Our tradition teaches that Joshua imposed a set of t'naim, stipulations or conditions, upon the people before they took possession of the land. Those stipulations suggest a vision of land use that allows for private ownership and for public benefit. Does that vision have anything to teach us in our time?

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It's a mitzvah to rejoice on a festival. And what better way to rejoice than a se`udat yom tov, a festive meal? Does meat have to be on the menu? Many Orthodox Jews say "yes" and that they have the sources to prove it. We're here to say "no," and we've got sources, too. It's a machloket. And not to brag or anything, but we think that our argument is ​more persuasive!

Get the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast

Can you fulfill the mitzvah of n'tilat lulav on Sukkot with a lulav that is stolen?
That is, if you use a stolen lulav, are you yotzei? Do you fulfill your requirement? After all, even if it's stolen, it's still a lulav!
Or does the halakhah refuse to recognize the action on the grounds that you have fulfilled a mitzvah by way of a transgression against the Torah?
In this installment, we consider the legal and the moral aspects of this question.

Download the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast

Who is the better person: the ba`al t'shuvah, the repentant sinner,
or the tzadik gamur, the wholly righteous individual who has never sinned at all?
​You can argue it either way. And - are you surprised? - the tradition does argue it either way!
Plus, there's an element of halakhah that rides on the decision, which is why we talk about it here. Download the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast

The Torah says we are to hear the sound of t`ru'ah on Rosh Hashanah.
What's a t'ru`ah?
Why must it be sounded by a ram's horn?
And how many sounds are we supposed to hear - one? Nine? Thirty? Sixty? 100?
So many questions - can we answer them in twelve minutes?
​We can try!
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Download the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast

The ethics of judges is - unfortunately - a timely subject. So it's a good time to look at some of what the halakhic literature has to say about it. As is often the case, our study may leave us with more questions than answers. But then, asking the right questions is a good first step.

In 1846, the Reform rabbinical conference at Breslau annulled the observance of yom tov sheni shel galuyot, the second festival day traditionally observed by Jews living outside of Eretz Yisrael. How could they simply do away with such an ancient religious practice? Is there any halakhic justification for their action? As those Reform rabbis would have replied (loosely translated from the German): you betcha!

Download the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast.

More on the second festival day, like: why do many Jews still observe it when we no longer have any doubt as to the right date of yom tov? And what about the second day of Rosh Hashanah? It looks, smells, and quacks just like a regular yom tov sheni... but it's not!

Source sheet available at www.freehofinstiute.org/podcast.