In this shmooze, delivered at the pre-Purim / Hilula of Moshe Rabbeinu Mevaseret Mishmar, Rav Burg explains the significance of the fact that Haman rejoiced over the fact that the lottery fell out in Adar, the month when Moshe Rabbeinu passed away. Haman failed to realize that in Yiddishkeit death is just the beginning of new life.…

In this shiur, delivered in Sharfmans, Rav Burg explains the inner meaning of the noise that the Kohen Gadol's clothing makes upon entering the Beis HaMikdash. There is a difference between guilt and shame. When we feel shame we feel unworthy of love and connection. When we feel guilt we are tapped into our true self which is essentially connected …

In this shiur, delivered in Ba'er Miriam, Rav Burg explains (based on a Sicha from the Lubavitcher Rebbe) the inner meaning of why Moshe Rabbeinu's name is missing in this week’s parsha. We all carry within our own souls a spark of Moshe Rabbeinu. When we define ourselves by our essential self we tap into that spark and transform our service of Has…

In this shiur, delivered in Aish HaTorah to the Chizuk Mission, Rav Burg explains the inner meaning of the halachos of how we read the Megillah, how we roll the Megillah and the tenses of the Brachos. Esther is the bechina of the greatest possible concealment, which is where she discovers her truest self.…

In this shiur, delivered to Darchei Binah on the occasion of their 30th day of being social media free, Rav Burg explains the inner meaning of the word Hineini. Hineini means to stand with humility and bravely face the impossible. As we let go of distractions in our lives we become more present in reality and have the capacity to live Hineini lives…

In this shiur, delivered in Sharfmans, Rav Burg explains why this Parsha is named Terumah and not Mishkan. To make a lasting and meaningful change in this world, the transformation needs to come from below. As we become givers, the world becomes a dwelling place for Hashem.

In this shiur, delivered in Tomer Devorah, Rav Burg explains the inner meaning of the Keruvim standing in an intimate embrace as the Beis HaMikdash is being destroyed. The secret of Sinas Chinam is that we only hate because we love.

In this shiur, delivered in Ba'er Miriam, Rav Burg explains (based on the Kedushas Levi) why the Aron containing the Luchos is mentioned twice and why the rods in the Aron were not allowed to be removed. The Luchos represent the essence of our relationship with Hashem. Sometimes our Yiddishkeit can feel disjointed. Mitzvos may feel like they stand …

In this shiur, delivered to the Chizuk Mission in Aish HaTorah in Yerushalayim, Rav Burg explores the inner essence of antisemitism and how we claim our Jewish identity in the darkest of times. We have a choice - fulfill the hole we have in ourselves with power or with submission to Hashem. Ultimately, our choice to submit represents a threat to th…

In this shiur, delivered at the Ramada Hotel to the Daily Giving Learn a Thon, Rav Burg explains how Klal Yisrael is in its essence a nation of Chesed while our enemies seek out new ways to inflict cruelty upon us.

In this shiur, delivered in Ba'er Miriam, Rav Burg explains why in the middle of Kabbalas HaTorah the Torah "interrupts" the narrative to give the civil laws of Parshas Mishpatim. How we engage in our interpersonal relationships is critical to Kabbalas HaTorah and our mission as Jews.

In this shiur, delivered at Stern College, Rav Burg explains the inner connection between being misameach a Chasan and a Kallah and meriting the Five Kolos of Torah.

In this shiur, delivered to the Nshei of KBH in North Woodmere, Rav Burg explores the nature of raising children to feel securely attached.

In this shiur, delivered in the Hirsch home in Los Angeles to the Chizuk Mission, Rav Burg explains why for the last month kf Moshe Rabbeinu's life, Chodesh Shevat, he translated the Torah into seventy languages.

In this shiur, delivered at the Mashiach home in Chicago, Rav Burg explains the inner connection between man being described as a tree in the field and the egla arufa. Our soul expresses itself most deeply when it does a Mitzvah. Self actualization means not only that we are productive people but that our soul is able to fulfill its purpose.…

In this shiur, delivered in the Valley in Los Angeles, Rav Burg explains the inner workings of how we can leave our personal Mitzrayim and yet still be stuck before we arrive at our personal Har Sinai. Truth can defeat falsehood but it cannot necessarily overcome apathy. When we don't care we have to move beyond logic and tap into the essence of ou…

In this shiur, delivered in Sharfmans, Rav Burg explains why Klal Yisrael prostrated themselves after hearing the Mitzvah of Korban Pesach. Only when Klal Yisrael has their hope for a future restored can they truly be mekabel on themselves to serve Hashem.

