

The Q & A with Rabbi Breitowitz Podcast
Rabbi Dr Yitzchak Breitowitz
Rabbi Dr. Yitzchak Breitowitz's weekly Question and Answer sessions at Ohr Somayach, Jerusalem.
A Project of Ohr.edu
Questions? Comments?
We'd love to hear from you at:
Podcasts@ohr.edu
A Project of Ohr.edu
Questions? Comments?
We'd love to hear from you at:
Podcasts@ohr.edu
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 21, 2023 • 54min
The Mourning of 10 Teves and the Prior 3 Days
Dedication opportunities are available for episodes and series at https://ohr.edu/donate/qa Questions? Comments? podcasts@ohr.edu Yeshivat Ohr Somayach located in the heart of Jerusalem, is an educational institution for young Jewish English-speaking men. We have a range of classes and programs designed for the intellectually curious and academically inclined - for those with no background in Jewish learning to those who are proficient in Gemara and other original source material. To find the perfect program for you, please visit our website https://ohr.edu/study_in_israel whatsapp us at https://bit.ly/OSREGISTER or call our placement specialist at 1-254-981-0133 today! Subscribe to the Rabbi Breitowitz Q&A Podcast at https://plnk.to/rbq&a Submit questions for the Q&A with Rabbi Breitowitz https://forms.gle/VCZSK3wQJJ4fSd3Q7 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/OhrSomayach/videos You can listen to this and many other Ohr Somayach programs by downloading our app, on Apple and Google Play, ohr.edu and all major podcast platforms. Visit us @ https://ohr.edu PRODUCED BY: CEDAR MEDIA STUDIOS

Dec 14, 2023 • 48min
Beis Shamai and Beis Hillel's Perspectives on Hanukkah
Dedication opportunities are available for episodes and series at https://ohr.edu/donate/qa Questions? Comments? podcasts@ohr.edu Yeshivat Ohr Somayach located in the heart of Jerusalem, is an educational institution for young Jewish English-speaking men. We have a range of classes and programs designed for the intellectually curious and academically inclined - for those with no background in Jewish learning to those who are proficient in Gemara and other original source material. To find the perfect program for you, please visit our website https://ohr.edu/study_in_israel whatsapp us at https://bit.ly/OSREGISTER or call our placement specialist at 1-254-981-0133 today! Subscribe to the Rabbi Breitowitz Q&A Podcast at https://plnk.to/rbq&a Submit questions for the Q&A with Rabbi Breitowitz https://forms.gle/VCZSK3wQJJ4fSd3Q7 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/OhrSomayach/videos You can listen to this and many other Ohr Somayach programs by downloading our app, on Apple and Google Play, ohr.edu and all major podcast platforms. Visit us @ https://ohr.edu PRODUCED BY: CEDAR MEDIA STUDIOS

Dec 10, 2023 • 1h 41min
Q&A: Noahide Laws, Modern Orthodoxy & Medical Treatment for Terrorists
Dedication opportunities are available for episodes and series at https://ohr.edu/donate/qa Questions? Comments? podcasts@ohr.edu Yeshivat Ohr Somayach located in the heart of Jerusalem, is an educational institution for young Jewish English-speaking men. We have a range of classes and programs designed for the intellectually curious and academically inclined - for those with no background in Jewish learning to those who are proficient in Gemara and other original source material. To find the perfect program for you, please visit our website https://ohr.edu/study_in_israel whatsapp us at https://bit.ly/OSREGISTER or call our placement specialist at 1-254-981-0133 today! Subscribe to the Rabbi Breitowitz Q&A Podcast at https://plnk.to/rbq&a Submit questions for the Q&A with Rabbi Breitowitz https://forms.gle/VCZSK3wQJJ4fSd3Q7 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/OhrSomayach/videos 00:00 If a Christian asks whether he follows the Noahide laws, what should one tell him? 05:09 Why did Yaakov and Esav have to be twins? 12:06 Why didn't the Torah describe the deaths of most of the matriarchs? 15:50 Why did Modern Orthodoxy, which began as a very frum movement, become so lax? 24:22 Why doesn't Hanukkah have its own tractate? 28:42 What do we know of Moshe's family? 31:28 Why do we not emphasize the tragedy of the splitting of the kingdom? 35:02 What can we learn from the four who never sinned, especially Kilav? 41:57 Should one be concerned about the wet towel after drying one's hands from the first washing in the morning? 50:29 Can one place food underneath the bed while sleeping? 52:51 How does the Ohr Hachaim understand Yehudah's statement about Yosef and the pit? 58:28 What exactly is a pact with Hashem, such that Hashem won't tattle? 59:47 What are the parameters or even a source for daas Torah? 1:07:02 Is there a halachic basis for giving medical treatment to terrorists? 1:15:04 Is it forbidden to make a non-halachic state? 1:20:34 How could Yehudah have sought a prostitute? 1:29:31 Do apocryphal books have any kedushah? 1:31:56 What is the Torah approach to the mi sheberach for the IDF? 1:34:55 How will a halachic state enforce halacha? 1:35:52 When do we choose the later posek, and when do we choose the earlier, greater posek? 1:38:50 What are the limits of minhag hamakom/mora d'asra? You can listen to this and many other Ohr Somayach programs by downloading our app, on Apple and Google Play, ohr.edu and all major podcast platforms. Visit us @ https://ohr.edu PRODUCED BY: CEDAR MEDIA STUDIOS

