Deeper Look At The Parsha
471 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 days ago - ★★★★★ - 12 ratingsIn the late 1990s Rabbi Dunner presented his own daily 2-hour radio show on London’s multiethnic station, Spectrum Radio. Tens of thousands of listeners – Jews and non-Jews alike – tuned in every day to hear Rabbi Dunner’s take on current events. In 2011 Rabbi Dunner relocated to the US and became the senior Rabbi at Beverly Hills Synagogue.
Weekly the Rabbi holds a parsha shiur that delves deeper into the Parsha of the week.
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Episodes
VA'ERA - IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE
January 20, 2023 00:26 - 47 minutes - 24.1 MBAt the beginning of Parshat Va'era, Moshe complains to God that He has set him up for failure. "Even the Jewish people won't listen to me, how can you expect Pharaoh to listen to me?" Rashi suggests that this is one of 10 instances of "kal v'chomer" (a fortiori) logic being used in the Torah. Rabbi Dunner shares a powerful question on Rashi's statement, and offers various solutions.
VA'ERA - WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES
January 19, 2023 22:58 - 7 minutes - 3.7 MBAre we ready to admit to our mistakes? We all make them. Stubborn refusal to acknowledge when we are wrong is one of life's gravest errors. Learning to correct that mistake is one of life's most important lessons. Rabbi Dunner explores this topic via historical anecdotes and a lesson in Parshat Va'era.
SHEMOT - A NEW PHARAOH
January 12, 2023 22:27 - 46 minutes - 42.5 MBThe Book of Exodus begins with an extraordinary statement: "A new king was appointed over Egypt, who did not know Joseph." In the Talmud, the sages Rav and Shmuel debate whether or not a new king was appointed, or whether it was the same pharaoh, but he had deliberately chosen to forget Joseph. But how is that even possible? Rabbi Dunner explains, using Darash Mordechai by the late Rav Mordechai Druk z"l, Maggid Meisharim of Jerusalem.
SHEMOT - UNDERSTANDING JEWISH HISTORY
January 12, 2023 20:37 - 7 minutes - 7.21 MBRabbi Dunner reflects on the passing of the prolific journalist and author, Paul Johnson, whose seminal book "A History of the Jews" is one of the best comprehensive studies of Jewish history ever published. Johnson was very taken by the centrality of history to Jewish identity and to Judaism, and Rabbi Dunner takes up this theme and connects it to the final episode in Parshat Shemot.
VAYECHI - THE LAW OF RETURN
January 05, 2023 23:00 - 9 minutes - 8.69 MBRabbi Dunner tackles the vexed issue of the so-called "grandchild-clause" in Israel's Law of Return. Charting the history of Jewish immigration into Eretz Yisrael, and citing an episode at the beginning of Parshat Vayechi, Rabbi Dunner explains why the clause must be rescinded as soon as possible.
VAYECHI - BROTHERHOOD & SIBLING RIVALRY
January 04, 2023 20:25 - 35 minutes - 66 MBA Shabbes in Williamsburg among Satmar chasidim inspires Rabbi Dunner to address the complex dynamic of sibling rivalry, a staple feature in the book of Bereishit, which crops up again at the beginning of Shemot. Citing the teachings of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z"l, Rabbi Dunner reveals how the dramatic scene at the very end of Parshat Vayechi holds the key to it all.
VAYIGASH - MAKES YOU STRONGER
December 29, 2022 22:47 - 6 minutes - 5.66 MBRabbi Dunner cites and unpacks a famous aphorism from the nineteenth-century German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), founder of existential philosophy. Nietzsche's understanding of the human condition dovetails with a unique explanation of the curious conversation between Jacob and Pharaoh in Parshat Vayigash.
