Orthodox Conundrum

The Orthodox Conundrum is a forum in which we look honestly at the Orthodox Jewish community, identifying what works well and what does not, so that, through an honest accounting, we can find solutions that will be successful. We will examine some of the major issues that affect the Orthodox world, without exaggeration, whitewashing, or pretending that they don’t exist. Our hope is that the Orthodox Conundrum will spark wider discussion that will enable Orthodox Judaism to continue moving forward in the areas at which it excels, and to rectify the areas that need improvement.

Hope, Gratitude, and Faith in a Time of Anxiety, Pain, and Despair, with Dr. Erica Brown (228) 11/25/2024

Hope, Gratitude, and Faith in a Time of Anxiety, Pain, and Despair, with Dr. Erica Brown (228) Every time I speak with Dr. Erica Brown, I come away enriched by her deep thinking and religious and emotional sensitivity. And this conversation, which delves into psychological and theological questions surrounding anxiety, hope, gratitude, and faith, may be our most memorable discussion yet. The Thanksgiving holiday takes place later this week in the United States; three days later, Erica’s newest book, Morning has Broken: Faith After October 7th, will be released. Those two events, along with the continued fighting in Gaza and Lebanon and on other fronts, were the impetus for what I found to be a deeply moving conversation. We talked about how to deal with despair, finding hope in the midst of tragedy, the idea of faith deposits, how grief and pain are sometimes the price of love, learning how to acknowledge God in good times just as we sometimes question where He is when things are difficult, and the difference between optimism and hope. We also talked about having faith in people as well as God, the ways that Israelis and Jews living outside of Israel often misunderstand each other, the pitfalls of unity and why its absence can lead to anger, and much more. I’m so honored that Erica agreed to be a guest on the podcast again, and I am sure that you will find this interview to be emotionally resonant, as I did. Check out Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to . Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at . Check out for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com /episode/index/show/ca13f691-b9be-420f-a20b-b6d1d09222f5/id/34125096

"Just Because It Didn't Happen, Doesn't Mean It Isn't True": Analyzing and Appreciating Aggadah with Gila Fine (227) 11/18/2024

"Just Because It Didn't Happen, Doesn't Mean It Isn't True": Analyzing and Appreciating Aggadah with Gila Fine (227) There was a time not long ago when aggadah - which, broadly speaking, refers to the non-legal passages in the Talmud - was largely ignored; students studying in yeshiva would run through these texts quickly, if at all, using almost all of their mental energy and time thinking through the halachic, or legal passages of the Gemara. While that was likely a successful methodology for most Talmud students in the past, we have witnessed in the 20th and 21st centuries a renewed emphasis on aggadah; and given the fact that Talmud study is far more widespread today than it was in the past, along with an obvious thirst for greater spirituality and a deeper connection with God, this can only be considered a very positive development. At the forefront of the study of aggadah today is my guest, Gila Fine; and she offers a fascinating, compelling, and perhaps controversial view of how we should look at aggadah. Gila said that we may be the first Jews since the days of Chazal who can truly relate to the radical spirit in the aggadah. In her words, “The rabbis were extremely radical… and then, as generally happens, they lose that radical edge; those subversive elements disappear. [Postmodernism] has allowed us to reconnect to a certain radical property of rabbinic storytelling that has gone underappreciated for most of Jewish history.” We discussed how aggadah is a path to knowledge of God; the way that it gives space for outsiders and people who feel burned by Jewish law; the manner in which it is radical and subversive, and offers a chance for rabbinic self-critique; how aggadah is multivocal, allowing in different ideas and positions rather than one consistent voice, and not necessarily trying to resolve that inherent tension; the way that someone learning Talmud should develop an honest relationship with the text; the difference between the way that God is presented in the Bible versus a much lonelier portrayal in the aggadah; whether aggadah should be regarded as fiction and, if so, whether that undermines its authority; and much more. Check out Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to . Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at . Check out for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com /episode/index/show/ca13f691-b9be-420f-a20b-b6d1d09222f5/id/33959147

Chareidi Political Influence in Jewish Life, and Why It Truly Matters: A Conversation with Rabbi David Stav (226) 11/11/2024

Chareidi Political Influence in Jewish Life, and Why It Truly Matters: A Conversation with Rabbi David Stav (226) Over the past two weeks, there has been increasing conversation in Israel among the Religious Zionist community about the continued refusal of many ultra-Orthodox Jews to consider enlisting in the Israeli army. Many of us have been discussing this issue for months or years; but it came to a head in the past couple of weeks largely because of the attempt by the Chareidi political parties in the Knesset to enshrine this exemption through legislation. The most recent attempt was the so-called Daycare Bill, which, if passed, would mean that the status of the father would not be taken into account when determining if a couple is eligible for state subsidies for daycare. This might seem like an obscure bill, but it is understood by almost everyone as a backdoor attempt to effectively legalize draft dodging by the Chareidi population by removing one of the financial disincentives to ignoring a draft notice. The question of Chareidi avoidance of the draft opens up a number of questions about Chareidi political influence on the wider Israeli public. This is obvious in numerous areas, including, most recently, the election of new chief rabbis of the State of Israel. Because the vote for the two chief rabbis is heavily influenced by political factors and by politicians, the Chareidi political parties have a huge influence on who is chief rabbi - more than any other sector - even though, ironically, their communities are largely unaffected by the rabbinate’s authority. There are many other areas where Chareidi political influence is affecting the rest of Israeli society, including kashrut, personal status, marriage and divorce, and conversion. As Rabbi David Stav, the founder of Tzohar, says, the problem is not Chareidi influence; the problem is Chareidim determining the law of the land, while not being bound or affected by the consequences of those laws. This is a serious issue for Jews no matter where they reside - and I was honored to speak to Rabbi Stav about the current situation, and what needs to change. PLUS: A personal editorial comment about the recent election of Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States. Check out Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to . Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at . Check out for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com /episode/index/show/ca13f691-b9be-420f-a20b-b6d1d09222f5/id/33869782

