Responsa Radio
A podcast where you ask and we answer questions of Jewish law in modern times. Hosted by Rabbi Ethan Tucker and Rabbi Avi Killip. To submit a question, email responsa@hadar.org.
Episodes
I grew up fasting on Yom Kippur, and usually on Tisha B’Av also, but I never even knew about the minor fast days. Now I am in a community that does observe them, and I am curious about their importance. Is my obligation to fast on these days the same as on Yom Kippur? Why is there so much variety in how they are observed by people who are otherwise observant?
Have a question you'd like answered on Responsa Radio? Email us at re...
This episode deals with Shavuot questions about decorating shul with flowers, as well as the custom of having a Tikkun Leil Shavuot, a night of staying up to learn Torah. Where do these customs originate, and what is their status?
Have a question you'd like answered on Responsa Radio? Email us at responsa@hadar.org
Music featured in this episode: Sleep by BJSR
As a parent of little children, our family always has a lot of tension around the second night of a two day Yom Tov, especially when it gets dark very late. I was always taught that you have to wait until it is fully dark after the first day of Yom Tov to start preparing anything for the second day. That means we don’t start cooking or even setting the table until after 9 PM. This wreaks havoc on my family schedule. Is there any wi...
What are the halakhic considerations about saying “Chr***” given the prohibition on uttering names of other gods? How does that work in interfaith and academic contexts?
Have a question you'd like answered on Responsa Radio? Email us at responsa@hadar.org
Music featured in this episode: Planets by Jared Lutes
What does halakhah have to say about life insurance? Should we get it or is relying on the community sufficient, or even expected?
Have a question you'd like answered on Responsa Radio? Email us at responsa@hadar.org
Music featured in this episode: Human Life by Tiffany Thompson
Should a person who died by suicide be buried "outside the fence?" How does mental illness factor into this question? And are there grounds to consider reburial of someone so that they can be near family members? Trigger warning: This episode deals with sensitive and painful content. Please take care in choosing whether to listen.
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Mu...
When davening in a prayer space that is not oriented towards Jerusalem, is there ever a time when it would be appropriate to physically orient oneself toward the east?
Have a question you'd like answered on Responsa Radio? Email us at responsa@hadar.org
Music featured in this episode: New Direction by Dave Tough
I like to go out the night after Passover to grab a cool beer in celebration of eating hametz (leaven) again. Do I need to worry if the owner of that bar is a Jew that didn't remove his hametz for the holiday?
Have a question you'd like answered on Responsa Radio? Email us at responsa@hadar.org
Can I use ingredients like spices, pure dried fruit, oil, or nut butter, without Passover certification on Passover? Are there ingredients you can use without a certification?
Have a question you'd like answered on Responsa Radio? Email us at responsa@hadar.org.
If I spend Passover with family members who don't kasher their kitchens for the holiday can I eat kosher for Passover food from their pots or dishes? Is there room for leniency because they're my family?
What if my roommates want to use non-kosher for Passover dishes and products? How can we share the kitchen?
Have a question you'd like answered on Responsa Radio? Email us at responsa@hadar.org
What is the halakhic weight of shalom bayit and to what extent is it permissible to do something forbidden for the sake of preserving one’s marriage? For example, I have sleep apnea and use a CPAP machine during the week, mostly because it prevents me from snoring and disturbing my spouse’s sleep. My spouse wants me to use it on Shabbat too, since we have young children and sleep is a precious commodity in our home. Should I acquie...
I have only ever been to seders where karpas is a simple piece of parsley dipped in saltwater, but there seems to be a growing trend of people doing much more elaborate karpas courses, often with multiple, full-blown appetizer dishes. Is this halakhically permissible?
Have a question you'd like answered on Responsa Radio? Email us at responsa@hadar.org
Music featured in this episode: Salty by Robbi Atkins https://sound...
I am a teenager who is becoming more observant. My parents are less then thrilled. For example, I would like to be observe Shabbat and not use my phone, but this sometimes creates difficulties as they will call or text me things during Shabbat. How can I balance my observance with honoring my parents?
Have a question you'd like answered on Responsa Radio? Email us at responsa@hadar.org
Music featured in this episode: M...
As a gabbai, I am often reluctant to correct the person reading Torah so as not to add to their anxiety. I am wondering if we are entering a moment where technology might be helpful, such as writing the vowels and trope onto the Torah itself, or, less radically, making a see-through overlay. Would any of those options be acceptable to make reading Torah more accessible to all?
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Can I read my horoscope? Does it matter whether I’m reading it “just for fun” or if I’m really trying to predict the future? Are horoscopes more forbidden for us than they were for medieval rabbis, who probably considered astrology a legitimate science?
Have a question you'd like answered on Responsa Radio? Email us at responsa@hadar.org
Music featured in this episode: All The Stars Have Aligned by The Morning Glass
In the mishnah we see the idea of a person who would translate the Torah into Aramaic after each verse is chanted from the Torah scroll. Would it be appropriate to have something like this now in order to enhance the understanding of the community?
Have a question you'd like answered on Responsa Radio? Email us at responsa@hadar.org
What is the history and reasoning behind the mechitzah? Why do they vary so much in size and material? In a setting where this is a mechitzah, can a man walk over to the women’s side to carry a Torah?
Have a question you'd like answered on Responsa Radio? Email us at responsa@hadar.org
As a person who is disabled, how am I supposed to relate to a system of mitzvot that often assumes its audience is able-bodied? For example, the morning blessings include the line thanking God for "opening the eyes of the blind"—but what if I am blind? Am I supposed to say this blessing?
Have a question you'd like answered on Responsa Radio? Email us at responsa@hadar.org
I am a kohen who lives in Israel where I make the priestly blessing every day. After October 7th, I was recruited to my town’s First Response Team and am now required to carry my gun at all times, including the synagogue. Is it prohibited to make the blessing of Birkat Kohanim, which is essentially a blessing about peace, while carrying a weapon?
Have a question you'd like answered on Responsa Radio? Email us at respo...
There is a principle that says that milk from a deathly sick animal is not kosher. But in today's modern dairy industry it may be reasonable to assume that most if not all cows fall into this category. Can we justify consuming factory milk? If so, how? This episode was recorded live at Hadar's 2024 Halakhah Intensive.
Have a question you'd like answered on Responsa Radio? Email us at responsa@hadar.org
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