MIKEITZ - CRYING, OVER YOU
December 22, 2022 23:40 - 6 minutes - 6.33 MBRabbi Dunner explores Sir Winston Churchill's little-known emotional side, and his uninhibited crying when confronted by the suffering of others. This extraordinary characteristic may very well be the reason why Churchill was such a successful leader. And it is this unknown but important leadership quality that can explain why Joseph was successful at interpreting Pharaoh's dreams when all the experts were stumped.
CHANUKAH - WHAT DID THE TEMPLE MENORAH LOOK LIKE?
December 21, 2022 23:43 - 1 hour - 59 MBOne of the enduring mysteries of Jewish history is what the Temple vessels looked like. Described in the Torah, they were lost after the destruction of the Temples, and have never been recovered. The tantalizing image of the menorah on the Arch of Titus in Rome has generated fierce debate - is it accurate or is it not accurate? Rabbi Dunner dives into this controversy, citing countless sources and using various images along the way - in a presentation that opens up this topic from every possi...
VAYEISHEV - STORM IN A TEACUP
December 16, 2022 01:27 - 10 minutes - 9.52 MBRabbi Dunner weighs in on the overwhelmingly negative international Jewish reaction to the political success of Israel's Itamar Ben Gvir, and the formation of the "most right-wing government in Israeli history." After chatting through the issues with Ben Gvir himself, Rabbi Dunner unpacks a puzzling Midrash that offers a message of guidance for Jewish supporters of Israel struggling with the political makeup of Israel's new government.
VAYEISHEV - PEACE AND TRANQUILITY
December 15, 2022 00:08 - 1 hour - 56.2 MBRashi interprets the word "vayeishev" to mean that Yaakov wanted to live out the remainder of his life in peace and tranquility. God's response was to put him through the difficult episode of Joseph's disappearance -- on the basis that tranquility for the righteous only occurs in the world to come. Rabbi Dunner shares an insightful Mikdash Halevi, and delves deeply into the story of Joseph's treatment by his brothers.
VAYISHLACH - BATTLING THE OLDEST HATRED
December 09, 2022 00:08 - 8 minutes - 7.9 MBThe scourge of antisemitism has reemerged with a vengeance. The recent outbursts by Kanye West seem to be the tip of the iceberg, indicating something much wider and much deeper. Rabbi Dunner addresses the recent surge, and offers a suggestion for those shocked by the dreadful reality of current antisemitism.
VAYISHLACH - BROTHERS APART
December 07, 2022 22:35 - 47 minutes - 43.3 MBBefore meeting up with Esau after a separation that had lasted many years, Jacob sends messengers with gifts to appease his brother. The messengers were instructed to convey the gifts with a specific script. Rabbi Dunner shares an array of interpretations drawn from his grandfather's sefer, Mikdash Halevi, offering a backdrop to these seemingly innocent communications.
VAYEITZEI - DAYAN CHANOCH EHRENTREU: AN APPRECIATION
December 01, 2022 22:29 - 13 minutes - 12.6 MBRabbi Dunner reflects on the life of his rabbinic mentor, Dayan Chanoch Ehrentreu (1932-2022), for over 50 years one of the leading rabbis in the UK and Europe, whose passing has left a difficult vacuum in London and well beyond. Sharing personal stories and observations, Rabbi Dunner pays tribute to a titan of the rabbinic world.
TOLDOT - YOU CAN BE AS GOOD AS TIGER WOODS
November 23, 2022 19:51 - 6 minutes - 5.78 MBRabbi Dunner delves into the golf handicap phenomenon, differentiated instruction as a system of education, and a controversial commentary on the differences between Esau and Jacob by Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch.
CHAYEI SARAH - EXPLOITING A TRAGIC DEATH
November 18, 2022 00:25 - 8 minutes - 7.86 MBThis week the FBI announced it was launching an investigation into the death of Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian journalist killed in Jenin by a stray bullet from an IDF soldier's gun. Why is it that Israel comes under such scrutiny, and that no matter what happens elsewhere -- including the death and even murder of journalists -- nobody seems to care quite as much? Rabbi Dunner cites a stunning Nesivos Sholom on Chayei Sarah to give us all pause for thought.
