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Every year, as the Three Weeks begin, the same questions come up. Can I listen to music? Go to a baseball game? Buy new clothes? Shave? Go to movies? Travel?

The answers may surprise you.

In this episode, Rabbi Chayim Soloveichik joins me for a practical discussion of both the meaning and the laws of the Three Weeks and the Nine Days. We begin by exploring the ideas that underlie this period of mourning before turning to the practical halachot, clarifying what is actually prohibited, what isn't, and where different customs exist. Whether you've always wondered about a particular practice or simply want to make sure you're observing these days correctly, this conversation offers a clear, thoughtful, and accessible guide to one of the most significant periods on the Jewish calendar.

Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108).

If your business is interested in advertising to our engaged Orthodox audience, or if you'd like to sponsor an episode in honor of a loved one or simcha, please reach out to aliza@jewishcoffeehouse.com to support meaningful Jewish conversations.

Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse.

Write to aliza@jewishcoffeehouse.com to learn all about creating your own podcast.

Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

Check out Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to https://scottkahn.substack.com/ - and members get this and other episodes of the Orthodox Conundrum Podcast ad-free and with early access and additional bonus content!

This episode was originally recorded before October 7, 2023. At the time, I opened by reflecting on how many of us found it difficult to connect to the mourning of the Three Weeks while living in a strong, vibrant State of Israel. Today, after everything our nation has endured, those words sound very different. We no longer need help understanding national tragedy or longing for redemption.

Even so, I believe this conversation is worth revisiting. The question of ascending Har HaBayit remains one of the most important and controversial issues in the religious Zionist world, particularly during the Three Weeks.

In this episode, Rabbi Danny Myers argues that ascending Har HaBayit is not only halachically permissible but may even be a mitzvah, perhaps even an obligation. Although, as I note both in the episode and in a new introduction, I continue to follow the mainstream halachic position against ascending, Rabbi Myers presents his case thoughtfully, seriously, and with an unmistakable love of Torah, Eretz Yisrael, and the Jewish people.

Whether or not you agree with his conclusions, I think you'll find this to be an engaging and thought-provoking discussion.

To read my article "Walking on the Temple Mount: Why Don't I Do It?" click here.

Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108).

If your business is interested in advertising to our engaged Orthodox audience, or if you'd like to sponsor an episode in honor of a loved one or simcha, please reach out to aliza@jewishcoffeehouse.com to support meaningful Jewish conversations.

Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse.

Write to aliza@jewishcoffeehouse.com to learn all about creating your own podcast.

Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

Check out Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to https://scottkahn.substack.com/ - and members get this and other episodes of the Orthodox Conundrum Podcast ad-free and with early access and additional bonus content!

The relationship between Torah and the State of Israel has always been complicated. Israel is the Jewish state, but what exactly does that mean? Should Torah shape public policy? Should religious values be advanced through legislation? Should the government strengthen religious institutions, or does political power inevitably come at a spiritual cost?

These questions are not theoretical. Over the past week, they became front-page news.

Over the course of just a few days, the Knesset passed a Basic Law declaring Torah study to be a fundamental value of the State of Israel. It approved legislation restoring and even expanding the Chief Rabbinate's monopoly over kashrut certification. It passed a law temporarily preventing the arrest of yeshiva students who have not reported for military service. At the same time, the Bnei Brak municipality officially sanctioned two gender-separated public streets. Each of these developments raises its own questions. Taken together, however, they point to something much larger: What kind of Jewish state are we trying to build?

To discuss these issues, I invited Rabbi David Stav back onto the podcast. Rabbi Stav has spent decades thinking about the relationship between halacha, the Chief Rabbinate, Israeli democracy, and the role of religion in the public sphere. He was also a candidate for Chief Rabbi, giving him a unique perspective on these questions.

Our conversation ranges widely. We discuss the new Basic Law and why Rabbi Stav believes it is not a victory for Torah but, rather, a misuse of Torah. We talk about military service and whether Torah learning can exempt someone from sharing the burden of national defense. We examine the renewed centralization of kashrut under the Chief Rabbinate, the proper relationship between religion and state, whether Israel should legislate religious observance at all, and why Rabbi Stav believes that coercion often weakens rather than strengthens Judaism.

Finally, we consider the future. At a time when many Religious Zionists feel politically homeless, can Torah once again become the inheritance of the entire Jewish people rather than the possession of any single political camp? And if so, what would it take to get there?

This is a timely conversation, but I believe its importance extends far beyond this week's headlines. It addresses some of the most fundamental questions about the future of Torah, the future of Israel, and the future of the relationship between them.

Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108).

If your business is interested in advertising to our engaged Orthodox audience, or if you'd like to sponsor an episode in honor of a loved one or simcha, please reach out to aliza@jewishcoffeehouse.com to support meaningful Jewish conversations.

Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse.

Write to aliza@jewishcoffeehouse.com to learn all about creating your own podcast.

Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com