Audio RoundupLatest Essays
Audio Roundup 2025:32
by Joel Rich
Attributed to rav mendel shafran who is a posek in bnei brak – – some radical honesty:
וטעם רוב גדולי ישראל שאינם משתמשים בזה אינו משום שמפקפקים באמיתת העניין אלא משום שבמאתיים שנה האחרונות נקבע ההרגשה הפנימית שלא משנים דברים גם אם מן הדין היה צריך להנהיגם או לשנותם וזה כהגנה נגד מהרסים המנסים לשנות ולהתאים.
ועד כדי כך נקבע עיקרון זה שיש כח בדעת תורה זה לעקור דבר מן התורה כמו מצוות תכלת הכלל שגם שינוי לטובה רואים חכמי התורה לתחילת פירצה שאחריתה מי ישוארנו ודבר זה הוא בבחינת יכולים חכמים לעקור דבר מן התורה בשב ואל תעשה
“And the reason that most of the gdolim do not use this (tcheilet)is not because they doubt the truth of the matter, but rather because in the last two hundred years there has been established an internal feeling that we don’t change things even if according to the strict hlacha one should have instituted them or changed them, and this is as a defense against destroyers who try to change and adapt.(halacha?)
And to such an extent has this principle been established that there is power in daat torah to uproot a matter from the Torah, like the commandment of techelet . the rule being that even a change for the better is viewed by Torah scholars as the beginning of a breach whose end is not foreseeable , and this matter is in the category of ‘the chachamim are able to uproot a matter from the Torah through inaction’ (shev v’al ta’aseh).”
The gemara sometimes refers to poalav v’chamarav (see avoda zara 63a). Is this just a common expression or is there a possible halachic difference between a worker and a donkey driver?
- Rabbi Yonah Gross-Halachik Issues in Community Kashrus 7 – BUGS! How Hard Do You Need to Look? At what level of visual identification do bugs in food become an issue? How do we define miyut hamatzui for determining which foods will require bug-checking?
- Rabbi Mayer E. Twersky-Inyanei Lashon Hara and Tisha B’av The Rambam deals with lashon hora in hilchot deot (me-this classification speaks volumes). There’s a difference between statements which are disparaging on their face and ones which may cause damage if they get out.
- Rabbi Daniel Hartstein-Halachic Heterim in Modern Orthodoxy: Scooters On Shabbos Based on bike riding tshuvot, are scooters permissible on shabbat? Issues include tchum, shema yitakein, and (the hard to define) uvda dchol. Bottom line – it’s not shabbosdic.
- Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz-From the Rabbi’s Desk – Wontons for Shabbos Application of the various exceptions to the prohibitions of bishul akum where a jew lit the fire for baking wontons and the non-jew took them after the baking and fried them.
- Rabbi Yaakov B. Neuburger-Kefiyah on Kibud Av V’Eim @KaylieMasmidim Can bet din be kofeh on kibud av? Why were some mitzvot given with their reward described in the torah?
- Rabbi Michael Taubes-Parshas Pinchas May One Eat Before Davening Mussaf Eating before shacharit is a problem of lo tochal al hadam (me-although apparently drinking coffee during shacharit is now “a thing”). Before other tefilot there is an issue of possibly forgetting to daven because of the distraction of eating. After shacharit, before musaf, a seudah is forbidden but a tiema (taste) is permitted. Must you make kiddush first?
- Rabbi Shlomo Perlstein,Rabbi Elie Moskowitz,Rabbi Zalman Graus-7/19/25 – Shiur 521 – Jew vs. Jew: The Housing Fight Tearing Rockland Apart Squarer chassidim said to be creating a buffer zone to keep away other religious jews away from square by buying homes and turning them into multi-family dwellings for non-jewish families. Is this halachically permitted? Appropriate?
- R ASHER Weiss- מחלל שבת בפרהסיא: דרשה לכשרות הOU The mchaleil shabbat bfarhesia today – is he like an idol worshipper or a tinok shenishba (for what purpose?)
- Rabbi Yehoshua Grunstein-הליכה לבית הקברות בתשעה באב On tisha bav we balance aveilut, tshuva and hope for the future.
- Dr. Avraham Steinberg-Milchama L’or Halacha: War According to Torah The current war has focused halacha on war shailot including issues such as kashrut/shabbat exemptions, morale, who should serve, collateral damage, DNA evidence, and post mortem impregnation.
- Rabbi Chaim Jachter-Eruv stories, Questions from Chayalim, and Hallel following the recent war with Iran R jachter tells some eruv stories, reflects on some army related questions and shares his thoughts on how to halachically acknowledge the recent iran war’s expressions of chasdei hashem
- Rabbi Shalom Rosner-Memory and Mitzvot: The Message of 6 Zechirot The messages of the six zchirot boil down to our relationship with HKBH (me-the Miriam message IMHO is a bit of a stretch).
- Rabbi Daniel Reich-Floating in The Wind: The Torah’s Perspective on Dissolving Our Commitments If keeping our word is so important, why do we allow kol nidre? It’s all about tshuva for imperfect man.
