The Q & A with Rabbi Breitowitz Podcast

Dedicated by Ezra Friedberg in honor of Rabbi Breitowitz and Mr. Yaakov Neuberger. Dedication opportunities are available for episodes and series at https://ohr.edu/donate/qa Questions? Comments? podcasts@ohr.edu 00:00 Can one pay ahead of time for a light rail trip right before Shabbos? 01:09 Is shomer negiah dOraisa or dRabbanan? 07:03 Why should we need to return to the place we ate in order to bentsch? 11:37 Is there any preference to using a siddur over using using a phone? 13:42 How strict must we be on speaking words not of Torah? 16:37 What is learned in the Yeshiva in Heaven? 19:56 What are some of the biggest issues in the Jewish world today? 28:08 Is smoking a cigarette worse than using unfiltered internet, or vice versa? 29:39 What is included in kavod haTorah? 35:19 Could the Rav explain R' Moshe Feinstein's position on yishuv Eretz Yisrael? 40:01 Why is the act of learning Torah while doing a mitzvah not considered doing mitzvos in bundles? 42:18 How should one feel about learning secular subjects? 46:56 Is there holiness to mistaken manuscripts and scribal errors? 50:08 Did the Rav's legal education aid his Torah learning? 52:47 Why does the Torah give so many stories of a younger sibling supplanting the firstborn while claiming the firstborn has special rights and abilities? 55:35 How should one answer a well-meaning person asking from antiSemitic assumptions? 1:00:03 What is the actual prohibition of "not Shabbosdig"? 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 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​ 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

This episode is dedicated - in honor of Mendy and Shani. Mazal tov on the new house. It should be a place of joy, tranquility and chesed. 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 How would the Rambam understand the commandments about death after techiyas hameisim, given his position that no commandment will be annulled? 02:40 What did Levi himself do to earn his tribe's position? 04:55 Can one host a wedding at a Conservative venue? 08:56 Why didn't Aaron get tzaraas if listening to lashon hara is worse than speaking it? 12:31 Is it permitted to donate a car to a Jew if it is known that they will drive it on Shabbat? 16:42 Is there a halachic basis for reading the haftarah from the side of the bimah? 18:32 Is there a halachic minimum wage and what might its rules be? 21:18 Can one take advantage of a discount via deception if there is no explicit lie? 27:22 How does one always have Hashem in front of him? 34:06 When a halacha sefer praises those who are machmir on something, does one get more praise if one takes the chumrah even further? 39:53 Can one read their "echad targum" in their mother tongue? 44:09 Can one clap on Shabbat? 46:35 Why do only Temanim still have a meturgaman? 50:55 Why don't we choose one halachic opinion anymore? Is it a result of the Mishnah Berurah? 58:00 Why learn minyan from the spies, and why is asking for water a nisayon? 1:04:22 Is the kollel-style family roles the ideal? 1:11:12 Does a cohen have an obligation to join a minyan if the minyan has none for bircas kohanim? 1:17:09 Can one make kiddush early for someone else and still not bring in Shabbat for oneself until later? 1:20:14 Can DNA testing be admissible evidence in Beis Din? 1:23:41 If we don't accept human evolution, can we still call ourselves "primates"? 1:28:01 Why would Bnei Yisrael in the desert "prefer" Egypt, so to speak? 1:32:47 If the aron in a shul is not directed toward Har Habayis, can one reposition himself apart from the crowd? 1:35:40 Is there an obligation to remove a tattoo? Is it preferable? 1:39:16 Why is there a difference between a man marrying his aunt and a woman marrying her uncle? 1:40:55 Is Tehillim praising David? What is its significance? 1:44:39 Follow-up on prayers starting with a vav. 1:45:13 Why does the punishment for the spies have an upper limit of 60 years old? 1:48:42 Why do many smart people disbelieve if it's so obvious? 1:53:08 What is the origin of segulos? 1:56:19 How does one know if they're moving too slow or too fast in growing in Torah? 2:00:09 What does Rashi mean by seeing the gematria in the object of the tzitzis? 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​ 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