Why Orthodox Jews Should Vote for Trump... Why Orthodox Jews Should Vote for Harris: Two Rabbis Make Their Best Pitch (225) 11/04/2024

Why Orthodox Jews Should Vote for Trump... Why Orthodox Jews Should Vote for Harris: Two Rabbis Make Their Best Pitch (225) With the United States presidential election only hours away, I wanted to offer a supporter of each major presidential candidate the opportunity to explain why Jews in general, and Orthodox Jews in particular, would be better off supporting either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris for president. To that end, I invited two politically involved Orthodox rabbis, Rabbi Pesach Wolicki and Rabbi Benjamin Kelsen, to explain why you should give your vote to their candidate. This is not a debate; I spoke to both of my guests separately, and tried to give each of them a fair chance to make the best case that they could. This resulted in two informative and entertaining conversations. Whether you already have a preferred candidate or not, I think that these interviews will help you better understand what voters on both sides are thinking. Rabbi Pesach Wolicki is a political commentator, podcaster, and a leading voice in the field of Jewish-Christian Relations. His columns appear regularly in the Jerusalem Post and Israel365news.com. His writings have also appeared in Newsweek, Times of Israel, and many other publications. He appears on many Christian and politically conservative shows such as American Family Radio's Middle East Report, Securing America with Frank Gaffney, the Josh Hammer show, and others. Most notably, he is a frequent guest on the Steve Bannon's Warroom, even cohosting an episode with Bannon. Rabbi Benjamin G. Kelsen is an Orthodox Rabbi and practicing attorney. Rabbi Kelsen attended Cardozo School of Law and received ordination to be a rabbi and rabbinical judge from Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS). Rabbi Kelsen is involved with various Jewish communal projects and advocates on behalf of the community and Israel with the Federal and State governments. Rabbi Kelsen is frequently in communication with the White House, State Department, and other departments and agencies as well as various parts of the Israeli government. His articles have appeared in the Times of Israel and other blogs and publications. Check out Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to . Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at . Check out for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com /episode/index/show/ca13f691-b9be-420f-a20b-b6d1d09222f5/id/33766052

The Biggest Desecration of God's Name (224) 10/28/2024

Biblical Criticism, Academic Bible Study, and Orthodox Judaism with Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman (CLASSIC EPISODE) 10/14/2024

Biblical Criticism, Academic Bible Study, and Orthodox Judaism with Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman (CLASSIC EPISODE) As we complete our seventh season of the Orthodox Conundrum, we're pleased to present a classic episode from three years ago, in which Professor Joshua Berman of Bar Ilan University discusses academic Bible study, Biblical criticism, and Orthodox Judaism. It was a very interesting episode, which raised crucial questions that Orthodox Jews need to confront, as well as suggestions of how we should do so effectively. Because we soon complete the annual cycle of Torah readings and begin again in less than two weeks with parashat Bereshit, this is an excellent opportunity to revisit this crucial issue. Some of the most serious challenges to traditional Orthodox faith come from academic approaches to the Bible, including what is generally termed Biblical criticism. The Rambam formulated thirteen principles of faith; his eighth principle is succinctly (though inexactly) summarized in the well known Ani Maamin, which reads: I believe with perfect faith that the entire Torah found currently in our possession is that which was given to Moshe our teacher. And while this is far from a perfect summary of the actual words of the Rambam, it’s close enough to give anyone who has familiarity with both lower and higher Biblical criticism pause. How should a religious Jew relate to academic study of theTorah and the challenges it presents? Are we forced to live with the questions, or are there compelling approaches which defend the traditional view while also being acceptable in the academy? Should a person stay away from these questions, or is the search for truth paramount, even as it may be dangerous? To answer these and other questions, Scott spoke with Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman, Professor of Tanach at Bar Ilan University. Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to . Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at . Check out for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com /episode/index/show/ca13f691-b9be-420f-a20b-b6d1d09222f5/id/33439302

The Day That Never Ended... And What We Can Learn From It, with Rav Chayim Soloveichik (223) 10/07/2024

Gavriel Bloom z"l: A Hero in a Land of Heroes (222) 09/30/2024

Gavriel Bloom z"l: A Hero in a Land of Heroes (222) Later this week we will celebrate Rosh Hashanah, also known as the Day of Remembrance, Yom HaZikaron. According to Chazal, Hashem (so to speak) remembers us on this day for the good… and we, too, should look at those people who set sterling examples for us over the past year, and try to learn from their deeply meaningful lives. One of those people whose life was exemplary was Gavriel Bloom, zichrono livracha. Gavriel was killed on January 8th during a mission in central Gaza. He was the second of David and Jennifer Bloom’s six children. David wrote up a series of remembrances and lessons that we all can learn from Gavriel’s life. This episode begins with David's reading the words that he composed. After that, David and Scott have a conversation about Gavriel. They also delve into some serious and painful social topics, such as the general ultra-Orthodox refusal to serve in the IDF, as well as other very troubling trends involving common Chareidi attitudes towards the people of Israel as a whole. Rosh Hashanah is a time to reflect on the past year - which has unquestionably been one of the most fraught and difficult years that many of us have ever experienced. We are honored that David was generous enough to share his thoughts and memories of Gavriel with us. There could not be a more meaningful way to go into this coming Rosh Hashanah. Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to . Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at . Check out for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com /episode/index/show/ca13f691-b9be-420f-a20b-b6d1d09222f5/id/33250897

Reorganizing the Letters of Reality: A Mystical and Chassidic Approach to Prayer, with Rabbi Dovid'l Weinberg (221) 09/22/2024

