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Daily Jewish Thought

Rabbi@JewishNDG.com (Rabbi Yisroel Bernath)

1168 episodes

1 week ago

The moment Joseph reveals himself to his brothers is not just a family reunion, it is a soul disclosure. In this class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores why Joseph repeats himself, why he asks his brothers to come closer, and why he insists on reminding them that they sold him into Egypt. Drawing from Torah, Midrash, and Kabbalah, we discover that Joseph’s greatest holiness was not forged in comfort, but in confrontation with darkness. His life teaches us that our deepest light often emerges no...

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Religion & Spirituality,

Self-Improvement,

Health & Fitness,

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The moment Joseph reveals himself to his brothers is not just a family reunion, it is a soul disclosure. In this class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores why Joseph repeats himself, why he asks his brothers to come closer, and why he insists on reminding them that they sold him into Egypt. Drawing from Torah, Midrash, and Kabbalah, we discover that Joseph’s greatest holiness was not forged in comfort, but in confrontation with darkness. His life teaches us that our deepest light often emerges no...

Show more...

Religion & Spirituality,

Self-Improvement,

Health & Fitness,

Episodes (20/1168)

Daily Jewish Thought

The Greatest Light That Could Only Come from the Deepest Darkness

The moment Joseph reveals himself to his brothers is not just a family reunion, it is a soul disclosure. In this class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores why Joseph repeats himself, why he asks his brothers to come closer, and why he insists on reminding them that they sold him into Egypt. Drawing from Torah, Midrash, and Kabbalah, we discover that Joseph’s greatest holiness was not forged in comfort, but in confrontation with darkness. His life teaches us that our deepest light often emerges no...

1 week ago

41 minutes

Daily Jewish Thought

After Bondi Beach Attack: Chabad Answers Darkness with Light!

This Shabbat, as Chanukah and Parshat Miketz converge, our hearts are heavy and our calling is clear. From the moment the Maccabees discovered a single cruse of oil in the desecrated Temple, Jewish history hinged not on what was found, but on what was done. They could have preserved the oil as a relic. Instead, they used it and ignited a light that has burned for 2,200 years. In the shadow of the tragic attack at the Chabad Chanukah celebration in Bondi Beach, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath delivers a...

2 weeks ago

32 minutes

Daily Jewish Thought

Are the Jewish People Really the Chosen People?

In this morning’s class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explored the baffling, almost mythical global obsession with Israel and the Jewish people, a tiny nation that somehow takes up an outsized share of the world’s attention. Drawing on the teachings of Rabbi Simon Jacobson, Rabbi YY Jacobson, and Rabbi Manis Friedman, Rabbi Bernath unpacked the spiritual roots behind antisemitism and the world’s fixation on Jews. We confronted the paradox: being “chosen” doesn’t raise us above others, it humbles us...

3 weeks ago

41 minutes

Daily Jewish Thought

A New Way to See Charity: When Giving Becomes Receiving

In this heart-opening conversation, Rabbi Bernath shares a powerful true story of a needy bride who felt ashamed to accept financial help, until she discovers that she is a partner, not a burden. Drawing on the Torah’s teaching of Yissachar and Zevulun, and Chassidic wisdom from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, he reveals the revolutionary idea that tzedakah is not a one-way act of charity but a sacred spiritual partnership. Through moving stories, including a dramatic tale of a Hatzalah medic and his ...

1 month ago

25 minutes

Daily Jewish Thought

In Conversation with Rabbi David Eliezrie | UNdaunted: How the Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn Saved Russian Jewry, Reimagined American Judaism, Ignited a Global Jewish Renaissance

In this remarkable conversation, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath sits down with Rabbi Dovid Eliezrie to explore UNdaunted, his newly released biography of the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, a hero of Jewish history whose courage rewrote the future. We journey through the Rebbe’s extraordinary childhood, discovering how early acts of bravery shaped a leader who would one day defy empires and rebuild Jewish life across the world. Rabbi Eliezrie speaks of the Rebbe’s profound influence on Montreal, from the ...

1 month ago

1 hour 5 minutes

Daily Jewish Thought

Climbing Jacob’s Ladder: The Four Worlds & The Journey of Prayer

Prayer isn’t supposed to feel far away, confusing, or “for holier people.” It’s a ladder right beneath your feet, starting exactly where you are, in your busy, messy, beautiful real life. Tonight, we explore the ancient Kabbalistic map of the four worlds of Action, Emotion, Understanding, and Oneness and discover how the structure of our daily prayers is designed to gently lift us, step by step. Jacob’s ladder becomes our ladder: a practical tool for finding meaning, presence, and Divine conn...

1 month ago

55 minutes

Daily Jewish Thought

Gratitude in Crazy Times: How Rachel Taught Us the Secret to Staying Whole

Life doesn’t wait until everything is perfect. It shows up messy, unpredictable, and sometimes painful. In this uplifting and down-to-earth session, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores how Rachel Imeinu, through the birth of Yosef revealed a simple yet profound mindset that can transform the way we handle challenges. We’ll discover how gratitude isn’t about ignoring the hard stuff, but about seeing the hidden blessings behind the chaos. This class will help us feel more grounded, hopeful, and conn...