Dec 5, 2023 • 2h 5min
Q&A: Feminism, Prenups & BT Yeshivos
Dedication opportunities are available for episodes and series at https://ohr.edu/donate/qa Questions? Comments? podcasts@ohr.edu Yeshivat Ohr Somayach located in the heart of Jerusalem, is an educational institution for young Jewish English-speaking men. We have a range of classes and programs designed for the intellectually curious and academically inclined - for those with no background in Jewish learning to those who are proficient in Gemara and other original source material. To find the perfect program for you, please visit our website https://ohr.edu/study_in_israel whatsapp us at https://bit.ly/OSREGISTER or call our placement specialist at 1-254-981-0133 today! Subscribe to the Rabbi Breitowitz Q&A Podcast at https://plnk.to/rbq&a Submit questions for the Q&A with Rabbi Breitowitz https://forms.gle/VCZSK3wQJJ4fSd3Q7 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/OhrSomayach/videos 00:00 What is a halachic prenup? 09:41 Why should we pray, "that my soul should desire Your mitzvos," in Elokai Netzor, rather than, "that my body"? 11:00 Who or what is Lilith? Is it connected to the Seven Worlds? 20:44 How do we explain human remains older than 6000 years? 22:10 Does the Torah allow for life with free choice on other planets? 24:23 If a sofer forgets the dots above 'vayishakehu', is the Torah scroll invalid? 34:03 How would the 70 nations know about the Noahide Laws? Should we tell them? 39:15 Why should a child suffer for the sin of the parent? 50:09 Aren't girls in Torah Judaism second-class citizens? 1:03:24 Is the order of saving in Maseches Horios evidence of male preference in Judaism? 1:07:05 Has one fulfilled one's obligation if one accidentally prayed in front of a mirror? 1:09:23 Why is there no gemara on Avos? 1:13:17 Can one buy himself a pair of Rabbeinu Tam tefillin, while others still need Rashi tefillin? 1:16:27 Is it permissible to use various sorts of energy healing, such as the Emotion Code? 1:21:56 Why is Rivka's death not explicitly described in Torah? 1:24:11 Why, according to the simplest reading of the Torah, is Esav not so bad? 1:28:01 Is it right to exchange hostages, knowing that civilians may be killed? 1:35:28 Why does only one of the Ani Maamins have a source? 1:37:14 Why does the Torah relate the descendants of Esav, according to peshat? 1:38:57 Is there a natural rule that Ishmael hates Yaakov, just as there is a natural rule that Esav hates Yaakov? 1:44:11 What is the meaning of 'Anti-Zionism is Antisemitism'? 1:46:58 How do we deal with disagreements between historians and Chazal? 1:50:51 Why was Rav Kook a Zionist? 1:53:45 Once the resurrection occurs, how will we get to Olam Haba? 1:55:05 What is the disagreement between the BT yeshivos? You can listen to this and many other Ohr Somayach programs by downloading our app, on Apple and Google Play, ohr.edu and all major podcast platforms. Visit us @ https://ohr.edu PRODUCED BY: CEDAR MEDIA STUDIOS