Reorganizing the Letters of Reality: A Mystical and Chassidic Approach to Prayer, with Rabbi Dovid'l Weinberg (221) One of the beautiful aspects of Torah Judaism is its insistence on eilu v’eilu divrei Elokim chayim - that two different and even potentially contradictory approaches can both represent the words of the living God. Opening our minds to differing ways of seeing Torah - that, in the words of many ancient texts, there are seventy facets to the Torah, and accordingly endless ways of explaining its ideas - is not merely a theological truth, but also a mandate. By accepting that, in the words of Rav Soloveitchik, “The white light of divinity is always refracted through reality’s ‘dome of many-colored glass,’” we demonstrate the greatness of Torah. In contrast, when we insist that there is only one appropriate way to understand Judaism, we make Torah, Judaism, and even God smaller than they really are. Last week, Scott was honored to interview Rabbi Dr. Raphael Zarum, Dean of the London School of Jewish Studies, to discuss what happens when we pray. The conversation was fascinating and inspiring, and many people reached out to complement Rabbi Zarum on his meaningful and clear presentation. With that in mind, we were excited to record a follow-up episode that offers a different perspective on Jewish prayer. Rabbi Zarum's approach broadly fits within the rationalist tradition of Judaism; his theology is clearly and openly influenced by Maimonides. Scott's guest today, Rabbi Dovid’l Weinberg, has a more mystical, Kabbalistic, and Chassidic point of view. Dovid’l talked about many aspects of prayer, including the fascinating idea that just as God used, according to the Kabbalists, the Hebrew letters in order to create and sustain the universe, those who really know how to pray correctly use those same letters to reorganize the world into something different. That was only one idea among the many concepts, both theoretical and extremely personal, that Dovid’l presented. We hope that by learning about two different yet complementary approaches to tefilah, you will gain a greater appreciation for what prayer is and can be, and perhaps even start to develop your own unique approach that offers you even greater spiritual sustenance. To make a tax deductible donation to provide soldiers with life saving equipment, ; make sure to include "Doniel Pell Sayeret Tzanchanim Unit 20" in your comment. Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to . Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at . Check out for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com /episode/index/show/ca13f691-b9be-420f-a20b-b6d1d09222f5/id/33156362

How Does Prayer Work? A Rationalist Approach to Tefilah, or What Larry David Got Wrong (220) 09/16/2024

How Does Prayer Work? A Rationalist Approach to Tefilah, or What Larry David Got Wrong (220) We stand in the middle of the month of Elul, and are moving quickly towards Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur - days largely spent in the synagogue in prayer. Throughout those days as well as the rest of the Ten Days of Repentance, we ask that God grant us a year of life, goodness, and peace. While we have so much to be thankful for, we may be forgiven for looking at the past year - and the prayers we offered last Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur - and wondering if our prayers failed. We may even wonder what the point of the entire exercise was. Put starkly: does prayer work - and if it does, what does that mean? To understand the place of prayer in Jewish religious consciousness, Scott spoke to Rabbi Dr. Raphael Zarum, who was a popular guest on this podcast right before Pesach. They talked about the definition of prayer, whether it can actually change God’s mind, what it means for a prayer to be successful, why praying for someone else is important, the ways that prayer can teach us about Jewish theology, how prayer can support faith, and more. They even analyzed a scene from the comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm which attacks the very idea of praying for another person, and talked about the response to Larry David’s criticisms of the institution of prayer. Rabbi Zarum’s approach is Maimonidean and rationalist, though he is quick to acknowledge the place of mystical thought and emotions in his own spiritual life. This is a specific approach to prayer, though certainly not the only one; we hope and anticipate that you will find it interesting, important, and inspiring. Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to . Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at . Check out for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com /episode/index/show/ca13f691-b9be-420f-a20b-b6d1d09222f5/id/33057997

"The Gamblification of Everything" - Gambling, Orthodox Jewish Adolescents, and the Big Problem That's Getting Worse (219) 09/09/2024

"The Gamblification of Everything" - Gambling, Orthodox Jewish Adolescents, and the Big Problem That's Getting Worse (219) Many people often talk about addiction and dependence; and in doing so, they may use those terms inexactly. When it comes to gambling, however, those words are, unfortunately, correct. Problem gambling is a growing problem in the United States - particularly online gambling, which has been growing exponentially since the Supreme Court decided, in 2018, that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act violated the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution. This in turn meant that states, rather than the federal government, would determine whether online sports betting would be legal. Since then, 38 states and the District of Columbia have legalized some form of sports betting, and 30 of those states permit online betting. Naturally, there has been an explosion in the amount of money wagered online. According to , $119.84 billion was spent on sports betting in the United States in 2023, a 27.5% increase from 2022. And this is often not innocuous fun. This past February, the Wall Street Journal posted an article by Katherine Sayre entitled, The article told the story of Dr. Kavita Fischer, a former high school valedictorian who recently lost half a million dollars in online betting apps. At one point she even made it all back, going from $750 to $500,000 over six days… and even though logically she knew that she should have stopped then to pay off her massive debts, she simply couldn’t; a day later she had lost almost all of it again. In her words, “There was just something in my brain that made me keep going.” Even more problematic is that the online betting app that she used would entice her to keep going by giving bonus money in order to get her back in when she was on a losing streak. Again in her words, “I would have stopped a long time ago. Those VIP bonuses would get me back in.” The Orthodox world is far from immune to the problems of extreme gambling. In fact, according to Dr. Rivka Schwartz, a higher percentage of Modern Orthodox adolescents gamble than their age equivalents in the general population. We are generally ignoring a problem that is going to grow significantly bigger in the near future, and Scott was honored to speak to Dr. Schwartz to learn more. They talked about the difference between gambling dependence and the so-called addiction to porn or the internet, the history of gambling in the United States and what has changed in the recent past, the data she has accumulated regarding Modern Orthodox high school students and gambling, the problems that parents and educators have in explaining why this is a potential problem, what can be done if someone has a gambling problem and how to determine if someone has developed a gambling addiction, and much more. Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to . Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at . Check out for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com /episode/index/show/ca13f691-b9be-420f-a20b-b6d1d09222f5/id/32961947

Teaching Our Students to be Zionists Rather than "Pro-Israel": A Conversation with Dr. Noam Weissman (218) 09/03/2024