1 month ago

29 minutes

Daily Jewish Thought

Why Laughter Might Be the Holiest Thing in Your Relationship

In this morning’s class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath dove into one of the strangest, most beautiful marriage scenes in the entire Torah, Yitzchak and Rivkah caught “jesting” behind a window. 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 revolutiona...

1 month ago

28 minutes

Daily Jewish Thought

Waking Up to the Gift of Time

In this morning’s class, Rabbi Bernath explored the timeless lesson hidden in a sleepy Midrash. When Rabbi Akiva saw his students dozing off, he woke them not with rebuke, but with revelation: the story of Queen Esther’s 127 provinces, mirroring the 127 years of Sarah’s life. 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, wis...

1 month ago

28 minutes

Daily Jewish Thought

When the Flame Goes Out: Finding Your Spark in the Empty Vessel

In this heart-stirring exploration of the prophet Elisha’s miracle for the destitute widow, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath invites us to uncover our own “cruse of oil” the indestructible spark of holiness within. Drawing from Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi’s profound interpretation, we discover that the widow’s empty vessels are our empty actions, our daily deeds done even without inspiration. When we keep showing up, praying, loving, giving, building those vessels eventually overflow with divine oil. ...

2 months ago

1 hour 2 minutes

Daily Jewish Thought

AMA: Am I less of a Jew because I was raised Reform?

In this heartfelt Ask Me Anything, Rabbi Bernath responds to someone from the Kabbalah for Everyone Community, a lifelong Reform Jew who asks a question many have quietly carried: “Am I less of a Jew because I was raised Reform?” 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 in...

2 months ago

18 minutes

Daily Jewish Thought

Do I Hear the Call? Lech Lecha.

This morning, Rabbi Bernath explored a fascinating question raised by the great medieval sage Nachmanides (the Ramban): Why does the Torah introduce every major biblical figure with their background—except Abraham? 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 ...

2 months ago

42 minutes

Daily Jewish Thought

The Hero for the Simple People: Turning the Story of Noah on it’s Head

This morning, Rabbi Bernath explored one of the most misunderstood heroes in Torah, Noach. While the Torah calls him a tzaddik, some sages question whether he was truly righteous or simply better than those around him. Why would our tradition, which praises kindness and humility, seem to downplay the one man who saved humanity? 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 ...

2 months ago

29 minutes

Daily Jewish Thought

The Divine Split: How Genesis Reveals the Secret to Love, Gender, and G-d

In this morning’s class, Rabbi Bernath explored one of the most profound paradoxes in the Torah, the two seemingly contradictory accounts of Adam and Eve’s creation. Far from a textual flaw, this duality encodes the deepest truths about relationships, individuality, and spiritual evolution. 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 ...

2 months ago

59 minutes

Daily Jewish Thought

The Dance of Return: Joy That No Enemy Can Steal

Rabbi Yisroel Bernath delivers a moving Simchat Torah sermon celebrating the miraculous return of the hostages, a moment when prophecy, pain, and prayer converge into pure joy. He draws a profound parallel between this homecoming and the essence of Simchat Torah, a holiday where Jews dance not because of ritual, but because of belonging. 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 time...

2 months ago

15 minutes

Daily Jewish Thought

Building Joy in a Shaky World | Rabbi Bernath’s Sermon for Sukkot 2025

When Rabbi Yisroel Bernath spotted a superyacht with an infinity pool merging into the sky, it sparked a journey through one of the most powerful Talmudic stories, Rabbi Akiva’s “sukkah on a ship.” From that image of faith floating on waves, this class dives into the timeless tension between fragility and faith, exploring what it means to build Jewish life and joy even when the ground beneath us feels unstable. Through stories that span from ancient Rome to post-Holocaust Budapest, Rabbi Bern...

2 months ago

38 minutes

Daily Jewish Thought

Be the Breeze: The Power of One Soul on Rosh Hashanah

Rabbi Yisroel Bernath recorded this sermon before Rosh Hashana as he was preparing and we are sharing it with you... of course it’s nothing close to the magic of Rosh Hashana at Chabad NDG in Montreal. 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, his...

3 months ago

21 minutes

Daily Jewish Thought

Laughing Into the Future: The Promise of Rosh Hashanah | Rabbi Bernath's Sermon for the Rosh Hashana 2025

Rabbi Yisroel Bernath recorded this sermon before Rosh Hashana as he was preparing and we are sharing it with you... of course its nothing close to the magic of Rosh Hashana at Chabad NDG in Montreal. 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 r...

3 months ago

27 minutes

Daily Jewish Thought

Who Are You Meant to Be? | Rabbi Yisroel Bernath Rosh Hashanah Sermon

Sometimes it takes a crisis to stop us in our tracks and ask: Who am I? What kind of spouse am I? What kind of person am I becoming? 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 H...

3 months ago

1 hour

Daily Jewish Thought

Make a Confession: Reclaiming Judaism’s Lost Art of Owning Our Goodness

In this class, Rabbi Bernath reframed the very idea of confession in Judaism. While most people think of confession as listing sins and failures, the Torah introduces Vidui Ma’aser, a “confession” where the farmer proudly declares to G-d that he has fulfilled every detail of the mitzvah of tithing. Why would the Torah call this a confession? Because true spiritual growth begins not by beating ourselves down, but by acknowledging the good we’ve done. When we confess our strengths, we build the...

3 months ago

51 minutes