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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 not despite our struggles, but because of them. This is a class about identity, resilience, and the sacred fire hidden within every human journey.

Key Points

Light isn’t proven in comfort. It is revealed in contrast. Joseph’s greatness emerged not in his father’s home, but in Egypt’s darkness.

Your story is not a detour. The very chapters you wish you could erase are often the ones that unlock your deepest purpose.

What looks like a mask may be protection. Joseph wasn’t hiding his soul, he was carrying it through hostile terrain until it was safe to reveal.

Stop living in “if only.” Joseph teaches us that spiritual greatness is not about ideal circumstances, but about faithfulness where you are.

Darkness can be a catalyst, not a contradiction. The pit, the prison, and the palace were all part of one divine choreography.

You are more than how you appear. Others may misread you, but your soul is not confused about who you are.

True brotherhood begins with seeing. Healing starts when we learn to recognize the divine light in one another, even when it’s hidden.

Your struggle did not weaken you, it refined you. Fire doesn’t destroy the coal; it reveals what was already burning inside.

#LightOverDarkness #chabad #Torah #TorahPortion #Bible #BibleStudy #Joseph #LightFromDarkness #TheFireInTheCoal #HiddenLight #Kabbalah #chassidus #PurposeThroughPain #NoIfOnly #SpiritualResilience #SoulIdentity #FromPitToPalace #DarknessToLight #InnerFire #GrowthThroughStruggle #torahwisdom #SeeingTheSoul #RedemptiveJourney

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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 sermon that explores a timeless Jewish truth: Judaism does not survive through museums or memory alone, but through lived action. Like Joseph in Miketz, who steps forward from darkness with faith and purpose, we are asked to respond to pain not by retreating, but by lighting, loving, and living more Jewishly than ever before.

Key Takeaways

The miracle of Chanukah was not the oil, it was the choice to use it.

Judaism survives not by being preserved, but by being practiced.

Darkness is real, but it never gets the final word.

Every mitzvah, no matter how small, carries generational power.

In moments of pain and fear, our response is not silence, but light.

Honoring tragedy in Jewish history means responding with deeper Jewish life.

Like Joseph in Miketz, we don’t need to know the ending, we just need to show up with what we have.

Help the families of Sydney Attack: https://www.charidy.com/supportsydney

#BondiBeach #chabad #Judaism #hanukkah #LightOverDarkness #Chanukah #ParshatMiketz #LiveJewish #RespondWithLight #JewishResilience #AmYisraelChai #Rabbi #Sermon

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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 beneath the weight of responsibility. Using the Alter Rebbe’s 1798 letter after his release on Yud Tes Kislev, we learned that true chosenness shrinks the ego while expanding the soul’s mission: to illuminate the world with goodness, moral clarity, unity, and love.

When Jews embrace who we are… Divine ambassadors of light, we trigger the world. But we also transform it.

Key Takeaways

The obsession is ancient and irrational — Jews are less than 0.25% of the world, yet remain humanity’s main character.

Reason alone cannot explain Jewish influence and survival — only our mission as bearers of ethical monotheism can.

Chosen-ness ≠ superiority — it’s a call to responsibility, growth, and humility.

Closeness to G-d shrinks the ego, not inflates it — “Katonti,” like Jacob said: “I am made small by Your kindness.”

Anyone can join the Jewish people — chosenness is a spiritual calling, not a biological club.

The world senses Jewish holiness — sometimes more than Jews do — and reacts intensely, for better or worse.

Our role is universal — to be a moral lighthouse, not a fortress of self-importance.


#Israel #Jewish #Chosen #chosenpeople #chosenness #alterrebbe #yudteskislev #JewishSpirituality #Rebbe #Antisemitism #LightOverDarkness #humility

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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 unlikely agreement with a butcher afraid of blood the message becomes clear: the giver and receiver elevate and bless one another. Each act of kindness is a mutual exchange of soul-energy that strengthens Jewish unity and brings the world closer to redemption.

Key Takeaways
Receiving is also giving.
The recipient grants the giver the opportunity to fulfill a supreme mitzvah and gain spiritual merit.

Tzedakah is a partnership.
Like Yissachar and Zevulun, both the supporter and the one supported share in the mitzvah.

Spiritual reward is shared.
Jewish law and Chassidic teachings affirm that those who enable mitzvot receive a full portion of the merit.

Everyone has something to give.
Whether materially or spiritually, we each fill in what others lack.

Unity is our strength.
Caring for one another is the secret of Jewish survival and the catalyst for redemption.

Acts of kindness transform the world.
When we give and receive with dignity, we illuminate each other’s lives and G-d’s world.

End-of-Year Giving | Spread the Light With Us
Every soul you help us reach is another candle blazing against the darkness. If this podcast has touched you, inspired you, or lifted your spirits even once, consider being part of this ripple of goodness. Together, let’s end the year shining a little brighter: https://www.charidy.com/NDG2025

#Charity #Judaism #Kabbalah #Tzedakah #chassidus #giving #receiving #Rebbe #chabad #chassidut #Torah #TorahPortion #yissachar #zevulun #jewishunity #actsofkindness #kindness

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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 connection in a world that constantly pulls us down to earth. No experience needed. No advanced mysticism required. Just bring a heart that’s willing to take one small step upward.

