Deeper Look At The Parsha

Some of our greatest leaders have exhibited their greatness by being paradigms of gratitude. But saying "thank you" is not just a demonstration of good manners -- it is a display of self-esteem like no other. Using a curious anomaly regarding the execution of the first plague in Egypt, Rabbi Dunner explores the backdrop to gratitude, and explains why saying "thank you" is the "root of happiness."

Rabbi Yose the Priest was known for his righteousness and virtue, a true example to all those who knew him. In this mishna (Avot 2:12), Rabbi Yose offers his advice to help you achieve Rabbi Yose's great heights of rectitude -- three directives that encapsulate the aspirations of a true person of faith and spirituality. Rabbi Dunner delves into the backdrop to Rabbi Yose's character, and explains...

In Parshat Va’era, God promises Moses that once He is done with His miracles and wonders, Egypt will “know that I am God.” Rabbi Dunner shares a Degel Machaneh Ephraim quoting the Baal Shem Tov, questioning the need for miracles and wonders just to prove to Egypt that He is God. Degel Machaneh Ephraim proposes an answer, but the Nesivos Sholom is dissatisfied and proposes his own solution, in whic...

Shocking scenes from Washington DC and the mob invasion of the U.S. Capitol prompt Rabbi Dunner to examine the prevalence of conspiracy theories, and the danger they pose to normative society. Drawing on the story of Pharaoh's propagation of a conspiracy theory about the Jews in Egypt, Rabbi Dunner suggests a lesson from Parshat Shemot that is as relevant today as when the Jews were slaves in Egyp...

Rabbi Dunner continues with the ethical guidance offered by the students of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai. In this mishna, Rabbi Yehoshua warns of three character traits that will "remove a person from the world -- an evil eye, an evil inclination, and hating other people." Rabbi Dunner explains exactly what he means, and reveals why this advice is specifically aimed at people whose mitzva observance...

In Parshat Shemot, Moses has his first encounter with God after chancing upon a bush engulfed by fire, although the bush is neither consumed nor destroyed. Puzzled by this intriguing phenomenon, Moses goes toward it, only to hear God speak from inside the bush. This jarring image forms the foundation of Moses' relationship with God -- but as it turns out, it is also the foundation of his relations...

There is no doubt that 2020 will live on in our memories as one of the most challenging years any of us has ever faced; it will be recalled as one of the most testing years of modern history. Rabbi Dunner reflects on an intrinsic message of Seder night, when we use differences as a platform for growth and change. What can we learn from a very different New Year changeover that can help us grow as...

According to the students of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai, how one should behave is easily divided into three easy-to-remember pieces of advice. The tenth mishna of the second chapter of Avot records the advice of Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrkanus.

Parshat Vayechi begins by telling us that Jacob spent 17 years in Egypt. This rather puzzling nugget of information seems quite superfluous, bearing in mind that we are also informed that he died at the age of 147-years-old, having arrived in Egypt at the age of 130. After all, rudimentary arithmetic enables us to calculate that his time in Egypt amounted to 17 years. Addressing this curious anoma...

What is the difference between lying and pathological lying? Surely all lies are equally bad? Using a reference from Parshat Vayigash as his starting point, Rabbi Dunner delves into the background to different kinds of lying, and explains why patholoical lies pose a far greater danger to truth than ordinary lies.

Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai challenged his five main students to come up with "the most important" to think about in terms of how to conduct one's life. The answers are stunning, and Rabbi Dunner explains them all.

Towards the end of Parshat Vayigash, Joseph introduces his beloved father Jacob to his boss, Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. This historic encounter between the most powerful man on earth and the spiritual giant of the era is recorded in just four verses, and mainly consists of a strange exchange between the two men regarding Jacob’s age. Rabbi Dunner unpacks the details of this odd episode, and delve...

One of the greatest misnomers of the human condition is the idea that "ignorance is bliss." So much of what affects our lives is hidden from us, and the biggest mistake we can make is to believe that we are cognizant of all the factors that can affect us, and make plans on the basis of what we believe we know. Rabbi Dunner deftly connects the extraordinary story of Joseph and his brothers to the d...