Teaching Our Students to be Zionists Rather than "Pro-Israel": A Conversation with Dr. Noam Weissman (218) Scott recorded this interview with Dr. Noam Weissman on Monday afternoon, the day after we learned about the terrible execution of six hostages soon before they were discovered by the IDF, presumably in order to make sure that they did not make it back home alive. And today, Hamas continued its psychological torture by saying that it will release video of these six victims. The pure, unbridled evil implicit in these acts and so many others is a reminder of the existential battle that Israel is involved in every day against not just an enemy, but an enemy that advocates the elimination of the State of Israel and the extermination of its Jewish population. Alongside this we continue to experience the terrible disconnect that comes from seeing the way that Israel is often treated in standard media, the denunciations of Israel across social media, and the protests denouncing Israel and supporting Hezbollah and Hamas taking place throughout the globe. The side-by-side comparison of our experience as supporters of Israel who are collectively in a type of mourning, and the demonization of Israel as a genocidal state that is the epitome of evil, makes the enterprise of Israel education in our schools more important than ever before. In order to discuss how our schools should be approaching Israel education, Scott was honored to speak with Dr. Noam Weissman. Noam offered some truly fascinating insights into the ways that we should and should not teach about Israel, as well as the consequences of avoiding Israel education altogether. It was an enlightening and entertaining talk, and it may forever change the way you view Israel education. Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to . Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at . Check out for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com /episode/index/show/ca13f691-b9be-420f-a20b-b6d1d09222f5/id/32866172

The Ongoing War, and a Potential Mental Health Crisis in Israel and the Diaspora (217) 08/26/2024

The Ongoing War, and a Potential Mental Health Crisis in Israel and the Diaspora (217) This podcast is being released less than a day after the Israeli army preemptively struck thousands of Hezbollah rocket launchers in Lebanon, doing so just fifteen minutes before those launchers were supposed to fire hundreds of missiles into northern and central Israel. Thank God that as of now, Israel clearly won this exchange. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but for now we can breathe just a bit easier than we did when we first heard the news early this morning. This event, like many others before it, highlights the reality that Israel is a nation that has been experiencing a kind of collective and individual trauma ever since October 7th; and Jews across the world, both because of the rise in antisemitism and because of their deep concern about what’s happening in Israel, have experienced very real trauma, as well. Trauma is not itself a type of mental illness, but it can lead to mental illness - and Jews in general, and Israelis in particular, are at risk of developing PTSD and other mental illnesses as a response to the events of the past year. Many people run the risk of experiencing suicidal ideation, depression, and more - and we need to determine if the medical community has the resources necessary to deal with a potential mental health crisis. Moreover, this also raises important and unavoidable halachic and hashkafic questions for those who diligently follow Jewish law. In order to talk about mental health, including what factors make it a potential crisis, the definition of trauma and PTSD, whether suicide has been on the rise, if any issues are being hidden from the public, the meaning of post traumatic growth, how we can best prevent trauma from blossoming into mental illness, the problem of stigma, and what to do if you suspect that a friend is suffering from mental illness, Scott spoke with Gila Tolub, the Co-Founder and Executive Director of ICAR Collective. Afterwards he had a conversation with Rav Yoni Rosensweig, the founder of Maaglei Nefesh Center for Halacha, Community and Mental Health, about some of the halachic and hashkafic issues that have arisen in the realm of mental health, as a direct consequence of October 7th and the war against Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, and Iran’s other proxies. The interview with Gila Tolub begins at 3:42. The interview with Rav Yoni Rosensweig begins at 52:48. Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to . Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at . Check out for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com /episode/index/show/ca13f691-b9be-420f-a20b-b6d1d09222f5/id/32729182

Is Israel a Light Unto the Nations... And Should It Even Bother Trying? A Conversation with Yossi Klein Halevi (216) 08/19/2024

Is Israel a Light Unto the Nations... And Should It Even Bother Trying? A Conversation with Yossi Klein Halevi (216) The October 7th massacre, and the subsequent war against Hamas, other Iranian proxies like Hezbollah and the Houthis, and Iran itself, have caused many people throughout the Jewish world to reconsider what Israel means to them, and what kind of society Israel should create. Many continually return to the idea that Israel should be a light unto the nations, an Ohr laGoyim, or a Medinah l’Mofet, an exemplary nation and society. Although, given the rampant anti-Israel and antisemitic attitudes that pervade societies across the globe, it is unlikely that many plan on using Israel as a model for their own behavior, we still have a responsibility to do so for ourselves - so that even if other people despise us, we are confident that we are creating the most ethical and moral country on earth. Yossi Klein Halevi, a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, recently composed an article for the Wall Street Journal which offers a somewhat different perspective. The article concludes by arguing that rather than concentrating on being a light to the nations, “For now, in this summer of dread, the urgent question for Israelis is how to be a light to ourselves.” In other words, we need to concentrate primarily on healing the schisms and problems within our own society; if we believe that being a light to the nations is not a goal, but an extant reality, then we are lost. Yossi's opinions about how Israel should move forward are simultaneously disturbing and hopeful - the hallmark, that is, of deep thinking that both acknowledges the reality that we face, and the miraculous and unpredictable presence of God. Join Scott and Yossi for a timely and thought-provoking conversation that all Jews - in Israel and elsewhere - need to hear. Nishmat, the Jeanie Schottenstein Center for Advanced Torah Study for Women, is back with its new semester of Online Beit Midrash learning, starting September 8. Study Talmud, Tanach, Halacha and more with some of the best Torah teachers in Jerusalem - all from the comfort of your home. Classes are open to women of all learning backgrounds. For a full class schedule and registration, go to: Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (). Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to Check out for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com /episode/index/show/ca13f691-b9be-420f-a20b-b6d1d09222f5/id/32625532

Tisha B'Av and Bad Theology: A New View of Megillat Eicha with Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman (CLASSIC EPISODE) 08/11/2024