Dedicated in honor of hayeled Meir ben Yeshaya Dovid. He should be zoche lyiKoneis ltorah lchupah lmaasim tovim and be a source of nachas for the family and klal yisrael. 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 the point of Yonatan ben Uzziel's retort to the bas kol in Megillah? 10:33 What are the origins of Modim dRabbanan and Al Tira after Aleinu? 20:31 What parts of the body can a man shave? 24:54 What's wrong with weibersche kashyos? 30:16 How do we balance emotions and intellect? 43:51 According to Rambam, shouldn't Joshua have to accept peace from the Gibeonites even if they didn't disguise themselves? 50:27 Can one torrent movies/books? Is there a difference if the books are seforim? 55:19 Should one who is depressed read Shaarei Teshuva or Mesillas Yesharim? How does one balance mussar from negative and from positive emotions? 1:03:22 What is the ideal state of women according to Chazal? 1:09:31 Do the laws of the land override the laws of the Torah? 1:11:40 Why do some blessings in the Amidah begin with a vav? 1:13:13 Why don't all Jews wear long peyos? 1:14:52 Should we discuss the issues of pornography or try to silence the urges by not discussing it? 1:20:10 What do we do when we see religious Jews behaving with poor middos? 1:24:01 Should one go to a funeral if he's learning Torah? 1:26:10 Can a person go to the mikvah on Shabbos? 1:27:35 What does it mean that the moon is joyous to do the will of Hashem and the Yam Suf was reluctant to split? 1:30:47 How does one balance the fear and love that one is supposed to feel while praying? 1:33:19 Could the Rav speak a bit about R' Gershon Edelstein zt"l? 1:35:43 How should one prevent his biases from getting in the way? 1:37:30 What do the words "tzur" and "magen" mean as a reference to Hashem? 1:40:52 The Amoraim knew Kabbalah, but if it was left out, how could the poskim reincorporate it? 1:42:44 How can one regret the bad choices that led to good middos? 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 in honor of Rav Breitowitz, Yeshivas Ohr Somayach and its Talmidim. 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 Do the advances in agricultural technology make peah, leket, and other laws obsolete? 05:16 Why is there an association between the sky and Hashem's residence? 07:51 If a cohen with a defect got plastic surgery, would he be allowed to serve in the Temple? 11:14 Can one use a peeler or apple corer on Shabbos? 14:38 How could Shmaya and Avtalyon be on the Sanhedrin if they were converts? 19:07 Do those from chutz l'aretz in Israel read along with chutz l'aretz or along with Israel? 21:00 Chazal and even the Rambam assert the existence of an animal that grows from the ground. Does it still exist, or do we reject this instance of spontaneous generation? 32:13 Are demons a superstition or must we worry about them? 38:35 How can we reconcile Rav Shach and the Lubavitcher Rebbe? 42:12 Is there any way to drum on the table during Shabbos? 44:57 In Nishmas, does "kol yitzurim" imply that non-Jews should say tehillim? 49:40 How do gedolim have supernatural knowledge of secular subjects or personal affairs if there is no nevua today? 54:36 Why do those in chutz l'aretz keep two days of Shavuos? 1:00:06 Is there a problem with buying from Angel's Bakery? And is there a problem with using Sefaria since they just added a gender-neutral translation? 1:08:47 Why are the words for village and for heretic so similar? 1:12:42 Can one attend a wedding wherein one member converted via a non-halachic conversion? 1:18:10 How can one avoid being influenced by vitriolic discourse against secular Jews? What should one think about them instead? 1:23:51 There was an article using poskim to justify cross-dressing. How do we understand this possibility? 1:26:11 Is there an argument to convince a secular Jew that the actions of the ancestors obligate the descendants? 1:29:39 Can a cohen contract tumah via an organ transplant? 1:30:37 Can one make additions in the middle section of the Amidah? 1:36:02 How does one prevent oneself being influenced by repetitive espousals of anti-Jewish rhetoric? 1:39:13 By learning, could one be strengthening one's bad parts? 1:43:40 Would it be allowed for a religious Jew to join ARC, the new movement by Jordan Peterson? 1:46:34 How can we trust and learn from non-Jews if their goals are not aligned with ours? 1:48:42 How is the gadol hador chosen? 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​ 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

This episode is Dedicated in honor of Rav Breitowitz, Yeshivas Ohr Somayach and its Talmidim. 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 Must a baal teshuva regret things in his past that helped him grow as a person? 13:29 Is setting up two secular Jews together a good thing, since it curbs assimilation, or a bad thing, since they're likely not keeping niddah? 18:49 Is it possible that the Lubavitcher Rebbe was Moshiach? 26:16 Can we overturn a halacha if its basis was discovered to be a printing error? 30:18 How important is logic when understanding the will of Hashem? 32:58 Can someone with AIDS get married? 38:12 How could the Tanach say to test Hashem via maaser if it's impossible to test? 42:59 How should one relate to their in-laws? 47:00 Why is the yeshiva system so focused on lamdus? 59:03 What is the difference between the Satan and the yezter hara? And why is the Satan fooled by the shofar every year? 1:02:42 Why is it not considered tznius to drink from a bottle? 1:07:09 Why are 100 women only like 2 men regarding zimun? 1:12:46 What changed with the etz hadaas? And what is the purpose of the pre-fruit world? 1:17:09 Why do some tuck the knots of the tzitzis and others don't? 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​ 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

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