We now have the potential to control the sizes of our families more than ever before. In this episode, we discuss family planning and ask what exercising this control says about our approaches to family life and sex, and how this freedom can be balanced with our halachic obligations to have children and raise a Jewish family. Then, we chat with Rebbetzin Rachel Druk, the Rebbetzin of the Chabad of Cancun, and learn about her experience bringing Jewish women to the ocean to perform the mitzvah...

In this episode, we examine a passage in Tractate Berachot regarding reciting the Shema while lying unclothed next to family members and others, and grapple with perspectives and social norms different than our own. 

In this episode, we sit down with award-winning producer, filmmaker and actor, Michal Birnbaum, who most recently played the Kallah teacher on the Netflix hit series, Unorthodox. We talk about her portrayal of the character, how she prepared for the role of a Kallah teacher in an Ultra-Orthodox community, and much more!

In this episode, we discuss the complexities of changes in our sex lives through different life stages. We look at how couples can spice up their private life when youthful signals like Mikveh night fade away, and when different aspects of life might get in the way of intimacy. Then, we sit down with Bracha Bard-Wigder, known as Balaboostas, to discuss her work as an Orthodox birth doula and sex and intimacy coach. 

In this episode we look at a passage from the Zohar which seems to put the woman in charge of the sexual relationship, and we ask the question: what does sleeping on rocks, flattery and apes have to do with all this?

One of the defining characteristics of an Orthodox synagogue is the mechitzah.  But where does it come from and what is it about? On this episode, we discuss the ins-and-outs of mechitza. Is the goal to make women invisible, to create a gender-separate space, or something else?  And does mechitza truly make for a better davening space? Then, we sit down with Rabbi Mike Mozkowitz, scholar in residence for trans and queer Jewish studies at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, to discuss his work,...

In this mini text episode, we look at a passage in the Gemara (Niddah 16b-17a) which forbids or discourages sex during the daytime and try to parse the different reasons given for this ruling.  In the end we discuss how some of this plays out practically and to what degree this is applicable nowadays. 

This episode is a re-release, and was originally recorded at Limmud NY in 2016. In this episode, Dr. Marcus and Rabbi Linzer tackle female masturbation and interview Miryam Kabakov about Eshel, a group for LGBT Orthodox Jews. In the Q&A: is it permissible to talk “dirty”?

Kissing as a spiritual experience? In this episode, we explore a cryptic text of the Zohar about the deeper meaning of a kiss. If you would like to learn it yourself, check out Zohar 2 124B.

What are the halakhic and emotional issues associated with infertility and the Jewish community?  In this episode, we explore the question of fertility treatments and the mitzvah to procreate, and what allowances halakha makes for undergoing such treatments on Shabbat and the halakhic category that applies in this case (is the person sick? Are they mitztaer, suffering?).  Then, we welcome our guest, Elizabeth Savetsky, founder of the social media movement #RealLoveRealLoss, a campaign that...

Meeting your Bashert (Soulmate) on Yom Kipper? We are kicking off the first mini-text episode of the season with a Mishnah in Taanit, which sheds some light on the nature of Yom Kipper with an interesting ancient custom that young, single, Jewish women performed in the times of the Gemara. To learn the text yourself, check out Mishnah Taanit, Perek 4, Mishnah 8, or visit https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Taanit.4.8?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en

With the High Holidays quickly approaching it is time for us to take stock of our year. How should we approach teshuva, repentance, when the misdeeds are complicated and we cannot be confident we will change our future behavior? Is Teshuvah out of the question? Is there a more nuanced way for us to approach these deeds in the coming year? We discuss this subject and much more with our new moderator, Sara Rozner Lawrence. We then welcome our guest, Dr. Rivka Schwartz, Associate Principal of...

Is it true that Jewish law forbids a couple from having sex when sleeping over in someone else’s home? Is a woman not supposed to initiate sex when she’s in the mood? What does the Talmud say about having sex in front of pets? On the Season 4 finale, we clear up more potential myths and misconceptions with another Fact or Fiction episode. Plus, we bid farewell to moderator Rebecca Honig Friedman.