Tisha B'Av and Bad Theology: A New View of Megillat Eicha with Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman (CLASSIC EPISODE) “What does Eichah have in common with climate change deniers, anti-vaxxers, Holocaust deniers and those that claim that the 2020 presidential elections were stolen?” Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman sent this to Scott, who was intrigued and immediately invited him back onto this podcast to discuss what he meant. More than anything else, we need a way to relate to Megillat Eicha in a world which seems so distant from that described in the book. And even the world described in Eicha is complicated; it’s often hard to make sense of exactly what is being said. There are different voices represented, and they often contradict each other, and themselves. The book seems to go back and forth between blaming the community for its own destruction, and saying that G-d went too far - and sometimes neither, just lamenting how terrible everything is. Maybe the real question is whether there is a theology of Eicha at all, or if it's a book with multiple theologies - some of which border on the heretical. Rabbi Berman developed a novel approach to Eicha, and his reading infuses it with new life. Rabbi Berman believes that Eicha was written to be performed like a play, as a dialogue between the prophet Yirmiyahu and Bat Tzion - a composite character who represents the different voices that were being expressed by the grief-stricken people after the Destruction. Rabbi Berman also sees Eicha as representing a type of therapy session between the author and the people, who need to face realities that they’re refusing to acknowledge even when those realities seem blindingly obvious. And crucially, Rabbi Berman sees Eicha as a corrective to common but shallow theology - a theology that, he believes, remains something that we believe until today. Ultimately, any deep understanding of Judaism and acknowledgement of G-d’s love for Israel isn’t complete without the splash of cold water that Eicha provides. It would be nice to advocate a Jewish theology that ignores the difficult parts of our relationship with Hashem; but it wouldn’t be honest or true. This conversation with Rabbi Berman will not only make Tisha B’Av more meaningful, but will also provide serious food for thought that we can take with us long after Tisha B’Av is over. Nishmat, the Jeanie Schottenstein Center for Advanced Torah Study for Women, is back with its new semester of Online Beit Midrash learning, starting September 8. Study Talmud, Tanach, Halacha and more with some of the best Torah teachers in Jerusalem - all from the comfort of your home. Classes are open to women of all learning backgrounds. For a full class schedule and registration, go to: To order Rabbi Berman’s book on Eicha, go to . Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (). Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to Check out for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com /episode/index/show/ca13f691-b9be-420f-a20b-b6d1d09222f5/id/32530227

Ikar HaDin, Chumra, and Minhag: The Phenomenon of Greater Stringency in the Orthodox World, with Rabbi Shaya Karlinsky (215) 08/05/2024

Ikar HaDin, Chumra, and Minhag: The Phenomenon of Greater Stringency in the Orthodox World, with Rabbi Shaya Karlinsky (215) Sometimes it’s called a move to the right. Other times it is seen as a rejection of lax religiosity. Some people think of it as an admirable commitment to serving God as best as possible. Others decry it as representing an unacceptable change from traditional Jewish practice. All these and more are reactions to the unquestionably real phenomenon of greater stringency in the Orthodox world. Determining whether this is a positive or negative development, however, is not simple. Scott spoke with Rabbi Shaya Karlinsky in order to talk about the concept of chumrot, or stringencies; and Rav Karlinsky offered nuance where it is typically absent. He first insisted upon defining the terms, and understanding the various motivating factors that lead to chumrot. Together they analyzed when this movement should be seen as a positive development, and when and how it can be dangerous or counterproductive. Rav Karlinsky talked about specific categories of stringencies, such as chumrot that lead to leniencies elsewhere, strict behavior which completely misses the larger picture, and stringencies that can be ruinous - but he also discussed many places where chumra is not only welcome, but also an essential part of developing a sense of Ahavat Hashem, love of God. They also talked about minhagim - customs - and how they fit into the larger system of Jewish law, when they are essential and when they can potentially be problematic, and much more. Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to . Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at . Check out for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com /episode/index/show/ca13f691-b9be-420f-a20b-b6d1d09222f5/id/32431512

Arrests and Mob Violence at Sdei Teiman: What Happened, What It Means, and Why It Matters (BONUS EPISODE) 07/30/2024

Can the Glass Ceiling Be Broken? Women's Leadership and Its Limits, with Joanne Greenaway (214) 07/29/2024

Can the Glass Ceiling Be Broken? Women's Leadership and Its Limits, with Joanne Greenaway (214) One of the most difficult issues facing Modern or Centrist Orthodox Jews today is the question of how to increase and encourage the participation of more women in leadership roles, while also working within the halachic parameters that set limits on how extensive those leadership roles are allowed to be. When we add two thousand years of socialization where women’s leadership was quite rare, along with the reality that advanced Torah education for women is a relatively new phenomenon, we should not be surprised that there is a very real glass ceiling that cannot easily be broken. Joanne Greenaway encourages women to assume leadership positions both for their own sake, and for the betterment of the wider Orthodox world. In her role as the Chief Executive of the London School of Jewish Studies, one of the United Kingdom’s oldest and most venerated Jewish institutions, and as the Director of Get Cases at the London Beit Din, she has simultaneously learned how to work within existing institutions, while challenging the status quo when necessary. Joanne and Scott discussed the necessity of diverse leadership in general and female leadership in particular, and addressed the fact that women are necessarily limited by Jewish law in terms of what roles they are allowed to fill, and what titles they are allowed to assume. They also talked about the halachic category of “serara” and how she understands it, how halachic authorities work in tandem with social realities, the problem of women having their motivations questioned, the need for male allies and her hopes for the future. Most apparent, however, was her evident optimism, looking at the many opportunities available rather than at the potential limitations, and believing that the future for Jewish women is bright indeed. Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to . Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at . Check out for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com /episode/index/show/ca13f691-b9be-420f-a20b-b6d1d09222f5/id/32323117

When Reverence Becomes Pseudo-Idolatry: The Phenomenon of Gadol Worship, with Rav Yitzchak Shurin (213) 07/22/2024

