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Keynote Address by Rabbi Yisroel Bernath | West Island Community Memorial Event | Beth Tikvah, Montreal | October 2026 Three years after October 7, how do we honour the people we have lost, carry the pain that remains, and still find the courage to hope? In this deeply personal and moving keynote address, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath reflects on his journey to Israel just two weeks after the October 7 attacks, arriving with 27 duffel bags of essential supplies and hundreds of handwritten letters from Montreal children. Through unforgettable encounters with grieving families, Israeli soldiers, and ordinary people displaying extraordinary courage, he discovers that hope is not the absence of grief or fear. It is the determination to keep showing up, loving, and building despite them. Drawing on the Lubavitcher Rebbe's response to the 1956 Kfar Chabad tragedy and the biblical image of Rachel weeping for her children, Rabbi Bernath explores the uniquely Jewish understanding of resilience: we do not abandon our grief, nor do we allow it to have the final word. At its heart, this address asks a profound question: Will the next generation inherit only the story of what was done to the Jewish people, or will they also inherit the story of what we chose to do next? A powerful invitation to transform mourning into meaning, isolation into connection, and heartbreak into renewed Jewish life. Because now, more than ever, hope matters. Key Points 1. Hope Is Not the Opposite of Grief. We do not move on from those we love. We move forward with them, carrying their memory into the future. 2. Hope Is Knowing Something Matters More Than Fear. From reservists returning to Israel to families making Aliyah during wartime, courage emerges not from fearlessness but from purpose. 3. Sometimes Presence Is the Greatest Gift. When words cannot heal someone's pain, a hug, a handwritten letter, or simply saying "I'm here with you" can restore a sense of connection and belonging. 4. The Jewish Response to Destruction Is Construction. Following the 1956 Kfar Chabad massacre, the Rebbe taught, B'hemshech habinyan tinacheimu, "Through continuing to build, you will be comforted." We answer attempts to destroy Jewish life by creating more Jewish life. 5. Rachel's Tears Teach Us That Grief and Hope Can Coexist. The prophet Jeremiah first acknowledges Rachel's inconsolable tears before offering G-d's promise: V'yesh tikvah l'achariteich - "There is hope for your future." 6. We Cannot Change What Happened, but We Can Choose What Happens Next. October 7 is a permanent chapter of Jewish history, but it does not get to write the ending. 7. Our Greatest Legacy Is What We Build Next. Through mitzvot, Shabbat, Jewish education, kindness, community, and proud Jewish identity, we ensure that future generations inherit not only our trauma but also our resilience. "We did not choose October 7. We did not choose what was written on that page. But we can choose what gets written next."- Rabbi Yisroel BernathSend us Fan Mail Support the show Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at [email protected] 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

As Yom Kippur moves toward Neilah and the gates begin to close, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath asks a question far more important than what we achieved, accumulated, or accomplished: What will live because you lived? We live in a civilization of astonishing progress. We can fly across oceans, carry the world’s knowledge in our pockets, and ask artificial intelligence almost anything. But technology can give us the means to live without necessarily giving us a reason to live. Civilization is what we use; culture, faith, values, and purpose are who we are. Yom Kippur strips away the usual markers of identity, business, food, possessions, titles, accomplishments and leaves us standing before G-d with a more intimate question: Who are you when everything else is removed? And now that you know who you are, who do you want to become? Through the image of King David, whose palace and kingdom disappeared but whose words are still prayed and sung thousands of years later, Rabbi Bernath reframes legacy. Real royalty is not what you possess while you are alive. It is what you plant in other people that remains after you are gone. And then comes the Neilah question: maybe someone is holding on to you. A child. A friend. Someone watching how you survive, how you forgive, how you love, how seriously you take your Judaism. Perhaps years from now, someone will cross a difficulty because of something you quietly planted inside them. Neilah does not demand that we reinvent our entire lives. It asks for one honest decision, one relationship to soften, one resentment to release, one mitzvah to claim, one piece of Judaism to bring home. Something that will still be alive when the inspiration of Yom Kippur is gone. Because perhaps the greatest legacy is that one day someone can say: Because you lived, I knew who I was. Because you lived, I knew what mattered. Because you lived, I knew how to hold on. Key Points - Having more to live with is not the same as having something to live for. Material progress cannot replace spiritual purpose. - The means of life must never become the meaning of life. Career, wealth, homes, and achievement are blessings, but they are tools, not the ultimate purpose. - Yom Kippur asks who you are beneath what you own and achieve. When the external pieces are removed, what remains sacred to you? - Neilah is not G-d shutting us out. It can be understood as G-d shutting out the noise so that, for a few final moments, it is simply you and Him. - A house can be inherited; a home must be built. Faith, character, Jewish identity, and values cannot simply be passed down automatically. Every generation has to rediscover and rebuild them. - Legacy is influence that outlives power. King David’s kingdom disappeared, but his Psalms, faith, and spiritual influence remain alive thousands of years later. - Someone may be holding on to you. The courage, faith, tenderness, or resilience you model may become somebody else’s lifeline. - Neilah does not require ten resolutions. One real commitment that survives tomorrow morning can be more transformative than a dozen promises made in a moment of inspiration. - The purpose of Yom Kippur is not to remain on Yom Kippur. It is to bring something from Yom Kippur into the ordinary Tuesday afternoon when nobody feels inspired. - The deepest question is not “What did I achieve?” but “What became more alive because I was here?” More love, more courage, more Judaism, more forgiveness, more light. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at [email protected] 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 Kol Nidrei sermon, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath asks a deeply uncomfortable question: Who is doing your thinking for you? We live in an age overflowing with information but increasingly short on reflection. Algorithms, social media, political tribes, influencers, institutions, AI—and even our own wounds—can quietly hand us conclusions that we eventually mistake for our own beliefs.  Beginning with Abraham smashing the idols of his father’s shop, Rabbi Bernath traces a distinctly Jewish tradition of questioning inherited assumptions, wrestling with ideas, and refusing to live on borrowed convictions. Judaism does not fear questions; it demands that we take responsibility for what we believe.  But the sermon turns inward. Some of the most powerful voices controlling us are not coming from our phones. They come from old pain: “I’m not lovable.” “Nobody stays.” “I’ll never trust again.” “This is just who I am.” Sometimes we have repeated an old wound for so long that we mistake it for truth.  Yom Kippur offers twenty-five hours of sacred silence—a chance to shut down the noise and hear our own soul again. Teshuvah, Rabbi Bernath explains, is not merely repentance. It is return: returning to the self beneath the algorithms, fear, shame, inherited assumptions, and expectations of others.  And when G-d asks the ancient question Ayeka, Where are you?, perhaps the answer we hope to give is Hineni. I am here. Awake. Thinking. Choosing. Returning.  Key Points Information is not the same as thinking. Having unlimited access to facts and opinions can actually make it easier to outsource our judgment. Abraham models intellectual courage. The Jewish story begins with someone willing to ask whether what everyone around him believes is actually true. Algorithms often give us confirmation, not wisdom. Modern technology can surround us with increasingly sophisticated versions of what we already want to believe. AI can give you an answer, but it cannot take responsibility for your answer. Discernment, conscience, and accountability cannot be outsourced. True critical thinking requires humility. Judaism preserves disagreements because the process of questioning, listening, and wrestling matters. Some of our deepest “beliefs” about ourselves may actually be old wounds. Fear, shame, rejection, and trauma can become conclusions we mistake for permanent truths. Yom Kippur interrupts unconscious living. The confession of bivli daat challenges us to stop reacting, repeating, and condemning without awareness. The goal is not endless doubt. It is “strong convictions with a humble ego”: to believe deeply while remaining capable of listening, learning, admitting error, and changing. Teshuvah means coming home to yourself. Not the self created by your failures, pain, group, or algorithm—but the soul beneath the noise. The ultimate Yom Kippur question is Ayeka: Where are you? Can you stand before G-d awake, present, responsible, and able to say: Hineni. I am here. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at [email protected] 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 Shabbat Shuva sermon, delivered by Rabbi Yisroel Bernath at Chabad NDG in Montreal, we explore a surprising question: Why are people able to experience happiness even when life is difficult? Looking at Israel’s remarkable longevity, strong family culture, and consistently high levels of reported happiness, the answer may have less to do with comfort and more to do with connection, community, meaning, and knowing that you are part of something larger than yourself. Rabbi Bernath connects this idea to the Rebbe’s Twelve Pesukim, teachings the Rebbe wanted every Jewish child to carry within them: Torah belongs to you, G-d is present, every person has a mission, loving another Jew matters, success requires effort, and ultimately, your life has a purpose that brings joy to G-d Himself. On the Shabbat before Yom Kippur, the message becomes especially powerful: happiness does not mean having a life without pain, uncertainty, mistakes, or struggle. It means waking up knowing that your life matters, your choices matter, and you are part of G-d’s unfolding purpose in this world. Key Points -Happiness is not the absence of problems. A meaningful life can contain struggle and still be deeply joyful. -We need people. Knowing there are people who will show up for us can be more powerful than simply having an easy life. -Family and community create meaning. Sometimes the chaos is worth it because of the moments when we realize we belong to something larger than ourselves. -Judaism is your inheritance. Torah does not belong only to rabbis, scholars, or “more religious” Jews. It belongs to every Jew. -There are no shortcuts to growth. Real achievement requires effort, persistence, and showing up again. -Your life has a mission. Judaism teaches that we are here to transform ourselves, our homes, and our world into a dwelling place for G-d. -That may be the deepest definition of happiness: knowing that your existence is not accidental and that what you do with your life matters. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at [email protected] 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