SECOND YAHRTZEIT OF RABBI LORD JONATHAN SACKS Z"L
November 17, 2022 01:32 - 11 minutes - 10.5 MBRabbi Dunner commemorates the second anniversary of the passing of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l. Initially citing the ideas of the world's first sociologist, Emile Durkheim, the atheist scion of a family of French rabbis, Rabbi Dunner uses Durkheim's ideas and Rabbi Sacks' powerful words to demonstrate the value of faith and faith communities, even in the modern world. A meaningful tribute to one of the greatest Jewish thinkers of modern times.
LECH LECHA - DOUBLESPEAK AT ITS WORST
November 03, 2022 22:52 - 6 minutes - 5.88 MBThe delegitimization of Israel is constant and unyielding. And yet, the facts speak for themselves: Israel was established via a U.N. resolution on the basis of the historic ties between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel. Rabbi Dunner goes back to the very origins of this close association between Jews and Israel, and counters the claim that the Jews are guilty of dispossession.
LECH LECHA - LEAVING HOME
November 03, 2022 01:27 - 37 minutes - 34.3 MBAt the beginning of Lech Lecha, God instructs Abraham to leave his country, his birthplace, and his father's home. Rabbi Dunner shares a question generated by this instruction: who is still in their father's home at the age of 75?! Abraham was 75 years old, surely he was fully independent? The answer is both revealing and critical to understanding who Abraham was, and what God wanted from him.
NOACH - ACTS OF KINDNESS
October 27, 2022 22:43 - 6 minutes - 6.24 MBActs of kindness are hugely important for the functioning of society. Countless studies have proven that doing acts of kindness has an impact well beyond the individual acts themselves. Rabbi Dunner cites a wonderful Midrash that reveals a conversation between Abraham and Noah's son Shem, about the reason God allowed Noah's family to leave the ark. As it turns out, Noah's most outstanding quality was kindness.
NOACH - PARTNERSHIP OF LIES AND DESTRUCTION
October 26, 2022 22:33 - 1 hour - 58 MBRabbi Dunner explores some interesting insights into the early part of Parshat Noach from his grandfather's sefer, Mikdash Halevi, including a remarkable interpretation of a curious Midrash regarding the attempt of "lies" to enter Noah's Ark.
BEREISHIT - IN THE BEGINNING
October 21, 2022 00:28 - 55 minutes - 51 MBBoth the Book of Bereishit and Parshat Bereishit contain important lessons, many of them tucked away in quite obscure references. Rabbi Dunner turns to his grandfather's sefer, Mikdash Halevi, to explore why Sefer Bereishit is referred to as "Sefer Hayashar"; what the story of the double portion of manna on Fridays can tell us about Shabbat; and why Adam was asked to name all the animals immediately after he was created.
BEREISHIT - EXCEPT THE ISRAELITES
October 20, 2022 21:38 - 7 minutes - 6.99 MBOne of the most important events in modern history, the U.N. partition plan vote of November 1947, is often overlooked because subsequent events eclipsed it. But it remains incredibly important. The 75th anniversary is coming up and Rabbi Dunner reflects on this far-reaching moment, associating it with the very first commentary of Rashi on the Torah.
SIMCHAT TORAH REVEALED
October 13, 2022 20:35 - 6 minutes - 6.26 MBJewish law prohibits imposing a celebration onto an already joyful time – a rule known as “ein me’arvin simcha besimcha”. And yet, Simchat Torah, when we dance with the Torah scrolls having completed the reading of the entire Torah, appears to have been imposed onto the festival of Shmini Atzeret. Rabbi Dunner explains why this is not the case, and how Simchat Torah is the perfect vehicle for joy on Shmini Atzeret.
