Does a wife's salary really belong to her? How much is a husband obligated to provide for his wife? And what happens when one spouse is a spender and the other is a saver? In this fascinating episode of Asking For A Friend, Mena Reisner is joined by Dayan Yehoshua Posen to explore the financial rights and responsibilities of husbands and wives according to Halacha. From salaries, spending and inheritance to property ownership, divorce settlements, Kesubos and wills, they tackle some of the most sensitive and misunderstood aspects of money in marriage. Who owns money gifted by parents? What is a wife entitled to if a marriage ends? And how can she protect her financial future? An eye-opening discussion that challenges common assumptions and sheds light on what Halacha really says about money and marriage. This episode is kindly sponsored in honour of Meir Fine's birthday. Have a question for our upcoming Q&A with Rabbi Zimmerman? Email [email protected]. Subscribe and share Asking For A Friend with family and friends.   Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction 01:25 – The Husband’s Financial Obligations According to Halacha 04:10 – Who Owns a Wife’s Earnings? 11:35 – When the Wife Is the Primary Breadwinner 15:55 – A Wife’s Financial Independence and Spending Money 22:35 – Necessities vs. Luxuries in Marriage 28:55 – When One Spouse Is a Spender and the Other a Saver 31:00 – Making Major Purchases Without Spousal Consent 32:10 – Charitable Donations and Spousal Consent 36:35 – Debt and Financial Liability Between Spouses 43:25 – Can a Husband Require His Wife to Work? 48:20 – Inheritance and a Wife’s Personal Assets 54:25 – Jewelry and Gifts After Divorce 60:30 – Joint Property Ownership Under Halacha 63:55 – A Wife’s Rights to Her Husband’s Business 66:50 – Divorce, Asset Division, and Financial Security 67:35 – Protecting a Wife’s Financial Future 72:15 – Prenuptial Agreements and Halacha 73:55 – Wills, Inheritance, and Second Marriages 75:15 – Final Thoughts: Financial Responsibilities and Shalom Bayis

Do segulos really work? Can they guarantee a yeshuah? And how do we distinguish a genuine segulah from superstition? From red strings and chai rotel to 40-day practices, visiting kivrei tzaddikim and paying others to daven on our behalf, segulos have become a familiar part of Jewish life. But where do these practices come from, what is their basis in Torah and Halachah, and how are they actually supposed to work? In this fascinating and thought-provoking episode, Dayan Hool explores the origins, legitimacy and misconceptions surrounding segulos, including some surprising distinctions between accepted Jewish practices and forbidden superstitions. And perhaps the biggest question of all: Are segulos a meaningful part of Yiddishkeit, or have we become so focused on finding shortcuts to a yeshuah that we're missing the point?   Timestamps: 00:00  Introduction: What are segulos? 01:55  Defining segulos and distinguishing them from superstition 05:24  How mitzvos can bring specific rewards 09:02  Longevity and consistency in mitzvos 13:02  Rosh Hashanah simanim and symbolic foods 20:08  Kabbalah, false mystics, and exaggerated promises 28:04  Distinguishing healing practices from superstition 34:17  Red threads and their sources 37:37  Tehillim for someone who is ill 42:43  Paying others to daven and the role of tzedakah 47:50  The significance of forty days and a Kotel story 52:34  Rabbi Meir Baal Haness and lost objects 55:40  Providing food and drink as a segula 58:58  Segulos surrounding fertility and childbirth 01:04:04  Sandek and bris-related customs 01:04:28  Why a segula does not guarantee results 01:08:42  Prioritizing mitzvos and practical responsibilities 01:14:43  Final advice: how to evaluate a segula

