The Q & A with Rabbi Breitowitz Podcast

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 Can a ger be a shul rav or synagogue president? 02:46 Are non-Jews viewed as good or as bad? 08:59 Should one pray for a public revelation of Hashem? 13:05 Does the success of Jews antagonize the non-Jews? 16:27 Can one use a remote system to cook for other Jews while it is Shabbat for them but not Shabbat for him? 18:49 If a baal teshuva follows, say, the Gr"a for zmanim, does he have to become a Granik? 22:58 What is the most important thing for a parent to teach their child? 24:33 Does one owe "back taxes" for maaser? 30:21 If someone insults one's parents, one cannot forgive that someone. Does this apply to oneself if one is a cohen or talmid chacham? 36:26 Is it better to pray alone at sunrise, or to pray with a minyan later? What about a minyan earlier? 38:21 Should one do teshuva on aveiros done without knowing, and if so, how? 42:45 How does one find meaning in korbanos despite it being irrelevant today? 52:23 Is there a reliable source that Eliyahu HaNavi drinks the fifth cup at the Seder? 54:45 What is the fundamental difference between alcohol and drugs? 59:47 Does pack-up time before travel count towards the 18 minutes of travel time to a minyan? Must one still leave if engaged in another mitzvah? 1:05:00 What are some core ideas to speak about at the Seder? 1:08:58 Can one walk through a private parking lot? 1:10:26 Are non-Jews punished for negative actions that are not covered by the Noahide laws? 1:14:27 Does Rashi care about order of information in the Torah or not? 1:21:42 Why do some rabbis rely on miracles for parnassah even though it detracts from their Olam Haba? Were these miracles decided on Rosh Hashanah? 1:24:34 Why do we pray if we believe that God knows what is best for us? 1:34:06 Are bank failures common, and can we learn a message from the recent bankruptcies? 1:37:30 When can one accept an event as a "divine sign"? 1:39:15 Should the Jewish community emphasize physical health as much as spiritual health? 1:41:50 Should one seek to be on a higher level even if that increases judgment upon them? What is the benefit of a higher level? 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

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​ 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 How did Chazal know that hardships are prevented by learning Torah if hardships still occur? 06:21 Does Hashem put us in situations where we're bound to fail? 08:44 Why do we emphasize the failures of non-Jews, for example, that we toil and they toil, but only we get reward? 14:55 What does it mean to call the Torah a song, and if that's bad, why is it still in Tehillim? 19:19 What is the positivity of the Torah being a song? 20:52 Can a kohen get an organ transplant? 23:41 How can one tell whether to rest or to push through? 29:29 Why do we thank Hashem for the land of Israel when we eat food from, say, America? 33:24 What exactly is an 'al tikri', and where does it come from? 38:18 Is there an idea of a 'pressure valve' or a 'distraction' for the yetzer hara? 45:53 After committing an aveira, is it better to move on or to regret it? 47:38 How should a bachur use his newfound time during bein hazmanim? Is it better to read a book on skills-building or to read Gemara without it? 53:40 How does a child honor his parents who don't want him to learn? 57:38 What is the difference between safe spaces and Haredi society? They both refuse to be confronted with uncomfortable ideas, don't they? 1:03:12 If one only has one more night in Israel, should he go to his regular night seder or daven at the Kotel one more time? 1:06:12 Is someone allowed to take an epipen from a public first aid kit if he expects to have a reaction in the future? 1:10:02 If someone isn't ready to have children, should they still get married? 1:13:23 How can a person deal with loneliness without getting married? 1:17:57 What are the sources for gilgul? 1:21:07 How does one know if they're ready to get married? 1:23:02 Given that there should be strong distinctions between Jews and non-Jews, how should a baal teshuva interact with their non-Jewish friends? 1:25:50 What connection does a Jew have when they're not serving Hashem by learning or praying? 1:30:20 How can a benevolent, omnipotent God make earthquakes, if a man who makes an earthquake would be called evil? 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

