In this eye-opening session, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores one of the most profound and misunderstood topics of all time: What is G-d? Moving beyond simplistic childhood images of a supernatural sky-being, we delve into Jewish, Chassidic, philosophical, and even scientific perspectives on the Divine. Drawing from thinkers like Einstein and the Alter Rebbe, this class gently unpacks a paradoxical truth: G-d is not less than personal, but also infinitely more than any person. Whether you’re a believer, skeptic, or somewhere in between, this is a class that will stretch your mind and open your heart.

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

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

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

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In this heart-open, mind-stretching class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath dives headfirst into one of the most profound questions ever asked: Who wrote the Torah and what do we mean by G-d? Sparked by a challenge from Ilana, a thoughtful soul who just "won the raffle" and then handed Rabbi Bernath some of the hardest theological questions he's faced, this class isn't a debate, it’s a bridge. Drawing from Torah, Talmud, Rambam, Tanya, Harari, Einstein, Spinoza, and Chassidic mystics, we explore traditional belief, academic scholarship, and the honest soul-searching that sits between them.

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

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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

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

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This Shabbat Parshat Beha’alotecha, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath was a Scholar-In-Residence at Beth Tikvah in DDO, Quebec, here is a recording for him preparing his Shabbat morning sermon.

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

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

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Tonight at Congregation TBDJ in Montreal, Rabbi Zolly Claman invited Rabbi Yisroel Bernath to share a unique talk as part of his series on the Characters from the Torah. Rabbi Bernath explored the life of King David through the lens of The Forgiveness Experiment, asking what it really means to forgive without becoming naïve, passive, or unsafe. Moving from Cain and Abel, Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, and Joseph and his brothers, the class showed how Tanach slowly develops a deeper language of forgiveness, from failed repair, to fragile reconciliation, to Joseph’s powerful refusal to let his brothers define his life story.

The heart of the class focused on David HaMelech: David sparing Shaul, absorbing Shimei’s public curses, grieving Avshalom, and ultimately becoming not only the one who forgives, but the one who must ask for forgiveness. Through David, we saw that forgiveness is not weakness. It is spiritual strength. It is the courage to release resentment without erasing truth, to hold boundaries without becoming bitter, and to stop giving someone else the pen to your story.

Key Takeaways
-Forgiveness is not pretending the wound never happened; it is deciding that the wound will not become the author of your life.
-Joseph teaches us that people may intend harm, but they do not get to define the meaning of our story.
-David teaches us that true greatness is measured not only by how we act on the throne, but how we respond when we are humiliated, attacked, and vulnerable.
-Forgiveness and boundaries can coexist. David spares Shaul, but he does not move back into the palace.
-Shimei represents the person who attacks when we are already bleeding — and David’s response teaches us the discipline of not letting resentment turn us into someone we do not want to become.
-Divine forgiveness does not erase consequences. David’s teshuvah after Bat Sheva is real, but the story still carries responsibility and repair.
-The House of David is not built by perfect people. It is built by people who fall, return, forgive, ask forgiveness, and keep choosing life.

Rabbi Bernath’s New Book: The Forgiveness Experiment is Now #1 Best Seller on Amazon!
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6
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#HouseOfDavid #theforgivenessexperiment #Rabbiyisroelbernath #KingDavid #DavidHaMelech #Forgiveness #Teshuvah #JewishWisdom #Tanach #BiblicalPersonalities #JosephAndHisBrothers #Shimei #Avshalom #ShaulHaMelech #EmotionalHealing #spiritualgrowth #lettinggo #BoundariesAndForgiveness #JewishLearning #TBDJ #MontrealJewishCommunity #HeartOpenJudaism Join this channel to get access to perks:
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Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

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

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Why do we read the story of Ruth on Shavuot? Beneath the surface of this beautiful Megillah lies one of the most dramatic stories in all of Tanach, famine, exile, conversion, controversy, loss, courage, and the hidden birth of redemption.

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

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

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

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

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As we arrive at the final week of Sefirat HaOmer, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores the profound and deeply practical world of Malchut, the sefirah of sovereignty, presence, dignity, and embodiment. In Chassidic thought, Malchut is not about domination or ego-driven power, but about becoming a grounded vessel for truth, connection, and Divine presence. Through powerful analogies, relatable stories, and authentic Kabbalistic teachings, this class explores what it means to lead without controlling, to receive without shame, and to stand in your worth without needing to prove yourself. Malchut is where spirituality stops being theoretical and finally becomes lived reality.

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

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

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

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

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As we step into the week of Yesod, we move from the inner emotional world into the place where everything becomes real, where feelings turn into connection, and potential becomes relationship. In this class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores Yesod not just as a mystical concept, but as the very foundation of how we bond with others, with ourselves, and with G-d.

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

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

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

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In a world that rewards being right, being strong, and holding it all together, the Sefirah of Hod invites us into a very different kind of strength. In this heart-open class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores the power of humility, not as weakness, but as the courage to soften, to acknowledge truth, and to release the need to control. Drawing from Kabbalah, Chassidic teachings and real-life experiences, this session unpacks how Hod shows up in our relationships, our inner dialogue, and our spiritual growth. When we stop defending and start listening, something shifts. Hod is where we become more honest, more connected, and ultimately, more whole.

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

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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.

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