602 Ari Wasserman - Halacha Headlines

Rabbi Ari Wasserman

04/18/24 - SHIUR 465 (12,204 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Achdus – does “Achdus” mean I am supposed to embrace Jews I really don’t agree with?

Is Achdus a Halachic imperative, a Hashkafic concept or something else?
What’s the definition of “Achdus”? Is it different from “Kiruv”?
Can we outwardly express our disagreements?
Should we look to have Achdus with groups and movements of Jews who have values that are antithetical to Torah?

04/11/24 - SHIUR 464 (19,596 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Pesach – Great Divrei Torah for your Seder and beyond. Plus, lessons for today from Lavan’s attempt to destroy K’lal Yisroel

What’s your favorite Pesach Devar Torah?
Is there something unique you do at your seder?
What do you do to prepare for Pesach?
Is there something memorable that has happened to you at a seder?

03/28/24 - SHIUR 462 (22,388 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

What are our “Yeshiva bochers” struggling with nowadays?

What are the biggest challenges, struggles and difficulties confronting our boys today?
How do those challenges differ from those of the girls?
What impact are technology and alcohol consumption having on the boys?
Should Gemara be the focus of yeshiva learning?
What’s holding the boys back from performing at their best?

03/21/24 - SHIUR 461 (20,852 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Everyone should be a shadchan – how to set up a shidduch

Should each of us be setting up Shidduchim?
What are the biggest challenges and difficulties?
Is the “shadchanus” fee only paid to a professional Shadchan, or even to beginners?
What does the Shadchan need to do to earn the fee?
Can you set up two non-observant Jews? One frum and one not frum? Two non-Jews?
What advice do professional Shadchanim have for amateurs?

02/29/24 - SHIUR 458 (25,280 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Frum on the outside and empty on the inside – why are some of our best girls struggling with Yiddishkite?

What are the biggest challenges, struggles and difficulties confronting our girls today?
How have things changed over the years?
Should money be given to children if they will use it for the wrong purposes?
What’s the impact that technology/smartphones/social media is having on the girls?
What solutions do we have to inspire girls today?

02/22/24 - SHIUR 457 (23,016 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Avoiding the #1 reason for divorce – how to stay connected with your spouse and not drift apart

What are the halachic obligations spouses have to each other?
How does a relationship change over the course of a marriage?
Are there differences in how to stay connected at the beginning of marriage, in the middle and later in life?
What causes spouses to disconnect from each other?
Can you reconnect once you have already disconnected?
What’s the impact of social media on marriages?

02/08/24 - SHIUR 454 (23,356 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Getting over our fears – in dating, marriage, religious observance, of failure and more

What are the most common fears that people have?
How do we get over those fears?
What is “Jewish Mindfulness” and how can it help?
What are the most common fears in dating and marriage?
Can anxiety or OCD ever make a person patur from mitzvos?
Is it permitted to take experimental/homeopathic/Chinese medication treatments?

02/01/24 - SHIUR 454 (25,834 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Raising unspoiled children in a spoiled world

How much should parents do for their children?
What are parents’ financial obligations to their children? Is there a maximum?
What causes a child to be spoiled?
Is it detrimental to grow up with less than your peers?
Do we need to treat all of our own children the same when buying them items?
What are the implications of having a spoiled child when they grow up?

01/18/24 - SHIUR 452 (19,852 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Dealing with traumatic times – how to dig out of a rut

What’s currently causing us the most trauma? The war? The captives? Antisemitism? Something else?
What’s the implication of not getting a body back from Hamas, and therefore no Kevura and no closure?
Is hearing the news and looking at war images helpful or hurtful?
How are students from out of Israel who are studying in Yeshivos and Seminaries in Israel handling the war?
How can we turn our current plight into a growth opportunity?
Will we have “Post-Traumatic Stress” or “Post-Traumatic Growth” from the war?

01/11/24 - SHIUR 451 (20,008 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

What’s really going on in the Gaza battlefield. In Memory of Yakir and David HY”D – “Chavrusas in life, Chavrusas in death, Chavrusas in Olam Habah”

How to handle the stress of having a close relative fighting in Gaza and the loss of a loved one killed in battle.
Is there a halachic requirement that the IDF bury dead Hamas terrorists? Other Gazans?
What are the IDF soldiers experiencing? What about their parents, wives, and close friends?
Is it okay for soldiers to use the homes of Gazans without consent? Can soldiers use the food of Gazans left in their pantries and cook in their pots?
What are some of the unique halachic questions being asked by soldiers, their wives, and their families?

