This is one of my new favorite Judaism Unbound episodes. This episode was a very different format, which they called an "Anti-debate," in which both speakers argued for their perspective (Lex Rofeberg against halacha* and Rena Yehuda Newman in favor of halacha). I loved this debate in part because I'm a big fan of both of the debaters (having taken classes from both of them at the Unyeshiva, and having listened to many hours of podcasts and other content from them), but also because the topic of debate is one that comes up pretty often for me in my volunteer work as a co-leader of the The Spinoza Havurah, as I'm not oriented towards halacha but one of my other co-leaders is --- and yet, we get along well most of the time. My own opinions didn't change radically in hearing the anti-debate, but I do have a deeper appreciation for what halacha can do, and why some Jews are drawn towards the concept. I still personally do not resonate with the idea of halacha as a prescriptive norm or requirement, but I can see the value of recognizing it as a sort of "rules of the game" (much like the rules of DND session provide structure and meaning, while also leaving plenty of space for creative play) * As I understand it, Halacha is a traditional structure of understanding Jewish laws and teaching, rooted in the rabbinic tradition but also shaped by shared norms within a community context. https://www.judaismunbound.com/podcast/episode-557-anti-debate #JudaismUnbound #Halacha #AntiDebate #Mazeldon #JewishEducation #Judaism Tagging: @lexaphus