The Q & A with Rabbi Breitowitz Podcast

How is it that in the Gemara that some people have a mesora and others don't? How does deal with feelings of guilt moving forward having grown up doing aveiros? What's the halacha regarding a tchup? It seems like the frum world sees women place more emphasis on emunah but less with men? Why does the Torah spend time going through the generations as in Parashas Bereshis and Noach? If there will never be a prophet as great as Moshe Rabbeinu, what should be expected from Moshiach? How did Eliezer come to Avraham? If he was connected to Nimrod, why did he send him to his enemy? Will the yetzer hara for avoda zara come back after moshiach? Are the descendants of Yishmoel and B'nei Katura also chaiv in bris milah, even today? Note from Rabbi Breitowitz: I was asked about the halachic obligation of the descendants of Yishmael to have Bris Milah . I cited the Rambam that Bnai Yishmael are exempt from Milah though Bnai Keturah are obligated (as opposed to Rashi who maintains that only the actual sons of Keturah needed Milah and not their descendants ).So far ,so good. I then said that since the Bnai Ketura have intermingled with Bnai Yishmael and are no longer a distinct group ,all who identify as Bnai Yishmael are now exempt .This was an error on my part . Rambam says exactly the opposite The intermingling of Bnai Ketura with Bnai Yishmael obligates the entire group . (In partial defense[not really!]I was thinking of the Minchas Chinuch who does indeed suggest that the intermingling should exempt the group rather than obligate it but that is not Rambam,s view). I apologize for the error .Bivracha ,YBreitowitz How should one respond when asked by a non-religious person about olam haba?—Are there sources? Are there any ramazim for how we can relate to olam haba? How do we define what a hashkafa is? It seems like learning Torah lishma is ideal, and others say it must lead to something? Is there the possibility of alternate universes regarding quantum mechanics? With Rav Shlomo Carlebach yahrzeit coming up, how should we commemorate? Muslims around Israel have certain good qualities eg Tzanua? Are we supposed to learn from them? Did HaShem always intend for there to be war in the world? Can evolution in its entirety be consistent with Torah? Yeshayahu gives musste that people do mitzvos by rote, how do we avoid this? By Tannis, the Gemara says that during a plague (given population ratios) we fast and blow the shofar. Why was this not done during covid? One can't conduct normal business on Shabbos, so how can the rabbi 'work' on Shabbos? Comments? Feedback? Would you like to sponsor an episode? A series? We'd love to hear from you : podcasts@ohr.edu https://podcasts.ohr.edu/ Visit us @ ohr.edu !

Hashkafic History Series II Ohr Lagolah Rabbinic Program 5776-2-Yishuv Eretz Yisrael Rabbi Dr Yitzchak Breitowitz, of Ohr Somayach Jerusalem, "Hashkafic History". For comments, questions, or sponsorship opportunities, contact us at: podcasts@ohr.edu (Originally Rec 2015-16) (Produced by: CedarMedia Podcasting 2021)

00:00 Yaakov lived with Lavan for so many years. How did he do this and what can we take from this? 03:58 Assuming there is moderation, could it be permitted to smoke, and do those with an addiction have a chiuv to stop? 13:08 How should understand the Holocaust when G-d is all-loving? 24:40 Is it possible for a secular Jew to truly feel content in life? 27:38 Parshas Lech Lecha, we have the imagery of bris Bein habasarim. Could you explain some of this? 30:31 What exactly is a 'raban'? 37:37 At what point does someone who grew up secular have the daas to have a chiyuv of Shabbos? —Is there permanent gehenom? 47:57 Can the luz bone be totally destroyed? 48:58 Sometimes we use a feminine word for Hashem? 52:42 Do we look at someone with a Jewish father different? 56:32 Why did the trees rebel that their bark should taste like the fruit? 58:44 If Gemara is the pinnacle of learning, why is it not so encouraged for women? 1:04:41 Has neturei karta done anything positive for klal yisroel? 1:11:30 Is a shared mitzvah (such as bochor) then what of the schar? 1:12:25 Arum means nakedness and cunning. What is the relation, as in bereshis? 1:14:42 One can be a Ben olam haba for davening netz, or saying ashrei 3 times a day. If one can have one, why try for the other? 1:16:20 What is the connection between birchas kohanim and dreams? 1:19:01 Is heter mechira valid? 1:20:15 If the shmita year is not certain, is there any leniency? 1:23:30 Are things like life insurance hishtadlus? Comments? Feedback? Would you like to sponsor an episode? A series? We'd love to hear from you : podcasts@ohr.edu https://podcasts.ohr.edu/ Visit us @ ohr.edu ! (Produced by Cedar Media Studios Podcasting 2021)

Ohr Lagolah Rabbinic Training Program 5776-1-Hashkafic History I-Movements of 19th Century Rabbi Dr Yitzchak Breitowitz, of Ohr Somayach Jerusalem, "Hashkafic History". For comments, questions, or sponsorship opportunities, contact us at: podcasts@ohr.edu (Originally Rec 2015-16) (Produced by: CedarMedia Podcasting 2021)

