Dr. Jacob Freedman

03/19/26 - SHIUR 553 (6,336 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Gambling in the Orthodox Community — What’s causing it, and can anything stop it? To what extent is gambling linked to following professional sports?

What makes gambling so alluring, and how widespread is it?
To what extent is gambling linked to following professional sports?
What strategies are effective in helping someone quit gambling?
Should watching professional sports be banned?
If a child uses a parent’s credit card to gamble without permission, is that considered stealing?
Halachically speaking, is the parent responsible for charges made by the child?

02/27/26 - SHIUR 550 (19,550 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

How Mental Illness Can Wreck a Marriage and a Divorce

Is failure to disclose a significant personality disorder considered a mekach ta’us in marriage?
Are there halachos guiding how to treat one’s spouse during divorce, especially in high-conflict cases?
When is it appropriate to turn to secular courts during divorce proceedings – for example, to obtain a restraining order against a spouse?
Can refusal to go to the mikveh be considered a halachic violation when used as a tool in marital conflict?

02/05/26 - SHIUR 547 (21,300 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Mental Health Challenges of Boys in Yeshiva & Girls in Seminaries

How does coming to Israel for yeshiva and seminary affect a student’s mental health?

When do difficult emotional feelings cross the line from normal struggles to something that should be addressed?

Should a student who believes another is emotionally unstable report that behavior to the school administration?

What are the key similarities and differences in how boys and girls experience stress, anxiety, depression, or other emotional pressures?

05/29/25 - SHIUR 515 (23,992 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Is A Psychedelic Trip the Derech HaShem?

Is using psychedelic drugs to get close to Hashem a Mitzvah or Aveira?
What about for therapeutic and recreational purposes?
How do psychedelics affect people and what are the side effects?
Are people in the frum world really using these drugs and, if so, how broadly?
How should we think about Rabbanim who use – and advise others to use – psychedelics?

01/30/25 - SHIUR 500 (14,164 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

“Every shul has one” – dealing with the person who disturbs everyone

What would cause someone to regularly disturb in shul without regard to upsetting others?
How should those who disturb be dealt with?
Is it impatience or mental illness when someone always pushes the Chazan to go faster?
Is it okay to pace for all of davening? To evict guests from seats? To collect the Seforim during davening?
Should little children be brought to shul, knowing they may disturb?

11/15/24 - SHIUR 489 (21,452 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

How long should you date before getting engaged? How long does it take to get to know the other person?

What should be the goal of dating?
What are the minimum interactions required by Halacha before engagement and marriage?
What’s the downside of going too quickly? Of going too slowly?
How clear do you need to be about what you are looking for in advance of dating?
What are some great ways to get to know the other person?

08/08/24 - SHIUR 478 (21,204 Downloads) Hosted By: Rabbi Ari Wasserman

Extremism – What causes Chareidi extremism? Is it a bad thing? What about Hilltop Youth extremism against Arabs?

What causes someone to become an extremist?
Is extremism stronger now than 20-30 years ago?
Are there similarities between Chareidi extremism, the Hilltop Youths and Leftists against Chareidim?
If you don’t agree with a law, can you violate it?
Are there times when extremism is warranted?
Is being OTD another form of extremism? And are there ways to improve the system?

02/08/24 - SHIUR 454 (23,696 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?

01/18/24 - SHIUR 452 (20,026 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?

Never miss a shiur Subscribe Now

Newsletter

SEARCH NOW

Click Here to search by category

Contact