Nov 25, 2023 • 1h 43min
Q&A: Hamas, Arabs & Hostage Swaps in Halacha
Dedication opportunities are available for episodes and series at https://ohr.edu/donate/qa Questions? Comments? podcasts@ohr.edu Yeshivat Ohr Somayach located in the heart of Jerusalem, is an educational institution for young Jewish English-speaking men. We have a range of classes and programs designed for the intellectually curious and academically inclined - for those with no background in Jewish learning to those who are proficient in Gemara and other original source material. To find the perfect program for you, please visit our website https://ohr.edu/study_in_israel whatsapp us at https://bit.ly/OSREGISTER or call our placement specialist at 1-254-981-0133 today! Subscribe to the Rabbi Breitowitz Q&A Podcast at https://plnk.to/rbq&a Submit questions for the Q&A with Rabbi Breitowitz https://forms.gle/VCZSK3wQJJ4fSd3Q7 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/OhrSomayach/videos 00:00 Does God judge Hamas l'chaf zechus? 5:35 Why do Haredim wear black and white? 10:11 What is the purpose of Uva Letzion and the importance of Kedusha? 17:28 Can one finish his Amidah while the congregation is saying the introduction to Kedusha? 22:06 How should we relate to Arabs in general, considering the verse in Psalm 105? 34:08 Why isn't a good, religious life enough of a tikkun for sins in previous lives? 39:24 How can we pray for repentance, if repentance is purely a free will action? 46:26 If a king has less free will, do prime ministers as well? How small a position has a lesser free will? 51:03 How does resurrection work if there is reincarnation? 53:40 When and how long should personal prayers be in the Amidah? 56:55 How does learning in another's merit work? 58:54 What is the halacha regarding hostage swaps? 1:06:51 What is 'kaf hakela' and what is its purpose? 1:13:23 In the story of a talmid chacham who forgot to bentsch, is it better that he didn't bentsch because he became so great? 1:19:39 Why don't yeshivos follow the curriculum in Pirkei Avos? 1:28:16 Could the Rav explain the story of the dudaim? 1:34:36 Why should a prophet, like Yosef, have to work to make his prophecy come true? 1:36:58 Are Bilhah and Zilpah specially considered in Rabbinic literature? 1:39:51 Why don't we bow with our knees anymore? You can listen to this and many other Ohr Somayach programs by downloading our app, on Apple and Google Play, ohr.edu and all major podcast platforms. Visit us @ https://ohr.edu PRODUCED BY: CEDAR MEDIA STUDIOS

Nov 22, 2023 • 1h 38min
Q&A: Esav, Soldiers & Dying al Kiddush Hashem
Dedication opportunities are available for episodes and series at https://ohr.edu/donate/qa Questions? Comments? podcasts@ohr.edu Yeshivat Ohr Somayach located in the heart of Jerusalem, is an educational institution for young Jewish English-speaking men. We have a range of classes and programs designed for the intellectually curious and academically inclined - for those with no background in Jewish learning to those who are proficient in Gemara and other original source material. To find the perfect program for you, please visit our website https://ohr.edu/study_in_israel whatsapp us at https://bit.ly/OSREGISTER or call our placement specialist at 1-254-981-0133 today! 00:00 Why do we say the paragraph of "vayechulu" three times on Friday night? 05:56 Is there any case of a two-man beis din other than prozbul and cancellation of a divorce? 07:09 How far can one take the idea of sufferings being messages from Hashem? 12:11 Are there too many English books that people don't learn Hebrew? 20:18 Are there particular chumros one should or should not take on? 25:24 What is the historical background of the different styles of peyos? 29:16 Why didn't Noach just look out the window? 30:31 What kind of tefillin were worn before Rashi? 36:09 When some commentators argue with Chazal about some interpretations, do they understand Chazal literally and still disagree, or do they interpret the Chazal not to be pshat? 39:53 Why do some topics have so many sugyos, while other topics don't? 44:56 Why does God judge the king before his people, if God already knows the sins of the people? 49:36 What does Rivka's question mean? 53:01 Do irreligious soldiers die al kiddush Hashem? 58:41 Should one prepare oneself for a rodef situation? 1:02:07 How could Esav have been the fourth patriarch if he was already moving towards the idolatrous temples while in the womb? 1:06:15 How do we know we haven't moved from the original count of Shabboses? 1:08:41 Can gedolim do aveiros, and if so, why do commentators try to minimize the sins in the Tanakh? 1:12:50 Should one use Torah phrases for commercial purposes? 1:15:55 Why is the beracha of hatov v'hametiv so uncommon? 1:20:30 Is the concept of Binyamin's mountains being close to Hashem still applicable today? 1:23:52 How could one say that Yitzchak didn't know about Esav when Esav had idolatrous wives? 1:27:07 Is it possible that the wicked ones in Tanakh are wicked on their levels, just as the sins of the righteous are only sins on their levels? 1:29:09 Are the faults of the followers a chisaron to the gadol? 1:32:44 Why don't we pray for the resurrection of the dead? 1:35:33 Can the word 'toldos' in Bereishis refer to evolution? Subscribe to the Rabbi Breitowitz Q&A Podcast at https://plnk.to/rbq&a Submit questions for the Q&A with Rabbi Breitowitz https://forms.gle/VCZSK3wQJJ4fSd3Q7 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/OhrSomayach/videos You can listen to this and many other Ohr Somayach programs by downloading our app, on Apple and Google Play, ohr.edu and all major podcast platforms. Visit us @ https://ohr.edu PRODUCED BY: CEDAR MEDIA STUDIOS