We see a hechsher on a product and rarely stop to think about what it actually took to put it there. In this episode, Mena Reisner is joined by Rabbi Yisroel Moshe Guttentag, Director of Certification and FedTech at KF Kosher, to go behind the scenes of modern kashrus. What does a mashgiach really look for when walking through a factory? How do you certify products being manufactured across multiple countries, using complex ingredients, shared machinery and global supply chains? And why can foods that appear completely straightforward turn out to be anything but? Rabbi Guttentag takes us inside the world of industrial kashrus — from ingredients and production equipment to factory inspections, dedicated machinery and the surprising problems that can emerge along the way. He explains how the level of supervision is determined, what goes into certifying major international food manufacturers, and why understanding how our food is actually made is so important. We also explore the crucial distinction between a product that is “Certified” and one that is simply “Approved” — and what consumers should understand when relying on either. A fascinating look at the extraordinary amount of work happening behind the scenes of something we encounter every single day: kosher food.   Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction 02:07 – Today’s topic: What really happens behind a hechsher 03:52 – What does a kosher certification actually certify? 14:08 – Which foods really need a hechsher? 16:43 – Gummy sweets, gelatin and dedicated kosher equipment 25:52 – Steam systems and hidden cross-contamination 33:11 – International ingredients and cooperation between kosher agencies 44:29 – Wrigley’s chewing gum, gum base and factory codes 49:21 – Red Bull and multinational kosher certification 55:55 – Why canned tuna can require supervision 63:14 – Fruit juice, grape juice and shared pasteurizing equipment 71:26 – Certified vs. approved kosher products 77:09 – When approved kosher lists may be relied upon 81:24 – Ice pops and choosing certified products 85:10 – Closing thoughts on modern kashrus

In the first episode of Asking for a Friend, Mena Reisner sits down with Rabbi Zimmerman to explore the questions shaping today’s Jewish childhood. Why are so many more children anxious? Has therapy become too normalised? Should parents be concerned about the sheer amount of instant frum entertainment? What should we make of teenagers constantly travelling abroad? And how does a parent respond when a child says, “But everyone in my class has it”? A wide-ranging and honest conversation that opens the series by giving voice to the dilemmas parents think about all the time but rarely discuss openly.   Chapters: [0:00:00] Introduction to Podcast and Purpose [0:02:53] Resilience and Adversity in Modern Childhood [0:07:21] Emotional Understanding vs. Emotional Determination [0:09:06] Therapy - Purpose and Pitfalls [0:10:10] Labels and Diagnoses in Modern Education [0:15:31] Spoiled Generations and Parental Influence [0:19:36] Responding to Religious or Educational Drift [0:24:27] Navigating Teenage Trips and Social Pressures [0:58:41] School Selection and Expectations [1:05:36] Defining Success Beyond Traditional Paths [1:12:54] Closing: Back to Basics [1:14:01] Closing Remarks and Listener Invitation

Asking For A Friend is a new podcast from Kehillas Federation, exploring the real questions that come up in everyday life, in halacha, hashkafa, chinuch, relationships, community, and everything in between. Hosted by Mena Reisner, each episode features one of the Federation’s senior Dayonim, Rabbi S. F. Zimmerman, Dayan Posen, or Dayan Hool, offering grounded Torah perspective drawn from years of guiding families and communities. This trailer offers a first look at the conversations to come. New episodes every two weeks. Please email [email protected] with your questions & feedback...

Chazal teach that making a shidduch is as difficult as Krias Yam Suf. but what does that mean in practice for families navigating the process today? In this episode, Dayan Posen discusses the early stages of shidduchim: how parents and singles should approach the process, the role of shadchanim, and the importance of entering shidduchim with the right expectations. The conversation explores questions such as what advice parents should hear at the outset, what “realistic expectations” actually mean, whether financial considerations can justify rejecting a suitable match, and the proper guidelines for gathering and sharing information about a prospective shidduch. This is the first part of a two-part discussion on navigating the shidduch process.   Timestamps: - 0:00 Intro & episode topic (navigating shidduchim) - 0:02 Dayan Posen; why process feels more complicated - 0:03 Factors: emotions, expectations, waiting; NW London context - 0:07 Choice/market size and cultural dating models - 0:09 Torah metaphors on challenge and gratitude - 0:13 Role/value of shadchanim; success story - 0:21 Emotional toll on shadchanim; halacha/payment issues - 0:32 Parental advice: readiness; open communication - 0:37 Must/important/bonus list; expectations vs. reality - 0:44 Compatibility, age gaps, emotional approach to dating - 1:00 Info gathering: who to ask, confidentiality, trust - 1:26 Urgency differences (boys vs girls); cultural approaches - 1:36 Close & Part 2 announced; pre-dating checklist

Electric scooters have become a familiar sight in many communities. For some, they're a convenient way to get to school, shiurim, friends' houses and local activities. For others, they're a growing source of concern. In this special mini episode, Rabbi S F Zimmerman addresses one of the most discussed topics affecting children, teenagers and parents today. Are electric scooters simply a modern convenience, or is there a deeper issue at stake? How should parents respond when "everyone in the class has one"? Who bears responsibility – parents, schools, rabbonim, or the wider community? And what should a family do if a child has already spent hundreds of pounds of Bar Mitzvah money on a scooter? A concise but important discussion offering Daas Torah and practical guidance on a topic generating debate across the UK, the USA and beyond. Sponsored anonymously by someone who believes this episode could save lives.