In this shiur, delivered in Mevaseret, Rav Burg explains why only after Makkas Choshech did Pharaoh and Moshe become angry with one another. What was the value in Moshe Rabbeinu slapping Pharaoh in the face? The ten Makkos are meant to rectify the ten dimensions of the soul. In this shiur each Makkah is explored so as to understand why everything c…

In this shiur, delivered in Ba'er Miriam, Rav Burg explains (based on a Sicha from the Lubavitcher Rebbe zt"l) why Makkas Bechoros specifically happens at midnight and why Klal Yisrael needed a special protection during this plague. Hashem chooses Klal Yisrael from the essence of His being. Through the Mitzvah of Bris Mila and Korban Pesach we reve…

In this shiur, delivered in Tomer Devorah, Rav Burg explains (based on a Torah from the Lubavitcher Rebbe zt"l) why Rashi reminds us that Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov are the Avos. Moshe Rabbeinu learns that Hashem is trying to communicate His essence to Klal Yisrael and that can only happen as Klal Yisrael discovers their own essence. While the mi…

In this shmooze, delivered at Mevaseret Mishmar, Rav Burg explains why Moshe Rabbeinu spoke to to Pharoah despite the fact that Pharaoh could not understand him and Ahron HaKohen would be interpreting. In order to overcome our ego it needs to be introduced to Hashem. Only afterwards can we employ our faculty of reason.…

In this shiur, delivered in Tomer Devorah, Rav Burg explains (based on a Sicha from the Lubavitcher Rebbe zt"l) why the Torah tells us that Moshe Rabbeinu was afraid despite the fact that it doesn't seem to advance the narrative of the story in any way. The way we perceive the world becomes the reality we live in. When we think good, when we have B…

In this shmooze, delivered at Mevaseret Mishmar, Rav Burg explains the inner connection between the death of Yosef HaTzaddik and the Bracha of Moshe Rabbeinu to Yosef thay references Hashem as dwelling in the Sneh. We enter into Golus when we stop taking responsibility for each other and we leave Golus when we feel the pain of our fellow Jew.…

In this shmooze, delivered in Mevaseret at the Shnayim Mikra Melava Malka Siyum, Rav Burg explains the inner meaning of why we say the pesukim not just once but twice, why there is a special emphasis on completing Shnayim Mikra with the Tzibbur and why it lengthens our lives.

In this shiur, delivered in Tomer Devorah, Rav Burg explains why Asarah B'Teves would obligate us to fast even on Shabbos, the connection between Asarah B'Teves and Yosef HaTzaddik and the inner nature of a siege. On Asarah B'Teves Hashem revisits the decision of whether the churban will continue and how we relate to every other Jew decides our fat…

In this shiur, delivered in Sharfmans, Rav Burg explains (based on a Torah from Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky zt"l) why Shimon and Levi were assigned to become the Rabbeim and the Sofrim of Klal Yisrael. True, they were criticized by Yaakov Avinu for being overly zealous in killing the inhabitants of Shechem, but they were motivated by the pain they felt f…

In this shiur, delivered in Ba'er Miriam, Rav Burg explains the meaning of the fact that Parshas Vayechi is setumah (a closed parsha). The eyes and heart of Klal Yisrael became closed when Yaakov Avinu passed away beginning the exile in Mitzrayim. Knowing that we are deeply rooted allows us to find our emotional footing and reclaim our vision even …

In this shiur, delivered at the Almuni Mevaseret Mishmar, Rav Burg explains why it was specifically Yehuda who was sent to establish a Yeshiva in Goshen. While Levi was the Rosh Yeshiva, only Yehuda who had a great enough sense of self to be able to admit to his wrongdoings with Tamar, could establish a Yeshiva in Goshen. Only Yehuda could create a…

In this shiur, delivered in Tomer Devorah, Rav Burg explains how the purpose of going into Golus was to bridge the gap between the Avos and Klal Yisrael in order to pass on the pristine emunah that they had achieved.

In this shiur, delivered at the Michlala Chanukah "Culture" Yom Iyun, Rav Burg explains the inner meaning of the word Hod. There is surface beauty that reflects the inner beauty of a person and then there is a beauty that is so awesome that it cannot be captured by the vessel that attempts to contain it. The miracle of Chanukah is that the inner be…

In this shiur, delivered in Ba'er Miriam, Rav Burg explores the difference between the dreams of Pharoah and the dreams of Yaakov Avinu. Pharaoh dreams that he is standing above the Nile River, Yaakov dreams that Hashem is standing above him. When we dream that we are above God we go back to sleep. When we dream that God is standing above us we are…

In this shiur, delivered at the Mevaseret Yud Tes Kislev Fabrengen, Rav Burg explains how Hashem writes down all of our Mitzvos and has incredible nachas from us. The Baal Shem Tov came down into this world to remind us that each and every Yid is the beloved child of Hashem and how He can't stop talking about even our smallest Mitzvos.…

In this shiur, delivered in Tomer Devorah, Rav Burg explores the symmetry of the story of Yosef HaTzaddik. When Yosef truly examines his life and does the real work of being in self, not only does his own life change but the lives of his brothers change as well.

