Online Torah Classes with Rabbi Mendy Goldberg

BO So, what’s with Jews and money? Jews run the economy? It’s all about the Benjamins? The Jewish lobby? Even without addressing some of the vilest anti-Semitic tropes, there is definitely something to be said about the tremendous financial success Jewish people seem to encounter everywhere. More than 40% of Nobel Prize winners in Economics are Jewish. 30% of the 20 wealthiest individuals in the w...

VAEIRA Getting The Messaging Right If the entire mission of this leader is to advocate, to eloquently make the case for his people’s freedom in the halls of power, why does Hashem choose Moshe a man afflicted with a speech impediment to be His agent? And to complicate things further, Hashem instructs that given Moshe’s handicap, it will be Aharon who will deliver the message to Pharaoh in a clear...

SHEMOS The Heroes of Today We take pride in the stark difference that sets us apart from our enemies, namely that where they glorify and seek death, we are a people that cherishes and loves life. The Torah is a Torah of life; Hashem is the source of life. So where does a religion so deeply devoted to life and its perpetuation, make room for dying for the "sanctification of G-d name"? How...

VAYECHI This Land is Our Land… …Or is it?! As the ever-present war in Eretz Yisroel rages on, some of us are faced with the age-old question, or, for the assertion that we stole this land from our Arab predecessors, who had lived there peacefully until the alien Jews, who came from so far as Europe or beyond, to ‘colonize’ it and expel them. There are facts, numbers, names and dates to back up the...

VAYIGASH Creating A Buffer Zone Big negotiations today are all about what's going to be "the day after" the war ends, and victory is announced. One of the greatest issues is the need for a demilitarized buffer zone. This is a key component for the safety and security for any country. In the fast the Rabbis have set for the mourning of the Holy Temple, the most important one is the fo...

The World of Kabbalah: Revealing How Its Mystical Secrets Relate to You Lesson 6 The Essence of Everything. Uncover the reality that precedes everything, the essence of the Divine Self, and the surprising purpose of our physical universe. Learn insights into the human self’s deepest motivation and purpose and our capacity to repair wrongs.

MIKEITZ Can You Split the Child? In the Haftorah we read of the famous story, when King Solomon is asked to preside over the case of two women arguing over the guardianship of a child. The wisest of all men issues a ruling, which has long been hailed as a brilliant solution to the quarrel: let the child be split in half, and each woman will receive her share. This of course, exposed the legitimate...

VAYEISHEV Dreams. Do They Mean Anything? We read in the Torah the dreams Joseph has recounted to his brothers. Why did Joseph tell these dreams to them, if it would only cerate more animosity, than they already had towards him? Do dreams actually mean something? Is there anything true about dreams? Or is is just some wishful thinking? or a just a nightmare? Explore the Torah's view on dreams a...

The World of Kabbalah: Revealing How Its Mystical Secrets Relate to You Lesson 5 The Great Concealment. Explore the process of  tzimtzum , or how G-d conceals His infinity to create space for our reality. See how this translates into guidance for empowering others and seeking growth potential in life’s darkest moments.

VAYISHLACH The Innocent Civilians In this week’s Parsha, we study the first military conflict in history that we waged against the enemies who arose against us. This was the first time we took up arms to defend our ownership of the land and deter our enemies. At that time, a moral question arose: Who are we fighting against? Who is defined as an enemy? Should we only target those directly involved...

The World of Kabbalah: Revealing How Its Mystical Secrets Relate to You Lesson 4 The World of Chaos. Study the primordial spiritual universe of  Tohu , its purpose in creation, and its enduring impact on human nature. Discover the roots of inner moral conflict and the key to harnessing our negative natures to achieve fulfillment.

VAYETZEI In The Darkest of Times, I Pray. In recent days, a moment has been publicized that can leave no one indifferent. Since that fateful Simchat Torah morning, there was a solitary moment of happiness, a moment of "light" in a dual sense: the rescue of Ori Megidish from captivity in Gaza, where she was founds alive, and safe. A video was circulated a few days before the rescue: her m...

The World of Kabbalah: Revealing How Its Mystical Secrets Relate to You Lesson 3 The Infinite Light. Observe how G-d’s infinite light unites diverse  sefirot  and how we can replicate this phenomenon to overcome human differences and create harmonious relationships. Plus, see how willpower mirrors infinity and enables us to overcome obstacles.