What would your life look like if you stopped waiting for an apology, stopped replaying the hurt, and stopped allowing yesterday’s pain to occupy today’s heart? In this deeply personal and practical talk, delivered at JLI’s 20th Annual National Jewish Retreat in Doral, Florida, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores forgiveness not as a one-time declaration, but as a spiritual practice of reclaiming your life.  Drawing on the biblical story of Joseph, an ancient teaching about Rabbi Abba, Jewish bedtime prayer, and lessons from his book The Forgiveness Experiment, Rabbi Bernath challenges the idea that forgiveness means excusing wrongdoing or abandoning boundaries. Instead, forgiveness means refusing to give the person who hurt you authorship over the rest of your story.  Through practical exercises, humor, meditation, and Jewish wisdom, the talk offers a path for separating what belongs to you, what belongs to the person who hurt you, and what ultimately belongs to G-d. The goal is not to erase the past, but to stop demanding that the past become different so that the future can finally become different.  Ultimately, Rabbi Bernath argues that forgiveness is less about setting someone else free and more about becoming fully present again—to your relationships, your joy, your faith, and the life still waiting to be written.  Key Points - Forgiveness is not approval. You can forgive someone while still acknowledging the wrong, maintaining boundaries, refusing reconciliation, or even keeping them out of your life.  - Stop waiting for the person who hurt you to become the person who heals you. Waiting for the apology, admission, or validation can keep your life emotionally tied to the past.  - Take back the pen. Joseph’s story teaches that another person may have created a painful chapter, but they do not get to become the author of your identity or destiny.  - Pain does not need to be called “good.” Jewish faith does not require minimizing suffering. Something meaningful can emerge from what you choose to do next without pretending the wound itself was a blessing. - Learn what belongs in your department. Rabbi Bernath’s “Forgiveness Inventory” separates life into three categories: my business, their business, and G-d’s business. Healing, boundaries, choices, and apologies you owe are yours. Their remorse and growth belong to them. Ultimate justice and the full explanation belong to G-d.  - Forgiveness can be a daily practice. The ancient Jewish bedtime forgiveness prayer offers a way to clear resentment each night rather than allowing small hurts to accumulate into permanent bitterness.  - You do not have to forgive everything today. Sometimes the first prayer is simply, “G-d, I want to want to forgive.” Healing can happen gradually—one less replay, one softened reaction, one rock put down. - Stop demanding a better past. The past cannot be rewritten. Forgiveness is releasing the demand that yesterday become different so that tomorrow is finally allowed to be different.  - Resentment steals presence. Old wounds can quietly follow us into marriages, parenting, friendships, and new relationships. Forgiveness clears emotional space for the people who are actually standing in front of us.  - Forgiveness does not mean forgetting where you have been. It means remembering where you are going. The final declaration is not, “They were right.” It is: “I am free.”  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at [email protected] 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 the second day of Rosh Hashanah, the shofar finally sounds. Yesterday’s question was: Are you awake? Today’s question goes deeper: What are you awake for and what happens when you finally know where you want to go, but you hit a wall? Drawing on a powerful teaching of the Baal Shem Tov, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath tells the story of people invited to visit a king. Again and again they encounter walls, obstacles, distractions, and treasures. Some turn back. Some settle for the rewards along the way. But a few keep going because they remember why they came: “I came for the King.” When they finally reach the innermost chamber and look back, they discover something astonishing: the walls were never what they appeared to be. The King had never been far away. We all have walls: anxiety, grief, shame, resentment, fear, family struggles, illness, disappointment, self-criticism, or the belief that we should be further along by now. The Baal Shem Tov’s teaching does not deny the reality of pain. It challenges the conclusion that because life feels difficult, G-d must therefore be distant. Kabbalah teaches leit atar panui minei, there is no place devoid of Him. Even the wall itself exists within the palace. The place we imagine is separating us from G-d may be precisely the place where G-d is meeting us. But the sermon goes one uncomfortable step further: sometimes the wall does not merely block us, it becomes our excuse not to move. Pain is real, but we can surrender our future to it by saying, “This is simply who I am,” “Nothing can change,” or “I cannot move until someone else changes first.” The alternative is not pretending we were never hurt. It is becoming a co-creator with G-d and asking: Given what happened, what do I want to create now? The shofar becomes the perfect expression of that journey: Teki’ah - wholeness. Shevarim - brokenness. Teruah - fragments. And then another Teki’ah - wholeness