Dr. Yoel Refael Reveals How Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Answered Radio Questions From Memory

Dr. Yoel Refael, a veteran of Kol Israel and producer of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's radio program since the late 1970s, shared insights into how the rabbi responded to listeners' questions live on air. Speaking to Roy Katz on the show "Journalist's Certificate," Refael explained that Rabbi Yosef insisted on not seeing the questions beforehand. "He said categorically, 'You choose the questions, you ask and mark the time,'" Refael recalled. Each week they recorded a half-hour segment, and as the time approached, Refael would signal the rabbi, who would then precisely cut his answer to fit the allotted time.

Refael clarified that this approach was not due to fear of editing but a commitment that everything Rabbi Yosef said would be broadcast without cuts. The program was recorded at the Yosef family home, yet Rabbi Yosef did not have a single book with him while answering questions. Instead, all responses were given from memory at the family dining table. Rabbi Yosef believed that reading the questions in advance would lead him to consult sources rather than speak from his own knowledge, so he preferred to answer spontaneously and rely solely on his memory.