There is a well-known question regarding the miracle of Chanuka, most often associated with the “Beit Yosef,” Rabbi Joseph Caro (1488-1575), author of the definitive code of Jewish law (“Shulchan Aruch”). The miracle of Chanuka is described in the Talmud as follows: uncontaminated oil which should only have lasted for one day lasted for eight days, giving the kohanim enough time to get new oil fro...

Why do we celebrate the miracle of the oil on Chanukah, when the military victories seem to be a much greater victory? Why is Joseph called "Hatzaddik," and his brothers are not? Rabbi Dunner ties it all together with some fascinating examples from history.

One of the most remarkable leaders in Jewish history was Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai, who took on the responsibility of managing the transition in post-Temple Judea, after the Romans ransacked Jerusalem. Rabbi Dunner shares Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai’s incredible story, and also his thoughts as conveyed in the second chapter of Pirkei Avot. We also hear what Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai thought of his f...

Parshat Vayeishev contains one of the most tragic storylines of the entire Torah -- the breakdown of family harmony among Jacob's sons, followed by the sale of Joseph into slavery by his brothers. And, out of nowhere, we have the story of Judah and Tamar -- out of place, and with seemingly no relevance to the unfolding tragedy of Joseph's transformation from slave to Egyptian powerbroker. Rabbi Du...

According to one of California's leading self-development gurus, functional self-sufficiency may be okay, but relational self-sufficiency is a disaster for the human condition. Rabbi Dunner reveals the source for this idea in the Torah, from Parshat Vayishlach, which strangely enough is inferred from Esau's third wife, Basemath daughter of Ishmael.

Some final lessons from Hillel the Elder, beginning with him seeing a skull floating on the water. Rabbi Dunner explains this strange incident and suggests its interpretation, and goes on to explain the next mishna, in which Hillel juxtaposes the folly of material obsession with the lofty possibilities of spiritual aspiration.

In Parshat Vayishlach, Jacob’s name is changed by God from Jacob to Israel. But unlike Abraham, whose name changed from Abram -- with that name never being used again -- Jacob remains Jacob, even as he is also referred to as Israel. The continued use of both names is a topic that vexed the sages of the Talmud, and it has also generated many explanations by Torah commentators. Rabbi Dunner shares a...

One of the classic human ways of dealing with problems is to run away from them. Running away often seems so much easier than facing the problems head-on. But running away from a problem never resolves it. So why did Jacob run away from Esau? Why didn't he just deal with the problem right away? Using a novel interpretation on the first verse of Parshat Veyeitzei by Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh Ferber of Londo...

Rabbi Dunner continues his journey through Pirkei Avot with some wisdom from Hillel the Elder, who offers pithy observations regarding barriers that prevent one from achieving real goals: the ignorant can’t evade sin; the uninformed will never excel; the shy cannot learn; the impatient cannot teach. Rabbi Dunner goes through each of the categories and explains how they are relevant to us in our gr...

There is a well-known Midrash at the beginning of Vayeitzei that describes an argument that took place between the stones that Jacob had taken to rest his head on the fateful night when God revealed himself during the angels’ ladder dream. According to the Midrash, all the stones wanted the holy man’s head to rest on them. To resolve the dispute, God fused the stones together so that they became o...

We all make mistakes, and we all learn from our mistakes. So why do we put so much effort into avoiding making mistakes? Rabbi Dunner introduces us to a pithy aphorism from Napoleon and shares some fascinating vignettes from history. He also reveals why one story in Parshat Toldot yields the reason for making every effort in our quest to avoid making even seemingly innocuous mistakes.

Puzzled by the fact that her unborn baby seemed to be attracted to both paganism and monotheism, Rebecca consulted God — only to discover that she would be giving birth to twins. “There are two nations in your womb,” God explained to Rebecca, “and these two nations will go their separate ways once they emerge.” Rabbi Dunner presents a fascinating Nesivos Sholom which tries to make sense of this pu...