Responsa Radio

Apr 09 2025 115 ep. 32 mins 404

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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What Do You Mean I Still Can't Eat Bread? (re-release)

Apr 09 2025 17 mins

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 [email protected]

Does Everything Need a Kosher for Passover Certification? (re-release)

Apr 02 2025 30 mins

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 [email protected].

Keeping Kosher for Passover When I'm Not in Control (re-release)

Mar 26 2025 34 mins

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 respo

Can I Do Something Forbidden For Shalom Bayit?

Feb 05 2025 41 mins

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 sle

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] Music featured in this episod

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]