

Halacha Headlines
Halacha Headlines
Halachic Debates of Current Events
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 27, 2024 • 1h 24min
9/28/24 – Shiur 485 – Are you allowed to take a shower on Yom Tov? | Are you allowed to give a donut to an obese person, and other fascinating shailos | Combating domestic abuse in our community
Showering us with Brocha
Three day Yom Tov – Are you allowed to take a shower on Yom Tov?
with Rabbi Yonah Reiss – Av Beis Din of CRC and Rosh Yeshiva and head of Semicha – 13:22
with Rabbi Mendy Abramson – Mechaber Bnei Avraham, Showering in Halacha – 30:00
לא תעמוד על דם רעך
Are you allowed to give a donut to an obese person, and other fascinating shailos
With Rabbi Ahron Sorscher – Noted Talmud Chochom, Poseik and Oraysa Maggid Shiur – 46:10
תכלה שנה עם קללותיה
Combating domestic abuse in our community
With Dr. Shana Frydman, CEO Shalom Task Force – 59:08
מראי מקומות

Sep 19, 2024 • 1h 38min
9/21/24 – Shiur 484 – Ayin Hara – is it a real thing? Should we be concerned? How does it relate to Rosh Hashana and Tashlich?
How does Ayin Hara work, and what causes it?
Is there a way to proactively protect yourself from an Ayin Hara?
Is there a basis for the hand that people hang up for good luck, the red string or the blue eye?
Does it help to say “bli ayin hara” and Poo Poo Poo?
Are the services that are for hire to remove Ayin Hara legitimate, and how much do they cost?
Host: Ari Wasserman
with Rabbi Dr. Zvi Ron – Maggid Shiur and prolific author – 9:15
with Rabbi Zev Leff – renowned Rav, Posek, Author and Rosh Yeshiva – 33:31
with Rabbi from the Breslov Yeshiva – expert on removing Ayin Hara – 50:06
with Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Brody – Executive Director of Ematai, which deals with end-of-life and morality issues – 1:00:33
מראי מקומות

Sep 13, 2024 • 1h 33min
9/14/24 – Shiur 483 – Do women have a Yeitzer Hara? Does Shmiras Einayim also apply to girls and women? Or, is it only a male problem?
Are the Halachos of Shmiras Einayim more lenient for women than for men, and if so, why?
What’s the big deal about having thoughts, if they are only thoughts?
Is it permitted for a woman to gaze at men?
How – and from what age - should we educate our girls to stay away from inappropriate materials?
Practically speaking, are the schools seeing this Shmiras Einayim problems in the girls?
Host: Ari Wasserman
with Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz – Rabbi of Beis Haknesses of North Woodmere, Head of Semicha at REITS – 10:15
with Mrs. Elisheva Liss – Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, popular lecturer and author https://get-intimate.mykajabi.com/SNS – 31:17
with Rabbi Yisroel Grossberg – Principal and/or Mashgiach Ruchani of three schools, Brooklyn – 59:06
with Dr. Rivka Schwartz – Professional educator and popular lecturer – 59:06
Conclusions and Takeaways – 1:22:02
מראי מקומות

Sep 6, 2024 • 1h 4min
9/7/24 – Shiur 482 – Aliyah L’har Habayis – An Aliya or a Yeridah? | El Al price gouging
El AL Price Gouging
with Mrs. Tzippy Yarom – Noted Israeli Journalist - 1:50
Is there Kedusha on the har Habayis Nowadays?
Can a טמא enter?
Which טמאים can't enter?
Is the Kosel the wall of the עזרה or the הר הבית?
Can you put your fingers into the wall of the Kosel?
Are you a Rodeif if you go up to the Har Habayis?
with Rabbi Shlomo Aviner – Rosh Yeshiva Ateret Kohanim – 37:13
with Rabbi Nachman Kahane – Mechaber Mei Menuchos, Rav Chazon Yecheskel – 46:36
מראי מקומות

Aug 29, 2024 • 1h 33min
8/31/24 – Shiur 481 – Ozempic and weight loss injections – wonder drugs or a failure of our generation?
What causes someone to be unhappy with their looks?
Are our bodies halachically our own, such that we can do what we want with it?
Can we take medications when we don’t understand how they work and when there are serious side effects?
Should weight-loss injections be used only after trying to diet and control eating?
Can we suppress our appetite if it will take away from Oneg Shabbos and Simchas Yom Tov?
If someone uses Ozempic to lose weight while dating, does it need to be disclosed?
Host: Ari Wasserman
with Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner – moreh d'asra of Congregation Eitz Chayim of Dogwood Park – 9:30
with Dr. Diana (Miriam) Isaacs – Endocrine Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Cleveland Clinic – 32:39
with Rabbi Dr. Zev Wiener, MD – Psychiatrist, Rav and Maggid Shiur – 52:45
Conclusion and Takeaways – 1:22:27
מראי מקומות