again. Not because nothing happened, but because beneath everything that broke is a deeper part of the soul that never stopped belonging to the King. Rosh Hashanah therefore asks us not to demolish every wall overnight, but simply to identify one wall and take one step. One apology. One boundary. One conversation. One mitzvah. One honest act of courage. And when the shofar sounds, hear the deeper truth: You were never outside the palace. The King was with you inside the journey all along. Key Points - Awakening is only the beginning. Once we know we want to change, we inevitably encounter resistance, the “wall.” - The wall is not proof that G-d is far away. Difficulty, distraction, doubt, anxiety, grief, and spiritual struggle do not equal Divine absence. - The wall itself is inside the palace. Since nothing exists outside G-d, even concealment exists within His presence. - Pain is real; separation is not. The sermon carefully distinguishes between denying suffering and refusing to interpret suffering as abandonment. - Thoughts can masquerade as reality. “I am broken,” “I’ll never change,” “I’m not good enough,” and “I’m too far gone” may feel like facts while actually functioning as walls. - Sometimes the wall becomes an alibi. A painful story can quietly become permission not to move, grow, repair, forgive, or take responsibility. - The opposite of Victim is Co-Creator. We cannot control everything that happens to us, but we remain partners with G-d in deciding what happens next. - You cannot always choose what happens to you, but you can participate in what happens through you. - You do not need to climb twenty walls today. Take one step: one apology, boundary, appointment, conversation, mitzvah, or change in how you show up. - Success can become a wall too. Not only suffering distracts us from the King. Career, money, status, accomplishments, and even religious achievements can become “treasures” that cause us to forget why we began the journey. - A mitzvah is not a trophy; it is a doorway. The question is not merely what we accomplished, but whether it brought us closer. The shofar tells the story of the soul: Teki’ah - whole. Shevarim - broken. Teruah - fragmented. Teki’ah - whole again. - Teshuvah means return. And you can only return somewhere you already belong. - The King was never waiting at the end of the journey. G-d was present inside every step of it. - The deepest Rosh Hashanah question becomes: What did you come for? And beneath all the noise, the neshamah answers: I came for the King. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at [email protected] 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 Rosh Hashanah begins with a strange silence: the first day falls on Shabbat, and there is no shofar. But perhaps this year, we do not need a horn to wake us up. The Jewish people are already awake, shaken by antisemitism, fear, and an intensified awareness of what it means to be Jewish. The deeper question is no longer “Are we awake?” but “What are we awake to?” Antisemitism may remind us that we are Jews, but it cannot be allowed to define what Judaism means. We cannot let those who hate us become our rabbis, write our curriculum, or turn Jewish identity into a story only about fear and survival. Rosh Hashanah calls us to take back the pen and build a Judaism rooted not merely in defiance, but in love, Torah, mitzvos, family, joy, and connection to Hashem. The shofar is more than an alarm clock. It is the wordless cry of the deepest soul, the prince who has wandered far from the palace, forgotten the language, and yet still remembers Home. This year, perhaps we are the shofar: a Jewish people crying out, searching, remembering, and returning. The sermon offers three invitations: stop apologizing for being Jewish, learn what you are proud of, and teach the next generation that “S’iz gut tzu zein a Yid” - it is good to be a Jew. Ultimately, Jewish pride is not simply refusing to hide. It is discovering something about Judaism beautiful enough that we want to live it. Key Points -This year we are already awake. The world has shaken the Jewish soul awake, the question is what we will do with that awakening. -Antisemitism cannot define Judaism. It may remind us that we are Jewish, but it does not get to tell us what being Jewish means. -Take back the pen. Our Jewish story cannot be written only around persecution, fear, or survival. It must also be about what we live for. -Jewish pride must become Jewish love. “I refuse to hide” is important, but deeper still is: “I love being Jewish.” -The shofar is the cry of the soul. Beneath words, theology, wounds, and doubts is the etzem haneshamah, the part of us that still knows where Home is. -Stop apologizing for being Jewish. Stand tall, not arrogantly, but without shame. -Learn what you are proud of. You cannot deeply love a Judaism you have never taken the time to know. -Our inheritance is more than trauma. We inherited Auschwitz, but we also inherited Sinai, Shabbat, Torah, family, faith, and light. -Teach children that Judaism is good. Not merely “S’iz shver tzu zein a Yid” - it is hard to be a Jew, but “S’iz gut tzu zein a Yid” - it is good to be a Jew. -We need to become the shofar. To live Jewishly with such clarity, joy, and conviction that the next generation can hear what Judaism sounds like through our lives. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at [email protected] 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

