We welcome back Rabbi Elli Fischer who regales us with his historical detective work to piece together an angle to the 18th-19th century umbrella controversy that most readers miss when they study the Noda B'Yehuda (vol. 2, O.C. #30) and Chasam Sofer (O.C. #72). Our discussion serves a perfect case study for how responsa not only inform the study of history, but how history informs our understanding of the responsa.
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Sinensky is Director of the Lamm Legacy Project and Director of Judaic Studies at Main Line Classical Academy. We wish him a mazal tov on the re-launch of the new and improved Lamm Legacy Archives. And to celebrate it, we are sharing this special bonus episode.
To browse the archives, click here: https://lammlegacy.org/
Rabbi Dr. Jason Weiner joins the podcast to discuss a new paradigm in palliative care, one that redefines the conversation around end-of-life decisions. This episode explores how two of today's most respected halachic authorities, Rav Asher Weiss and Rav Hershel Schachter, have provided rulings that completely change the game. Rabbi Dr. Weiner unpacks these "never-before-seen" piskei halacha, which allow for a more nuanced approach. The discussion delves into the ethical and practical implications of these rulings for patients, families, and medical professionals. Rabbi Dr. Weiner shares powerful stories from his work as a hospital chaplain, illustrating how this new approach can enable patients to find comfort and dignity in their final days. The episode offers a crucial and timely conversation for anyone grappling with end-of-life care decisions.To learn more about Rabbi Dr. Wiener and what he offers, please view his website: rabbiweiner.com
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Sinensky shares with us the scholarship of Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm, who was a leading figure in Modern Orthodoxy known for his ability to bridge traditional Jewish law with contemporary thought. R. Dr. Sinensky highlights a particularly challenging case that he addressed: whether a kohanim who did not observe Shabbos could duchen (perform the priestly blessing). R. Dr. Lamm's ruling represents a hallmark of his nuanced approach. Through this lens we better understand his commitment to a compassionate and pragmatic application of Jewish law, even in the face of broader communal complexities.
"Which way is Mizrach (East)?" is a common refrain we hear at pop-up minyanim. The intent is to face Jerusalem, and more specifically the Temple Mount. But does a New Yorker facing East actually directing his prayers toward the holy city or to somewhere in central Africa instead? R. Yosef Weisenfeld, author of Derech Ha'Ir, addresses this and many other questions through a responsum of the Matai Moshe (no. 7).
To purchase his sefer, please click here: https://www.judaicaplace.com/derech-hair-hardcover/9781680256727/
While our podcast is on a brief hiatus, we feature an episode from our friends at "Shtark Tank" in which Rabbi Yaakov Wolff interviews Rabbi Shalom Rosner about the legacy of his illustrious father, R. Dr. Fred Rosner zt"l.
If you enjoy this episode, consider subscribing to Shtark Tank, here:
https://open.spotify.com/show/34xll8GhTfu1BiRdhb8AyR?si=VMsfrrg9Tvy7bm-0omCxCw
This is a very special episode for me, in which we discuss my Rebbe, HaGaon HaRav Moshe Dovid Tendler zt"l. We are joined by one of his granddaughters and a longtime colleague of mine, Rachel Rosensweig. She provides a synopsis of the Conjoined Twins ruling he was involved in and speaks more broadly about more personal aspects of Rav Tendler that many are likely unfamiliar with.
Bio: Rachel Rosensweig teaches Gemara and Halacha at Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls in Teaneck, New Jersey, where she also coaches the school’s Torah Bowl team. Rachel received her B.A. in Judaic studies and biology from Stern College for Women. She holds an M.A. from Yeshiva University’s Graduate Program in Advanced Talmud and Tanach Studies (GPATS) as well as a dual M.S.-M.A. from the Azrieli School of Jewish Education and Administration and the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Judaic Studies. She was honored to receive the Wexner Graduate Fellowship/Davidson Scholarship as part of Class 33, the final cohort of the program. Rachel lives in Washington Heights, NY with her husband Moshe and daughter Miriam Shifra.
In this episode we are joined by R' Yitzy Tanner who shares with us a responsum of the Beis Dovid (no. 71) about Kohanim - or any Jewish male - serving in their country's armed forces. We also learn about the author, Rav Zev Wolf Leiter zt"l, who was a local rabbi in Pittsburgh, but who earned an international reputation.
We are joined by Rabbi Daniel Korobkin, medieval scholar and the translator/annotator of the Feldheim edition of Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi’s Kuzari, who takes us into the story of a community in arms over whether and when to permit the study of secular knowledge. By looking at several responsa of the Rashba (1:415-417; Kisvei Yad no. 150) we get a glimpse into the age old question of how Judaism ought to interact with the broader world around it.
Can I drink beer and Scotch on Pesach? Don't get your hopes up just yet, but Rabbi Yehoshua Domosh, a trained Kashrus professional, takes us through some fascinating halachic analysis (Responsa of Rivash, no. 255) about why distilled alcoholic beverages might not be so bad afterall - and also why an innocuous, unflavored seltzer may indeed have some potential issues bubbling just under the surface....
Rabbi Yehuda Halpert takes us 5 years back to the COVID Zoom Seder controversy, contrasts the different rabbinic responsa, and unpacks their significance for the post-pandemic era.
Stay tuned for his upcoming book: Speaking to an Empty Shul: Timeless Lessons from Unprecedented Times (Mosaica Press, 2025).
Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky shares with us a whimsical, yet real, case adjudicated by the Beis Yitzchak (E.H. 1:23) about a man who "purchased" for himself the Kohen status...which sounded good at first, until it had serious ramifications for his marriage. We delve into the principles of halacha which govern speech, deed and much more to understand how this case was resolved and how it served as a precedent for future batei din.
