In Parshat Eikev, Moses instructs the nation to “faithfully observe all the instruction that I command you today, that you may thrive and increase and be able to possess the land that God promised on oath to your fathers.” Puzzlingly, Moses seems to refer to only one mitzva, not many? But to which mitzva is he referring, or is he in fact referring to more than one? The commentaries are divided over the interpretation of this phrase, and Rabbi Dunner takes a look at a variety of explanations from the classical commentaries, including Chizkuni, Daat Zekeinim, Ohr Hachaim, Malbim and Nesivos Sholom.

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Medical experts and financial experts both agree that wearing a mask during a pandemic significantly reduces the risk of deaths and economic collapse, and yet there are still many people who refuse to bow to government regulations regarding mask-wearing, citing their fundamental rights to individual liberty. Rabbi Dunner weaves the mitzva of mezuzah that is found in Va'etchanan into this discussion, using a gemara and a midrash to show why the mitzva with no name teaches us one of the most fundamental lessons of our existence.

The great Shammai offers his view as to how one should conduct one's life as a superlative Jew: "make your Torah permanent; speak less, do more; and treat everyone in the nicest possible way."

But how does one make Torah "permanent"? What does "permanent" mean in the context of Torah? Rabbi Dunner explains the fifteenth mishna of the first chapter in Pirkei Avot, and offers numerous insights into Shammai's sage wisdom.

At the beginning of Parshat Va’etchanan Moses recalls how he prayed to God to allow him entry into the Promised Land, although — sadly — to no avail. Rashi points out that the word Moses uses to describe his prayers — va’etchanan — has its root in the Hebrew word chinam — ‘free’, indicating that rather than relying on his merits and their due as the reason for God to heed his request, Moses asked for an ex gratia gift from God, in Hebrew referred to as ‘matnat chinam’.

Rabbi Dunner explores the whole idea of matnat chinam, both with reference to Moses, and in general terms, and shares an insightful piece from the Shem Mishmuel, as well as a delightful story about one of Sir Moses Montefiore’s many visits to the Holy Land, to illustrate how prayer and God’s munificence are intricately bound up with each other, but not necessarily in the way one might expect.

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After emerging from two weeks of quarantine, Rabbi Dunner and his son Meir traveled the length and breadth of Israel, visiting modern cities and ancient sites, meeting countless people and drinking in the atmosphere of the Promised Land. What an incredible country, full of our heritage and our history. Inspired by his time in Israel, Rabbi Dunner reveals the unique nature of this extraordinary country via the Ramban's fascinating introduction to Sefer Devarim.

It is one of the most famous mishnayot in all of Pirkei Avot (1:14)-- Hillel said: if I am not for me, who will be for me? And if I am for me, what am I? And if not now, then when?

Rabbi Dunner unravels this perplexing trio of pithy sayings, using the classical commentaries as well as some wonderful parables, and he also throws in a story heard from his grandfather, about an intriguing play in the Jewish community of Cologne during the 1920s.

Once again, lessons for life from the fount of wisdom that is Pirkei Avot, beautifully presented and illustrated by Rabbi Dunner in his unique, inimitable style.

One of the great mysteries of Jewish history has been the incredible endurance of the Jewish nation. No matter the threat, no matter the suffering, no matter the challenges, the Jewish nation has somehow always emerged with its identity intact, ready to fight another day.

But what is the secret of Jewish survival? To unlock this intriguing puzzle, Rabbi Dunner delves into a fascinating text taken from the greatest work of Jewish mysticism, the Holy Zohar, as expounded by the Nesivos Sholom, based on a verse in the second chapter of Devarim.

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One of the great mysteries of Jewish history has been the incredible endurance of the Jewish nation. No matter the threat, no matter the suffering, no matter the challenges, the Jewish nation has somehow always emerged with its identity intact, ready to fight another day.

But what is the secret of Jewish survival? To unlock this intriguing puzzle, Rabbi Dunner delves into a fascinating text taken from the greatest work of Jewish mysticism, the Holy Zohar, as expounded by the Nesivos Sholom, based on a verse in the second chapter of Devarim.

The startling resignation of journalist Bari Weiss from the New York Times leads Rabbi Dunner to look at the prevalent Orwellian "woke culture" that has now evolved into the rather more insidious "cancel culture", where online mobs target those they feel must lose their jobs or reputations for holding views that are not in tune with the most up-to-date liberal progressivism. This vigilante atmosphere for the sake of an ultimate "good" flies in the face of Judaism's sacred code, as Rabbi Dunner proves from a verse in Mattot, as interpreted by the Talmud.

The most dynamic partnership of the early Talmudic era was the one shared by Hillel and Shammai, the two most significant rabbinic luminaries of the final century BCE. Rabbi Dunner offers some fascinating insights into Hillel's biography, including his initiation into the study hall of Shmaya and Avtalyon and his elevation to senior leadership. His "partner" Shammai was actually much younger than he was, although it would seem that the dominance of Hillel's viewpoint was not a foregone conclusion, despite his seniority. Rabbi Dunner shares a record of Hillel's great wisdom, as expressed in Mishnayot 12 and 13, from the first chapter of Pirkei Avot.