12/28/23 - SHIUR 449 (27,898 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Of course there should be Hakaras Hatov to the IDF soldiers. A response to a small minority who think otherwise. Does Torah-learning fully protect us, or is an army necessary?

Is Hakaras Hatov a halachic requirement, or just a nice thing to do?
Do we just feel gratitude, or do we need to say “thank you” or more?
Historically, did the Gedolim show Hakaras Hatov towards the soldiers of the IDF?
Why have a few Roshei Yeshiva said they are concerned about showing gratitude?
If Torah learning protects, why does Israel need an army?
Does the Israeli army enable those in Yeshiva to learn? Do those learning in Yeshiva enable the army to have military success?

12/21/23 - SHIUR 448 (26,380 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Is Israel an “occupier” of Palestinian land? Who owns “from the River to the Sea”?

Is there such a thing as the country of “Palestine”?
What are the halachic borders of Israel?
Is it mutar to give the Gaza Strip back now that Israel has retaken possession of it?
Is there a mitzvah to be buried in Israel? To make Aliyah? To exhume a body to Israel?
What does international law say about the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Golan Heights?

11/30/23 - SHIUR 445 (26,958 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Is “Zionism” a bad word? Where do Satmar and Neturei Karta disagree?

What’s the original Samtar Rav’s argument against the State of Israel?
Has the concept and definition of Zionism changed over time, and what does it mean today?
How are Satmar and Neturei Karta similar, and how do they differ?
Is there a prohibition of publicly going against the consensus view of Klal Yisrael?

11/09/23 - SHIUR 442 (25,234 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Antisemitism at Harvard and elite universities – how could such smart people be so stupid?

Where did all of the antisemitism on university campuses come from?
Should it be a concern to our community? Can anything be done?
If a student is feeling threatened, when can he take off his Kippah? Tuck Tzitzis in? Remove a Mezuzah from his front door?
What did Chazal mean when they said that it’s a “halacha” that Esav hates Yaakov?
Are there any halachic or hashkafic reasons to counter-protest?

10/19/23 - SHIUR 439 (27,286 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Israel at War – Halachos of warfare, “collateral damage,” prisoner swaps, refusing medical treatment to terrorists, and much more

Sign up here to learn Mishnayos (בלי נדר) for the soldiers, injured and captives, by the 10th of Kislev, November 23rd
Mishnayos audios available here

Do we need to worry about “collateral damage” when bombing Gaza?
Can a Jewish doctor refuse to treat an injured terrorist?
What does halacha say about having a death sentence for terrorists?
Are prisoner swaps permitted, if Israel exchanges many more prisoners than it receives?
How can we process the trauma we are experiencing?
What can we do to be there for families directly affected?

09/14/23 - SHIUR 436 (25,552 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Making 5784 into “THE YEAR”

What’s your favorite Yamim Noraim devar Torah?
What’s your advice for improving ourselves?
What’s worked for you?

08/24/23 - SHIUR 433 (25,622 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Conflict in marriage – how to fight effectively

Are there Halachos on how spouses should engage in conflict?
Do men and women fight differently?
What are the top 3 things men complain about regarding their wives and vice versa?
Should conflict be avoided or embraced?
What are effective methods to deal with conflicts?

08/03/23 - SHIUR 430 (31,148 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

LGBTQ+ and “Pride Parades” – How is it impacting us? Should we explain it to our children?

How should I react when the “Pride Parade” goes by my home in Yerushalayim?
How should I explain the rainbow flag to my 10-year-old?
Are we being influenced by secular values? If so, how are we seeing those influences?
How do we strengthen our own values?
Is being active in the rainbow movement worse than Chilul Shabbos?
Is it a chilul Hashem to go against the “enlightened” values of secular society?

07/13/23 - SHIUR 427 (29,078 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Women Singers – Is it preferable that women attend a performance by a male or female singer?

