In this deeply moving and timely class, Rabbi Bernath opens with a heartfelt prayer for the victims of the Boulder attack and a reminder that silence in the face of evil is complicity. From the courtroom of Judgment at Nuremberg to the Torah portion of Naso, we journey through history, law, and soul.
We explore the legacy of Joseph, alone, enslaved, and tempted and how a single vision of his father reminded him: One action changes everything.
Joseph, who kept Shabbat even in Egypt, is rewarded not with rest but with purpose, his descendant offering a sacrifice on Shabbat itself, transforming a personal act into a communal revelation.
With wisdom from the Lubavitcher Rebbe and reflections on our divine spark, we are reminded that every choice we make is a nuclear reaction of holiness. We are not small. We are not powerless. We are G-d’s partners in redeeming this world.
Key Takeaways
We begin with a prayer for those wounded and shaken by the hate-fueled Anti-Jewish violence in Boulder. We must never grow numb to evil nor dismiss the power of standing up for what's right.
Moral failure begins the moment we excuse the first injustice. As seen in Nuremberg and echoed in our lives, passivity is complicity.
Joseph’s strength came not from Torah laws, but from internalizing his worth. His vision of Jacob, representing all of humanity reminded him that his actions mattered deeply.
You are not a chemical reaction, you are a nuclear reaction. One spark of holiness from you can ripple outward infinitely.
Keeping Shabbat in Egypt wasn’t just ritual—it was a declaration: Even in exile, I matter. Even in isolation, my light changes the world.
You are the world. As the Lubavitcher Rebbe taught: One human, one deed, one moment, can shake the heavens and awaken redemption.
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