SUKKOT - THE WORLD'S MOST REMARKABLE FRUIT
October 06, 2022 22:21 - 6 minutes - 6.3 MBIt comes in many sizes and colors, and even the shape varies considerably. The etrog is undoubtedly one of the world's most remarkable fruits, whose only use is as one of the "four species" (arba minim) on Sukkot. Rabbi Dunner delves into the history of the etrog, and particularly into the modern controversy over hybridized etrogim. A modern scientific study offers a fascinating revelation that ties in with a famous passage in the Talmud.
YOM KIPPUR - THE CONFOUNDING STORY OF JONAH
October 03, 2022 17:28 - 27 minutes - 25 MBOne of the most challenging stories in Tanach is the narrative contained in four short chapters of Sefer Yonah. Even more surprising is the fact that the entire Sefer Yonah is included in the mincha service on Yom Kippur, read as the Haftora at the conclusion of the Torah reading. Rabbi Dunner unpacks the narrative in exquisite detail, and explains why Yonah is the perfect companion for Yom Kippur, particularly as it comes to a close.
Nitzavim podcast 2022.mp3
September 23, 2022 00:29 - 6 minutes - 5.93 MBNitzavim podcast 2022.mp3 by Rabbi Pini Dunner
NITZAVIM - THE ROAD TO HEAVEN
September 23, 2022 00:29 - 6 minutes - 5.93 MBAs far as everyone is concerned, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions." That is the accepted wisdom, but as Rabbi Dunner reveals, scientific studies paint quite a different picture. And Judaism has a very different view of good intentions, the source for which is found in Parshat Nitzavim.
NITZAVIM - WE'RE ALWAYS STANDING
September 22, 2022 05:20 - 47 minutes - 43.3 MBParshat Nitzavim is always read on the Shabbat before Rosh Hashana. According to Rabbi Dunner's grandfather, the Mikdash Halevi, this is not random. The first few words contain an essential message for the start of the New Year, and important lessons for Yamim Noraim.
KI TAVO - BEAUTIFUL BASKETS
September 15, 2022 21:23 - 49 minutes - 91.2 MBThe Mishna in Bikkurim (3:8) discusses the different baskets that people used as containers for the first-fruit bikkurim offering that was brought to the priests in the Temple. Wealthy people used gold or silver containers, while poor people brought their bikkurim in simple woven baskets. Curiously, the gold and silver baskets were handed back, but the weave baskets were retained. Rabbi Dunner explores this interesting contrast through the eyes of his grandfather's sefer, Mikdash Halevi.
KI TAVO - TRIBUTE TO H.M. QUEEN ELIZABETH II
September 14, 2022 21:57 - 8 minutes - 16.7 MBRabbi Dunner pays tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II, whose passing has engendered an incredible outpouring of affection and mourning around the world. What does the ritual blessing that we pronounce over a monarch mean in modernity, and what special lesson can the life of Queen Elizabeth teach us all?
KI TEITZEI - PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
September 07, 2022 23:29 - 46 minutes - 42.8 MBRabbi Dunner presents an array of beautiful insights regarding two of the mitzvot in Ki Teitzei using his grandfather's sefer, Mikdash Halevi. The first mitzva addresses the desire of an active combat soldier to marry a captive girl encountered in the midst of war. The second is about a wayward child. What are the lessons of these obsolete mitzvot for us today?
SHOFTIM - THE BATTLE STARTS AT HOME
September 02, 2022 00:03 - 6 minutes - 6.32 MBRabbi Dunner delves into the life of Rabbi Yose Hagalili ("the Galilean"), one of the towering rabbinic luminaries of the Talmud. An outsider who became a major player, his views were often at odds with Rabbi Akiva. In Parshat Shoftim, the two rabbis debate the meaning of the final exemption offered to military conscripts. But as Rabbi Dunner explains, their debate may not be a debate after all.