Our culture often treats aging as something to resist. Judaism sees it differently: years are not merely something that happen to us; they can become a source of wisdom, purpose, and depth. Drawing on the mitzvah of shiluach hakein in Parshat Ki Teitzei, the Torah’s promise of long life, the mitzvah of honoring parents, and the Rebbe’s teachings about aging, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores what it really means to “lengthen our days.” As Elul invites us to look back over another year, the deeper question is not simply, “How much older did I become?” but “How much deeper did I become?” Through the moving example of Brahm and Ilana Shiller, the sermon becomes a meditation on courage, resilience, love, and living fully even when life does not unfold as we would choose. Perhaps a long life is measured not only by how many days we receive, but by how much life we put into each day. Key Points Judaism does not see aging as decline. Long life is a blessing, and lived experience itself carries dignity and holiness. You can retire from a career, but never from purpose. As our stage of life changes, our mission may change with it, but our ability to matter does not disappear. Ki Teitzei teaches us not to exploit devotion. Both shiluach hakein and honoring parents remind us to recognize and honor those whose love causes them to keep giving. Elul is not merely about another year passing. Growing older happens automatically. Growing deeper requires choice. Difficulty can reveal character. Real positivity is not denying pain; it is being able to say, “This is hard, and I am still going to live today.” Courage also belongs to the person standing beside the struggle. Caregivers and spouses carry their own quiet burden of love, worry, strength, and hope. Arichut yamim, long life, can also mean full days. A day filled with love, laughter, generosity, presence, and an open heart contains an extraordinary amount of life. The Elul question: We cannot always choose what happens to us, but we participate in choosing who we become within what happens. #ParshatKiTeitzei #KiTeitzei #Judaism #Jewish #Torah #Bible #BibleStudy #Elul #chabad #Rabbi #JewishWisdom #AgingWithPurpose #LongLife #purpose #resilience #Courage #ShiluachHakein #chassidus #therebbe #LivingFully #gratitude #JewishInspiration #RabbiBernath  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at [email protected] 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

Tu B’Av is often called the Jewish day of love. In this special Tu B’Av discussion, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath, known as the “Love Rabbi” shares ten essential Jewish relationship principles for singles, couples, and anyone seeking to build deeper, healthier love. 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 Know Who You Are Before Asking Someone Else to Join YouDon’t Become Good at Dating—Become Good at RelatingStop Auditioning for LoveDon’t Let Chemistry Outrun CharacterTalk About What Matters Before the WeddingLook for Your Complement, Not Your CloneKnow Your Essentials, but Don’t Worship Your ChecklistLove Grows Through Giving, but Giving Is Not Self-ErasureLove Is Not Tit for TatDon’t Date the Relationship to DeathSend us Fan Mail Support the show Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at [email protected] 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

Support the raffle at www.ndgraffle.com. 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. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at [email protected] 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 class in honour of his birthday, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores one of the most misunderstood human traits: sensitivity. While the world often tells us to toughen up and grow thicker skin, Chassidus teaches that the goal is not to suppress our emotions but to refine them. Drawing from Tanya, Torah Or, Likkutei Torah, and the teachings of the Rebbeim, Rabbi Bernath explains that some souls are created to feel more deeply because they are called to illuminate more deeply. Participants discover the difference between being emotionally controlled and spiritually refined, learn why criticism, overwhelm, and empathy affect certain people so intensely, and gain practical Chassidic tools for transforming emotional vulnerability into inner strength, purpose, and closeness to G-d. 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  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at [email protected] 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 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  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at [email protected] 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 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: 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.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.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.Assumptions Shape Interpretation: Believers and skeptics alike interpret the same data through different axioms. Acknowledging this fosters respectful dialogue rather than defensiveness.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.This Is Not About “Winning” an Argument: It’s about honesty, humility, and the courage to explore big questions together.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  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at [email protected] 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 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  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at [email protected] 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

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 Audiobook: https://www.audible.com/pd/B0GMS5DCKH/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-495504&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_495504_rh_us #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: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi5mua4-gkhiv7NdbJv_C7w/join Send us Fan Mail Support the show Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at [email protected] 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