00:00 What was Reuben's cheshban in moving Yaakov's bed? What of kibud av? 4:14 Chazal say it's a mitzvah to marry one's niece, but genetically this can be dangerous... 6:55 During chet haegel, Moshe argues with HaShem against starting a nation. What does it mean for one to argue against HaShem? 11:47 There is an assumption that earlier rabbis are correct, what is the source for this? 15:17 Did the Avos keep the Torah before it was given, and how did it look? 0:21:34 what is the Rabbis opinion on wigs? 0:27:42 Some people are annoyed about having to start saying tachanun again. Can Rebbi share anything about the importance and beauty of it? 0:32:00 How can a Jew be a secular judge? 0:34:44 Believe on unbroken tradition, how can we justify the idea of machloket and differing opinions? 0:45:16 What is the Torah's view on Dinosaurs? 0:49:19 What is the difference between psychology and mussar? 0:52:02 Why is same Bracha chatima of psukei dezimra same as Baruch sheamar? 0:55:30 Why is taf pronounced as tzaf by askenazim? 0:59:50 What is the origin of rashi script? 1:01:40 Is there a remez for America in the Torah? 1:03:24 What is mans goal in striving for faith in G-d juxtaposed with logic? 1:07:15 How can we say that we will promise to G-d that we will praise him forever? 1:09:40 How do we learn halacha? Lets say I'm learning the mishnah berurah. How do i know if we paskin like it? How do i know which sefer we paskin like instead? Do i always have to double check with a rabbi? 1:15:15 What is the source for matrilineal descent? 1:17:50 Why does it seem that prayer doesn't work in bleak situations? 1:22:15 When we finish a sefer we say hadran halach, but most don't at Simchas Torah? 1:24:30 is it permissible to grow sprouts in a windowsill, in water? Comments? Feedback? Would you like to sponsor an episode? A series? We'd love to hear from you : podcasts@ohr.edu https://podcasts.ohr.edu/ Visit us @ ohr.edu !

While Rav Breitowitz is out on bein hazmanim, we have the privilege to bring you some of his Torah thoughts on the significance of the Hakafos. We hope you enjoy! - R' Zevi Kaufman (Producer of the Ohr Somayach Podcast Network) Print out here! Comments? Feedback? Would you like to sponsor an episode? A series? We'd love to hear from you! : podcasts@ohr.edu https://podcasts.ohr.edu/ Visit us @ ohr.edu ! We are proud to announce the beta-launch of the Ohr Somayach app! Access your favorite Ohr Somayach podcasts on the app, at podcasts.ohr.edu or on any podcast platform! DOWNLOAD THE APP! ANDROID APPLE (Produced by CedarMediaStudios Podcasting)

Comments? Feedback? Would you like to sponsor an episode? A series? We'd love to hear from you! : podcasts@ohr.edu https://podcasts.ohr.edu/ Visit us @ ohr.edu ! We are proud to announce the beta-launch of the Ohr Somayach app! Access your favorite Ohr Somayach podcasts on the app, at podcasts.ohr.edu or on any podcast platform! DOWNLOAD THE APP! ANDROID APPLE (10-22-2016) (Produced by CedarMediaStudios Podcasting)

2:44 Rabbi Gettinger 29:10 Rabbi Breitowitz 1:05:52 Rabbi Tatz Sign up here!! Comments? Feedback? Would you like to sponsor an episode? A series? We'd love to hear from you! : podcasts@ohr.edu https://podcasts.ohr.edu/ Visit us @ ohr.edu ! We are proud to announce the beta-launch of the Ohr Somayach app! Access your favorite Ohr Somayach podcasts on the app, at podcasts.ohr.edu or on any podcast platform! DOWNLOAD THE APP! ANDROID APPLE (Produced by CedarMediaStudios Podcasting)

What is the reason for avoiding doing chesed to a non-jew? What is the Jewish position on organ donation once one passes away, and can a Jew work on cadavers as a med students? How do we understand by the creation that the trees deviated from Hashem's commandment that they should taste like fruit?—Do trees have bechira? With the Taliban take over, many Jews sympathize with the civilians, but isn't Sharia more in line with halacha than Western values. 2 Poskin, Rav Moshe Feinstein and Minchas Yitzchak, have different drachim in deriving sources for psakim. Why is this? What is the Jewish perspective on the ideal power-system? How do we interpret (seemingly) physical descriptions of HaShem, especially in Yehezkel or Daniel? In the Gemara in Sukka, it describes HaShem as being 10 tefachim, and Moshe below 10. What does this mean? Can we say "everything happens for a reason" and have free will? Or can someone's decisions affect someone else's free will? The Gemara in Sukka it describes the keruvim as being 10 tefachim over the mishkan. The keruvim min hatzad built by Shlomo were much bigger. Is there something particular that both were 1/3 of the size of their environments? A man caused, due to road-rage, by grama a car crash which killed someone. Is this man to be rebuked? If a person reads a secular self-help book, can someone get the schar for learning Torah? There are many cryptic messages in the agada of the midrash and gemara (eg with monsters etc). How do we interpret this? What is the significance of saying akainu seudasa?

SPECIAL: SELICHOS AT OHR SOMAYACH JERUSALEM Comments? Feedback? Would you like to sponsor an episode? A series? We'd love to hear from you! : podcasts@ohr.edu https://podcasts.ohr.edu/ Visit us @ ohr.edu ! We are proud to announce the beta-launch of the Ohr Somayach app! Access your favorite Ohr Somayach podcasts on the app, at podcasts.ohr.edu or on any podcast platform! DOWNLOAD THE APP! ANDROID APPLE (Produced by CedarMediaStudios Podcasting)