SEVENTY-TWO SCHOLARS
September 01, 2022 00:22 - 52 minutes - 48.1 MBRabbi Dunner shares some wonderful ideas on Shoftim from his grandfather’s sefer, Mikdash Halevi, including a captivating look at the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Torah commissioned by the Egyptian king, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, in the third century BCE. The Talmud in tractate Megillah reveals that all the seventy-two translators, despite being separated from each other, miraculously added a word to the translation, to avoid potential heresy. The Mikdash Halevi queries why the ori...
RE'EH - WHAT CAN YOU SEE?
August 25, 2022 23:56 - 8 minutes - 7.87 MBAfter watching a Holocaust documentary that examines Polish collaboration with the Nazis in the genocide against Jews during the Second World War, Rabbi Dunner notes that one of the documentary's central figures - a budding Polish gentile historian - has trouble accepting the overwhelming evidence of the Polish support for Jew-killing. A warning at the beginning of Parshat Re'eh reveals that this blind spot is nothing new.
Rogues, Rascals, and Rapscallions - Part 3
August 25, 2022 22:33 - 1 hour - 75 MBZeide Meir Schmellner was the scion of a distinguished Hasidic dynasty, and married into a similarly elevated family. Although he was a brilliant rabbinic scholar and a charismatic speaker, his explosion into the field of international peace in 1925 took everyone by surprise. Rabbi Dunner delves into the story of this unusual Romanian rabbi, charting a career that took him from Bukovina, to Paris, to New York, and eventually a brush with the law that landed him in Sing Sing. One of the most s...
RE'EH - MEAT AND MAN
August 25, 2022 00:03 - 58 minutes - 54 MBUntil the conquest of Eretz Yisrael, the only meat eaten by the Jewish nation was from ritual "shelamim" sacrifices offered up in the Mishkan. In Parshat Re'eh, Moses informs the Jewish nation that they are allowed to eat non-sacrifice-related meat. What are the implications of this dispensation? Using his grandfather's Mikdash Halevi commentary, Rabbi Dunner presents a remarkable backdrop to the whole topic of meat consumption in Judaism.
EIKEV - BERTRAND RUSSELL AND THE TRIANGLE
August 18, 2022 15:30 - 5 minutes - 5.21 MBHe may or may not have said it, but Bertrand Russel's riposte about not being a triangle has become famous. A reference in Parshat Eikev - said twice daily in the Shema prayer - offers the Jewish view on Russell's alleged remark.
EIKEV DOESN'T MEAN "IF"
August 17, 2022 20:56 - 58 minutes - 53.7 MBThe word "eikev" that is used to title the third portion of Sefer Devarim is usually translated as "if" - based on the first verse which reads: "and it will be 'if' you will listen to my laws." But Rashi has a homiletic interpretation which is based on the idea that "e-k-v" is also the root of the Hebrew word for heel. Rabbi Dunner uses his grandfather's Mikdash Halevi to expand on this idea, which adds context from multiple sources, and even suggests another interpretation for the word "eikev."
VAETCHANAN- A VISION OF ISRAEL
August 10, 2022 23:01 - 51 minutes - 46.8 MBAt the beginning of Va'etchanan, Moses describes how he prayed to God that he be allowed into Eretz Yisrael. As part of that prayer, he also asked to see the land, not just to be there. But this request seems superfluous -- if he's there, he'll obviously see it. Rabbi Dunner shares a beautiful piece from Mikdash Halevi, his grandfather's sefer, which gives context and offers depth to Moses' request.
VA'ETCHANAN - APRÈS MOI, LE DÉLUGE
August 10, 2022 20:07 - 7 minutes - 6.69 MBWhat is the common denominator between King Louis XV of France and King Chizkiyahu of the First Temple in Jerusalem? And how exactly do they differ? Rabbi Dunner explains that the answer can be found in the Haftora for Parshat Va'etchanan, which begins with God's incredible declaration: "Nachamu Nachamu Ami".
