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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 living pulse of our people.

From ancient scribes in Tiberias to secret hiding spots in Aleppo, from destruction to redemption, from loss to legacy, Rabbi Bernath reveals how the Jewish People have never just studied the Torah, we’ve carried it. We’ve risked our lives to protect it. And today, as we stand at the foot of Sinai once more, we are called to do the same.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Torah is Not History… It’s Memory:
   Unlike history, which belongs to the past, memory shapes the present. The Torah is our collective memory and it calls us to live with responsibility and purpose.
2. The Crown is More Than a Book:
   The story of the Crown of Aram Tzova reflects the Jewish people’s fierce dedication to Torah. It symbolizes dignity, identity, and spiritual sovereignty.
3. Miracles Happen When We Stay Connected:
   Agam Berger’s story reminds us that even in darkness, light can pierce through. The Torah isn’t just letters on parchment, it’s a lifeline, a soul-connector.
4. Torah is Our Crown—But We Must Guard It:
   Just as communities once locked the Crown in an iron chest, we too must fiercely protect our values, our faith, and our unity.
5. Shavuot is Our Coronation Day:
   Every year, we place the crown back on our heads. Torah is not a heritage we visit, it’s a legacy we live.

#Shavuot #shavuos #Jewish #aleppocodex #sassooncodex #Torah #Sermon #Bible #jewishunity #Judaism #JewishHistory #jewishstories 

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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-d say: Now we have a deal.

But why children? Why not the tzaddikim, the scholars, the sages? And what does it mean that our children were the only "acceptable" security on the Torah?

Together, we’ll explore a deeply moving interpretation shared by the Lubavitcher Rebbe in 5712 (1952), tracing how this Midrash contains the blueprint for Jewish continuity and our most urgent modern-day call to action.

Through Torah, history, poetry, and tears, this class reminds us: if we want Judaism tomorrow, we must invest in our children today.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1. G-d Doesn’t Want Retirement Religion:
   Torah isn’t just for the nostalgic elderly or even for the rabbis, it’s for every Jew, of every age and stage.
2. Children Are the True Guarantors:
   When young hearts taste the sweetness of Torah, it becomes a lifelong imprint—and they end up teaching us.
3. Jewish Education is National Security:
   Teachers are the true defenders of our people. Want to protect the Jewish future? Start by elevating Jewish schools.
4. From Silence to Ruckus:
   After the Holocaust, there were no children left to make noise in shul. Today, we must cherish every giggle, every running step, every whispered Shema because that is the sound of eternity.
5. Show Up at Sinai—Again:
   The custom of bringing children to hear the Ten Commandments on Shavuos is not symbolic it’s covenantal. Without them, we can’t receive the Torah anew.

#Judaism #Shavuot #Jewish #jewishholiday #chabad #holocaust #Rebbe #Torah #shavuos #jewisheducation #therebbe #sinai #Torah #TorahLessons #Jewishfuture 

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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 Jews, and the timeless answers offered by our prophets and sages—from King David to the Rebbe. He reminds us that Jewish life isn’t about where you live, but how you live: with integrity, with mitzvos, with visible Jewish pride.

Rooted in this week’s Parshah, the sermon invites us to reclaim the mitzvos that affirm who we are in a world trying to forget us—and reminds us that the most radical act of Jewish survival is living Jewish every single day.

Key Takeaways:

1. October 8th Jews Need More than Adrenaline: Emotional response to tragedy must evolve into sustainable Jewish living—rooted in action, not just feeling.
2. Geography Isn’t Identity: Living in Israel doesn’t automatically make one Jewish in practice. Living Jewishly—through mitzvot and moral clarity—does.
3. Our Prophets Knew the Secret: King David, Isaiah, Micah, and Chavakuk each distilled Judaism to its ethical essence, but only because ritual was then a given. In exile, the inverse is true—we must rebuild our ritual identity.
4. The Rebbe’s Mitzvah Campaign Echoes the Prophets: Strategic mitzvot like tefillin, Shabbat candles, and kosher aren’t just practices—they are declarations of identity.
5. We Must Lead Jewish Lives—Loudly and Proudly: In today’s world, being visibly Jewish is an act of courage and continuity. This is our generation’s mission.

#JewishIdentity #Jewish #Judaism #October7 #October7th #DanSenor #mitzvah #mitzvahcampaign #ABYehoshua #LivingJewish #KingDavid #TorahLessons #BibleStudy #Bible #Exile #JewishResiliance 

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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 surprising laws of erchin, evaluating human worth. From this strange juxtaposition, Chassidic masters draw a powerful truth: even after unspeakable loss, the value of a human soul remains eternal and divine. Through stories of survival and sacred resistance, from Auschwitz to Washington D.C. we rediscover that our calling is not diminished by darkness, but rather revealed by it. This class is dedicated to the memory of Yaron and Sarah, may G-d avenge their blood. 

Takeaways:

1. The antidote to darkness is dignity. The Torah teaches us that even after curses, we must return to affirming the value of each soul.
2. Giving heals. The symbolic 143 shekel of erchin counters the 143 curses, showing the power of charity and sacred commitment.
3. Pain does not diminish worth. Jewish identity is not dependent on external conditions. We remain chosen not despite suffering, but in how we respond to it.
4. A moral education saves lives. The solution to violence isn’t only policy—it’s character, conscience, and responsibility to G-d.
5. We rise because we remember. From the bloodied streets of exile to the halls of peace diplomacy, the Jewish soul remembers who it is and why it’s here.

