Responsa Radio

Sep 18 2024 103 ep. 31 mins 396

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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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

Does Jewish Law Care About Non-Jewish Life?

Aug 07 2024 41 mins

There's a stereotype that I've seen on the internet recently that Jews don't care about non-Jewish life. How am I supposed to respond when somebody uses this argument? What do Jewish sources say about the imperative of saving the lives of non-Jews?Have a question you'd like answered on Responsa Radio? Email us at [email protected]

Are Jews Responsible for One Another? How so?

Jul 31 2024 32 mins

I've often heard the phrase "all of Israel are responsible for each other" (kol yisrael areivim zeh be-zeh). But what does this mean? What does the responsibility entail? How is it supposed to change my actions toward other Jews?Have a question you'd like answered on Responsa Radio? Email us at [email protected]

Coming Soon: More Responsa Radio

You asked and we answered! A new season of Responsa Radio begins next week. We're going to dig in to topics like artificial intelligence, the value of human life, and our responsibilities toward fellow Jews, just to name a few.Have a halakhic question you want answered on Responsa Radio? Send your question to [email protected].

R. Ethan Tucker on the Multivocality of Halakhah

Jul 15 2024 70 mins

Halakhic works are often a dizzying compendium of multiple perspectives on a given issue, often making it difficult to determine how to behave in a given situation. In this lecture, R. Ethan Tucker argues this is a feature rather than a bug. Critical values that are meant to guide our lives are rarely fully manifest in any given time, place, or situation. It is our job to discern t