Kabbalah for Everyone

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How Tanya teaches us to understand our inner conflict without shame and choose who gets to rule the city.
Download the PDF worksheet here
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ueahmlvp3pptfisjb3a22/Lesson-12-Animal-Soul.pdf?rlkey=dmspfv7j4b4tzlfol97awgyd0&dl=0
Why can one part of us sincerely want holiness, meaning, kindness, and growth, while another part wants comfort, recognition, revenge, or simply five more minutes in bed?
In this lesson, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath introduces one of Tanya’s foundational teachings: the Nefesh HaElokit, the G-dly soul, and the Nefesh HaBahamit, the animal soul. Rather than seeing our contradictions as proof that something is wrong with us, Tanya gives us a radically compassionate map of the human being: the struggle itself is part of the spiritual life.
We explore the animal soul not as something evil that must be destroyed, but as a powerful, self-oriented life force filled with desire, intelligence, emotion, and enormous energy. Its “horsepower” can pull us toward ego and indulgence or be redirected toward love, generosity, ambition and community.
Using Tanya’s famous metaphor of two kings fighting over a small city, we discover that spiritual success does not mean never feeling anger, jealousy, temptation, or resistance. The beinoni may still experience the battle; freedom means learning that not every feeling deserves the throne.
The lesson concludes with a practical tool, The Two Kings Pause: identify what the animal soul wants, listen for what the G-dly soul wants, and choose one concrete next action. You may not control the first feeling, but you can often choose the next sentence.

Key Points
Not every voice inside you is your deepest identity.
Tanya describes two inner orientations: the G-dly soul and the animal soul.
The animal soul is not inherently evil; it experiences life primarily with the self at the center.
The animal soul possesses intellect, emotion, thought, speech, and action, it can be remarkably sophisticated at justifying what it wants.
Through kelipat nogah, ordinary desires and physical energies can either descend into self-indulgence or be elevated toward holiness.
The goal is often not to eliminate desire but to ask: “Where does this energy belong?”
Tanya compares the human being to a small city ruled by two competing kings.
The beinoni teaches us that spiritual greatness is not the absence of struggle; it is choosing wisely within the struggle.
Moach shalit al halev, the mind can govern the heart—does not mean suppressing emotion. It means emotion does not automatically dictate behavior.
The practical process: Name the animal soul. Listen for the G-dly soul. Choose one next action.
Don’t measure your day by whether you struggled. Ask: “Who ruled the city in the next moment?”
When you fail, repair and choose again. The battle itself can become avodah.

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Wednesday, September 2
NO FEELING IS FINAL The Elul Art of Beginning Again
What if the way you feel right now isn’t the truth about who you are? Elul reminds us: you are never stuck. You are not your worst mistake, your fear, your disappointment, or the version of yourself you’re ready to outgrow.
Join me for a special Elul evening exploring teshuvah as return, the possibility of reconnecting with who you really are and beginning again.
Wednesday, September 2
Live on Zoom
7:30–8:30 PM — Lecture
8:30–9:30 PM — Interactive Workshop & Guided Processing
ACCESS HERE https://www.jewishndg.com/civicrm/event/register?id=110&reset=1
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#Kabbalah #chabad #Jewish #Judaism #KabbalahForEveryone #Tanya #chassidus#JewishWisdom #AnimalSoul #TwoSouls #Beinoni #spiritualgrowth #SelfAwareness #InnerConflict #EmotionalAwareness #FreeChoice #JewishSpirituality #kabala #KabbalahForLife #jewishmysticism #mysticism 
Rabbi Yisroel Bernath's New Book The Forgiveness Experiment is 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.

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After ten classes exploring the language and ideas of Kabbalah, we finally step back and ask the most basic question: What is Kabbalah?
In this lesson, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath traces the inner tradition of Torah from Avraham and Sinai through the Zohar, the Ramak, the Arizal, the Baal Shem Tov, and Chabad Chassidus. More importantly, we uncover the common thread running through it all: Kabbalah teaches us that reality has an inside.
The visible world is real, but it is never the whole story. Torah has an inner dimension. A mitzvah has an inner dimension. The soul has an inner structure. Creation itself carries hidden Divine meaning.
This class brings the entire Kabbalah for Everyone journey together and gives you a simple framework for recognizing what makes an idea truly Kabbalistic and how to bring that wisdom into ordinary life.