When Reverence Becomes Pseudo-Idolatry: The Phenomenon of Gadol Worship, with Rav Yitzchak Shurin (213) For the past two thousand years, Torah observant Jews have acknowledged that our greatest scholars deserve respect, and have an extraordinarily deep and broad understanding of the vast sea of the Torah sheba’al peh, the Oral Law. In recent times, however, proper respect for talmidei chachamim has often morphed into a pseudo-idolatry of gedolim, where they are seen not just as great experts in Torah, but also as oracles who are, for all intents and purposes, close to infallible. There’s no question that most people who ascribe to this kind of “gadol worship” would deny that these scholars are infallible, or that the term gadol worship is appropriate, or that their attitudes towards gedolim are new. But to many of us, it seems apparent that this is an historical anomaly, and a huge change from the way that things used to be - and the consequences are potentially dire. Rav Yitzchak Shurin had a very close relationship with a gadol of the last century - his revered grandfather, Rav Yaakov Kamenetzky zt"l. Rav Shurin has had strong personal relationships with other gedolei Torah as well, and has also witnessed how things have changed over the past half century. There are few people more well-equipped to discuss the phenomenon of over-the-top reverence of gedolim than Rav Shurin, and Scott was honored that he agreed to share his perspectives on today’s podcast. Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to . Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at . Check out for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com /episode/index/show/ca13f691-b9be-420f-a20b-b6d1d09222f5/id/32232762

Nepotism, Greed, Power, and Politics: The Tragic Self-Inflicted Fate of the Israeli Chief Rabbinate (212) 07/15/2024

Nepotism, Greed, Power, and Politics: The Tragic Self-Inflicted Fate of the Israeli Chief Rabbinate (212) 68 years ago, Rav Soloveitchik zt'l identified the timidity of Orthodox Jews as representing a failure to respond to the miracle of renewed Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel. Today, tragically, we seem to have the opposite problem. In 2024, Israel has a religious establishment which has completely lost its sense of shame, and is not only involved in nepotism alongside a lust for money and power, but barely even tries to hide it. To put it bluntly: it’s almost unimaginable that someone would look at the Chief Rabbinate - the most visible arm of Israel’s institutional religious status quo - see its behavior, and be impressed with Torah Judaism. That failure is a textbook example of desecration of the divine name. If God has given us the State of Israel as a miraculous gift, we need to respond to that gift in a way that sanctifies the name of heaven. At the moment, our religious establishment is doing nothing of the sort. And it matters - both to Jews in Israel and to Jews across the world. The decline and fall of the Chief Rabbinate has been especially apparent over the past few weeks, and it’s a story worth talking about - so that maybe, with enough of an outcry, we can help to inspire some change. Rabbi Seth Farber has been working for years to make the Chief Rabbinate live up to Torah ideals, and he has become an expert on its inner workings. It was an honor for Scott to speak with him about the recent events that have taken place, and what needs to be done moving forward. Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to . Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at . Check out for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com /episode/index/show/ca13f691-b9be-420f-a20b-b6d1d09222f5/id/32126082

"Our Faith is in the Question": Teaching Emunah to Our Children, Our Students, and Ourselves, with Rabbi David Aaron (211) 07/08/2024

"Our Faith is in the Question": Teaching Emunah to Our Children, Our Students, and Ourselves, with Rabbi David Aaron (211) This podcast is dedicated לעילוי נשמת אלעזר בן ישראל, a man who accepted the vicissitudes of life with a simple and pure faith. What does it mean to believe in God? This question is absolutely fundamental to Jewish life and living - yet many people feel uncomfortable discussing God at all. In our educational institutions, we often have a broad curriculum that includes subjects such as Talmud, Chumash, Nach, Halacha, and more - but questions in emunah are frequently shunted aside or ignored altogether. On the other hand, even if a school wanted to emphasize a curriculum that gives pride of place to faith in God, what, exactly, would that look like? How shall educators teach faith, or foster faith, in students? How much is faith the result of experience, and what can be taught in a classroom setting? Why do people develop a crisis in faith, and what is the most appropriate way to address it? Are there ways for believers to overcome their doubts, and should they even try? And what is the best way to respond to someone who says that he or she does not believe in God - but they wish that they could? These questions are crucial for any Jewish person, and Scott was honored to speak to Rabbi David Aaron to discuss these questions and many more. Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to . Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at . Check out for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com /episode/index/show/ca13f691-b9be-420f-a20b-b6d1d09222f5/id/32035037

"The Vast Unconscious of the Jewish People": Learning How (and Why) to Learn Midrash with Simi Peters (210) 07/01/2024

"The Vast Unconscious of the Jewish People": Learning How (and Why) to Learn Midrash with Simi Peters (210) When you learn Torah, do you consider yourself to be in dialogue with Chazal? According to Scott's guest, Simi Peters, a key element of learning midrash aggadah is being able to become participants in a conversation that began thousands of years ago and continues today. But in order to do so, we need to become students of midrash: learning how to approach it, understanding both the methodologies Chazal used and why they conveyed their messages in that way, and adopting effective methods in order to interpret midrashim in a manner that enables us to truly engage with the text, so that we accurately interpret the messages that our Sages are trying to transmit. Scott and Simi talked about the definition of midrash and the importance of studying midrashim, why Chazal composed midrashim in the manner that they did, whether Chazal intended for midrashim to be taken literally and to be representative of, so to speak, “what actually happened,” the difference between pshat and drash and parshanut and darshanut, how our Sages understood Biblical language, the different methods Chazal use in midrashim, and more. Additionally, Simi offered methodologies that we can use in order to understand midrashim, and she gave some examples of midrashim and what to look for in order to interpret them properly. Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to . For Zev Brenner's interview with Scott on Talkline Radio go to . Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at . Check out for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com /episode/index/show/ca13f691-b9be-420f-a20b-b6d1d09222f5/id/31948967

Hareidi Messaging in Modern Orthodox Institutions: Are You Aware of What Your Children Are Being Taught? With Rabbi Yitzchak Blau (209) 06/24/2024

