After learning about green burials and mushroom death suits, I’m wondering about halakhic implications of such burials. It seems to me that such methods for burial uphold the charge to go up to the dust even better than traditional burial where the body r

I was recently at a sporting event where the line to exit the bathroom took close to five minutes. How long following an action or event requiring a berakhah can you still make the berakhah? How does one behave while waiting for the opportunity if you are

If I spend Passover with family members who don't kasher their kitchens for the holiday can I eat kosher for Passover food from their pots or dishes? Is there room for leniency because they're my family? What if my roommates want to use non-kosh

Can I use ingredients like spices, pure dried fruit, oil, or nut butter, without Passover certification on Passover? Are there ingredients you can use without a certification?Have a question you'd like answered on Responsa Radio? Email us at responsa

It is common in some shuls for the family of the Bnei Mitzvah to say Shehehiyyanu at some point during the Shabbat service. What is the function of Shehehiyyanu in this context?Have a question you'd like answered on Responsa Radio? Email us at respon

On a previous episode (Can You Make Seltzer on Shabbat? Responsa Radio #80), you mentioned that there is room to be lenient on the rules of food preparation when welcoming guests on Shabbat. Is that the really the case? If so, what are the limits?Have a q

The Shema is one of the most important prayers in Judaism, which is supposed to be recited when we go to sleep and when we wake up. But it's also part of the liturgy for morning and evening prayers. Which is more important? How many times a day shoul

As a veterinary technology student, I'm struggling with ethics of the use of animals in biomedical research. How does the halakhic concept of avoiding pain experienced by living things - tza'ar ba'alei hayyim - inform the treatment of anim

Content warning: this episode discusses suicide.As an oncologist, I am often asked for guidance as patients approach end-of-life. To what extent am I obligated to encourage patients to continue life-prolonging treatment? How much does their quality of lif

I recently heard the idea that if the reason behind a rabbinic ruling (gezeirah) becomes irrelevant, because the surrounding factors are no longer applicable, the decree no longer applies. This sounds like it could undermine a lot of halakhah in modern ti