Responsa Radio

I occasionally get a massage. Recently, there was a change in massage therapists. The new therapist emphasized that she uses Reiki, which is  concentrating an energy field to help in healing. I mentioned this to a friend who is very knowledgeable in Reiki, and she mentioned that Reiki is an independent, sentient entity with volition and intelligence. She also says that someone doing Reiki involves the spirit of the Reiki entity thr...

I am an attorney currently working on a death penalty appeal on behalf of a convicted client. We have a brief in the case due on a Friday, and I lined up assistance from non-Jewish colleagues in case the brief isn’t ready when Shabbat starts. Was that necessary here, given that I am trying to prevent an execution and save a life? Are there any circumstances in which it would be permissible to work on a death penalty case on Shabbat...

Can one sell their plasma for export? The US is a major player in this field of plasma export. Does Halacha say anything relevant about this? Are there any specific considerations about use of blood? And do we need to take into account the risk of taking advantage of desperate people, who may not really be doing this voluntarily?

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I grew up in a very religious Catholic family and attended Catholic schools through college. Through my upbringing, I accumulated a number of rosaries, bibles, and other accoutrements. When I started converting, I took all these things and put them in a box. My family is no longer religious whatsoever and also has no use for them. I didn't want to throw all these things away because this felt disrespectful, but I I feel uncomf...

A close friend is getting married in a church and I'm very conflicted about what to do. I have always avoided entering churches as I was taught that this was forbidden. But I feel terrible skipping my friend's wedding. What are the relevant halakhic considerations and sources?

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Music featured in this episode: Wedding March (Mendelssohn...

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?

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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...

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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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?

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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?

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Music featured in this episode: M...