In this episode, Rabbi Barry Gelman shares with us a personal case he dealt with regarding a family who was adamant about reburying their deceased six feet under. Rabbi Gelman shares with us the responsum he received from Eretz Hemdah (B'Mareh HaBazak 7:81) and how it made its way into a Texas courtroom. This is a fascinating discussion that incorporates Halacha, the American legal system and a regrettable family drama all wrapped up together.
Today, Zachary Ottenstein join us as we look at the monumentalMinchas Yitzchak of Dayan Yitzchok Yaakov Weiss and explore a lesser known responsum(4:30) about secular text books which has broader implications for recent trends in the Jewish world.
Editor's Note: This episode is dedicated in memory of Joy Rothke (Shayna Fradel bas Reb Velvel) a"h. I want to thank Ben Rothke for his friendship and ideas that have helped me throughout this project. May our learning be a zechus for his sister's neshama and may Hashem give him and his entire family much nechama.
- Moshe Kurtz
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In this episode, Rabbi Michoel Zylberman delves into a fascinating responsum by HaRav Nota Greenblatt zt"l of Memphis (reprinted in Kol Tzvi 22-23, 5782-5783) in which he defends a local conversion that was later challenged by rabbis in New York. Rav Greenblatt's uncompromising fealty to rigorous halachic standards and to the needs of his community serves as a paradigm for rabbinic leadership in America.
Rabbi Michoel Zylberman is the Sgan Menahel (Associate Director) of the Beth Din of America. A Yadin Yadin musmach of RIETS, he was a member of the Bella and Harry Wexner Kolel Elyon, and holds an MA from the Bernard Revel Graduate School in Medieval Jewish history. In addition to his work at the Beth Din of America as an administrator, mesader gittin, and dayan, Rabbi Zylberman serves on the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary faculty as a rosh chabura and functions as the director of geirut for the Rabbinical Council of America. He is the author of Tov Lev on Masechet Pesachim with an appended Kuntreis Da’at Yehudit on the laws of Gittin and Gerut.
Join our guest Rabbi Roy Feldman as he explores the remarkable accomplishments of Rav Yuval Cherlow, a pioneering Israeli rabbi who was on the vanguard of those who used the internet to answer the halachic questions posed by society. Rabbi Feldman presents us with one of his sefarim, ReShu"t HaTzibbur (pp. 173-176), to better understand his distinctive methodology, which combined rigorous halakhic analysis with a deep concern for the integration of Jewish Israeli society. By incorporating the complexities of Israeli society into his Torah teachings, Rav Cherlow' continues to serve as a role model for the next generation of Jewish leaders and thinkers.
Today, we explore the recent compendium of responsa called Shu"T PUAH, produced by PUAH, an organization that helps families with the range of challenges in the fertility journey, including halacha, medicine, finances, counseling and more. We had the privilege to hear from Rabbi Elan Segelman, PUAH's rabbinic director in America. We explore different perspectives on artificial insemination and surrogacy - and walk away with an appreciation for the important work PUAH is doing within the realm of responsa and the real lived experience.
Rabbi Elan Segelman is the rabbinic director for PUAH in America. After studying in Israel for two years at Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh, Rabbi Segelman attained a B.A. in Psychology from Touro College's Lander College for Men, as well as an M.A. from Touro College's Graduate School of Jewish Studies. Shortly after completing his Semicha, he was appointed as a Shoel U'Maishiv and Rebbe in the Lander College Judaic Studies Program. In 2016, Rabbi Segelman became the Rabbinic Educator at New York Medical College & Touro College of Dental Medicine in Valhalla, NY. Rabbi Segelman currently resides in Los Angeles, California, where he serves as the Rabbi of the Young Israel of Hancock Park. He can be reached at: esegelman@puahfertility.org
To learn more about PUAH, click here.
To purchase their books, click here.
Just in time for Chanukah, Rabbi Yigal Sklarin introduces us to the Responsa Keneses Yisrael (no. 17) which not only addresses the classic Ashkenazic and Sephardic variances in the lighting of Menorah, but the social tension that developed when Ashkenazic servants found themselves in the homes of their Sephardic masters.
Today we are joined by Rabbi Shmuel Lubin, a RIETS musmach, doctoral candidate in Microbiology, and host of "The Rishonim Podcast" who introduces us to the responsa of the Ri Migash (no. 114) and what it means for the study of Talmud, Responsa, and Halacha nowadays.
Check out the Rishonim podcast here:https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/the-rishonim https://sites.google.com/view/rishonim
Rabbi Zachary Rothblatt takes us on a fascinating journey through the Cairo Geniza, a recently discovered treasure trove of Jewish texts and artifacts. This episode uncovers the Geniza's secrets, shedding light on the lives and traditions of medieval Egyptian Jewry. Rabbi Rothblatt also shares with us an intriguing responsum which provides insight into the complex relationships between Rabbanite and Karaite communities, revealing surprising interactions - even marriages! - that challenge our conventional understanding of early Jewish sectarianism.
Rabbi Zachary Rothblatt is a Judaic Studies teacher at Kohelet Yeshiva in Merion Station, Pennsylvania. He received rabbinic ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary at Yeshiva University where he also earned a master’s degree in Bible and Talmud and a certificate in Mental Health Counseling. Rabbi Rothblatt holds both an M.A. in Education and a B.A. in Business from Johns Hopkins University. He has also studied at Ner Israel Rabbinical College and Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh. Based in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, he is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Talmud at the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies at Yeshiva University.
