The teshuva below, which is undated, deals with the question of the recitation of the Nahem prayer on Tisha b’Av, which describes Jerusalem as the city that is “destroyed, disagreed and desolate without her children.” Writing after the Six Day War, Rav HaLevi speaks personally about how difficult it was for him to recite these words, given the sense of joy in the rebuilt Jerusalem under Jewish sovereignty, and how to read the prayer as written would be a violation of “speaking falsehoods before God.”
So – my question to you is – is it permissible according to halakhah to eat the placenta, by chewing it and spitting it out or even swallowing it? I find the idea repulsive; but if I decide that I am willing to do it, may I do so according to halakhah?
In this episode of The Joy of Text: 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.
Our first episode of The Joy of Text! 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. Finally, we respond to a couple of listener questions about Kama Sutra cards and vibrators.
In this episode of the Joy of Text: a discussion of sources about male masturbation in Talmudic contexts and today, plus a discussion of yichud for LGBTQAI+ peoples.
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 Joy of Text is produced by Jewish Public Media and co-sponsored by YCT’s Lindenbaum Center for Halakhic Studies and JOFA, the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance.
How can you use your flower arrangements to signal to your partner that you want sex? How does the commandment of tzniut affect women’s sexuality? What sex positions are halakhically permissible? Learn the answers to these questions and more on the first episode of Season Two of The Joy of Text! In this episode we respond to a listener’s question about wives initiating sex, talk to Yaakov Shapiro about his book, “Halachic Positions: What Judaism Really Says About Passion in the Marital Bed,” and introduce our newest segment of The Joy of the Text – “The Final Word.”
What are the words of the first blessing said under the huppah? Why do we open the wedding ceremony by mentioning the prohibition against arayot? How does this blessing reflect the bond being formed between two individuals under the huppah? Listen to this mini Joy of Text episode to find out!