Parsha study with moral force.
Deeper Look At The Parsha treats the weekly parsha as a live moral argument, not a closed text. Its shiurim move from Torah language and classic commentators into birth, gossip, justice, war, redemption, ambition, and communal responsibility.
PRESS PLAY
Deeper Look At The Parsha is a weekly Torah shiur built around the conviction that the parsha is not a devotional backdrop, but a lens for reading human nature. It asks pointed questions. If birth is sacred, why does Parshas Tazria speak in the language of Tumah? If gossip can create social connection, when does it become corrosive? If Sinai is revelation, why does the Torah move so quickly into the details of damages, contracts, property, and social obligation? The show works through those questions with a mix of textual seriousness, contemporary reference, and moral pressure. It is not casual Torah talk. It is structured, emphatic teaching that expects the listener to follow a line of argument across sources, examples, and consequences. One episode may compare Shabbos Shuvah and Shabbos HaGodl as the two great communal addresses before Yom Kippur and Pesach. Another may use Ernest Shackleton's Antarctic ambition as a way into the unexpected tests of Lech Lecha. Historical figures appear as cautionary or clarifying examples, from Joseph Shapochnik in London's East End to Charles Darwin and Owen in England. The show is especially interested in the gap between noble ideas and lived discipline. That theme returns often. Inspiration is not enough. Ideals can inflate ego. Holiness has to survive in workplaces, contracts, disputes, family life, and the angle of a picture on the wall. Current events also enter the frame, especially when episodes discuss Israel, October 7, Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, antisemitism, and the limits of diplomacy with enemies seeking destruction. These references are not treated as detached commentary. They become part of a larger Jewish argument about peace, war, memory, identity, responsibility, and the moral architecture needed to act rightly under pressure. The register is traditional and learned, with Hebrew and Yiddish terms used naturally. It is also plainspoken. A listener hears real questions, sharp contrasts, and the repeated insistence that superficial definitions are not enough. Deeper Look At The Parsha is for people who want parsha study that is intellectually demanding, historically curious, and urgently connected to the life Jews are actually living now.
Made for: For listeners comfortable with traditional Jewish vocabulary who want weekly Torah learning tied to history, ethics, current events, and communal responsibility. It especially suits people who prefer a full shiur over a quick inspirational thought.
What sets it apart: The show stands out by building each parsha lesson through a sustained argument, often beginning with a modern dilemma or historical case before returning to the Torah text. Its strength is the bridge between classic Jewish categories and concrete moral systems for ordinary life.
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.
Sinai becomes wiring here, so your loftiest ideas must survive contracts, workplaces, and wounded pride.
Press play if you want
Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
Mishpotim becomes the wiring that carries Sinai's spark into ordinary life.
Parshas Mishpotim is framed as a test of whether spiritual greatness can hold its shape inside ordinary life. The shiur moves from the unsettling sight of greatness shrinking through Charles Darwin, Owen, and the French Revolution, then turns to Ramban's vision of the Shekhinah…
A forceful Vayishlach reading that treats peace and strength as serious Jewish duties.
It opens in the aftermath of October 7th and moves into Vayishlach with Yaakov, Shimon and Levi, Ramban, Abarbanel, and Rav Herzog all working in view.
Daily halacha, case by case.
Parsha questions carried into serious Torah argument.
This episode explores the proverb 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions' through the story of Rabbi Joseph Shapochnik, a charismatic early 20th-century London rabbi.
Rabbi Dunner analyzes Parashat Vayishlach to explain Israel's dual strategy after October 7th: waging war against Hamas, Iran, and Hezbollah while pursuing peace with the UAE, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia.
A Torah lecture exploring Rivka's mysterious pregnancy and the complex nature of prophecy in Parshas Toldos.
A weekly Torah portion discussion on Mattois and Maseh, connecting themes of anti-Semitism and blood libel to contemporary protests in London.
The host discusses Kanye West's apology for anti-Semitic behavior and reflects on the tragedy of succeeding too early in life.
Deeper Look At The Parsha’s “THE STORY WE CHOOSE TO TELL” connects Sarah Schneirer’s creation of formal Torah education for Jewish girls with Moshe Rabbeinu’s interpretation of history in Sefer Devarim.
Deeper Look At The Parsha’s “THE MYSTERY OF RUTH” examines how Chazal connect Ruth’s conversion, Moabite origins, and David HaMelech’s legitimacy.
Deeper Look At The Parsha examines the Kedoshim command "Love your neighbor as yourself" as a demand that exceeds ordinary kindness and challenges instinctive self-prioritization.
Deeper Look At The Parsha examines Parshas Tazria’s association of childbirth with Tumah, asking how birth can be both sacred creation and ritual impurity.
This episode explores the nuanced social functions of gossip, its constructive and destructive forms, and how social media amplifies its impact.
This episode explores the proverb 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions' through the story of Rabbi Joseph Shapochnik, a charismatic but flawed leader in early 20th century London's East End.
A rabbi explores the parallel significance of Seder Night and Yom Kippur as the two non-negotiable moments for a community address, highlighting their shared themes of transformation and identity.
This episode explores the idea that history rhymes, drawing parallels between current events like Iran's attacks on Israel and rising antisemitic violence in London and Los Angeles.
Deeper Look At The Parsha's “GOD IS IN THE DETAILS” examines Parshas Mishpatim as the structure that preserves the spiritual experience of Mount Sinai.
Deeper Look At The Parsha examines why Parshas Yisro, named for Moshe's Midianite father-in-law, places Yisro's advice just before the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.
The host opens with Yeh's newly published apology advert and argues that he "succeeded too early," then applies the same idea to Macaulay Culkin, Britney Spears, WeWork and Theranos, which was valued at $9 billion before collapsing in 2018.
This Parshas Bo shiur asks why God struck Egypt at "chatzos haleilo" (midnight) rather than at dawn, opening with research that night owls score higher on inductive reasoning.
A Torah lesson on parashah Sfayishlach that draws a parallel between Israel's post-October 7th military strategy and the theme of making peace versus waging war.
A weekly Torah portion discussion that uses the story of Ernest Shackleton's Antarctic expedition to illustrate themes of resilience and pivoting in the face of unexpected challenges.