Today, Zachary Ottenstein join us as we look at the monumentalMinchas Yitzchak of Dayan Yitzchok Yaakov Weiss and explore a lesser known responsum(4:30) about secular text books which has broader implications for recent trends in the Jewish world.

Editor's Note: This episode is dedicated in memory of Joy Rothke (Shayna Fradel bas Reb Velvel) a"h. I want to thank Ben Rothke for his friendship and ideas that have helped me throughout this project. May our learning be a zechus for his sister's neshama and may Hashem give him and his entire family much nechama. 

- Moshe Kurtz

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In this episode, Rabbi Michoel Zylberman delves into a fascinating responsum by HaRav Nota Greenblatt zt"l of Memphis (reprinted in Kol Tzvi 22-23, 5782-5783) in which he defends a local conversion that was later challenged by rabbis in New York. Rav Greenblatt's uncompromising fealty to rigorous halachic standards and to the needs of his community serves as a paradigm for rabbinic leadership in America. 

Rabbi Michoel Zylberman is the Sgan Menahel (Associate Director) of the Beth Din of America. A Yadin Yadin musmach of RIETS, he was a member of the Bella and Harry Wexner Kolel Elyon, and holds an MA from the Bernard Revel Graduate School in Medieval Jewish history.  In addition to his work at the Beth Din of America as an administrator, mesader gittin, and dayan, Rabbi Zylberman serves on the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary faculty as a rosh chabura and functions as the director of geirut for the Rabbinical Council of America.  He is the author of Tov Lev on Masechet Pesachim with an appended Kuntreis Da’at Yehudit on the laws of Gittin and Gerut.

Join our guest Rabbi Roy Feldman as he explores the remarkable accomplishments of Rav Yuval Cherlow, a pioneering Israeli rabbi who was on the vanguard of those who used the internet to answer the halachic questions posed by society. Rabbi Feldman presents us with one of his sefarim, ReShu"t HaTzibbur (pp. 173-176), to better understand his distinctive methodology, which combined rigorous halakhic analysis with a deep concern for the integration of Jewish Israeli society. By incorporating the complexities of Israeli society into his Torah teachings, Rav Cherlow' continues to serve as a role model for the next generation of Jewish leaders and thinkers.

Today, we explore the recent compendium of responsa called Shu"T PUAH, produced by PUAH, an organization that helps families with the range of challenges in the fertility journey, including halacha, medicine, finances, counseling and more. We had the privilege to hear from Rabbi Elan Segelman, PUAH's rabbinic director in America. We explore different perspectives on artificial insemination and surrogacy - and walk away with an appreciation for the important work PUAH is doing within the realm of responsa and the real lived experience. 

Rabbi Elan Segelman is the rabbinic director for PUAH in America. After studying in Israel for two years at Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh, Rabbi Segelman attained a B.A. in Psychology from Touro College's Lander College for Men, as well as an M.A. from Touro College's Graduate School of Jewish Studies. Shortly after completing his Semicha, he was appointed as a Shoel U'Maishiv and Rebbe in the Lander College Judaic Studies Program. In 2016, Rabbi Segelman became the Rabbinic Educator at New York Medical College & Touro College of Dental Medicine in Valhalla, NY. Rabbi Segelman currently resides in Los Angeles, California, where he serves as the Rabbi of the Young Israel of Hancock Park. He can be reached at: [email protected]

To learn more about PUAH, click here.

To purchase their books, click here.

Just in time for Chanukah, Rabbi Yigal Sklarin introduces us to the Responsa Keneses Yisrael (no. 17) which not only addresses the classic Ashkenazic and Sephardic variances in the lighting of Menorah, but the social tension that developed when Ashkenazic servants found themselves in the homes of their Sephardic masters.

Today we are joined by Rabbi Shmuel Lubin, a RIETS musmach, doctoral candidate in Microbiology, and host of "The Rishonim Podcast" who introduces us to the responsa of the Ri Migash (no. 114) and what it means for the study of Talmud, Responsa, and Halacha nowadays. 

Check out the Rishonim podcast here:https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/the-rishonim https://sites.google.com/view/rishonim 

Rabbi Zachary Rothblatt takes us on a fascinating journey through the Cairo Geniza, a recently discovered treasure trove of Jewish texts and artifacts. This episode uncovers the Geniza's secrets, shedding light on the lives and traditions of medieval Egyptian Jewry. Rabbi Rothblatt also shares with us an intriguing responsum which provides insight into the complex relationships between Rabbanite and Karaite communities, revealing surprising interactions - even marriages! - that challenge our conventional understanding of early Jewish sectarianism.

Rabbi Zachary Rothblatt is a Judaic Studies teacher at Kohelet Yeshiva in Merion Station, Pennsylvania. He received rabbinic ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary at Yeshiva University where he also earned a master’s degree in Bible and Talmud and a certificate in Mental Health Counseling. Rabbi Rothblatt holds both an M.A. in Education and a B.A. in Business from Johns Hopkins University. He has also studied at Ner Israel Rabbinical College and Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh. Based in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, he is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Talmud at the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies at Yeshiva University.

Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz, a close disciple of the preeminent HaRav Hershel Schachter (and a leading scholar in his own right), offers an intimate glimpse into the renowned posek's approach to halachic decision-making. Drawing on Rav Schachter's earlier work, Eretz HaTzvi (no. 6), Rabbi Lebowitz shares a compelling example which illustrates Rav Schachter's distinctive style of pesak. This insightful conversation showcases Rav Schachter's nuanced understanding, meticulous analysis, and compassionate application of halacha, highlighting the profound impact of his leadership on contemporary Jewish law.

Click here to purchase his latest sefer: Kinyan Halacha: From Pesukim to Poskim (Bereishis).

In this episode, Rabbi Yehoshua Duker delves into the fascinating world of the Terumas HaDeshen, a foundational work in the development of halacha. Written by Rabbi Yisrael Isserlin in the 15th century, this seminal text bridged the medieval and modern eras, addressing complex halachic queries. Rabbi Duker explores the question of whether the Terumas HaDeshen fabricated his own inquiries, provides an in-depth exposition of how the Terumas HaDeshen ruled in a case that pitted Torah study against parental concerns (responsum no. 40) and does a rapid fire round of teshuvos toward the end. 

Rabbi Yehoshua Duker is a teacher and editor living in Ramat Beit Shemesh. He taught for many years in post-high school yeshivas for overseas students, and currently teaches in Yeshivat Neveh Shmuel in Efrat. He has edited many English sefarim in Halacha and Machshava, most prominently serving as the senior editor for the Koren Steinsaltz Talmud Bavli. 

Our guest, Rabbi Tuvia Berman seeks to identify the essential components of Jewish education. What - if any - is the role of Lomdus, Medresh, Machshava, and Dikduk? He breaks down the Chavos Yair's (responsum, no. 124) incisive approach and offers general insights from his long and multi-faceted career as a Jewish educator. 

Rabbi Tuvia Berman is the Director of Institutional Advancement at Yeshivat Eretz HaTzvi. In addition, he has held numerous posts in education from the high school level through adult education. A graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Graduate School, he learned at Yeshivat Har Etzion and received Semikha from Yeshivat HaMivtar in Efrat. He founded the Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus (JLIC) at Brandeis University and served as the rabbinic advisory to the Orthodox community there for several years. Previously, he was a RaM at Midreshet Lindenbaum and he currently lives in Efrat.