Deeper Look At The Parsha

What does it mean to "be holy"? An instruction at the beginning of Vayikra Chapter 19 directs us to "be holy" - but there is no indication of what being "holy" means. Rabbi Dunner shares Rashi's commentary, and Ramban's, and also the perspective of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch.

Rabbi Dunner addresses the scourge of half-truths, citing examples and explaining why they are such a danger to society. And, as he explains, certain aspects of the tzara'at phenomenon described and discussed in Tazria and Metzora, as well as in the Talmud, relate to this idea of half-truths being the blackest of lies.

Rabbi Dunner addresses the anomaly of anti-anarchists also harboring disdain for conformity and conventionality. Citing a wonderful Ohr Hachaim commentary on Parshat Shemini, Rabbi Dunner suggests that conformity is not necessarily the opposite of anarchy after all.

The splitting of the Red Sea was the greatest miracle of the Exodus story, and in human history. An entire nation was miraculously saved from certain death, while their genocidal pursuers perished. Upon reaching safety, the Jewish nation immediately and spontaneously began singing God’s praises. And yet we know that Judaism discourages joyous celebration if a victory involves the destruction of an...

Modern science has struggled to find evidence that thoughts in the human brain can alter reality, and yet the Jewish faith believes in the power of thoughts and prayers. Rabbi Dunner explores this phenomenon from several angles, and draws proof from Parshat Tzav that thoughts really do count.

Imagine the scene… five of the greatest rabbis of the generation gather together in a room to celebrate Pesach. It is a seder that has gone down in history as *the* example of what a seder should look like. The five rabbis discussed the Exodus from Egypt all night long, and were so absorbed in the story that they needed to be reminded about saying Shema when dawn broke. Rabbi Dunner unpicks the st...

Twenty years after the start of the Iraq War, Rabbi Dunner reflects on the leadup to the conflict, which was heavily leveraged on faulty intelligence that purported that Saddam Hussein had amassed WMDs which were a danger to the West. What are the long-term implications if George W. Bush and his aides knew they were lying, but believed that regime change in Iraq was for the best? Rabbi Dunner weig...

Rabbi Dunner puzzles over the fact that Maximilien Robespierre was known as "the incorruptible", bearing in mind that he presided over the most violent period of the French Revolution, known as the Reign of Terror. A midrash on Parshat Pekudei helps clear up the definition of integrity and incorruptibility once and for all.

At the beginning of Parshat Pekudei, Moshe Rabbeinu offers up a detailed accounting of all the precious metal collected for use in the construction of the mishkan, down to the last ounce. What was the purpose of this accounting, and why are there crucial details of the gold missing from the record? Rabbi Dunner addresses these and other questions relating to this fascinating parsha.

Learning self-love is not narcissism, rather it is the precursor to all healthy relationships. Using this as his model, Rabbi Dunner explains a puzzling phrase about Shabbat in Ki Tissa, and a confounding Talmudic passage about the path to messianic redemption.

Rabbi Dunner shares some memories of his primary teacher and lifelong inspiration, his late mother's younger brother, Rabbi Avrohom Cohen z"l, who passed away at the age of 76. "Uncle Bram" was an extraordinary individual who purposely stayed in the background, but whose impact on his students was lifechanging.

You might think that the Academy Awards has nothing to teach us that is meaningful and worthy. Well, if so, you'd be wrong, says Rabbi Dunner. There is one group of important people that are at the Oscars every year who have a very important role, and who embody a very important lesson for all of us - and it's especially relevant to Parshat Tetzaveh.

Scientific studies prove that people in close relationships use similar language to each other in their speech and writing, while the vocabulary of those whose relationships have broken down diverges, making it harder for them to communicate. Rabbi Dunner goes over the evidence, and finds a powerful message relating to the four parshiot that deal with the construction of the Mishkan.

Parshat Terumah seemingly deals with a timebound set of instructions and events relating to the Mishkan, the temporary traveling sanctuary that was put together for religious worship in the Sinai wilderness. Not so, as Rabbi Dunner explains. The messages and symbolism of the Mishkan and its vessels reverberate throughout Jewish history, down to this day.

In this episode of the "Rogues, Rascals and Rapscallions" series, Rabbi Dunner charts the extraordinary life story of the only rabbi who wrote a letter to defend the convicted felon Zeide Meir Schmellner, after his arrest in the late 1930s. Who was Rabbi Yisroel Twersky, the celebrated Kozhnitz-Chernobyl Rebbe of New York? Where was he from? How did he end up in New York? What compelled him to def...

Sigmund Freud came up with the concept of sublimation as one of psychology's "defense mechanisms." Or did he? Rabbi Dunner discovers an ancient reference to sublimation in Parshat Mishpatim, buried in the pasuk that instructs the Jewish people to observe Shabbat.

At the beginning of Parshat Mishpatim, God says to Moses “these are the laws that you shall set before them.” What does the expression "set before them" mean? Using Rashi as his base, Rabbi Dunner shares beautiful insights and uses a host of wonderful stories, as he explains why teaching Torah is compared to setting the table for a meal.

Rabbi Dunner reflects on a very special reunion in London, of former members of the Saatchi Synagogue, who gathered together to mark 25 years since the synagogue started. As he chatted and mingled, Rabbi Dunner recalled the powerful message of his first address at a Saatchi Friday night dinner -- a message that is embedded at the heart of the Ten Commandments.

Rabbi Dunner describes a weird sect of Shabbat-observant Russian gentiles that emerged in the eighteenth century - the Subbotniki. Who were they, and how are they relevant to the first Shabbat ever observed by the Jewish nation, referred to in Parshat Beshalach? Rabbi Dunner explains.

Rabbi Dunner cites U.S. founding father polymath Benjamin Franklin, as he explores the extraordinary results of a social psychology study that emanated from the Vietnam War. Initially rejected, the data are now accepted, and they correlate with Rashi's interpretation of a superfluous word in Parshat Bo.

The first mitzva given to the Jewish nation as a whole is in Parshat Bo, and it is about how they should determine the calendar, which under Jewish law is a cycle of lunar months. Why is this the first mitzva given to the Jewish people? And why was it given to them just before they were liberated from slavery? Rabbi Dunner offers a selection of ideas to explain the reasoning behind this unusual mi...

At 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.

Are 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.

The 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 D...

Rabbi 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.