Responsa Radio

Jan 01 2025 107 ep. 31 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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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

Can I Swim on Shabbat?

Sep 04 2024 38 mins

My community has a retreat over Yom Tov where almost everyone spends a lot of time at the pool. I grew up in a community that never swam on Shabbat or Yom Tov and now I'm trying to navigate a community where everyone does it. What should I do?Have a question you'd like answered on Responsa Radio? Email us at [email protected]

Why is the Age of Bar/Bat Mitzvah Gendered?

Aug 28 2024 42 mins

While almost all Jewish communities celebrate a boy's Bar Mitzvah at 13, many communities are split for girls—some 12, some 13. Why should girls be required to do mitzvot before boys? What does this age split accomplish? And is it still relevant in egalitarian Jewish communities?Have a question you'd like answered on Responsa Radio? Email us at [email protected]

Should I Say "Amen" in the Bathroom?

Aug 21 2024 27 mins

You're not supposed to pray somewhere unclean, like a bathroom. But if I'm in the bathroom and can hear the prayers nearby, am I allowed to say "amen"?Have a question you'd like answered on Responsa Radio? Email us at [email protected]

Can I Use Generative Artifical Intelligence?

Aug 14 2024 43 mins

With any new industry, there are important questions to address from legal and religious perspectives. Responsa Radio creator David Zvi Kalman comes back to ask this question about generative AI for his new podcast, Belief in the Future. Given the way the new large language models trawl the internet for content, is it permitted to use them or does it count as theft?Have a question