Key Points
Kabbalah means “received wisdom”an inner Torah transmitted through generations.
Jewish mystical tradition reaches back to Avraham and Sinai, and unfolds through the prophets, the Zohar, the Ramak, the Arizal, the Baal Shem Tov, and Chabad Chassidus.
Kabbalah teaches that reality has an inside. What we see on the surface is real, but it is not the whole story.
Kabbalah asks how the Infinite relates to the finite, how Divine unity appears as multiplicity, and how G-d can be hidden while remaining fully present.
Kabbalah gives us the architecture; Chassidus teaches us how to live inside the building.
The concepts we have studied throughout the series all share one movement: hidden becoming revealed, soul entering body, meaning entering action, heaven entering earth.
The ultimate goal is not to escape the physical world, but to uncover the Divine depth already within it.
The simplest definition: Kabbalah teaches us to see reality from the inside out.
And the practical question remains: Becheyn? What changes in my life because I know this?

#KabbalahForEveryone #Kabbalah #jewishmysticism #chassidus #chabad #zohar  #Arizal #baalshemtov #Tanya #JewishWisdom #Spirituality #InnerTorah #Nistar #Atzmus #DirahBetachtonim #Tzimtzum #sefirot #soul #divinepurpose #Becheyn #Rabbiyisroelbernath #JewishLearning #Torah #spiritualgrowth 

Rabbi Yisroel Bernath's New Book The Forgiveness Experiment is 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.

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Download the PDF handout HERE:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/05t6vd3goxbg6iz9iiwsg/Lesson-10-Dirah-Bitachtonim.pdf?rlkey=5854kgstayu6p2rzyyxitawtd&dl=0
In Lesson 10 of Kabbalah for Everyone, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores one of the most central teachings in Kabbalah: Dirah BiTachtonim, G-d’s desire for a dwelling place in the lowest world.
After Lesson 9 introduced Atzmut, the Absolute Essence of Hashem, this lesson asks the next question: Where does G-d want G-d’s Essence to be at home?
The answer is shocking and beautiful: not only in the heavens, not only in spiritual ecstasy, not only in moments of inspiration, but here, in this physical world. This class explains why G-d wants a home specifically in the world of concealment, struggle, bodies, money, food, relationships, work, and ordinary routines. Through Torah, mitzvot, refinement, and practical action, we transform the physical world from a place where G-d is hidden into a lichtiker dirah, a bright and illuminated home for G-d.

Key Points / Takeaways
1. Dirah BiTachtonim means G-d wants a home here: Not a visit. Not a guest appearance. A real dwelling place where G-d’s Essence can be revealed.
2. Tachtonim means the lowest level of concealment: This is not about geography. It means a world where G-dliness can feel hidden, distant, or forgotten.
3. G-d chooses the lowest world on purpose: Precisely because this world is dark and physical, transforming it reveals something deeper than effortless spirituality ever could.
4. Nista’aveh means Divine desire beyond logic: The Alter Rebbe explains that G-d’s desire for a home below is not based on a reason we can fully understand. It comes from Atzmut, G-d’s Essence.
5. A home is different from presence: G-d is everywhere, but a home means G-d’s presence is welcomed, revealed, and expressed.
6. A lichtiker dirah is an illuminated home: It is not enough for G-d to be hidden in the walls. The home must shine. Judaism wants the physical world to become visibly holy.
7. Mitzvot are the building materials: Tefillin, Shabbat candles, tzedakah, kosher food, Torah study, honest business, kind speech, each mitzvah is another brick in G-d’s home.
8. Spirituality is not escape: Kabbalah turns the whole idea upside down: the goal is not to run away from the physical world, but to sanctify it from within.
9. The work must come from below: Lasting transformation happens when we don’t just receive inspiration from above, but change our own perspective, habits, actions, and environment.
10. Moshiach is the completed Dirah: The ultimate future is when the world itself will no longer hide G-d, and the home we have been building will finally be fully revealed.

#Kabbalah #chassidus #KabbalahForEveryone #DirahBiTachtonim #ChabadChassidus #PracticalKabbalah #JewishWisdom #Atzmus #Mitzvos #TorahForLife #spiritualgrowth #JewishSpirituality #MakeThisWorldHoly #divinepurpose #Tanya #InnerWork #AvodasHashem #MoshiachNow #WednesdayMorningKabbalah #SoulWisdom #LivingWithPurpose 
Rabbi Yisroel Bernath's New Book The Forgiveness Experiment is 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.