Nov 21, 2023 • 55min
25 - Even Shelaima CH 11 PT 9 - The Midah of the Generation
Dedication opportunities are available for episodes and series at https://ohr.edu/donate/qa Questions? Comments? podcasts@ohr.edu Yeshivat Ohr Somayach located in the heart of Jerusalem, is an educational institution for young Jewish English-speaking men. We have a range of classes and programs designed for the intellectually curious and academically inclined - for those with no background in Jewish learning to those who are proficient in Gemara and other original source material. To find the perfect program for you, please visit our website https://ohr.edu/study_in_israel whatsapp us at https://bit.ly/OSREGISTER or call our placement specialist at 1-254-981-0133 today! Subscribe to the Rabbi Breitowitz Q&A Podcast at https://plnk.to/rbq&a Submit questions for the Q&A with Rabbi Breitowitz https://forms.gle/VCZSK3wQJJ4fSd3Q7 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/OhrSomayach/videos You can listen to this and many other Ohr Somayach programs by downloading our app, on Apple and Google Play, ohr.edu and all major podcast platforms. Visit us @ https://ohr.edu PRODUCED BY: CEDAR MEDIA STUDIOS

Nov 18, 2023 • 1h 34min
Q&A: Anti-Zionism, Neturei Karta & Yishmael (Updated)
Dedication opportunities are available for episodes and series at https://ohr.edu/donate/qa Questions? Comments? podcasts@ohr.edu (Updated audio) 00:00 How do name changes work? 04:33 What are the differences between "mituvecha" and mituvah" and between "sim shalom" and "shalom rav"? 16:43 Why are there so many machlokos in the Oral Torah if Moshe was told only one version by God? 24:15 Why is there so much anti-Israel sentiment? 28:56 If God could have made ultimate pleasure, why bother making us? 34:54 Is there any truth to the claim that the Pashto are of the Lost Tribes? 41:08 Is a one-state solution morally wrong? 47:00 What is the definition of Jewish music, and can that include rap? 51:13 Why should Ishmael be rewarded for prayer if those prayers are directed to an incorrect conception of God? 54:02 What is the meaning of the blessings to Ishmael? 57:23 Did the Generation of the Dispersion really think the Tower of Babel would work? 1:00:27 Is there a reason a trustworthy, disciplined man should get an Internet filter? 1:02:57 What is the importance of humility and how might one be humble? 1:07:55 What exactly is Neturei Karta? 1:19:05 How has this war changed the Haredi opinion on the state? 1:26:43 How much caution should one take to turn the faucet to the cold side on Shabbos? 1:28:51 Why would Avraham marry Hagar if he had prophetic visions of other offspring? 1:32:49 How can one tell who is a Yaakov Jew and who is an Avraham Jew? Yeshivat Ohr Somayach located in the heart of Jerusalem, is an educational institution for young Jewish English-speaking men. We have a range of classes and programs designed for the intellectually curious and academically inclined - for those with no background in Jewish learning to those who are proficient in Gemara and other original source material. To find the perfect program for you, please visit our website https://ohr.edu/study_in_israel whatsapp us at https://bit.ly/OSREGISTER or call our placement specialist at 1-254-981-0133 today! Subscribe to the Rabbi Breitowitz Q&A Podcast at https://plnk.to/rbq&a Submit questions for the Q&A with Rabbi Breitowitz https://forms.gle/VCZSK3wQJJ4fSd3Q7 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/OhrSomayach/videos You can listen to this and many other Ohr Somayach programs by downloading our app, on Apple and Google Play, ohr.edu and all major podcast platforms. Visit us @ https://ohr.edu PRODUCED BY: CEDAR MEDIA STUDIOS