In this shiur, delivered in Shenk in Washington Heights, Rav Burg explains the inner nature of Yosef’s dreams. Far from placing himself at the center of the world, Yosef sought to unite the Shevatim by seeing through to the essence that we all share.

In this shiur, delivered in the Feder home, Rav Burg explores the inner nature of dreams. In our dreams we go beyond our intellectual faculties and touch the essence.

In this shiur, delivered in the Stahler home for the Chizuk Mission, Rav Burg explains why Chanukah is identified with the faculty of sight and how we are meant to see through the darkness.

In this shiur, delivered at the Young Israel of New Rochelle Mishmar, Rav Burg explores Yaakov Avinu's psychological state after surviving Lavan and how he struggles with his inner Eisav to prepare for the battle ahead.

In this shiur, delivered in Ba'er Miriam, Rav Burg explains the difference between how Eisav raises his children in resentment and Yosef raises his children to let go of their trauma and find greatness in their struggles.

In this shiur, delivered in MMY, Rav Burg explains the definition of marriage, the definition of self and how we date and get married from a deep place of self.

In this shmooze, delivered at Mevaseret Mishmar, Rav Burg explains the inner meaning of the fact that Yaakov slept on Har HaMoriah and did not learn Torah and at the same time was learning Mishnayos all night long. As we descend deeper into Golus and the truth becomes less and less clear, we discover our own voice and our own contributions to the c…

In this shiur, delivered in Tomer Devorah, Rav Burg explores the inner nature of the Terpahim and why Rachel stole them from Lavan. Rav Burg explains that the nature of Rachel Imeinu is to reveal that which is concealed. Warning: this shiur is very deep.

In this shiur, delivered in Ba'er Miriam, Rav Burg explains the inner connection between Yaakov Avinu skipping the Beis HaMikdash and returning to it through Kefitzas HaDerech, the institution of Maariv and Har HaMoriah. When we daven in our lowest moments we can skip over the normal process and find ourselves at untold spiritual heights.…

In this shiur, delivered in the Lubat home in RBS, Rav Burg explains the darkness of Yavan. When man believes that only that which can be explained in a logical and rational fashion exists he puts himself at the center of the universe. This results in a tyrannical approach to the world. In contrast, Judaism believes that the essence of Hashem is be…

In this shmooze, delivered at the Mevaseret Thanksgiving Fabrengen, Rav Burg explains how gratitude unites every aspect of our being.

In this shiur, delivered in Tomer Devorah, Rav Burg explains how Rivka was confused by her dual nature. On the one hand she had a part of her that was drawn to Kedusha and yet another part was drawn to Tumah. Our conflicted nature is not a bug but a feature as we learn to bring Godliness into every aspect of our lives.…

In this shiur, delivered in Ba'er Miriam, Rav Burg explains the difference between the way that Avraham engaged with the world and the way Yitzchak engaged with the world. Avraham was able to have an impact even on the people of Mitzrayim but the effects were not necessarily long lasting. Yitzchak was only able to impact the Pelsihtim but the impac…

In this shiur, delivered in Ba'er Miriam, Rav Burg explains how Avraham Avinu ensured that Yitzchak married a girl who was willing to leave it all behind in order to discover who she really is.

In this shiur, delivered at Mevaseret Mishmar, Rav Burg explains how Malachim have a single minded focus. Totally present with whatever they are doing. Human beings can reach an even higher level where we can live in multiple dimensions at once.

In this shiur, delivered in Tomer Devorah, Rav Burg explores the Haftorah that deals with the Isha Shunamis who did not ask Elisha for a bracha to have children despite her barren state. Only when we dare to love, when we have the deep conviction that we are enough even when we gey hurt, can we truly be alive.…

In this shiur, delivered in Ba'er Miriam, Rav Burg explains (based on a Sicha from the Lubavitcher Rebbe zt"l) the true nature of Mesiras Nefesh. Anyone can sacrifice their life for a greater cause but in a certain way that can still be self serving. The ultimate sacrifice is the sacrifice of Avraham Avinu - he was ready to sacrifice himself. He wa…