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Daily Jewish Thought

Rabbi@JewishNDG.com (Rabbi Yisroel Bernath)

1159 episodes

4 days ago

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. ...

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Religion & Spirituality,

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All content for Daily Jewish Thought is the property of Rabbi@JewishNDG.com (Rabbi Yisroel Bernath) and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

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. ...

Show more...

Religion & Spirituality,

Self-Improvement,

Health & Fitness,

Episodes (20/1159)

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. ...

4 days 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...

5 days 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 ...

1 week 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 weeks 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 ...

3 weeks 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...

3 weeks 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...

1 month 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...

1 month 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...

1 month 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...

1 month 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...

1 month ago

51 minutes

Daily Jewish Thought

Finding G-d in Our Struggles: The Firstborn of the Unloved

In this week’s Torah portion, Ki Seitzei, we learn the law of the firstborn: even if the firstborn son comes from the “unloved” wife, he must be given the double portion. Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explored the deeper Kabbalistic meaning behind this law, revealing that the “beloved” and “unloved” wives are metaphors for two sides of our soul — the inspired, G-d-loving self and the struggling, conflicted self. The Torah teaches that our greatest spiritual “firstborn” often emerges from the parts of...

2 months ago

50 minutes

Daily Jewish Thought

One G-d, Many Voices: How Diversity Makes Us Whole

Rabbi Yisroel Bernath unpacks a fascinating teaching: why does G-d reject the idea of a single-stone altar? At first glance it’s just about ancient rituals, but the deeper message is timeless. Real faith and real life can’t be built on “one stone” one path, one perspective, one style. True oneness comes from many stones joined together. This class explores how individuality and diversity aren’t just tolerated by G-d, they are essential to His plan. Key Takeaways Oneness ≠ sameness: G-d is One...

2 months ago

31 minutes

Daily Jewish Thought

Rebroadcast: Elul & High Holidays - Our Marriage with G-d

The 5-Step Program of Spiritual Courtship, Engagement, Marriage, Honeymoon, and Real Life: Discovering the Divine Romance in Our Lives In this sermon, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores the deep and mystical relationship between G-d and the Jewish people, likened to a sacred marriage. Drawing from Kabbalistic and Chassidic teachings, Rabbi Bernath delves into the spiritual phases of this divine union, paralleling it with the milestones of human relationships: courtship, engagement, marriage, hon...

2 months ago

20 minutes

Daily Jewish Thought

Integrity & Ambition: The Torah’s Blueprint for Shining in a Broken World

In this class, Rabbi Bernath drew a powerful line from Hitler’s Germany to Hamas today, using a hidden diary entry of the Lubavitcher Rebbe dated September 11, 1941. The Rebbe reflected on why kosher fish require both fins and scales, teaching that these symbolize two essential traits for Jewish life: ambition (fins) and integrity (scales). -Nazi Germany had ambition without integrity — brilliance used for destruction. -Radical Islam represents integrity without ambition — piety warped into d...

2 months ago

25 minutes

Daily Jewish Thought

Life, Love, and Everything in Between | A Conversation with Jeffrey Warner

I just returned from the JLI Retreat in Washington DC, at retreat at around 1:30am on Saturday night, I sat down with Jeffrey Warner, a university student from Arizona who has been listening to my podcasts for a long time. Our conversation about life, love, relationships, and so much more was raw and real, the kind of talk that reminds you what it means to be human. Jeffrey brought honesty, courage, and an open heart to this dialogue. We explored the struggles and joys that come with being yo...

2 months ago

1 hour

Daily Jewish Thought

Why Joseph Got In and Moses Didn’t: Unpacking a Story of Loyalty, Land, and Leadership

Why was Joseph, the viceroy of Egypt, buried in the Land of Israel, while Moses, the greatest Jewish leader in history, was not? In this timely and emotionally-charged class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath unpacks a Midrashic conversation between Moses and G-d that reveals something deeper than geography: the power of Jewish identity without shame. Joseph never let go of his roots, even when it cost him everything. Moses, for reasons of his own, allowed others to misidentify him. What emerges is not a...

3 months ago

45 minutes

Daily Jewish Thought

Eicha by Candlelight - Tisha B’Av 5785 (2025)

onight, in a darkened room lit only by the soft flicker of individual candles, over a hundred souls gathered in sacred stillness for Eicha by Candlelight. This was not just an event, it was a ritual of remembrance, a meditation on exile, and a quiet act of spiritual defiance. Rabbi Yisroel Bernath opened the evening with a heart-stirring monologue, inviting us not to perform grief, but to hold it. To slow down. To soften. To sit low with history and let the silence speak. Rabbi Yosh Berkowicz...

3 months ago

1 hour 2 minutes

Daily Jewish Thought

Vain Tears: Reclaiming Our Power After Generations of Silence

On the night of the 9th of Av, our ancestors cried tears of despair—tears the Talmud calls “בכיה של חנם”, baseless weeping. G-d’s response wasn’t punitive, it was prophetic: “You wept in vain, and this day will be one of tears for generations.” But what were they really crying about? And why do we still cry? This class explores the roots of generational trauma in the Jewish psyche, from the fear of the spies to the quiet despair echoing through the Jewish community today. We'll dive deep into...

3 months ago

40 minutes

Daily Jewish Thought

Moses’ Rebuke & the Art of Receiving Criticism: A Parsha Perspective on Self-Esteem

This class explores one of the Torah’s most striking rebukes, Moses’ fiery confrontation with the tribes of Reuben and Gad and uncovers why they chose silence over self-defense. Through this encounter and a powerful Chassidic story about the Sefas Emes, Rabbi Bernath examines why we often recoil at criticism and how to reframe it as a holy opportunity for growth. From Moses to modern marriage, from a misunderstood heretic to the Maggid of Mezritch, we dive into the soul’s secret defense syste...

3 months ago

45 minutes