Deeper Look At The Parsha

Is success the result of brains and hard work? Or is it simply luck? The academic world has come down on the side of luck. But what does Judaism have to say about this debate? Rabbi Dunner explores it all using a range of sources to shed light on this vexed topic.

According to Moshe Rabbeinu, there is only one thing that God wants from us - and then he launches into a whole list. It starts with "fear", continues with "love", and then one must do everything God asks with all your heart and soul. What is he on about? Is it one thing, or many? Rabbi Dunner shares a wonderful story from Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, a thought from the Ohr Hachaim, and a beautiful p...

Rabbi Dunner delves into the phenomenon of love, an emotion that intuitively makes sense in most of its guises, but which becomes confounding in the form known as "romantic love". Nevertheless, Rabbi Dunner finds compelling evidence to explain the deep bonds of romantic love in a familiar verse from Parshat Va'etchanan.

The story of Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai's incredible meeting with Vespasian, and how it happened, form the backdrop to this insightful podcast. Rabbi Dunner considers the historical context of the Jewish leader's escape from Jerusalem and his subsequent deal with Vespasian to ensure the survival of traditional Judaism, while others in his community acted in a way that led to Jerusalem's destruction,...

Some of the most profound aspects of the Jewish faith are contained in the Book of Devarim, the fifth book of the Torah. It is a record of a series of speeches and addresses given by Moses in anticipation of his looming death, and before the Jewish people initiated the conquest of the Promised Land. The pinnacle of this book is undoubtedly the second parsha, Va'etchanan, which contains the Ten Com...

Rabbi Dunner describes his visit to Israel, including his two-day trip to survey Israel's northern border, and his reflections after seeing his son Meir inducted into the IDF paratroopers. Parshat Massei talks about Israel's borders, but later commentaries point out that the biblical borders were not the final borders, and that borders changed throughout Jewish history. Rabbi Dunner ties it all to...

In Parshat Mattot, Moshe is instructed to send the Jews into battle with the Midianites. The details are intense, and the importance of winning this war seems greater than for other wars fought against enemies both earlier and later. Rabbi Dunner shares a personal experience from his recent visit to Israel to see his son inaugurated into the Tzanchanim, and dovetails it with an awe-inspiring Nesiv...

Rabbi Dunner reflects on the remarkable life and achievements of his late father, Rabbi Aba Dunner z"l, on the tenth anniversary of his passing. Out of his father's many unique characteristics, it is one that sticks out in particular - his incredible capacity for hard work and long hours when helping others. Rabbi Dunner finds the source for this strength in an alternative interpretation of a vers...

In Parshat Balak, Balaam tries to curse the Jewish people, but, as the Talmud teaches us (Sanhedrin 105b), God transformed Balaam's curses into blessings. The most famous of those blessings is "how goodly are your tents Jacob, your sanctuaries Israel" - a statement uttered each morning as we enter our synagogues for prayers. Rabbi Dunner shares a Nesivos Sholom to explain why this particular bless...

The concept of lifelong learning has gathered pace over the past three decades, as Artificial Intelligence has encroached on exclusively human work, including white-collar skills. Rabbi Dunner examines the topic of lifelong learning from sources in the Talmud, and finds a remarkable reference in the arcane laws of ritual purity in Parshat Chukkat, offering a useful tip to those who never want to b...

Rabbi Dunner recalls a particularly preposterous Monty Python sketch from the 1970s that focused on the concept of arguments, to illustrate a profound point about the difference between Korach's disagreement with Moses and the countless debates between the schools of Hillel and Shammai.

What lessons are there to be learnt from the Korach rebellion? Why did Moshe push off the showdown with Korach and his supporters until the following morning? What was the fatal flaw in Korach's protest ideology? Rabbi Dunner shares a profound Nesivos Sholom that offers a simple yet crucial lesson, as relevant today as it was when Korach first launched his revolt against Moshe 3,300 years ago.

What lessons can we learn from the rancor-free election of Isaac Herzog to Israel's presidency in the same week as Israel's politics feels as if it falling apart at the seams? Never has it been more important to consider this question, and, as Rabbi Dunner explains, the answers are not all that complicated. The lessons from our earliest history are clear for all to see.