Hareidi Messaging in Modern Orthodox Institutions: Are You Aware of What Your Children Are Being Taught? With Rabbi Yitzchak Blau (209) Schools which identify with the Modern Orthodox world and espouse a Centrist Orthodox hashkafa, nevertheless will sometimes hire teachers who profess a Hareidi worldview. In some ways, this is a welcome development; breaking down the barriers that separate our various communities is generally a good thing, and we should be pleased when we discern a willingness to engage Jews with different viewpoints. On the other hand, it often seems that Modern Orthodox institutions are more willing to hire Torah teachers who hail from ultra-Orthodox communities than the other way around. And according to Rabbi Yitzchak Blau, there may be some serious, albeit unintended consequences to this willingness, that Modern Orthodox Jews may find troubling. Rabbi Blau wrote an article in the journal Conversations entitled “The Hareidi Option” where he outlines some of the messages that our children and students may be hearing from their Hareidi teachers and books which most Modern Orthodox Jews would find extremely objectionable. In this episode, Rabbi Blau and Scott talked about the specific messages he believes that Modern Orthodoxy is receiving, and that need to be called out and identified before our students almost unconsciously adopt them. Among the areas they discussed are differing attitudes towards women, Gentiles, secular Jews, the Zionist movement, the Israeli army, divine providence, the role of great Torah scholars, and more. Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to . Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at . Check out for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com /episode/index/show/ca13f691-b9be-420f-a20b-b6d1d09222f5/id/31853592

"A Theology of Distraction": Exploring the Conundrums of Kohelet with Dr. Erica Brown (Originally released on September 26, 2023) 06/17/2024

"A Theology of Distraction": Exploring the Conundrums of Kohelet with Dr. Erica Brown (Originally released on September 26, 2023) (This episode was originally released on Septetmber 26th, 2023, but its message is perhaps even more relevant now, after October 7th and its aftermath, than before. Scott will be back with a new episode next week.) Megilat Kohelet is one of the most difficult books in Tanach: it jumps back and forth between conflicting assumptions, it lacks any obvious narrative or thematic structure, and its statements sometimes seem at odds with what most people would consider standard Rabbinic theology. People didn’t discover these problems today, of course; the Mishnah in Masechet Yadayim questions whether Kohelet was canonized as part of the Bible or not. Moreover, Masechet Shabbat 30b reports in the name of Rav that the Sages wanted to hide Kohelet because of its contradictions; they decided against it because its beginning and end are words of Torah - and as Rashi explains, that means that surely there must be other words of Torah in the middle. Still, the fact that they even considered this tells us that Kohelet was as mysterious to them as it is to us. We read Kohelet on Shabbat chol hamoed of Sukkot - or, in a year like this where there is no Shabbat during chol hamoed, on the first day of Sukkot in Israel, or on Shmini Atzeret outside of Israel. But going through all twelve chapters quickly in shul is not the best way to internalize the many messages of this intriguing book. For that reason, Scott was extremely gratified to welcome Dr. Erica Brown back to the podcast. Erica is the author of Kohelet and the Search for Meaning, and they discussed some of the many questions that are raised by Kohelet. It’s a wide ranging and fascinating conversation that invokes Shlomo HaMelech, the Byrds, C.S. Lewis, William Blake, George Carlin, Sesame Street, and more. It will give you a new appreciation for Kohelet not only as a sacred text, but as a book that speaks directly to the deepest concerns of human beings living in the 21st century. Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (). Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to . Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at . Check out / for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com /episode/index/show/ca13f691-b9be-420f-a20b-b6d1d09222f5/id/31772687

The Revolution in Women's Torah Learning: What We've Achieved, What Still Needs to Happen (208) 06/10/2024

The Revolution in Women's Torah Learning: What We've Achieved, What Still Needs to Happen (208) We’re approaching the holiday of Shavuot, when we celebrate and commemorate the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. The Rambam explains that our belief in Torah and in Moshe is predicated upon the fact that all of us were present at Sinai, where we together heard God talking to Moshe. And we have a longstanding tradition as well that God did not stop speaking once ma’amad Har Sinai was over; in fact, He never stopped speaking at Sinai. What made the revelation 3300 years ago unique was not that God was talking, but that the entire nation heard it. But anyone who wants to access that divine voice, we are told, can do so at any time through the study of Torah. For many years, for various reasons, that divine voice was largely accessible only to men. Women and girls learned what they needed to know in order to build a Jewish home; but textual learning largely remained outside of their purview. Over the past century, that has thankfully changed, and Torah has once again become the possession of both men and women. One of the people responsible for bringing serious Torah study to women is Rabbanit Malke Bina, the founder of Matan. In this episode, Scott spoke to her about the progress that has been achieved in the realm of Torah learning for women, and the progress that still needs to take place. They talked about whether there should be any restrictions on anyone when it comes to what Torah topics to learn; whether titles matter, and if it’s appropriate for women to assume the title of “rabbi”; how she approaches difficult texts; what progress outside of the beit midrash is still necessary for Orthodox women; if people should push for greater women’s Torah learning outside of the Modern Orthodox or dati leumi communities; and more. Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to . One of the main topics that this podcast has addressed over the past eight months has been the future of Religious Zionism, both in Israel and in the Diaspora.. There are numerous visions of what Religious Zionism should be, and understanding the possibilities should be at the very top of the agenda in both the national religious and Modern Orthodox worlds. For that reason, we're excited to invite you to join Scott this Sunday, June 16th at 4:00 PM in Manhattan for a conversation about the future of Religious Zionism. RSVP by writing to for the location address and additional details. Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at . Check out for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com /episode/index/show/ca13f691-b9be-420f-a20b-b6d1d09222f5/id/31666587