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In this lesson, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores one of the deepest ideas in Kabbalah: Atzmut, the Absolute Essence of Hashem. After learning about Mimaleh, the Divine energy that fills the world, Sovev, the Divine energy that transcends the world, and Ratzon and Ta’anug, will and delight, this class goes deeper still.
What is beyond nature? What is beyond miracles? What is beyond what we understand, feel, or experience? Kabbalah teaches that Hashem is not only found when the sea splits. He is also found when the heart beats, the lungs breathe, the body works, and an ordinary day quietly becomes a gift.
This lesson helps us stop waiting for dramatic inspiration and begin recognizing Hashem in real life: in mitzvahs, gratitude, prayer, relationships, patience, and the small choices that turn the world into a home for G-d. Based on the attached Atzmut chapter.

Key Takeaways
1. Nature is G-d hidden in a pattern: Teva is not the absence of Hashem. It is Hashem concealed inside the steady rhythm of creation.
2. Miracles are G-d breaking the pattern: Nissim reveal that Hashem is not limited by nature, systems, habits, or expectations.
3. Atzmut is beyond both nature and miracles: Hashem is not defined by hiddenness or revelation. He can be found in both, because He transcends both.
4. The greatest miracles are often the ones we stop noticing: Breathing, waking up, walking, healing, functioning, these are not “ordinary.” They are constant gifts.
5. Faith must move from makif to pnimi: It is not enough for faith to hover around us as inspiration. It has to enter our thoughts, speech, and actions.
6. Atzmus is revealed in simple mitzvahs: The highest Divine Essence is not only found in mystical experiences. It is revealed in lighting candles, giving tzedakah, putting on tefillin, saying a bracha, and choosing kindness.
7. Don’t wait to feel spiritual before living spiritually: The beinoni may not control every feeling, but can choose thought, speech, and action.
8. The goal is Dirah B’Tachtonim: Hashem wants a home here, in this world, in this body, in this relationship, in this moment, even before the coffee fully kicks in.

#KabbalahForEveryone #Atzmut #chassidus #ChabadChassidus #JewishWisdom #PracticalKabbalah #NatureAndMiracles #Teva #Nissim #DivineEssence  #spiritualgrowth #JewishSpirituality #TorahForLife #InnerWork 
Rabbi Yisroel Bernath's New Book The Forgiveness Experiment is 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.

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You can download the PDF worksheet here:
 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/oy2ioeforqhuspaxj2cz6/Lesson-8-Ratzon-and-Taanug.pdf?rlkey=7bkm55v1r9xwpujfy535uih7z&dl=0
What is the difference between doing what is right and actually loving what is right? Kabbalah teaches that two powerful forces shape our inner lives: Ratzon, the power of will, and Ta’anug, the deeper experience of delight. Ratzon gives us the strength to act even when we do not feel inspired. Ta’anug is the inner sweetness we experience when our choices become aligned with who we truly are.
In this lesson, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores the spiritual journey from obligation to connection, from discipline to joy, and from simply showing up to discovering that holiness can feel like coming home.
The goal is not to wait until we feel inspired before doing what is right. It is to use holy will to educate the heart, until the truths we once struggled to choose become the truths we genuinely love.
Key Points
Ratzon means will: the power to choose, commit, and move forward.
Ta’anug means delight: the inner sweetness of living in alignment with the soul.
Will is often the beginning of spiritual growth, while delight is a deeper stage of internal connection.
We do not need to understand or feel everything before taking the first meaningful step.
Na’aseh v’nishma teaches that action can open the door to deeper understanding.
Acting with kindness before feeling kind is not hypocrisy; it is emotional and spiritual maturity.
Our feelings are real, but they do not always deserve to control our actions.
A passing desire may be loud, while a deeper delight can be quiet and true.
We can train our hearts to find joy in prayer, Torah, mitzvot, honesty, generosity, and healthy relationships.
The goal of Judaism is not dry obedience, but loyalty that grows into love and delight.
Repeated acts of holy will educate the heart.
The truth we once obeyed can eventually become the truth we love.
A spiritual life becomes real when inspiration enters our choices, habits, and relationships.
The deepest question is not only, “What do I want?” but “What kind of person do I want to become?”
#Ratzon #Taanug #WillAndDelight #Kabbalah #KabbalahForEveryone #JewishWisdom #spiritualgrowth #SpiritualDiscipline #FindingJoy #InnerPurpose #SoulAlignment #JewishSpirituality #EmotionalMaturity #personalgrowth 

Rabbi Yisroel Bernath's New Book The Forgiveness Experiment is 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