Tucked away at the end of Parshat Shlach is the passage about tzitzit - the strings we attach to any 4-cornered garment that is worn. After giving some practical background to this mitzva, Rabbi Dunner offers a beautiful explanation as to why the mitzva of Tzitzit is specifically identified as an act that reflects every mitzva in the Torah, sanctifying those who carry it out and appreciate its sig...

Rabbi Dunner shares an intriguing story about a Torah scroll with an unusual mistake in the text of Parshat Behaalotecha. How could a qualified sofer ever have written a Torah in this way? The answer will astound you.

As the Gaza-Israel conflict comes to a difficult conclusion, Rabbi Dunner reflects on a challenging period in which Jews have been targeted, and Israel accused of war crimes. In particular, Rabbi Dunner examines the concept of "peace", as seen through the eyes of two illustrious British chief rabbis, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks and Rabbi Lord Immanuel Jacobovits.

The idea of becoming a Nazirite is praised by some, and criticized by others. Both sides in the debate seize upon the language used in Parshat Nasso to describe the Nazirite vow, and the Nazirites themselves, to justify their positions - a jarring contradiction that simply begs for an explanation. Rabbi Dunner shares a profound piece of Nesivos Sholom which uses earlier Hasidic texts to reconcile...

The horrific news dispatches from Israel, with Hamas rockets raining down on the civilian population as they cower in bomb shelters prompts Rabbi Dunner to examine the curious phenomenon of flags among the tribes of ancient Israel. Each tribe had its own flag, and yet they were all part of one nation. A fascinating Midrash sheds light on this anomaly, and Rabbi Dunner relates it to the current rea...

Parshat Bamidbar focuses on counting the Jewish nation - hence the alternative name for Sefer Bamidbar: "Numbers". The final count is just over 600,000, and the Zohar tells us that this corresponds with the number of letters in the Torah. The problem is -- there are only 304,805 letters in the Torah, so what does the Zohar mean? Rabbi Dunner explores various explanations for this strange anomaly,...

The shocking tragedy in Meron did not happen in a vacuum. Rabbi Dunner charts the history of the Rashbi shrine, the custom of pilgrimage on Lag Ba'omer, and the vexed issue of Meron's ownership. Citing a powerful Chatam Sofer commentary at the end of Behar, Rabbi Dunner explains why airbrushing the sin of those whose actions - or inaction - led to the tragedy makes us culpable too.

There is a strange debate between Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel about which came first: Heaven or Earth. Rather than trying to resolve it, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and his son Rabbi Eliezer dismiss the entire premise of the disagreement. Rabbi Dunner delves into this fascinating if rather obscure topic, sharing a Nesivos Sholom that reveals how the debate is fresh and relevant, offering us practical...

Rabbi Dunner addresses the story of Michael "Elkohen" Elk - the Charedi Sephardi in Jerusalem who this week was discovered to be a never-been-Jewish Christian missionary. Shockingly, as Rabbi Dunner reveals, he's far from the first person to fake Orthodox Judaism! Rabbi Dunner also connects Elk's shocking deception to a random piece of information included in the story of the blasphemer that is fo...

Parshat Emor contains detailed instructions for significant Jewish calendar dates, particularly the various festivals. Included in this run-through are details of “sefirat ha’omer” — the seven-week countdown that takes place eah year between the beginning of Pesach and Shavuot. Referred to by the Torah as “sheva shabatot temimot” (seven complete shabbats), this element of the Jewish festival cycle...

The fake news phenomenon originated in an obscure city in North Macedonia in 2016, but in truth -- it is a phenomenon as old as information itself. Rabbi Dunner delves into the vexed topic of fake news, offering insights into this mushrooming aspect of modern life, and suggesting a lesson about fake news we can learn from tsara'at - the discoloration of skin, clothes or walls described in Tazria a...

The number seven plays a crucial role in both Judaism and Jewish folklore -- from the seven days of creation to the seven blessings pronounced at Jewish weddings. Rabbi Dunner shares a Nesivos Sholom that examines the centrality of the number "seven" in Jewish tradition, via the requirement for a seven-day quarantine for women who have just given birth, and a similar confinement for those who are...