Is there a prohibition of Histaklus of a woman staring at a man performing? What about “Kol Ish” in hearing a man sing?
Is there a problem posting videos of women singing online? Does a “Kol Isha Warning” help?
Do female performances not reflect “yiddishe values”?
Where do we draw the line of Tznius in public?

06/22/23 - SHIUR 424 (28,624 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Segulos – Do they really work? Are they mutar and advisable or ineffective and prohibited?

How do we judge if a segulah is valid or not?
Is the $1 given out by the Lubavitcher Rebbe meant as a segulah?
Are the red bendel (bracelet) and Schlissel Challah actual segulos or prohibited?
Is buying Kol Hanearim, Maftir Yona or Pesicha for Neilah effective?
Are there any valid segulos for parnassah, shidduchim, health, Shalom Bayis and great children?
How do fake segulos catch on? 

06/01/23 - SHIUR 421 (22,488 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

“Living the Dream” – Spending Beyond Our Means

Why do people spend when they can’t afford to? Is it mutar to do so?
What’s the concept of “keeping up with the Joneses”?
What should we spend on and what should we not spend on?
Is there a problem flaunting your perceived wealth? Posting it on social media?|
How do you raise kids without their thinking they are underprivileged?
For a wealthy person, is there any reason they should limit their spending?
Does money buy happiness?

05/04/23 - SHIUR 418 (25,778 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

What’s Shana Rishona about? Should it be spent in Ramat Eshkol/Yerushlayim on the parents’ tab?

What’s the source and reason for having a Shana Rishona?
What are the halachic requirements? How should the year be spent?
What are common issues that come up?
What preparation can be done to make a Shana Rishona easier?
What are the basic halachos of kavod to in-laws? What should in-laws be called?
How does a new Kallah properly interact with her new brothers-in-law?
How does a new Chosson interact with his sisters-in-law?

04/14/23 - SHIUR 415 (22,544 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Is it good or bad that many young men don’t have a “plan” for parnassah? Should they have one?

Should young men in yeshiva develop a plan for parnassa? If so, when?
Does having a parnassa plan also apply to those going into teaching and rabbanus?
Is “I want to learn” enough of a plan?
Does having a plan apply to young women?
Do girls in shidduchim ever ask “does he have a plan”?
Do boys in shidduchim ask: “does she have a plan for supporting a family” or “does her family have money”?

03/16/23 - SHIUR 412 (22,900 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

What makes for Effective Dating?

Is it okay to date two pepole at the same time?
Can you test your date’s middos, and if so, to what extent?
What should be the goal of dating?
What is the most important thing for a person to do when dating? Is love necessary?
Is choosing from pictures and photo albums/catalogs effective in choosing who to date?
What are current trends in dating? What types of singles events are being held?
Are friends helpful or hurtful in getting dating advice?

02/24/23 - SHIUR 409 (23,224 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Is there any reason to wear a HAT for davening anymore? Does a YARMULKE suffice? Why are only chasidim wearing GARTELS?

Is a Kippa enough for davening? For Kiddush and Bentching?
Do secular styles impact what we wear and the halacha?
What if your parents don’t want you to wear a hat?
What if your parents want the hat and you don’t?
Did Chasidish garb and the black stripes on our Taleisim come from the non-Jews?
Minyan without a hat or daven be’ye’chidus with the hat?
Should women wear hats for davening as well?

02/02/23 - SHIUR 406 (18,212 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Is Kovea Ittim only for the wealthy and brilliant?

What gets people to stick with their learning after many years?
What’s a valid reason to miss your Kevius?
Does someone who gets paid for learning or teaching additionally need to be Kovea Ittim?
Can the Kevius change over time, like when more children are born?
What if a wife needs her husband during his learning?
Do you need to lose business/clients as a result of your learning?
Should you answer calls from clients or your boss during learning?

01/12/23 - SHIUR 403 (17,542 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Does yeshiva prepare us for life-after-yeshiva? Should it?

What preparation is necessary to leave yeshiva/kollel and start working?
What skills do yeshiva graduates say would be helpful?
What should a yeshiva consider as its goals and responsibilities towards it’s talmidim?
How do you decide on an occupation?
Should you study a trade or go straight into business?
What are the primary challenges we need to be ready for nowadays?

12/22/22 - SHIUR 400 (18,292 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Drug and alcohol use in our high schools – how big a problem is it? What can be done?