Is abstinence before marriage the secret to a great married sex life, or a recipe for sexual difficulties later on? We discuss the value and impact of “saving oneself” for marriage and of other sex and relationship norms of the Orthodox community. Then, the acclaimed author of “I Am Not a Slut: Slut-Shaming in the Age of the Internet,” Leora Tanenbaum discusses the surprising reasons girls get branded with “the S word,” why it’s so dangerous, and why we should rethink our approach to school...

A text about what can be eaten on the Eve of Passover leads to an interesting analogy: we discuss why the rabbis compare eating matzah before the seder to having premarital sex with one’s betrothed in her father’s house.

According to Jewish law, cross-dressing is considered a Biblical prohibition. So why is it permitted on Purim? We discuss some of the relevant sources and their implications for trans Jews on this mini text episode.

Yikes! What’s a parent to do if your kid walks in on you naked? How old is too old for parents to see their kids unclothed? On this episode, we discuss what psychology and halacha have to say about these sensitive issues and how to help your kids develop a healthy body image. The answers might surprise you! Plus we speak with a yeshiva day school graduate about her experience working as a salesperson and educator in a sex toy shop. And, finally, we answer listener criticism about our recent...

A classic Talmudic discussion about having first-time sex on Shabbat is often taught to adolescent yeshiva students. What effect might this explicit, technical text have on their emerging sexuality? We read the passage and discuss on this mini text episode of The Joy of Text.

On this episode we answer a listener question about women’s hair covering, changing norms, and the connection between hair and “erva” (nakedness). Then we talk about sexuality in Kabbalah with Dr. Sharon Faye Koren, author of Forsaken: The Menstruant in Medieval Jewish Mysticism, who discusses why sex plays a central role in Kabbalistic thought and why medieval Kabbalism was, despite this, exclusively a boys’ club. And, a listener shares a personal story of childbirth and spousal support in...

In what could be the first parent-child sex talk on record, Rav Hisda gives his daughters advice about how to increase their husband’s desire during sex. Or is it the benefits of being modest? We discuss the different interpretations of this cryptic text and the continued relevance of its lessons.

Welcome back to The Joy of Text! We’re kicking off Season 4 with a fact or fiction quickfire round: Is sex really a “double mitzvah” on Shabbat? Is daytime sex verboten? And what is up with the “hole in the sheet?” We clear up these and other common myths and misconceptions — or are they? — about sex and Jewish law. Then, we welcome Rabbi Aryeh Klapper of the Center for Modern Torah Leadership, who addresses a listener question about whether it would ever be possible to waive the sheva...

On the Season 3 Finale we interview a Jewish woman who made the decision to be a surrogate and carry a child for someone else, with the support of her husband and their three young children. Carrie and Jamie Bornstein share personally and poignantly about what it means to help another couple become parents, and how their kids and their community dealt with this new reality. And for our opening segment, we respond to a listener who asked about kink: Are certain sexual practices problematic on...

Words, words, words. In this mini text episode, our hosts discuss a curious Talmudic passage (Nedarim 91a & b) about when a woman’s admission of adultery is believed, or not, emphasizing the power of words to create legal realities with real-world consequences.

Colored underwear, black pantyliners, “look the other way.” What are the Rabbinic leniencies that allow a woman who is spotting to avoid becoming a niddah, when and why do they work? Most importantly, how can we prevent a well-intentioned set of Jewish laws from driving women crazy? Plus, we get tips from sex therapist Dr. Stephen Snyder, author of the new book Love Worth Making: How to Have Ridiculously Great Sex in a Long-Lasting Relationship. And the Final Word shares a story about a Joy...

Can unrequited lust be a life-threatening condition? How far can one go to save the life of someone afflicted with such a “malady”? Our panel discusses a curious passage from the Talmudic tractate of Sanhedrin in this Mini Text Episode of The Joy of Text.