Kabbalah for Everyone

Send us Fan Mail In this week’s Torah portion, Ki Seitzei , we learn the law of the firstborn: even if the firstborn son comes from the “unloved” wife, he must be given the double portion. Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explored the deeper Kabbalistic meaning behind this law, revealing that the “beloved” and “unloved” wives are metaphors for two sides of our soul — the inspired, G-d-loving self and the str...

Send us Fan Mail Rabbi Yisroel Bernath unpacks a fascinating teaching: why does G-d reject the idea of a single-stone altar? At first glance it’s just about ancient rituals, but the deeper message is timeless. Real faith and real life can’t be built on “one stone” one path, one perspective, one style. True oneness comes from many stones joined together. This class explores how individuality and di...

Send us Fan Mail The 5-Step Program of Spiritual Courtship, Engagement, Marriage, Honeymoon, and Real Life: Discovering the Divine Romance in Our Lives In this sermon, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores the deep and mystical relationship between G-d and the Jewish people, likened to a sacred marriage. Drawing from Kabbalistic and Chassidic teachings, Rabbi Bernath delves into the spiritual phases of t...

Send us Fan Mail On the night of the 9th of Av, our ancestors cried tears of despair—tears the Talmud calls “ בכיה של חנם ” , baseless weeping. G-d’s response wasn’t punitive, it was prophetic: “You wept in vain, and this day will be one of tears for generations.” But what were they really crying about? And why do we still cry? This class explores the roots of generational trauma in the Jewish psy...

Send us Fan Mail This class explores one of the Torah’s most striking rebukes, Moses’ fiery confrontation with the tribes of Reuben and Gad and uncovers why they chose silence over self-defense. Through this encounter and a powerful Chassidic story about the Sefas Emes, Rabbi Bernath examines why we often recoil at criticism and how to reframe it as a holy opportunity for growth. From Moses to mod...

Send us Fan Mail 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 unpac...

Send us Fan Mail 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...

Send us Fan Mail Purchase a raffle ticket here (there's 32 hours left!) http://www.charidy.com/ndg - 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...

Send us Fan Mail In this deep and soulful journey through Parshat Chukas, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath unpacks one of the most perplexing and powerful moments in the Torah: the copper snake on a pole. 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, vuln...

Send us Fan Mail In this gripping class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath delves into the tragic and turbulent rebellion led by Korach, Dathan, Abiram, and On ben Peles against Moses and Aaron. The narrative unveils not just a mutiny, but a masterclass in leadership, humility, and boundless love for even the most stubborn opponents. Through an exploration of four key episodes involving Dathan and Abiram, Rab...

Send us Fan Mail On the night of Tisha B’Av, the Jewish people cried out of fear, not from a real threat, but from a perceived one. That night became a tragic turning point in our history, not because of a divine punishment, but because fear itself became the seed of generations of sorrow. This class explores the deeper meaning of those "vain tears" through Torah, psychology, and metapho...

Send us Fan Mail In this weeks class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath reveals the Torah’s timeless wisdom for navigating today’s anxious, high-speed world. Rooted in a single verse from Parshat Behaalotecha, we uncover how the cloud that guided the Jewish people through the desert wasn’t just GPS, it was G-d’s embrace, offering a blueprint for emotional resilience. Drawing on deep Talmudic insight, the stor...

Send us Fan Mail In this deeply moving and timely class, Rabbi Bernath opens with a heartfelt prayer for the victims of the Boulder attack and a reminder that silence in the face of evil is complicity. From the courtroom of Judgment at Nuremberg to the Torah portion of Naso, we journey through history, law, and soul. We explore the legacy of Joseph, alone, enslaved, and tempted and how a single vi...

Send us Fan Mail In this special post-Shabbat sermon recorded for Shavuot, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath takes us on a profound journey through the remarkable history of the Sassoon Codex and the legendary Crown of Aram Tzova. Woven into this tale of ink and parchment is a modern miracle: the voice of a mother reaching her daughter in captivity, reminding us that the Torah is not just a relic, but a livin...

Send us Fan Mail What if the future of Judaism depended not on scholars or sages, but on the sippy cups and crayon-covered siddurim of our children? This powerful class dives into one of the most striking Midrashim about the giving of the Torah: when G-d demanded a guarantor, our ancestors suggested the elders, the prophets, the leaders and were rejected. Only when they offered the children did G-...

Send us Fan Mail In the aftermath of October 7, Jews around the world experienced a surge of emotion and identity—an outpouring of Jewish adrenaline. But as the energy fades, the real question emerges: what does it actually mean to live a meaningful Jewish life? Rabbi Bernath draws from Dan Senor’s "State of World Jewry" Speech and 92Y last week, A.B. Yehoshua’s challenge to diaspora Jew...

Send us Fan Mail In the shadow of the tragic murder of two young Israeli diplomats, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim , who dedicated their lives to peace, we confront the heart-wrenching questions: Are we still the Chosen People? Can we still believe in humanity when humanity seems to fall apart? This week’s Torah portion, Bechukotai , addresses blessings and brutal curses, followed by the...

Send us Fan Mail Lag B’Omer isn’t just a day for bonfires and bow-and-arrows. It’s the Hilula —the joyous “wedding day”—of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, the mystic who gave us the Zohar and opened the gates of Jewish spiritual consciousness. But why a wedding on the day of someone’s passing ? This class explores the paradox at the heart of both life and love: how our greatest limitations can be our mos...

Send us Fan Mail In this eye-opening class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores a cryptic Midrash on the tragic deaths of Nadav and Avihu and how it unexpectedly shook the biblical figure of Job. Through this lens, we’ll uncover what this story teaches us about moral responsibility, the danger of silence in the face of injustice, and the timely relevance of speaking up — especially when it’s uncomforta...

Send us Fan Mail In this powerful class on Parshas Tazria, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores why the Torah repeats the phrase “the Kohen shall look.” Drawing on the teachings of the Meshech Chochma , we’ll discover the Torah’s revolutionary approach to healing—not just diagnosing the symptoms, but seeing the entire person . This class reveals the spiritual roots of what modern medicine now calls &quo...

Send us Fan Mail Click HERE to purchase a raffle ticket www.ndgraffle.com 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 ca...

Send us Fan Mail In this transformative pre-Passover class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath invites us to reimagine one of the most perplexing passages of the Haggadah—the confrontation with the so-called “wicked” child. At first glance, it seems to suggest aggression. But look again. Beneath the surface lies a profound truth about love, empathy, and the infinite potential within every soul. We explore how...

Send us Fan Mail Navigating the choppy waters of our inner Nile, where the Pharaoh of Negative Thought reigns supreme, Rabbi Bernath offers a sage map for the modern soul's Exodus. Picture this: an inner Pharaoh, all ego and no ear, refusing the logic we offer as liberally as matzah at Pesach. It's an ancient tale, yet as current as our latest tweet. Enter Moshe, our timeless hero, speak...

Send us Fan Mail The Passover Seder isn’t just a tradition....it’s an invitation. Not just for guests around your table, but for you . An invitation to show up emotionally, spiritually, and vulnerably. This class explores five Seder moments that, when fully embraced, can transform your night from ritual to revolution. We’ll journey from the cracked matzah to the humble matzah, from our collective...

Send us Fan Mail The Exodus from Egypt was not just a historical event—it was a revolution in human consciousness. Moses didn’t only break the physical chains of slavery; he shattered the psychological and spiritual limitations that kept humanity in bondage. This class explores how the Exodus introduced the language of freedom, inspiring revolutions, civil rights movements, and personal transforma...