In a world of constant appeals, how should a person approach tzedakah with clarity and integrity? This episode explores the practical and ethical tensions behind everyday giving. Is anonymous giving always ideal, or can public donations play an important communal role? Can time, effort, and influence be considered true forms of tzedakah alongside money? Where is the line between legitimate encouragement and uncomfortable pressure? The conversation also examines modern fundraising realities, from luxury dinners to reciprocal giving, and asks whether these practices enhance or undermine the values of tzedakah. Finally, what place, if any, do segulah-based donations have within a Torah framework? A grounded discussion on how to give thoughtfully when the requests never stop. Timestamps: Timestamps: 0:00:00 — Introduction/podcast purpose 0:02:26 — Core purpose of tzedakah (Torah/Gemara/Rambam) 0:10:42 — Misconceptions about tzedakah today 0:11:09–0:13:02 — Action vs. intention in giving 0:13:10–0:15:47 — Anonymous vs. public giving / communal example-setting 0:15:47–0:16:57 — Give many small gifts vs. fewer large gifts 0:16:57–0:21:07 — Time/expertise as tzedakah (including electrician example) 0:21:07–0:24:05 — Cost-saving/bulk-buy example (schools, Pesach supplies) 0:24:05–0:29:55 — Modern campaign pressures, follow-ups, appeals history 0:29:55–0:30:13 — Online campaign mechanics / raffles / “pick a number” comment 0:31:25–0:33:14 — Dinners, luxury fundraising events, and how to apportion personal benefit 0:33:14–0:35:47 — Young families & long-term pledges / cautions about pledging 0:35:47–0:37:00 — Matching campaigns and transparency/norms 0:37:00–0:39:32 — General donor motivations, reciprocity, and not over-scrutinizing 0:39:35–0:41:12 — Using prominent rabbis/roshei yeshiva to increase pressure 0:41:45–0:45:04 — Giving linked to segulot/yeshuah and authenticity of scholars 0:45:04–0:48:39 — Organizations promising yeshuah / transactional tzedakah concerns 0:48:39–0:49:40 — Closing / outro

Dayan Hool addresses the realities and dilemmas around school admissions today. What can a school reasonably expect from parents? What responsibility does it have to children left without a place? How should families balance what’s right for their child with communal norms, donor influence or social pressure? And when is opening a new school actually the correct solution? A clear, grounded look at an issue that affects almost every frum family.   Timestamps [0:00:00] - Podcast Introduction: "Asking for a Friend" Episode 2 [0:00:30] - Dayan Biography: Dayan Hool [0:01:30] - Topic Overview: School Admissions [0:02:30] - Halachic Framework for School Admission Policies [0:12:39] - Parental Behavior and School Admission Criteria [0:36:54] - Handling Children Without School Places [0:48:21] - Discussion on Opening New Schools [0:55:36] - Parents' Strategies for School Admission  

In Part One of this two part series on Nisyonos, we explore one of life’s biggest questions: why does Hashem test people? Together they discuss whether all suffering is considered a nisayon, why some people appear to face greater hardships than others, the struggle of unanswered tefillos, and why bitachon can feel strong in some areas of life yet weak in others. A thoughtful and honest conversation on faith, struggle and spiritual growth.    Timestamps: - 0:00:00 — Intro and episode topic: Nisyonas (suffering/tests)   - 0:01:31 — Three categories of hardship introduced: Aynish, Tafkid, Nisyonas   - 0:05:13 — Discussion on how to discern type of hardship; common default = punishment   - 0:08:00 — Purposes of Nisyonas: reward, reveal potential, show faith to others (Akedah example)   - 0:11:00 — Physical vs. spiritual tests; hardest are choices between two good options   - 0:18:05 — Prioritizing long-term mitzvah “investments” (learning with children, shalom bayit)   - 0:26:18 — Role of tefilah: praise, gratitude, requests; different views on effects of prayer   - 0:29:30 — Emotional processing of seemingly unanswered prayers; “not yet” and stored credit ideas   - 0:35:00 — Why some suffer more: gilgulim, tikkun, soul capacities; tailored tests   - 0:44:00 — Importance of community/support vs. suffering alone   - 0:47:55 — Free will vs. divine foreknowledge: different frameworks and implications   - 0:52:48 — Human cruelty within divine orchestration and moral accountability   - 0:55:14 — Closing and preview of Part Two