and awaken redemption.

#Jewish #Judaism #Bible #BibleStudy #Shabbat #Nuremberg #MoralCourage #humandignity #Shabbat #Joseph #TorahLessons #TorahPortion #Torah #Rebbe #LubavitcherRebbe #jewishethics 

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

Single? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.

Donate and support Rabbi Bernath’s work http://www.jewishndg.com/donate

Follow Rabbi Bernath’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernath

Access Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi