In this episode we explore a landmark responsum of R. Ben-Zion Meir Chai Uziel (Mishpatei Uziel, C.M. no. 1) whether Jewish courts should offer an option to appeal and its implications for the judiciary in modern day Eretz Yisrael.

Pikuach Nefesh, the imperative to preserve life, is one of the most supreme Torah commandments, as it has the power supersede almost any other mitzvah. But are there limits? Our guest Rabbi Aryeh Klapper provides a close reading of a responsum of the Noda B'Yehudah (Y.D. 210) to shed light on this critical issue.

Check out his podcast, “Taking Responsibility for Torah”:

Book:

https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Will-Human-Experience-Explorations/dp/1667851438/ref=monarch_sidesheet

Weekly Torah Essay: http://www.torahleadership.org/weekly_dvar_torah.html

You can contact him at: [email protected]

A woman is keeping a significant medical secret from her husband that has profound implications for their entire marriage. May (must) a doctor inform the husband? In this episode, Rabbi Gidon Rothstein shares a landmark responsum of the Tzitz Eliezer (16:4) who addresses both the halachic and psychological elements of how to approach this high stakes scenario.

When does employment become servitude? Rabbi Tzvi Goldstein presents us with a responsum of the Chavos Yair (no. 106) which addresses a contentious dispute between a woman and the girl she hired to work for her. When the latter claims she is being mistreated it raises the question whether she has the right to unilaterally pull out of her employment without financial repercussions. This question gets to the essence of the Jewish framework of employment.   

What are the implications of artificial intelligence for halachic decision making? In this episode, Rabbi Shimshon Nadel utilizes a responsum of the Chasam Sofer (Y.D. 2:94), Igros Moshe (Y.D. 3:91) and teachings from Rabbi Dr. Moshe D. Tendler zt"l to shed light on this cutting edge issue.

Rabbi Yona Reiss presents a fundamental responsum of the Rashba (6:254) to clarify when one may adapt halachic practices for new situations and how to ensure that such innovations remain faithful to both the law and spirit of the Torah. A special thanks to Henry Goldberg for helping organize this episode.

In this episode, Yisroel Ben-Porat takes us on a tour of Rav Moshe Feinstein's various responsa (Igros Moshe E.H. 2:13, O.C. 5:20, YD 4:11-12) about Thanksgiving and uses his historical expertise to evaluate whether poskim and the general public understand the holiday's true origins.

Subsequent to this episode, the guest wrote up his ideas in a more expansive, essay format that can be found here: https://www.torahmusings.com/2023/11/rav-moshe-feinstein-and-the-history-of-thanksgiving/

In this episode, R. Oran Zweiter presents a debate between R. Zvi Hirsch Kalischer and R. Azriel Hildesheimer (Shu"T RA'aZ, no. 229-230) about circumcising a boy from a Jewish father and non-Jewish mother that took place in 19th century America.

In this episode, R. Yehoshua Grunstein presents an exchange between R. Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe O.C. 1:109) and R. Menashe Klein (Mishneh Halachos 8:92, 136) about the nature of rabbinic disagreement and what it means for pulpit rabbis and congregants alike.