Does the IDF Care Enough About the Safety of Its Soldiers? (207) 06/04/2024

Does the IDF Care Enough About the Safety of Its Soldiers? (207) Is the Israeli army taking care of its soldiers? That’s a question with a potentially painful answer. Daniel Mael has helped donate over 13,000 helmets to IDF soldiers, along with thousands of vests and other equipment - and he argues that the army’s behavior in procuring equipment has been nothing less than scandalous. In fact, he claims, the Israeli army knows that its protective equipment is often out of date and faulty, but for whatever reasons continues to provide that flawed equipment to its soldiers. While others (some of whom are cited on the podcast) argue that Daniel is incorrect, it's difficult to question that there have been real and noticeable equipment shortages and problems; there’s enough smoke, in other words, to worry that the fire is real. If Israel’s leaders are going to send our children to the front lines against a vicious enemy, they also have the absolute responsibility to provide them with equipment that will protect them effectively. If they do not, it’s unacceptable - and Jews across the world should demand accountability and answers. Let’s hope that Daniel’s concerns are overblown, or at least that there’s a reasonable explanation for something that’s upsetting regardless. But if he's right, we need an accounting, and we need it today. To find out more about Unit 11741, to donate, or to contact a representative, go to . Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to . One of the main topics that this podcast has addressed over the past eight months has been the future of Religious Zionism, both in Israel and in the Diaspora.. There are numerous visions of what Religious Zionism should be, and understanding the possibilities should be at the very top of the agenda in both the national religious and Modern Orthodox worlds. For that reason, we're excited to invite you to join Scott on Sunday, June 16th at 4:00 PM in Manhattan for a conversation about the future of Religious Zionism. RSVP by writing to for the location address and additional details. Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at . Check out for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com /episode/index/show/ca13f691-b9be-420f-a20b-b6d1d09222f5/id/31584342

Kids Going "Off the Derech": Reasons, Reactions, and Responses, with Rabbi Y.Y. Jacobson (206) 05/27/2024

Kids Going "Off the Derech": Reasons, Reactions, and Responses, with Rabbi Y.Y. Jacobson (206) Just as many young people who are not religious become Orthodox, so do many young Orthodox Jews leave Orthodox practice behind. Colloquially, this is often called being “off the derech” - that is, off “the” way of traditional Torah practice. The phenomenon of Orthodox Jews becoming less classically religious is real, and it’s important to think about why it happens. Is it simply a question of disbelief or doubt regarding dogma? Are there other reasons that we, as parents and educators, should take into account? In what ways are our educational methods to blame, how can we work to reform those problems, and can we fix the well-meaning but mistaken messages that may have been imparted to our children? What can we learn from those who leave Orthodoxy, and do we have a responsibility to try to convince them to come back? How can parents of children who are not shomrei Shabbat avoid the sense of failure, or a belief that their kids have rejected them and everything that they believe? On the other hand, if children seem well-rooted in an Orthodox belief system, is there any reason for concern when they attend secular college or the Israeli army? In order to address these questions, Scott was honored to speak to Rabbi Y.Y. Jacobson. Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to . To read Scott's reflections on his father's life, Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at . Check out for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com /episode/index/show/ca13f691-b9be-420f-a20b-b6d1d09222f5/id/31469162

Tzniut, Integrity, and Leadership: Reframing the Concept of Tzniut, with Rabbi Moshe Simkovich (205) 05/20/2024

Tzniut, Integrity, and Leadership: Reframing the Concept of Tzniut, with Rabbi Moshe Simkovich (205) Any discussion surrounding tzniut (loosely - and, perhaps incorrectly - translated as “modesty") is inevitably fraught with challenges and difficulty. Indeed, there are few topics in Orthodoxy that are as triggering to so many people. Rabbi Moshe Simkovich offers a traditional yet unique approach to tzniut, and he attempts to redefine the concept altogether, moving it further away from quantitative questions about dress and sexuality, and towards a vision that, he says, is more in line with what the word means in Tanach and according to Chazal. In this episode, he explains his innovative approach. Scott and Rabbi Simkovich deliberately kept the discussion away from the typical conversation surrounding tzniut, and instead talked about how it applies to other areas - particularly to questions surrounding leadership. Apart from helping to reframe the definition of tzniut, this also allowed them to analyze why tzniut is an important quality for leaders, how it is potentially manifest in leadership, examples and counterexamples of such leadership, ways to inculcate this quality, why humble leadership is not the same as tzanua leadership, and some clues about how to determine if a potential leader possesses the characteristic of tzniut. When all is said and done, using leadership as an example of tzniut allows all of us to better understand how it can and should be implemented in areas like sexuality and dress, as well. Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to . To read Scott's reflections on his father's life, Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at . Check out for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com /episode/index/show/ca13f691-b9be-420f-a20b-b6d1d09222f5/id/31370607

Shattering a Religious Monopoly Versus Ideological Conformity: The Challenges Facing Religious Zionism Today (204) 05/13/2024

Shattering a Religious Monopoly Versus Ideological Conformity: The Challenges Facing Religious Zionism Today (204) In his classic work Kol Dodi Dofek, Rav Soloveitchik asserts that God’s gift of the State of Israel demands a response. God wants a dialogue where we answer his generosity by using His gifts to make Him present in the world. The major challenge for Religious Zionism, then, is to decide, as best as we can, what that response should be. Does it mean settling every square kilometer of the Land? Does it mean creating a medinah l’mofet, an exemplary society in every way possible? Discovering what this challenge is - and then meeting it - is our responsibility today. That challenge, in fact, is what informs today’s podcast with Yair Ettinger. Yair is a well-known Israeli journalist who has real expertise in the questions and issues surrounding the Religious Zionist world. Scott and Yair delved into the interesting dichotomy that much of the Religious Zionist community in Israel is largely becoming much more open and less reliant upon standard rabbinic authority in its religious practice, while simultaneously becoming more narrowly right wing politically. They also talked about the National Religious political parties today, and whether they authentically represent the bulk of the Religious Zionist population. They looked at the cracks that are appearing in some of the classic Religious Zionist institutions, and the apparent weakening of certain spiritual monopolies that exist. It was a very informative interview, and it offers some important insights into the future of Religious Zionism in the State of Israel. Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to . To read Scott's reflections on his father's life, Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at . Check out for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com /episode/index/show/ca13f691-b9be-420f-a20b-b6d1d09222f5/id/31253347

Remembering My Dad (203) 05/06/2024

Orthodox Conundrum

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