Category: Halakha & Modernity

The Birth Control Episode- Joy of Text 3:3

Rabbi Dov Linzer (Posted on December 27, 2017)
From the Lindenbaum Center for Halakhic Studies

IUDs, condoms, the pill, oh my! We break down the pros and cons of these and other common birth control methods and the halachic considerations that render some forms of contraception more acceptable than others. Then we hear from internationally renowned educator Rivkah Slonim, the Chabbad rebbetzin at SUNY Binghamton, about her three decades of teaching Jewish college students about sex and marriage.…

The Holiday Season – What’s A Frum Jew to Do?

by Rabbi Dov Linzer Posted on December 21, 2017

This time of year, during the “holiday season,” many Jews struggle with how to best negotiate our interaction with the society and culture around us. Can we give Christmas or year-end gifts to our paper carrier? Can we go to our company’s holiday party if it is going to be Christmas-themed?…

Forbidden Fruit – Kiddushin 81a-b – Joy of Text 3:2

Rabbi Dov Linzer (Posted on November 14, 2017)
From the Lindenbaum Center for Halakhic Studies

Cautionary tales from the Talmud illustrate the power of sexual temptation to lead even the most revered rabbis astray… But do these stories make too much of desire? Hosts Rabbi Dov Linzer and Dr. Bat Sheva Marcus and moderator Rebecca Honig Friedman discuss a passage from Kiddushin 81a-b.…

Fantasy, Concealing Abuse, Kama Sutra cards and vibrators- Joy of Text 1:1

by Rabbi Dov Linzer Posted on November 10, 2017

Our first episode! We talk about fantasy: is there such thing as a “normal” fantasy? What’s the history of fantasizing in Judaism? What does Jewish law have to say about it? We also interviewed Michael Lesher about his new book on covering up sexual abuse in Orthodox communities.…

Hiding Under the Bed- Joy of Text 1:8

by Rabbi Dov Linzer Posted on November 10, 2017

These sources accompany the (mini) eight episode of the Joy of Text podcast.   Hiding Under the Bed Babylonian Talmud Hagigah (5b)   |    (:תלמוד בבלי מסכת חגיגה (ה אמר רב: אפילו שיחה יתירה שבין איש לאשתו מגידים לו לאדם בשעת מיתה.…

How to Conceive a Baby Boy- Joy of Text 1:10

by Rabbi Dov Linzer Posted on November 10, 2017

These sources accompany the (mini) tenth episode of the Joy of Text podcast.   How to Conceive a Baby Boy Babylonian Talmud, Niddah 31a   |    (.בבלי, נדה דף (לא אמר רבי יצחק אמר רבי אמי: אשה מזרעת תחילה – יולדת זכר, איש מזריע תחילה – יולדת נקבה, שנאמר +ויקרא י”ב+ אשה כי תזריע וילדה זכר.…

They Become One Flesh: Joy of Text 1:12

by Rabbi Dov Linzer Posted on November 10, 2017

These sources accompany the (mini) twelfth episode of the Joy of Text podcast.   They Become One Flesh 1. Breishit 2:24    |    בראשית ב’:כ”ד עַל כֵּן יַעֲזָב אִישׁ אֶת אָבִיו וְאֶת אִמּוֹ וְדָבַק בְּאִשְׁתּוֹ וְהָיוּ לְבָשָׂר אֶחָד: Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be one flesh.…

Steipler on Sex: What Sex and Matzah have in common- Joy of Text 1:14

by Rabbi Dov Linzer Posted on November 10, 2017

What is the real obligation of sex between a husband and wife? These sources accompany the (mini) fourteenth episode of the Joy of Text podcast.   Steipler on Sex: What Sex and Matzah have in common A Letter from the Steipler (Rav Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky 1899-1985)  |    מכתב מהסטייפלר Translated by Rabbi Dov Linzer ב.…

Male Masturbation & How to Stop Shul Sexual Abuse Before It Starts- Joy of Text 1:9

by Rabbi Dov Linzer Posted on November 10, 2017

These sources accompany the ninth episode of the Joy of Text podcast. In this episode: Male Masturbation Yichud for Gay Men and Women   Male Masturbation Sources and Reasons The most often cited source for the prohibition (or condemnation) of masturbation is the story of Er and Onan (hence the word “onanism”).…

What in the World is a Virgin?- Joy of Text 1:4

by Rabbi Dov Linzer Posted on November 10, 2017

Our hosts talk about the meaning of “virginity” in medicine and Jewish law. Then they talk with Dr. Joel Hecker about sexuality and Jewish mysticism. In the Q&A: What happens when the rules about physical intimacy clash with a mother’s postpartum depression?…

The Pornography Episode- Joy of Text 1:6

by Rabbi Dov Linzer Posted on November 10, 2017

In this episode: Can pornography have a place in an observant Jewish life? Plus, a principal talks about his school’s approach to sex ed, and a question about revealing one’s past sexual history. These sources accompany the sixth episode of the Joy of Text podcast.…

The Sex Signals Episode- Joy of Text 2:1

by Rabbi Dov Linzer Posted on November 10, 2017

How can you use your flower arrangements to signal to your partner that you want sex? How does the commandment oftzniut affect women’s sexuality? What sex positions are halakhically permissible? Learn the answers to these questions and more on the first episode of Season Twoof The Joy of Text!…