Nov 2, 2023 • 1h 39min
Q&A: Morality, Saving Yishmael & Hamas/Amalek Status
Dedication opportunities are available for episodes and series at https://ohr.edu/donate/qa Questions? Comments? podcasts@ohr.edu 00:00 What are the priorities regarding where to daven? 3:32 Why is secular society leading Torah society in terms of developing a healthy relationship with oneself? 08:09 Can it be said that we've already eradicated the memory of Amalek since no one knows the identity or the history of this people? 11:38 Does Hashem want us to be more self-focused than in previous generations? 18:31 Does writing B"H apply by amud or by daf? 20:05 Are AI-generated voices banned by kol isha? 23:33 What is the background of the king having pilagshim? 31:59 Is davening at sunrise better than not? 35:24 Does Aggada inspire stories in other cultures, or do all cultures share story archetypes? 42:58 How did Avraham pray for Sodom, while one who is merciful to the cruel will become cruel to the merciful? 47:21 Is there a delicate way to tell people to repent? 58:26 Is someone who does a melacha on Shabbos for the sake of a sick person allowed to benefit from that melacha? 59:40 What does Judaism say about the gallbladder? 1:01:00 What does one do when halacha and secular law are at odds on a matter of life and death? 1:05:52 Why is cheese kosher if rennet is from meat? 1:09:48 Is there an obligation to do hasbara? 1:13:36 Is it worthwhile to rectify a mausoleum burial if it would alienate family and cost a lot of money? 1:16:52 How could Lot's daughters think that Avraham was destroyed? 1:18:49 Why would Hashem save Yishmael, while we execute a rebellious son? 1:23:49 How could Moshe form a mask if such things are forbidden? 1:26:00 Why do non-Jews have a philtrum? 1:27:17 Does Hamas have the halachic status of Amalek? 1:30:33 Would there be morality without a religious society? 1:35:32 Why does one not pay more for a muad in private property than in public property? Yeshivat Ohr Somayach located in the heart of Jerusalem, is an educational institution for young Jewish English-speaking men. We have a range of classes and programs designed for the intellectually curious and academically inclined - for those with no background in Jewish learning to those who are proficient in Gemara and other original source material. To find the perfect program for you, please visit our website https://ohr.edu/study_in_israel whatsapp us at https://bit.ly/OSREGISTER or call our placement specialist at 1-254-981-0133 today! Subscribe to the Rabbi Breitowitz Q&A Podcast at https://plnk.to/rbq&a Submit questions for the Q&A with Rabbi Breitowitz https://forms.gle/VCZSK3wQJJ4fSd3Q7 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/OhrSomayach/videos You can listen to this and many other Ohr Somayach programs by downloading our app, on Apple and Google Play, ohr.edu and all major podcast platforms. Visit us @ https://ohr.edu PRODUCED BY: CEDAR MEDIA STUDIOS

Oct 28, 2023 • 50min
24 - Even Shelaima CH 11 PT 6 - Esav, Yishmael & the Erev Rav
Dedication opportunities are available for episodes and series at https://ohr.edu/donate/qa Questions? Comments? podcasts@ohr.edu Yeshivat Ohr Somayach located in the heart of Jerusalem, is an educational institution for young Jewish English-speaking men. We have a range of classes and programs designed for the intellectually curious and academically inclined - for those with no background in Jewish learning to those who are proficient in Gemara and other original source material. To find the perfect program for you, please visit our website https://ohr.edu/study_in_israel whatsapp us at https://bit.ly/OSREGISTER or call our placement specialist at 1-254-981-0133 today! Subscribe to the Rabbi Breitowitz Q&A Podcast at https://plnk.to/rbq&a Submit questions for the Q&A with Rabbi Breitowitz https://forms.gle/VCZSK3wQJJ4fSd3Q7 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/OhrSomayach/videos You can listen to this and many other Ohr Somayach programs by downloading our app, on Apple and Google Play, ohr.edu and all major podcast platforms. Visit us @ https://ohr.edu PRODUCED BY: CEDAR MEDIA STUDIOS


