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The Twelve Minute Shiur

Freehof Institute

Byte-sized audio learning from the Freehof Institute of Progressive Halakhah

religion & spirituality judaism

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00:12:35

#24 - Should Jews Celebrate Thankgiving?

The Twelve Minute Shiur ·

2022/11/20

Thanksgiving is a beloved (if non-Jewish) holiday for American Jews. So why did the eminent Orthodox posek R. Moshe Feinstein rule that they shouldn't celebrate it? In this installment, we study his argument... and the reason that progressive halakhah disagrees. Download the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/learning, scroll down to the Twelve Minute Shiur.

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00:10:39

#23 - Halakhah and the Regulation of Firearms, Part 2

The Twelve Minute Shiur ·

2022/11/08

In this installment, we read another responsum of Rabbi Hayyim David Halevy on the subject of firearms control. How does halakhah want us to think, talk, and argue about this issue in the public sphere? Download the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/learning, scroll down to the Twelve Minute Shiur.

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00:11:26

#22 - Halakhah and the Regulation of Firearms, Part 1

The Twelve Minute Shiur ·

2022/10/24

Does Jewish law offer any useful guidance to societies facing the issue of the control and regulation of firearms? In this installment and the next, we explore that question by studying two responsa of Rabbi Hayyim David Halevy, who at his death in 1998 served as chief S'fardic rabbi of Tel-Aviv-Yafo. Get the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/learning, scroll down to the Twelve Minute Shiur.

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00:12:54

#21 - The Sukkah: Why Size Matters

The Twelve Minute Shiur ·

2022/10/06

Not too tall, not too small. Among other things, it's about humility.

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00:12:27

#20 - Pikuach Nefesh on Yom Kippur: Loading the Dice

The Twelve Minute Shiur ·

2022/09/28

In deciding whether to break one's fast on Yom Kippur, as with other medical issues, the halakhah tells us to follow the counsel of experts. Except when it doesn't. In this episode we explore how the halakhah makes sure that we always err on the side of life. Source sheet available at www.freehofinstitute.org/learning, scroll down to The Twelve Minute Shiur.

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00:11:54

#19 - Patriotism and the Halakhah, Part 2

The Twelve Minute Shiur ·

2022/09/19

In our last installment, we were left with the question: does Jewish law recognize that we bear a duty of patriotism? Does it oblige us to care for the country in which we live, to work for its welfare, to defend it against attack? In this shiur, we suggest a halakhic basis for patriotism, at least for citizens of democratic societies: the principle of dina d'malkhuta dina, "the law of the state is valid law," acknowledged as such by Jewish legal tradition. Download the source sheet at

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00:11:54

#18 - Patriotism and the Halakhah

The Twelve Minute Shiur ·

2022/08/29

Is it appropriate for a synagogue to display the national flag on its bimah? Does this exalt the flag to the status of Jewish religious symbol? Does this differ from the prayers that Jews have for centuries recited for the welfare of the king/queen/government? And for that matter, does halakhah have anything to say about "patriotism," devotion to the wellbeing of one's country? We definitely won't cover all of that in twelve minutes, but we'll make a start! Get the source sheet at

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00:11:58

#17 - Happy the Elephant and the Halakhah

The Twelve Minute Shiur ·

2022/08/14

Happy is an elephant housed at the Bronx Zoo. She was the subject of a recent court case that dealt with the question: what legal rights - if any - does an animal enjoy? And this got us thinking, naturally, about what Jewish law might have to say about the same question. Get the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/learning, scroll down to The Twelve Minute Shiur.

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00:11:53

#16 - Coercion and Tz'dakah

The Twelve Minute Shiur ·

2022/07/28

In our last few installments, we’ve been talking about the interplay of coercion and consent in the halakhah. In this shi`ur, we’ll take a look at the mitzvah of tz’dakah. It’s a mitzvah that, in theory, the community does not have the power to enforce. The Rabbis, however, were not satisfied with that state of affairs. Download the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/learning, scroll down to the Twelve Minute Shi`ur.

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00:11:35

#15 - Coercion, Consent, Marriage, and Divorce

The Twelve Minute Shiur ·

2022/06/30

In our last two installments, we’ve seen how the concepts of “consent” and “coercion” intersect in the halakhah, particularly in the realm of business transactions. Here in shi`ur number 15 we take a look at how those concepts play out in the traditional halakhah of marriage and divorce. The ancient Rabbis were prepared to utilize coercion, both legal and physical, to rescue wives whose husbands abused the power granted them under Torah law. Would that today’s Orthodox rabbinate might find the

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00:13:14

#14 - Coercion and Consent, Part 2

The Twelve Minute Shiur ·

2022/06/12

"If they hang him from a tree until he agrees to sell - the sale is valid." In our previous shiur, we saw that, according to the halakhah, a person may be coerced into giving their free-will consent (g’mirat da`at) to a binding agreement. Illogical? Unjust? Yes, but maybe realistic, too. In this episode we dig a bit deeper into the psychological, ethical, and even theological elements of this issue.