#YaronLischinsky #SarahMilgrim #Torah #Bible #BibleStudy #TorahLessons #TorahPortion #Bechukotai #MoralResponsibility #Chosen #Kabbalah #Sermon #Israel #Antisemitism #chosenpeople #humanworth 

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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 most profound doorways to infinity.

We’ll explore Talmudic, Kabbalistic, and Chassidic sources—from the soul-body dynamic, to the power of mitzvot, to why life is likened to a wedding. You’ll discover how the soul’s “marriage” to the body mirrors our own sacred relationships and how Lag B’Omer invites us to celebrate the holiness hidden in the now.

3 Takeaways:

1. Life is a Wedding, Not a Waiting Room
   Rabbi Shimon taught us to stop postponing joy. Every mitzvah, every act of love, is a divine moment worth celebrating now—not later.
2. Paradox is the Pathway to Eternity
   Through the union of opposites—soul and body, heaven and earth, law and love—we don’t diminish ourselves. We become eternal.
3. Kabbalah Illuminates the Ordinary
   Lag B’Omer marks the unveiling of the soul of Torah, where every halachah becomes a mystical spark and every moment a gateway to the Infinite

#lagbaomer #zohar #Kabbalah #mysticism #Jewish #chassidic #chassidus #chabad #Hillula #soul #meaningoflife #meaning #JewishSpirituality #soul 

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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 uncomfortable. With a nod to current events and a dose of Chassidic insight, this session challenges us to rethink what it really means to be a bystander.

Key Takeaways:

-Even silence can be a statement — and sometimes, a dangerous one.

-The Torah invites us to see not only the sin of action, but the sin of inaction.

-Ancient Midrashic voices still speak to modern struggles with injustice and moral clarity.

-Spiritual leadership begins with accountability — even for what we don’t say.

-In a world filled with noise, knowing when to speak can change everything.

#TorahPortion #Torah #Bible #BibleStudy #TorahLessons #Acharei #nadav #avihu #silence #Courage #MoralResponsibility #Antisemitism #jewishhatred #holocaust #jewishleadership #YomHashoah #holocaustremembrance #chabad #Rabbi #yisroelbernath

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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 "holistic care," and challenges us to become more compassionate, wise, and soul-aware in how we view others—and ourselves.

Key Takeaways:

Double Vision: The Torah instructs the Kohen to look twice—once at the affliction, and once at the person—because true healing begins with empathy, not just analysis.

Timing is Everything: There are moments when even truth must wait—for the sake of kindness, joy, and emotional safety.

See the Soul: Before declaring someone “impure,” see their heart. Understand the difference between rebellion and pain, behavior and backstory.

Holistic Before It Was In: Thousands of years before integrative medicine became a buzzword, the Torah already taught us to heal bodies by caring for souls.

Relational Wisdom: Whether in parenting, teaching, or friendships—don’t just fix the problem. See the person behind the problem.

#Torah #Bible #BibleStudy #TorahLessons #TorahPortion #Tazria #HolisticHealing #Kohen #Tzaraat #Jewish #JewishSpirituality 

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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 the seder is not just about telling a story—it's about healing the parts of ourselves and our loved ones that feel like outsiders. We uncover the inner Tzaddik hiding behind the rebellious exterior, the wisdom in our struggles, and the quiet yet revolutionary power of radical acceptance. The class culminates in a powerful meditation on “Nirtzah”—the moment we stop striving and start trusting that our best is enough.

Key Takeaways:

1. Look Beneath the Words – The “wicked” child isn’t wicked. He’s wounded. Real listening means tuning into the cry behind the comment.
2. Empathy Over Argument – “Blunt his teeth” isn’t an invitation to silence—it’s a call to go beyond verbal combat and into soulful connection.
3. Every Part Belongs – The Four Children represent not just four people, but four parts of ourselves. Don’t exile your Hyde—transform him.
4. Rebel ≠ Reject – Even our flaws can be tools for growth. The goal isn’t to eliminate the Yetzer Hara, but to elevate it.
5. Your Best Is Enough – The final step of the seder, Nirtzah, is the antidote to “I’m not good enough.” It reminds us: G-d is already pleased. The only one left to convince is ourselves.

#Passover #Seder #Hagaddah #chabad #Kabbalah #Israel 

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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, speaking Hebrew to a Pharaoh who's as lost in translation as a tourist without Google Maps. The catch? It's not about the words, but the Divine energy they carry, slicing through stubbornness like a hot knife through butter. 

Consider the Chafetz Chaim, whose Yiddish plea melted Polish hearts without a single word understood—a testament to the soul's language, transcending the babble of Babel.

Then there's the 7/38/55 rule, a reminder that our vibes speak louder than our vocabulary. The body's ballet and the tone's tune tell tales our tongues can't touch.

So when faced with our own Pharaoh—be it doubt, fear, or the Sunday Scaries—Rabbi Bernath advises a strategy as bold as it is biblical: Speak in your soul's native tongue. No translation needed. For it's not the clarity of argument, but the purity of our Divine essence, that can topple tyranny within.

In essence, Rabbi Bernath suggests, when logic's light dims and reason's ropes fray, it's time to unfurl the banner of our inherent holiness, declaring our truths in a language beyond words. Like Moshe, we stand before our inner Pharaoh not to debate, but to demonstrate—a conduit of Divine will, unyielding and unfiltered.

In doing so, we don't just speak to our shadows; we illuminate them, transforming the inner Egypt into a land flowing with milk, honey, and the sweet freedom of self-mastery. So let's raise our staffs, part our personal Red Seas, and march towards a promised land of inner peace and purpose, one holy utterance at a time.

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