Responsa Radio

Jan 29 2025 111 ep. 32 mins 401

Responsa Radio Podcast artwork

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 [email protected].

Religion & Spirituality

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Can I Have a Karpas Course at the Seder?

Jan 29 2025 38 mins

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 [email protected] featured in this episode:

How Do I Forge My Own Religious Path While Respecting My Parents?

Jan 22 2025 40 mins

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.

Can I Print an Overlay to Make Torah Reading More Accessible?

Jan 15 2025 34 mins

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? Have

Can I Read My Horoscope?

Jan 08 2025 36 mins

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 [email protected] Music featured in this episode: All

Should the Torah Be Translated as it's Read to Make it More Accessible?

Jan 01 2025 32 mins

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 [email protected]

Making Sense of the Mechitzah

Dec 26 2024 39 mins

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 [email protected]

Thanking God for "Opening the Eyes of the Blind" When I'm Disabled

Dec 18 2024 35 mins

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 [email protected]

Can I Say Birkat Kohanim While Carrying a Gun?

Dec 11 2024 39 mins

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 answere

Kashrut and the Modern Dairy Industry

Sep 18 2024 26 mins

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 a

What is the Role of Doubt in Jewish Law?

Sep 11 2024 35 mins

I was at a meal at a non-Jewish colleague's home. We agreed to order food from a kosher restaurant but one of the dishes looks homemade. I don't want to be rude. Can I eat it? How can the framework of "sfeik sfeika," having two axes of doubt, help us make decisions when we don't have all of the information? This episode was recorded live at Hadar's 2024 Halakhah Intensive. Have a q