Responsa Radio

Is there a Jewish obligation to support your Jewish-owned local businesses? If prices are higher or the store is farther away, how much effort or expense does halakha expect? Source sheet...

The priestly blessing (Birkat Kohanim) is a powerful moment in Jewish communal prayer. Traditionally performed by kohanim, it raises important questions about lineage, ritual roles, and gender equality. Can women offer...

A long-standing mourning practice is to cover mirrors during shiva. But what happens when shiva takes place on Zoom? Does seeing yourself on screen raise the same concern as an uncovered mirror? This episode explores...

What does it mean to serve as shaliach tzibbur—the representative of a community in prayer—if you struggle with belief in God? This episode explores the halakhic and theological dimensions of a question that sits at the...

I recently started attending a shul that gives joint aliyot. What, if any, are the halakhic issues with two people receiving an aliyah at the same time? Do any of the issues rise to the level that I should privately...

I am starting an adult b'nai mitzvah program this year and will be holding a Shabbat morning service for the students in the program. I have twelve students participating and am trying to figure out a way to give them...

I occasionally get a massage. Recently, there was a change in massage therapists. The new therapist emphasized that she uses Reiki, which is concentrating an energy field to help in healing. I mentioned this to a friend...

I am an attorney currently working on a death penalty appeal on behalf of a convicted client. We have a brief in the case due on a Friday, and I lined up assistance from non-Jewish colleagues in case the brief isn’t...

Can one sell their plasma for export? The US is a major player in this field of plasma export. Does Halacha say anything relevant about this? Are there any specific considerations about use of blood? And do we need to...

I grew up in a very religious Catholic family and attended Catholic schools through college. Through my upbringing, I accumulated a number of rosaries, bibles, and other accoutrements. When I started converting, I took...

A close friend is getting married in a church and I'm very conflicted about what to do. I have always avoided entering churches as I was taught that this was forbidden. But I feel terrible skipping my friend's wedding...

It's my first time blowing the shofar for my community this year. What tips can you share and what considerations should I be thinking about as I prepare? Have a question you'd like answered on Responsa Radio? Email us...

I grew up fasting on Yom Kippur, and usually on Tisha B’Av also, but I never even knew about the minor fast days. Now I am in a community that does observe them, and I am curious about their importance. Is my obligation...

This episode deals with Shavuot questions about decorating shul with flowers, as well as the custom of having a Tikkun Leil Shavuot, a night of staying up to learn Torah. Where do these customs originate, and what is...

As a parent of little children, our family always has a lot of tension around the second night of a two day Yom Tov, especially when it gets dark very late. I was always taught that you have to wait until it is fully...