- Rabbi Tzvi Benoff-Jewish Nationalism & Army Service in the Diaspora Part 1 Jews in foreign armies – r sr hirsch on the duties of jewish citizens to host countries.
- Rabbi Daniel Fridman-Succession: Moshe, Yehoshua, and the Halakhic Ethos of Leadership Jewish leadership must reflect the generation. Goals remain the same but the tools and techniques sometimes change.
One lesson of bnot tzlophchad is that parents don’t have to be perfect (and rarely are).
- Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz-Q and A @CampKaylie 2025 Q&A including: when taking on a new practice, don’t skip steps (even when you’re sure you’re doing it lshem shamayim); be normal in your community, understanding IDF service, chareidi hashkafa and living for the klal (I agree with R Lebowitz that it’s for the worse that US MO doesn’t feel it); qualities to look for in a rebbi and in a wife; make time to learn everything (eg tanach), going into chinuch w/o parent approval/support; sifrei mussar, and being mitzape lyishua.
- Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz-Ten Minute Halacha – Kibud Av Versus Responsibility to HusbandDescription
- R’ Shmuel Fuerst-Mincha after Shkyia, Tzitzis Before Netilas Yedayim, Words of Torah and Shaimos, Moch Dachok Hafsek Tarahans More Q&A including: mincha post shkia-start? finish? (limited OK), put on tzitzit/clothes before ntila (machloket), how many words make something sheimot (2 or 3?), using a tampon for bdika (shaat hadchak), how much preference to give to a Jewish merchant/employee (halacha/hashkafa), bracha on schnitzel (mezonot, shahakol?) and which comes first – tvila or koshering (of non-kosher keilim)?
- Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz-From The Rabbi’s Desk – Getting a Ride With a Mechalel Shabbos Can frum people that take a car ride home after shabbat from someone who drove to a kiruv program on shabbat? It’s not maaaseh shabbat but maybe machzik ovrei aveira?
- Rabbi Michael Siev-Zionist Gedolei Torah: Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik History of r ybs’s torah and move to Zionism. How did his Zionism differ from that of r kook?
- Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz-0Answering YUr Shailos 2.1: Bein Hamitzarim3 weeks/9 days Q&A including: music, dancing, siyum, new clothes, traveling and connecting with the churban.
- Rabbi Zvi Sobolofsky9Feeling the Churban: A Challenge for Our Generation- A Halachic and Hashkafic Response In order to connect with tisha bav we must realize that while we have gotten a lot (yerushalyaim) we still haven’t reached the ultimate goal which is connection with ruach hashem.
- Rabbi Shay Schachter-When Walls Have Kedusha: The Halachik Status of the Kotel Hamaaravi and the Practice of Placing Notes in the Cracks What is the kedusha status of the kotel? (Technically vs how we should act while in its presence?)
- Rabbi Shay Schachter-A Halachic Analysis: Tragic Friendly Fire Incidents of the IDF, Teshuva for Unintentional Loss of Life One is not halachially culpable for causing death inadvertently in the line of duty (eg doctor, soldier) but (me-emotionally) some act of atonement is appropriate.
- Rabbi Moshe Walter-Travel, Trips, and Vacations During The Three Weeks and Nine Days-Trains, Planes, Boats, and More There’s a generally accepted practice not to travel (or engage in “danger” {TBD}) during the nine days unless there is a toelet. The basis for this practice isn’t so strong.
- Ari Wasserman,Rabbi Yehuda Spitz ,With Rabbi Dr. Aaron Glat,Rav Rafael Kleinman,with Rabbi Yossi Sprung-7/26/25 – Shiur 522 – Smoking and vaping – Is there any heter? What do smokers rely on? Don’t smoke, don’t vape!
- Sam Dratch-Rav Soloveitchik, Rav Shagar, and Rav Chanan Porat on The Three Weeks What’s the meaning of the three weeks to nine day progression? R’YBS aveilut yeshana vs chadasha. R shagar feeling at home and then seeing progressive cracks. Geulah is happening now!
- Rabbi Yaakov B. Neuburger-Q/A w/Rabbi Neuburger, CBY Summer Kollel Q&A with future rabbis including: taking risks in chinuch, expectations of baalei batim, disagreements among community rabbis, considering communities to serve in, what should change in the RIETS smicha program, focusing on learning while in the pulpit, gdolim with rogue opinions, technology, mazimizing return on time investment, and being aggressive in outreach.
- R’ Shmuel Fuerst-Questions of the Week: Carpet/Table Sweeper on Shabbos, Inyan Not to Put Something in your Pocket on Shabbos, and More Q&A including: carpet sweeper on shabbat (rugs no, other surfaces yes), sun tanning (tzovea) and lotion (machloket), putting things in pockets on shabbat (avoid), meit in nursing home w/kohanim in residence (take out body ASAP ), sales job in treif food (OK if owned by non-jew), selling food from home (needs hashgacha), making ice on shabbat (OK), and shnayim mikra (can start after mincha time on shabbat).
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