Aug 22, 2024 • 2h 18min
8/24/24 – Shiur 480 – Is therapy good or bad? Has the mental health industry lost its mind?
Why are people getting psychologically sicker and sicker despite there being more therapists and more mental health awareness?
How does having experienced “trauma” when younger impact one’s Bechirah Chofshis and being responsible for your own actions?
Do therapists focus too much on “trauma”?
Should podcasts, shiurim, etc. have “trigger warnings” to warn those with sensitivities that they should not watch/listen?
Do we need to use someone’s chosen pronouns, even calling a man by “she/her” and a woman by “he/his”?
What criteria should we use for finding a good therapist?
Host: Ari wassermam
with Rabbi Dr. Yitzchak Breitowitz – Renowned posek and Senior Lecturer at Yeshivas Ohr Somayach – 11:42
with Rabbi Dr. Dovid Fox – Dayan, forensic and clinical psychologist, Director of Crisis and Trauma Services for Chai Lifeline – 38:35
with Dr. Shloimie Zimmerman – Renowned psychologist, author of “From Boys to Men” – 1:19:03
Conclusion and Takeaways – 2:08:28
מראי מקומות

Aug 16, 2024 • 1h 19min
8/17/24 – Shiur 479 – Real Estate Syndications: Quick easy buck or risky pot luck
Lacetop Sheitels – Response to callers – 12:47
Is a syndicator who is overly daring or reckless with their clients' money required to use their own funds to compensate for the losses?
What questions should an investor be asking?
with Rabbi Chaim Yosef Perlman, Av Beis Din Beis Aharon – 29:58
with Rabbi Zalman Graus – Renowned Dayan, Toen and Mechaber Seforim – 35:22
with Yitzy Friedman – CEO of TowerFive Real Estate Group – 53:14
with investor – 1:09:17
מראי מקומות

Aug 9, 2024 • 2h 5min
8/10/24 – Shiur 478 – Extremism – What causes Chareidi extremism? Is it a bad thing? What about Hilltop Youth extremism against Arabs?
What causes someone to become an extremist?
Is extremism stronger now than 20-30 years ago?
Are there similarities between Chareidi extremism, the Hilltop Youths and Leftists against Chareidim?
If you don’t agree with a law, can you violate it?
Are there times when extremism is warranted?
Is being OTD another form of extremism? And are there ways to improve the system?
Host: Ari Wasserman
with Rabbi Eliezer Breitowitz – Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshiva Darchei Torah in Toronto – 9:52
with Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer – head of the Iyun Institute, community Rav in Ramot – 29:18
with Dr. Jacob Freedman – noted psychiatrist, speaker and author – 58:19
with Dr. Shlomo Black – psychologist and Research Associate at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) – 58:19
with Nati Rom, Esq. – civil rights attorney representing “Hilltop Youth” and the founder of Lev HaOlam – 1:35:08
Conclusion and Takeaways – 1:52:05
מראי מקומות

Aug 1, 2024 • 1h 11min
8/3/24 – Shiur 477 – Teaching our children about the dangers of camp (and life) | Lacetop Sheitels | Voting in Halacha
Teaching our children about the dangers of camp (and life)
Should you teach or them, or should you shield them from exposure?
with Rabbi Moshe Aharon Kahane – Head of Machon Zichron Kehuna – 15:10
with Rabbi Yaakov Ephraim Forcheimer – Poseik of Lakewood – 15:49
Lacetop Sheitels in Halacha – Erase the Lace or Embrace the Lace?
Is it a new question or an age old Machlokes?
with Rabbi Aharon Sorscher – Renowned Poseik and Magid Shiur – 21:03
with Rebbetzin Rivka Slonim – Director Chabad at Binghamton University, renowned author and lecturer – 45:53
Voting In Halacha
Can you vote for a candidate that’s personally immoral?
Can you vote for a party that supports immoral values?
Can you vote for a party that’s anti Eretz Yisroel?
with Rabbi Yaakov Feitman – Rov of Bais Tzvi Yehuda in Cedarhurst, Prolific author – 54:33
מראי מקומות

Jul 26, 2024 • 2h 25min
7/27/24 – Shiur 476 – What should we think about – and what should we teach our children about – non-Jews and the non-Jewish world?
Rabbi Moshe Walter discusses educating children about non-Jews, balancing separation and kindness, building positive relationships, navigating business interactions, promoting diversity and respect. Guest speakers share experiences with anti-Semitism in the workplace, the importance of self-reflection, and maintaining religious values in daily actions.