Jpmedia: Responsa Radio

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 you'd like answered on Responsa Radio? Email us at responsa@hadar.org

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 responsa@hadar.org

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 responsa@hadar.org

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  responsa@hadar.org.

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 the wisdom of each voice and allow that wisdom to make a claim on us, rather than submitting ourselves to one path. Recorded at the Halakhah Intensive, May 2024.LOOK OUT FOR NEW RESPONSA RADIO EPISODES COMING SOON!

In celebration of 100 episodes of Responsa Radio, we're re-releasing our favorites with an update from Rav Eitan and Rav Avi at the end of the episode.Our producer, Jeremy Tabick's favorite is episode #7: The laws of eruv—constructing a sometimes questionable boundary around a neighborhood to allow carrying objects on shabbat—often seem obscure, bizarre, and made-up. But what are the ways in which it makes sense? What are the operating principles behind these laws?

In celebration of 100 episodes of Responsa Radio, we're re-releasing our favorites with an update from Rav Eitan and Rav Avi at the end of the episode.Our sound engineer, David Khabinsky's favorite is episode #78: A few months ago, one of the largest kosher certification agencies announced that it would not certify "Impossible Pork," despite the fact that nothing in the ingredients or preparation of Impossible Pork is not kosher. What determines whether or not a food is kosher, apart from the ingredients?

I'm planning on going to the total solar eclipse that will be visible in North America on April 8th. is there a blessing or some other liturgy that I should say as I see it?

I was trying to help someone on the street get some food. They asked for a sandwich, so I went into a nearby shop—and suddenly panicked because I realized it was Passover! What was I supposed to do in this case? What are the parameters of buying and touching hameitz for non-Jews during the holiday?

My family are coming in from 1000s of miles away for the eclipse on April 8th, but they won't be around for Pesah on April 22nd. I want to do a mock or model Seder with them, but I know some things are only supposed to be done on actual Seder night. What should I include or exclude? How can I make the mock Seder feel substantive, but at the same time, still a rehearsal and not a replacement of Seder itself?

I'm organizing my community's reading of Megillat Esther. Can I include English explanations or kids' plays between the chapters? What is at stake in breaking up the reading?

In celebration of 100 episodes of Responsa Radio, we're re-releasing our favorites with an update from Rav Eitan and Rav Avi at the end of the episode.Responsa Radio creator David Zvi Kalman's favorite is episode #9: I'm a lawyer who often has to look at crime scene photos. What are the considerations of k'vod ha-met (honor for the dead) that I should be taking into account in my job?

In celebration of 100 episodes of Responsa Radio, we're re-releasing our favorites with an update from Rav Eitan and Rav Avi at the end of the episode.Rav Eitan's favorite is episode #27: Can I set up my coffee maker on a timer before Shabbat to make my perfect cup on Shabbat itself? And if I can't do that, can I use a French press on Shabbat to get a better cup than instant?

In celebration of 100 episodes of Responsa Radio, we're re-releasing our favorites with an update from Rav Eitan and Rav Avi at the end of the episode.Rav Avi's favorite is episode #24: Brit Milah is an ancient and well-known ceremony to welcome boys into the world, but there's no such long-standing, equal ritual for girls. How should we think about this, and what are steps for the future when creating rituals like this?

When kids ask big questions, how do you respond? Whether you are parent, educator, or just a curious person, you've probably asked yourself the same questions.This podcast doesn’t have all the answers, but it can give you language and frameworks to engage meaningfully with these questions. Every week, Rabbi Shai Held invites an expert guest to explore a big question: Who is God? Why did God create the world? Why do bad things happen? No pressure.  

I want to be more observant. Where do I start? Rav Avi and Rav Eitan reflect on this important question as they also celebrate our 100th episode! In honor of our 100th episode, over the next few weeks we will be updating and re-releasing some of our favorite episodes ever. Stay tuned!

Why might cheese not be kosher even if all the ingredients are? What does this say about relationships between Jews and non-Jews today?

For centuries, the process of halakhah has relied on a rabbi or posek, someone who is learned in Jewish texts, who has trained for years to be a resource for our halakhic questions. But now, with the release of large language models like ChatGPT, I'm wondering: is the human interaction an essential part of the halakhic process, or can I get my halakhic answers from an AI chatbot?

If I find myself at a large Hanukkah party or a communal gathering where Hanukkah candles are lit, do I still need light when I get home? If I do, is it okay to say the blessing two times? What if I said the blessing at Ma'ariv while leading the service? Does it matter how late I'm getting home?Have a question you'd like answered on Responsa Radio? Email us at responsa@hadar.org.

My shul has started reciting extra Tehilim and adding the Mi SheBerakh for captives. I've heard that some communities in Israel are saying Avinu Malkeinu every day, even on Shabbat. Is that something we should be doing? How should we be thinking about liturgical changes right now? How will we know when it's time to stop saying Tehilim?Have a question you'd like answered on Responsa Radio? Email us at responsa@hadar.org.