This episode is dedicated by the Kaufman siblings wishing a Mazel Tov to Avi & Chaya Kaufman on the birth of a baby girl! 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​ 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 the difference between a segulah and an inyan, and can one rely on them? 03:51 Do we stand for our rabbi's wife? 06:30 Can one call, right after Shabbat, a non-Jew in a time zone where it is still Shabbat, so that the non-Jew will tell a Jew news? 09:29 In what cases can one use maaser for his family or friends? What about for kiruv? 13:44 Given specific hashgacha pratis, how do we understand the consequences of free will? 20:01 Should we wear a tie for davening? 27:15 What is kabbalah, and how can it argue with Torah shebal peh, the Will of Hashem? 31:26 If a gadol advises someone to make a major life change, is there any way out? 35:20 Is there a minimum income to be obligated in maaser? 36:28 Why is the pshat written in a way that contradicts Chazal's interpretations? 41:05 How are Potiphar's wife and Tamar different? And why doesn't any other father appear to his son to prevent his sin? 44:25 Which is more important: learning Hebrew to unlock the learning on your own, or to learn gemara in English now? 47:56 What do the details of the Mishkan teach us ethically, emotionally, and personally? 54:54 Can a girl who is dressed properly go to a mixed gym? 57:20 How does a Western-educated Jew accept yibum? 1:00:38 What is the source for the "minimum pru ur'vu"? How can there be a mitzvah based on chance? 1:06:16 What makes idolatry and adultery so absolutely evil? 1:10:59 How does one know what the best version of himself is? 1:15:15 How does a Western-educated Jew understand the mitzvah of a rapist to marry his victim (if the victim wants to)? 1:21:50 How do we know that the luz bone is nourished by melava malkah, which is not a positive commandment? 1:23:53 How does a religious Jew take extended vacations to places without Jewish communities? 1:27:05 Is there a reason we compare ourselves to goyim at a siyum? 1:28:24 What is love, and how do we handle fake love? 1:32:46 Could the Rav expound on the Moshichist movement in Chabad? 1:41:50 What's the most important thing to do for a healthy, happy marriage? 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

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​ 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

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​ 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 How is Torah's quality that it's difficult to learn without already knowing Torah a unique quality to Torah, and does not apply to secular studies? 09:33 What does it mean that certain Amoraim only learned a few of the orders of Mishnah? 11:19 Is it possible for a Torah-observant Jew to not get married? 16:03 Is it possible to learn between tasks, and if so, how? 20:45 Are Rebbeinu Gershom's 1000 years up? Were his takanos really universal? 29:20 Must one defend his beliefs, or can one rely solely on emunah? Is relying on emunah a weaker form of belief? 38:49 Is the Sephardic minhag to separate fish and milk nullified by modern medicine? 43:15 How can great rabbis respond to sin with midas hadin and not midas harachamim (kiruv)? 47:51 Could the Rav expound on the two types of emunah and their relative strength? 52:33 Why are angels depicted as complainers so often? Don't they only do Hashem's Will? 55:32 What is the importance of biography and history in learning a commentator? Aren't their words all that matter? 1:00:51 Do goyim have hashgacha pratis? Do they have reason to pray? 1:03:20 What are the origins of the different pronunciations of tav/sav? 1:07:46 How can a bachur keep Shabbat and kashrut in a non-kosher environment? 1:11:03 Does someone have to do a pidyon haben on himself if his parents didn't? 1:11:29 Is there any significance to the number 666? 1:13:22 What is an academic-Jewish work, and do they have a place in limud hatorah? 1:17:26 Why did God create pain? 1:22:47 If we're supposed to give and not take, why shouldn't we give gifts to non-Jews? 1:25:44 Can I put myself in danger to save another? 1:30:05 If there's an issue of engaging danger to protect others, how could one be a policeman at all? 1:31:39 Why is the Rambam so often a daas yachid? 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

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​ 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

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​ 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 chilul Hashem apply to non-Jews? 05:16 Can an Ashkenazi Jew trust the hechsherim when he goes to a Sephardi for Shabbat, eg. the back half of a cow? 14:49 Is exercise a mitzvah? 17:44 What does it mean for a person to have a "higher neshama"? 21:49 Is it a complaint against Avraham that he had a Yishmael, and similarly for Yitzchak? 24:54 What is the source for Shehecheyanu? 29:00 The case of the caused miscarriage in Mishpatim implies that abortion is not murder. Why then is it not permitted in general? 34:53 How should someone decide when to live in Israel? 41:42 If a Sanhedrin cannot be bloodthirsty, why can a king, seemingly? 46:29 Why doesn't tsaar balei chayim apply to sea creatures? 50:58 Is the "sperm switch" permissible? 55:06 Is it better to be bothered by interpersonal mitzvos or by mitzvos between man and God? 57:30 If one has a non-Jewish father, can one tell his father what he's studying? 58:25 How can Rava simply override an irrefutable kashya? 1:01:47 Do other substances have the same laws as excrement? 1:03:09 Is it possible to rebel unwittingly against God? 1:05:38 What does the Rav think about the proposed judicial reform? 1:10:17 Are there any examples of righteous rebellions in Tanach? 1:12:54 Is Viktor Frankel problematic? 1:14:48 How are we connecting to Hashem via oneg Shabbos? 1:17:50 Do new geirim have tumas meis? 1:19:35 At what point does one focus on reading skills rather than Artscroll and straight halacha? 1:22:41 Why do we often cut off tehillim or add on to tehillim in davening? 1:25:15 How is a woman's voice considered ervah just because it's nice, whereas there's a doubt regarding a woman's behind? 1:29:32 Sikh shechita is extraordinarily humane. Why don't we do that instead? 1:33:35 How would rabbis before the gemara delve into the Torah without a text? 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