TOLDOT The Wars in Gazza - Jews V/s Philistines The war raging in the Gazza is not the first time the Jews having war there. The Torah reading of Toldot, tells about the wells that Yitzchak excavates and is successful, while the one's his father explored were all destroyed. Yiztchak's approach to the enemy then in the land Gazza, is very telling for us about the war raging presently. How d...

The World of Kabbalah: Revealing How Its Mystical Secrets Relate to You Lesson 2 The Dawn of Limitation. Probe the Divine realm of G-d’s ten  sefirot  and the corresponding powers of the soul. Discover how knowledge of our soul’s root can clarify individual purpose and provide guidance for maximizing strengths and managing weaknesses.

CHAYEI SARAH A Life That Continues After Living Parshat Chayei Sarah; where is The Life of Sarah? How does it make sense to name a portion that contains nothing about the life of Sarah, starting only after her death? This is not just a question about the choice of words. It is almost derisive and mocking, saying that the portion recounts everything that is the opposite of the life of Sarah. Sarah...

The World of Kabbalah: Revealing How Its Mystical Secrets Relate to You Lesson 1 The Evolution of Ego. Examine the three spiritual worlds linking G-d’s initial plan to our physical universe and how they correspond to human thought, speech, and action. Plus, see how this insight helps us sidestep rash decisions and implement habits for intentional living.

VAYEIRA The Secret Sauce of Jewish Immortality During these very hours, the brave soldiers of the IDF are on the front lines to protect Jewish lives. The entire Israeli society and beyond are also dealing with tension and fears of the unknown. What can we do now to strengthen the wellbeing of our soldiers as well as our own? What is the foundation of Jewish life: We are a people with a history of...

Lech Lecha The First Hostage As the war in our beloved Holy Land enters its third week, and our collective eyes are on the innocent hostages still held by Hamas in the Gaza strip – men, women and children – this week’s Parsha takes us back to a story not foreign to this violence and tragedy. We find the first (Jewish?) captive, held in the hands of evil people. Lot, Avraham’s nephew who previously...

Noach What Are we fighting Over? For as long as anyone can remember the Land of Israel has been fought over, debated about and it has been at the center of so much conflict. Everyone claims it as theirs and wants a piece of it. But why? What is so unique about this little sliver of soil? We will assert that the world needs the Land of Israel as a palace for the divine presence, as the place where...

BREISHIT Why Did Adam & Eve Sin? What were they thinking? Was there nothing else to eat? Why were they only embarrassed by their lack of clothing after eating from the Tree of knowledge? As we explore this episode based on the words of the Chassidic master we come to realize their mistake and the root cause of why we at times sin as well. How to void those pitfalls and stand up to our evil inc...

SUKKOT The Search For Happiness. Everyone want to be happy. However, how does one achieve happiness, how does one really have the joy and optimistic view in life. The Torah rarely states the obligation to be joyful, the only time is when it comes to the Holiday of Sukkot. Why is happiness attached to Sukkot? Why is it such a joyful time when the water was poured in the Holy Temple? How do we achie...

YOM KIPPUR Starting With No Strings Attached The first service and one of the most popular services is the Kol Nidrei. Why? What is so special about this prayer? Why is this seemingly transactional prayer place with such importance at the beginning of the holy day of Yom Kipur? By exploring the halachic and esoteric meaning of the Kol Nidrei, we will learn to see how we can start the day of YOM KI...

ROSH HASHANA When All Else Fails: Shout There is a known Yiddish adage, which in English goes roughly something like this: “When it hurts, one screams”. Whether that merely stating an observable fact or suggesting a plan of action is perhaps a matter of interpretation. As we close in on Rosh Hashana, we want to focus on precisely this phenomenon. That last resort, when one is fresh out of ideas or...

NITZAVIM Taking Responsibility Every person you know is wrestling with something. Each one is hamstrung on other factors that restrain them. The first stage of redemption and healing, the key to true repentance to G-d: the understanding that we -and nobdy else- are responsible for our choices. We alone are the reason we are in the place we find ourselves in, and no one in the world, from within or...