Is there something halachically wrong with using drugs? Alcohol? Vaping?
Can you tell on a classmate who is using drugs or alcohol?
What are the trends of drug and alcohol use in our high schools?
How are teenagers able to afford and access drugs?
Are we better – or worse – than secular society?
What can be done by parents and the schools?

12/02/22 - SHIUR 397 (22,068 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Abuse and Abuse Coverups in Our Communities

Should a Rabbi meet in his office with a woman?
What’s enough proof to start warning other women? Do recordings suffice?
When do we go to the police?
When do we keep abuse quiet and when do we publicize the dangers?
What’s going on in the head of an abuser? Is he not worried about getting caught?
Why would followers of a Rabbi coverup his abuses?

11/10/22 - SHIUR 394 (21,890 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

“Being in the box” – have we made the “box” into a coffin? Is “the derech” too narrow?

What’s the definition of being on the “derech” and “in-the-box”?
How have those definitions changed over time?
Is the “derech” too narrow and the “box” too confining?
Does being “out-of-the box” violate Halacha or just societal expectations and norms?
Are there halachic requirements to: wear white shirts and black pants, always wear a hat, go into certain occupations, not play sports and music?

10/19/22 - SHIUR 391 (20,970 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Do we need to be a shmata when dealing with difficult people?

What are some strategies and tactics for dealing with difficult people?
Can you reciprocate the negativity?
What if it’s your boss, Rabbi, Rosh Yeshiva or spouse?
When does the prohibition of hating someone apply? What if he earned the hatred? 
Do people get crankier when they get older?
How can someone tell if they are a difficult person?

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Rabbi Elyada Goldvicht – Upcoming Semichas Chaver Events
NY and Baltimore event
Florida event

09/19/22 - SHIUR 388 (19,182 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Quick Retirements – Should it be our goal to retire as quickly as possible? Is retirement a good idea?

Do you need to stop working when you have enough money to learn full time?
How should a wife handle the husband being around? What’s the impact on the children?
What happens when the husband traifs up the kitchen preparing his own lunch?
How much money do you need to save to retire?
When do you need to start planning for it?
What’s the impact of retirement on our health and memory?

08/25/22 - SHIUR 385 (17,742 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Back to School – Do we need to adhere to all school rules? If we don’t, can we sign the school handbook?

What is the purpose of having a school handbook?
Should the rules be realistic, or the ideal (but unrealistic) hopes of the school?
Can parents lie about not having internet, texting, smartphones, etc.?
What percentage of families violate school rules?
Why would a school have parents/students sign the handbook?

08/04/22 - SHIUR 382 (16,688 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Parenting – What makes “successful” children? What are common mistakes which should be avoided?

What are the most important character traits we should teach our children?
What’s the main challenge in raising children?
How do we teach kids how to wake up, and generally be independent?
How about to be compassionate and caring people?
How has parenting changed over the past 30 years?

07/08/22 - SHIUR 378 (24,248 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

What should a wife do if she simply has had it with her husband? Plus, revisiting the “Surrendered Wife” and responding to those who complained about the earlier show

Are friends a replacement for a therapist?
What’s appropriate to discuss with friends, and what’s not?
How should a wife handle when her husband lives a lifestyle she does not approve of?
How should the husband handle his wife “being on his case”?
Can a non-Jewish book be used for Shalom Bayis?
Is there a Torah hashkafa in how to handle Shalom Bayis issues?
What if the wife is the problem?

06/16/22 - SHIUR 375 (25,398 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

“Off MY Derech” (but still “On THE Derech”) – When children turn out more observant – or less observant – than their parents had hoped

What are the major areas of tension between parents and children regarding religious observance?
How should the issues be handled by both parent and child?
Are there differences between baalei tshuvah, modern orthodox and yeshivish in this regard?
Does Kibud Av Ve’eim mean that the child needs to fulfill the desires of the parents, even when the child disagrees?
Must children eat by parents when the children have stricter standards of Kashrus?
Can parents eat by children who have laxer standards?

05/26/22 - SHIUR 372 (33,894 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Is tznius dressing all about insuring the men don’t look? Does overly strict enforcement in schools cause trauma for years to come?

