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

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Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

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Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com 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

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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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Assumptions Shape Interpretation: Believers and skeptics alike interpret the same data through different axioms. Acknowledging this fosters respectful dialogue rather than defensiveness.
5. 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.
6. This Is Not About “Winning” an Argument: It’s about honesty, humility, and the courage to explore big questions together.
7. 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

Support US and Win BIG www.ndgraffle.com

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com 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

Support US and Win BIG www.ndgraffle.com

Available now:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhV

Support the show

Got your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com 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