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00:13:46

#13 - Coercion and Consent

The Twelve Minute Shiur ·

2022/05/31

"If they hang him from a tree until he agrees to sell - the sale is valid." That's absurd, right? Surely our freely-given consent is absolutely required before we take on a legal obligation! Well, that's what we'd like to think. But the halakhah declares that there are times when we are pressured – or coerced – into giving our “consent” to an agreement… and even so, the agreement is binding upon us. Where's the justice in that? This episode begins a series in which we consider that question, the

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00:11:52

#11 - Prayer in Translation: Is It Kosher? Part 4:...

The Twelve Minute Shiur ·

2022/05/02

In this episode, we read a responsum by Rabbi Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg, an eminent 20th-century Orthodox authority, on our question. Weinberg is candid enough to admit that the reformers who introduced vernacular prayer back in the 1800s had a powerful halakhic argument to support then. He indicates, as well, that the Hatam Sofer’s creative halakhic theory forbidding prayer in the vernacular (episode 3 in this series) does not really prove the reformers wrong. But he goes on to forbid the

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00:12:25

#12 - Hallel on Yom Haatzmaut: B'rakhah or Not?

The Twelve Minute Shiur ·

2022/05/02

Do you recite Hallel on Yom Haatzmaut? If so, do you say the b’rakhot? It makes a big difference. To recite a few Psalms is, well, to recite a few Psalms. But to recite them with b’rakhot is to declare that the recitation fulfills a religious obligation and that the day on which we mark Israel’s independence also celebrates an act of Divine redemption for the Jewish people. There's a great deal of theology and politics behind that statement. According to Jewish law, are we entitled - or forbidden -

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00:11:11

#10 - Substitutes for Wine in the Four Cups

The Twelve Minute Shiur ·

2022/04/12

It’s a mitzvah mid’rabbanan, an ordinance of the ancient Rabbis, to drink four cups of wine at the seder on the night of Pesach. But must the four cups contain wine? It’s an important question, obviously, for people who can’t tolerate wine or simply hate its taste. It’s an even more serious question for those, like diabetics and alcoholics, who for serious medical and health reasons must avoid this substance that we call “the symbol of joy.” Does the halakhah permit substitutes for wine in the four

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00:14:18

#9 - Prayer in Translation, Part 3: The Hatam Sofer

The Twelve Minute Shiur ·

2022/04/08

In the first episode of this series, we learned that the classical halakhah, as expressed in the Talmud and the codes (poskim) permits the recitation of the major parts of the worship service in the vernacular, "the language that one understands." In the second episode, we saw that the same is true - technically - for mikra megillah, the reading of the scroll of Esther at Purim. But medieval halakhic authorities objected that since we don't know the precise translation of every word in

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00:12:24

#8 - Prayer in Translation, Part 2

The Twelve Minute Shiur ·

2022/04/04

In shiur #7, we looked at halakhic texts that permit the recitation of the major rubrics of Jewish liturgy (k’riat Sh’ma and t’filah) in “the language that one understands.” In this installment, we trace the halakhah concerning the language of mikra Megillah, the mitzvah to recite/hear the scroll of Esther on Purim. We’ll see that, at least in theory, it is perfectly permissible to fulfill this commandment by reciting a text of Esther written in the vernacular. But in practice… Download the source

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00:12:25

#7 - Prayer in Translation, Part 1

The Twelve Minute Shiur ·

2022/04/04

It's one of the earliest halakhic controversies between the Jewish religious reformers and their opponents. Download the source sheet at https://www.freehofinstitute.org/learning. Scroll down to the Twelve Minute Shiur #7.

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00:11:28

#6 - Must Doctors Always Tell Patients the Truth?

The Twelve Minute Shiur ·

2022/04/04

Must doctors always tell their patients the truth? That’s a complicated question. What does the halakhah say? That’s also a complicated question. For the source sheet, go to https://www.freehofinstitute.org/learning and scroll down to the Twelve Minute Shiur #6.

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00:12:03

#5 - The Kushya of the Beit Yosef

The Twelve Minute Shiur ·

2022/04/04

It’s one of the most famous kushyot (“difficulties”) in halakhic history: why does Hanukkah last for eight days when the miracle of the oil lasted for only seven days? Got a teirutz (an answer)? Compare it with those of our lineup of sages! For the source sheet, go to www.freehofinstitute.org/learning and scroll down to “The Twelve-Minute Shiur,” #5.

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