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​ 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

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​ 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 the source for rounded luchos, and why is this rejected? 02:58 Does a baal teshuva have to give up certain hobbies? If he doesn't, should he hide them from his children? 18:40 When is someone who is brain dead considered halachically deceased? 27:04 How can one appreciate the concept of slavery in the Torah? 34:40 Does a double amputee have to keep tznius for their prosthetic legs? 37:04 What is the chiddush of the "like maaseh kedera" beraisa, according to Rav and Shmuel? 38:13 Would Hitler have a defense in a beis din from ain shliach ledavar aveirah? Was the Eichmann trial halachically valid? 46:06 Why is there a distinction between singular and plural in the beracha of tevilas keilim? 47:39 What is the proper response to someone who might be asking about Judaism only to disparage it, but might be asking honestly? 52:26 Is it possible to "kill one's enemy with kindness"? 56:39 Is milk added to coffee covered by a beracha made before the milk was available? 58:04 What is the Torah's view on non-Jews who never knew monotheism? 1:00:26 What are the ancestral origins of humans native to other continents? 1:03:36 What is the proper etiquette for mourner's kaddish for multiple mourners? 1:08:44 Why are women pasul for testimony? 1:10:02 How does Torah explain items carbon-dated to a time before 6000 years ago? 1:12:53 How do we deal with Reform converts who are not halachically Jewish? 1:14:20 Can one make aromatic berachos on spices and such used for food, like coffee? Can that coffee be used for drinking afterward? 1:15:42 In Az Yashir of Shacharis, why do we say the Aramaic translation of Hashem yimloch twice? 1:18:58 Can someone be a talmid chacham by reading Mesivta or Artscroll? 1:19:58 What is the halachic justification for saying Tehillim in the graveyard a violation of loeg lerash? 1:22:49 Can you bring the name Yisrael into the bathroom? What about the two-yod abbreviation? 1:24:26 How can one appreciate Shabbat from a rationalistic perspective? 1:27:15 Why are there so many Amoraim with names derived from "rav"? 1:27:58 How is it possible for someone to follow the mitzvos but be a disgusting person? 1:30:50 Are empty buildings part of the techum of Shabbat? 1:32:50 How do we define "kedushat Shabbat"? 1:33:55 Can a tattoo of Hashem's name be erased if the tattoo artist is a goy? 1:34:46 Is learning Torah to not feel empty lishmah? 1:35:50 Is it true that when one isn't feeling up to it, one can postpone davening? 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

JOIN OUR MISSION! 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​ 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 Who was Baruch Spinoza? 07:01 Is there a right of privacy in Torah? 12:15 Do other religions have equivalents to the Shulchan Aruch and the Gemara? 18:17 Why was there such ado about kabbalah at the time of the Ramchal? 24:10 When did kabbalah become more mainstream? 26:01 Why do we repeat certain pesukim three times? 28:51 Why don't we have kabbalists today? 36:11 Is it possible to be "higiya lehorah" in one sugya, but not in another? 40:27 Does the Rav believe in time travel, and to what degree is it possible in Torah? 41:54 How does one make sense of the story of Lot and his daughters, given that wine has certain physical side effects and that wine isn't so strong to inhibit moral judgment? 46:36 Is math divine or artificial? 51:00 Is there an increase in male chauvinist movements, and how should one view women as a whole? 1:02:12 If I'm given a dollar in the United States to give tzedakah in Israel, should I exchange it for shekel or use it as it is? 1:04:30 What is a love that doesn't depend on any reason? 1:07:18 What's the issue with Women of the Wall exactly? 1:12:52 Is one yotze the mitzvah of tzedakah with less than a pruta? 1:13:29 If there's no such thing as nature, how can one understand Rambam's view of hashgacha pratis? 1:18:32 Are there merits according to the Rambam? 1:20:00 How should shuls respond to the terrorist attack in Neve Yaakov? Should individuals acquire guns in response? 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