THIS PODCAST CONTAINS EXPLICIT MATERIAL. LISTENER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. Although most religious Jews assume that anal and oral intercourse are halachically forbidden, there is significant discussion and disagreement about this issue in the Talmud and the Rishonim. In this episode of the Orthodox Conundrum podcast, Scott Kahn talks with Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro, author of Halachic Positions: What Judaism Really Says About Passion in the Marital Bed, about this topic, and about the surprising halachic ramifications with which most people are unfamiliar. (This is the third episode of a multi-part series on Sexuality and Jewish Law on The Orthodox Conundrum.) To order Rabbi Shapiro's book, go to www.amazon.com/Halachic-Position…ds=yaakov+shapiro Music: Happy Rock by bensound.com

THIS PODCAST CONTAINS EXPLICIT MATERIAL. LISTENER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. In Masechet Nedarim 20a, Rabbi Yochanan ben Dehavai states that certain birth defects are caused by particular actions performed by the husband and wife during sexual intercourse; accordingly, he seems to put severe restraints on what a couple may do while having sex. On the other hand, the Sages say that a husband and wife may do whatever they like during intercourse, and that the halacha does not follow Rabbi Yochanan ben Dehavai's restrictive approach. In this episode of the Orthodox Conundrum, Scott Kahn and Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro explore this and other primary Talmudic texts that discuss issues of sexuality, and try to understand the halachic ramifications according to the Rishonim and the author of the Shulchan Aruch. (This is the second episode of a multi-part series on Sexuality and Jewish Law on The Orthodox Conundrum.) To order Rabbi Shapiro's book, go to www.amazon.com/Halachic-Position…ds=yaakov+shapiro Music: Happy Rock by bensound.com

THIS PODCAST CONTAINS EXPLICIT MATERIAL. LISTENER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. While many people know that Judaism has a positive orientation toward marriage and sex, people often assume that, even within marriage, there are severe restrictions on what is allowed and what is forbidden. In this episode of the Orthodox Conundrum, Scott Kahn speaks with Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro, author of Halachic Positions: What Judaism Really Says About Passion In The Marital Bed, in order to understand the source of these assumptions, and to discover what the Halachic literature actually says about this topic. (This is the first of a multi-part series on Sexuality and Jewish Law on The Orthodox Conundrum.) To order Rabbi Shapiro's book, go to https://www.amazon.com/Halachic-Positions-Sexuality-Balanced-Approach/dp/0692563237/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509464226&sr=8-1&keywords=yaakov+shapiro Music: Happy Rock by bensound.com

Rabbi Asher Lopatin is the president of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah in New York. Chovevei Torah has long been associated with "Open Orthodoxy," but Rabbi Lopatin recently decided to retire that moniker, and wants his yeshiva to be seen as an integral part of the Modern Orthodox world. Many Orthodox Jews, however, view Chovevei Torah as standing outside of Orthodoxy. Join Scott Kahn as he and Rabbi Lopatin have a frank discussion about the meaning of Modern Orthodoxy, women's roles, gay marriage, the sine qua non of Orthodox belief, including the necessity of belief in Torah from Heaven, and more. Music: Happy Rock by bensound.com