Should a man/Rabbi teach tznius to girls?
Is it true that “Tzinus for women is just like Torah learning for men”?
What are the consequences of tznius PTSD on the girl, her family and her Avodas HaShem?
What’s the impact of social media and frum print media on how girls and women dress?
What are we doing right? What are we doing wrong? How can we improve?

05/07/22 - SHIUR 369 (31,052 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

What makes a successful marriage? What are common mistakes that should be avoided?

What’s the most important ingredient to have a successful marriage?
What are significant issues that are easy to resolve? What are some common mistakes that spouses make?
What can boys and girls in Shidduchim – or even earlier – do to prepare for a successful marriage?
What should be done when a couple hits turbulence during marriage?
How to handle disagreements over: money, having additional children, conflicting minhagim, where to send kids to school and more

04/09/22 - SHIUR 366 (24,734 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Advertising by Tzedakah Organizations: Promises of health, nachas, shidduchim and parnassah – false advertising or needed yeshuos?

Do the halachos and secular laws regarding false advertising apply to organizations raising tzedakah?
Are promises by the charity a permitted form of advertising?
Should a charity require a minimum payment in order to get a beracha?
Is it better to daven for yourself, or have someone else daven for you?
Do the ends justify the means? Can puffery/manipulation be used in ads for the purpose of raising tzedakah for the genuinely needy?

03/12/22 - SHIUR 363 (33,740 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Tznius for men – skin-tight pants, bicycle clothing, blue shirts, colorful socks and more

Why do women get hammered to dress modestly, while some men walk around with tight shorts and tank tops?
What about super tight-fitting pants?
White shirts vs. blue shirts?
No socks? Colorful socks?
Tight-fitting bike clothing?
How do standards change over time?
What about other areas of Tznius?
Living above your means? Driving a car you can’t afford?

02/11/22 - SHIUR 358 (44,166 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Lavish Living, private planes and extravagance; flaunting wealth and building larger homes than others in your community – what’s okay and what’s not?

“Boys only” vacations, female personal trainers for men
“Business trips” to Vegas and Atlantic City
Conventions and conferences away from home
Earning quick money from loan sharking and other unclean sources
Can a wife trust her husband when he travels

12/04/21 - SHIUR 348 (26,522 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Why do some people lie, or cover up information, when being a shidduch reference? What happens when information is not disclosed and the couple gets married?

What needs to be disclosed (e.g., having a colorful background, health problems, addictions)?
When and by whom?
How should we respond to shidduch inquiries when asked?
Should references disclose everything? Can they lie?
Are people typically lax in disclosing?
Do certain segments of Judaism fail to disclose more than others?
Can things be patched up when problems are discovered after marriage?

10/02/21 - SHIUR 339 (32,878 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Should a husband always give in to his wife’s requests? Is the husband always to blame when there are Shalom Bayis problems? Can we change our spouses when something bothers us?

Are any deficiencies a husband sees in his wife really his own deficiencies, as claimed in the Garden of Peace?
Should a husband ever remark, comment, or criticize his wife? What about for a gross misdeed?
What issues do husbands complain about in their wives and vice versa?
Is there anything that can be done?

08/28/21 - SHIUR 336 (28,094 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Shidduch Research – How much should be researched before agreeing to a shidduch?

What’s researched in advance by the parents, and what’s left for the boy and girl to figure out?
What specific questions should be asked? What can’t be asked? What must be asked? Who should – and should not – be asked?

07/31/21 - SHIUR 332 (26,316 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Should birthdays be celebrated? Is having a birthday cake and candles a problem of Chukos Hagoyim? Can they be blown out?

Is a birthday a day to celebrate? If so, how?
Are there more significant birthdays, like the 70th?
How should Jonathan Rosenblum celebrate his 70th this week?
Have the gedolim historically celebrated their own birthdays?
Is there a problem of Chukas Hagoyim to have a birthday cake? To have candles on it? To blow out the candles? To make a wish?

07/17/21 - SHIUR 330 (23,830 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Har Habayis – Can we enter Har Habayis nowadays? If not, what should be done with it?

Which poskim prohibit entering the Temple Mount and why? Which permit?
Do politics come into play?
Which areas are less problematic?
How would one prepare?
Are we missing out on any mitzvahs by not going?
What do the gedolim say to do with Har Habayis?

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