Podcast
Deeper Look At The Parsha
Hosted by Rabbi Pini Dunner · EN
In 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.
11episodes
Episodes
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SPIRITUALITY IS NOT AN EXCUSE
2d ago00:09:30Tap to summarizeHaredi opponents of military service argue that army life threatens the spiritual refinement of Torah students. But the spies in Parshat Shlach made the same mistake: treating withdrawal from the world as the only way forward. Their story teaches that when Jewish survival requires responsibility and sacrifice, spirituality cannot become an excuse for leaving the danger to other Jews who must fight instead.
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WHEN THE MIGHTY FALL
2d ago00:32:53Tap to summarizeThe spies were righteous leaders, yet greatness offered no immunity from failure. Rabbi Dunner explores why Yehoshua needed Moshe’s prayer, why Kalev prayed at Chevron, and why humility is not weakness but spiritual protection. From leadership and groupthink to tzitzis and prayer, this shiur reveals how honest vulnerability gives us the courage to face giants without losing faith in God.
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THE GOOD OLD DAYS
1w ago00:09:08Tap to summarizeA ruined castle that was never a castle. Memories that improve with age. Longing for places that never existed. In Parshat Beha'alotecha, the Israelites look back at Egypt and remember only the fish, forgetting the slavery. Rabbi Dunner explores nostalgia, memory, and why the greatest danger of idealizing the past is losing sight of the future.
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THE DETOX DELUSION
2w ago00:08:50Tap to summarizeModern society swings endlessly between indulgence and denial. One day we binge, the next we detox. But in Parshat Nasso, the Torah’s mysterious Nazir presents a far more nuanced vision of spirituality. While Judaism values discipline and restraint, it remains deeply suspicious of extremism, performative piety, and the fantasy that holiness can be achieved by escaping ordinary life.
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DEFINING YOUR PURPOSE
3w ago00:08:57Tap to summarizeIn an age that worships freedom and personal autonomy, Rabbi Dunner argues that liberty without moral purpose eventually collapses into chaos. Drawing on psychology, history, and the deeper meaning of Shavuot, he explores why Sinai transformed the Jewish people from liberated slaves into a nation bound together by responsibility, purpose, and shared values.
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THE MYSTERY OF RUTH
May 1400:38:46Tap to summarizeIn this richly layered shiur on Megillat Ruth, Rabbi Dunner explores Ruth’s journey from Moabite outsider to matriarch of the Davidic dynasty. Through Chazal, Midrash, Gemara, and modern scholarship, he reveals how the the themes of chesed, gerut, legitimacy, and personal redemption quietly shape the foundations of Jewish kingship, national destiny, and the ultimate vision of Messianic geulah.
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BEYOND THE CHAOS
May 1400:09:55Tap to summarizeIn the chaotic aftermath of World War II, military planners discovered that displaced people needed more than food and shelter — they needed structure and belonging. Rabbi Dunner shows how this insight lies at the heart of Parshat Bamidbar, where the Israelites are carefully counted, arranged, and organized before entering the wilderness, teaching a timeless lesson about identity, community, and survival.
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GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
May 700:07:30Tap to summarizeAt a sparsely attended funeral for a once-prominent philanthropist, an unexpected tenth man completed the minyan — and led the gathered mourners to another grave. There lay an unnamed Holocaust survivor, nearly erased from memory. Two funerals on one day revealed a haunting truth: in Jewish tradition, death is not the end — being forgotten is. And remembering is an act of redemption.
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WHAT REALLY COUNTS?
Apr 3000:08:22Tap to summarizeIn a world driven by metrics—steps counted, sleep tracked, productivity measured—have we mistaken numbers for meaning? Drawing on a powerful personal ICU experience and the mitzvah of Sefirat HaOmer in Parshat Emor, Rabbi Dunner explores a deeper truth: life isn’t about accumulating totals, but about sanctifying each individual day and recognizing what truly counts in the moments themselves.
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BEYOND BEING NICE
Apr 2300:30:26Tap to summarize“Love your neighbor as yourself” sounds simple—until you try to live it. In this thought-provoking shiur, Rabbi Dunner explores why real love isn’t a feeling but a discipline, built through honesty, restraint, and responsibility. Moving beyond superficial niceness, he uncovers a demanding Torah vision of relationships that challenges instinct, reshapes character, and offers a deeper path to genuine human connection.
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