DEVARIM - THE COURAGE TO SEE EVIL
August 04, 2022 23:38 - 10 minutes - 9.2 MBRabbi Dunner weighs in on the Alex Jones defamation trial in Texas. Jones spent years claiming that the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre never took place. The trial has been a cathartic moment for voices of reason, underscored by a desire to look evil in the eye and face it off. The theme of Devarim coincides with this idea, which runs all the way through the fifth book of the Torah.
DEVARIM - A FINAL INTRODUCTION
August 03, 2022 23:46 - 54 minutes - 50.3 MBRabbi Dunner shares his grandfather's introduction to the final book of the Torah, Devarim. Why repeat elements of the Torah that appear in the previous three books? Why is Devarim also called Mishneh Torah? What lessons are there to be learned? The answers are compelling and gratifying.
MASSEI - THE MISSING YEARS
July 29, 2022 02:39 - 46 minutes - 42.3 MBWhat happened during the 38 years between the end of the first year in the wilderness and the beginning of the last year? Why are there no details of the events that occurred during this extended period? Rabbi Dunner cites his grandfather's sefer, Mikdash Halevi, which offers an array of remarkable insights into Parshat Massei.
MASSEI - UNIQUE AND UNEXCEPTIONAL
July 28, 2022 20:15 - 8 minutes - 7.45 MBRabbi Dunner describes his recent visit to Mexico, where he visited Mount Sinai Congregation, the "oldest synagogue in Mexico City." Surprisingly, the Jewish community in Mexico is barely a century old. Rabbi Dunner explains why, and reveals an epiphany that he had while praying mincha at Mount Sinai. There is a powerful message embedded in Parshat Massei that reflects the success of Jewish immigration over the past 3,500 years.
PINCHAS - MOTIVATED REASONING
July 21, 2022 22:56 - 8 minutes - 7.62 MBAn article in the New York Times about the entrenched views by many on the right that the 2020 election was stolen prompts Rabbi Dunner to consider the concept of motivated reasoning. A remarkable insight by Rabbi Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg (1884-1966) regarding Moses' act of omission at the beginning of Parshat Pinchas is underpinned by the idea of motivated reasoning, and offers timely guidance for us all.
PINCHAS - JOSHUA'S SECRET
July 20, 2022 23:26 - 56 minutes - 52 MBAfter settling a Torah law anomaly regarding inheritance, Moses segues into a discussion with God regarding his as yet unnamed successor. The Midrash explains that he has his own sons in mind for the job, but God has other ideas -- and Joshua is named as Moses' leadership heir. Rabbi Dunner cites his grandfather's sefer, Mikdash Halevi, to explain why Joshua was far better suited to the position than either of Moses' sons.
Rogues, Rascals, and Rapscallions - Part 2
July 19, 2022 03:01 - 47 minutes - 43.2 MBRabbi Pini Dunner once again travels down the side roads and into cul-de-sacs of the Jewish yesteryear with the help of exhaustive research – sharing countless anecdotes and previously unrevealed details. In Part 2 of “Rogues, Rascals, and Rapscallions”, Rabbi Dunner explores the rollercoaster life of a scion of the Nadvorna Hasidic dynasty, Rabbi Yitzchak Leifer, whose brush with the law in 1938 made international headlines. Who was Rabbi Yitzchak Leifer, and how did he end up as the center ...
BALAK - A GREAT AND RIGHTEOUS MAN
July 15, 2022 17:26 - 5 minutes - 5.3 MBOn the anniversary of his passing, Rabbi Dunner describes the incredible 1939 rescue project of Sir Nicholas Winton -- "Operation Kindertransport" -- and why he thinks that Sir Nicholas Winton was a very great and righteous man. The cryptic clue is in a verse from Micah, that we read in the Haftarah for Balak. Rabbi Dunner's verdict is drawn from Micah -- and it's not what you think!