Key Takeaways

• Start Where You Are
  The ladder begins on the ground — spiritual growth doesn’t require feeling spiritual at first.
• Prayer Has Four Stages
  The siddur intentionally guides us from action → emotion → insight → connection.
• Small Steps Matter
  Even a single focused phrase or breath can shift us into a higher state of being.
• Two-Way Ladder
  As we elevate ourselves through prayer, G-d brings strength, clarity, and blessing down into our everyday life.
• You Are the Ladder
  Like Jacob, compassion is our bridge of every kind act connects heaven and earth.

#Kabbalah #KabbalahForEveryone #JacobsLadder #FourWorlds #chassidus #PrayerJourney #JewishWisdom #SoulConnection #MindfulPrayer #HeavenAndEarth #CompassionInAction #ChassidicTeachings #JewishSpirituality #DailyTefillah #WorldOfAction #WorldOfFormation #WorldOfCreation #WorldOfEmanation #RatzovShov #RunAndReturn #SoulAwakening #chabad

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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 connected especially during turbulent times.

Shift the Lens
Learn how to reframe struggles as signs of life, love, and purpose.

Emotional Resilience from Rachel
Understand how one biblical phrase can help us find strength today.

Gratitude as a Superpower
Explore how gratitude keeps us spiritually anchored when the world feels overwhelming.

Joseph’s Legacy of Joy
Discover why Yosef remained positive through betrayal, isolation, and fear—and how we can too.

A Practical Practice
Walk away with simple habits that bring more calm and meaning into everyday moments.

#Jewish #Torah #Kabbalah #torahwisdom #gratitude #livinwithblessing #chassidus #chassidut #innerstrength #rachel #rochel #rochelimeinu #emotionalresilience #Spiritual #spiritualmindset #BibleStudy #Bible #ParshatVayeitzei

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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 revolutionary maamar from 5569, we uncovered a powerful Chassidic idea: Laughter is born from contradiction. From the unexpected. From two worlds that shouldn’t fitand yet somehow do. That’s the secret of Yitzchak and Rivkah. That’s the secret of humanity. And that’s the secret of marriage.

Today’s class explored how two people with different histories, tendencies, wounds, and temperaments can build something eternal… precisely because of their differences. When we choose holiness over instinct, love over ego, repair over distance, Heaven itself, the Alter Rebbe says, “laughs with delight.” Marriage, it turns out, is the ultimate divine joke. And our job is to embrace the punchline.

TAKEAWAYS

Laughter = Transformation

The Alter Rebbe teaches that laughter is triggered when reality breaks its own rules. When a human transcends instinct choosing holiness over ego that is the greatest “cosmic joke.”

Yitzchak’s Name Isn’t Cute … It’s His Mission

“He will laugh” means the whole purpose of Jewish life is rising above our programmed nature. This is why the Torah uses metzachek: intimacy is the fusion of two worlds that shouldn’t naturally fit.

Rivkah Is the Model of Human Greatness

Raised in corruption, she becomes a “rose among thorns.” She is proof that background does not define destiny. She is the surprise that makes Heaven smile.

Marriage Thrives on Differences, Not Sameness

The clash, the contrast, the contradictions—these are not obstacles. They are the very material through which G-d’s laughter emerges. The greatest holiness comes from uniting opposites.

Every Conflict Is an Invitation

When your instinct says defend, and you choose softness… When your body says withdraw, and you choose connection… When your ego wants to be right, and you choose to be kind… That is holy laughter. That is Yitzchak.

This Is Why Avimelech Knew

Only husband and wife can create the kind of oneness that blends two spiritual worlds into something new. That oneness is holiness. That holiness is laughter.

#Kabbalah #Torah #chassidus #Bible #BibleStudy #chassidut #kabala #Spiritual #spiritualgrowth #yitzchak #rivkah #ParshatToldot #parshastoldos #opposites #oppositesattract #marriage #intimacy

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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, wisdom, and a dash of Churchill’s charm, Rabbi Bernath reminded us that time is not money, it’s life itself.

Takeaways:

Every Moment Matters: Like Sarah, each of us has the power to turn seconds into significance.

Wakefulness Is Spiritual: Falling asleep… literally or metaphorically means missing the miracle of now.

Time Is Life, Not Money: The Rebbe taught that time is not a commodity but a living gift. Use it with purpose.

Presence Is Royalty: Esther’s reign flowed from Sarah’s lived time; our own “reign” depends on how awake we are to our days.

Humor and Holiness Coexist: Even Churchill and Rabbi Akiva knew that a good laugh can wake up the soul.

#Kabbalah #chassidus #Judaism #Jewish #jewishmysticism #time #presence #purpose #life #chabad #spiritualgrowth #Spiritual #chassidut #kabala #sarah

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Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.com

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