Take One Daf Yomi

Today's Daf Yomi page, Eruvin 9, riffs on the importance of being kind to the folks next door. Harvard professor Nancy Rosenblum, author of Good Neighbors: The Democracy of Everyday Life in America, joins us to talk about what we owe—and don’t owe—our neighbors, and how the public sphere is influenced by our neighborly relations. Are neighbors more or less important in a time of quarantine? Listen and find out.

Today's Daf Yomi pages, Eruvin 7 and 8, raise a question that has haunted American politics from the very first: How to resolve conflicts elegantly and gracefully. Tevi Troy, former Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services and the author of Fight House: Rivalries in the White House from Truman to Trump, joins us to share some of the most notable examples of big political disagreements handled one, and some handled less astutely. Which president really knew how to keep his advisors from getting too belligerent? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Eruvin 5 and 6, have the rabbis debating what, precisely, qualifies as a public space. Justin Davidson, New York Magazine's Pulitzer Prize-winning architectural critic, joins us to talk about how politicians, activists, and urban planners grappled over the exact same question, and what the implications of their discussions had been on our lives. How will cities change in the aftermath of a pandemic demanding social distancing? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Eruvin 4, concerns itself with the mikvah, the ritual bath where Jewish women and men are commanded to purify themselves. Writer and editor Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt joins us to explain the magic of fulfilling this commandment. How can dipping cleanse not just the body but also the soul? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Eruvin 3, begins with a strange admission: Even though all units of distance are supposed to be precisely the same, the rabbis tell us that there's a happy cubit and a sad one. Historian and author Gil Troy joins us to talk about his latest book, a collaboration with legendary refusnik leader Natan Sharansky, and tell us why some places are indeed inherently happy and some profoundly sad, and what we can do to bring light even to the grimmest of spots, like the Gulag where Sharansky spent nearly a decade. How can Jews help each other to stay in happy places in perpetuity? Listen and find out.

Today's Daf Yomi page, Eruvin 2, is the first in a tractate that's widely considered one of the most difficult, intricate, and, thankfully, rewarding in the entire Talmud. Rabbi Adam Mintz joins us to explain the concept of eruv, the logic behind it, and its contributions to keeping the Jewish people together. Why is there a box of matzo lying around the lobby of a synagogue on Manhattan's Upper West Side? Listen and find out.

Today's Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 156 and 157, bring to its conclusion the Talmud's longest tractate. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to sum up the wisdom we've learned over the last few months, and deliver a much-needed reminder of the beauties and difficulties of being an adult. Why was so much of the tractate spent on technicalities and so little on the magic of our day of rest? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 154 and 155, teach us that God has a soft spot in His heart for dogs. Lily, 9, and Hudson, 7, join us to talk about their love of dogs, and dispense advice on how to be kinder to your pooch. What's the most important thing you can do to make your dog happy? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 153, delivers a stunning teaching from the rabbis: Repent one day before your death. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to help us unlock this quizzical statement, and teach us how to repent better. How does your need to make amends change as you mature and grow? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 152, contains one curious bit of life advice from the rabbis: You should spend your first forty years on this planet taking pleasure in food, but once you turn forty, it's time to get serious about drinking. Alana Newhouse, Tablet's editor in chief, returns to talk about how drinking in your forties is different than drinking in your twenties, and what different insights you find in cocktails throughout the years. What's the perfect drink for the middle-aged? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 151, delivers a painful reminder of a universal truth rarely acknowledged: That poverty is cyclical, and that we are all, at some point or another, likely to feel its sting. Father James Martin, a Jesuit priest and author, joins us to compare the attitudes to poverty in the Jewish and Catholic traditions, and leave us with some useful advice about how to be more compassionate. Why is it so important to get to know your less fortunate neighbors? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 149 and 150, find the rabbis raising one of the humanity's most ancient and most difficult questions: What, exactly, is art? Ben Kovalis, co-founder of a company that uses artificial intelligence to create original works of art, joins us to talk about what it takes to train a computer to generate something that previously took a human artist. What would Rashi say about machines learning to emulate our greatest masterworks? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 147 and 148, bring up a point that couldn't be any more pertinent: What to do when you feel a strong need to criticize someone? Writer Bethany Mandel joins us to share some of her experiences of being frequently lambasted online, as well as a heartwarming story of what happens when the better angels of our nature prevail. Why should you sometimes try to engage with hateful people? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 146, begins with a meditation on original sin and then goes on to ask whether converts were present at Mount Sinai. Fresh off of her visit to the mikvah, Kerigan Kelly joins us to talk about her conversion process, what inspired her, and what she finds comforting and challenging about being Jewish. Why did the rabbis believe converts each had a guardian angel? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 145, ponders the differences between scholars in Israel and in Babylonia, and delivers a powerful meditation on belonging, exile, and redemption. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to explain why sometimes being a minority means having to strive to translate your own experience to the rest of the nation, and how such an experience can create great artistic and religious depths. Why is it sometimes a blessing in disguise to be in exile? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 144, encourages us to question authority. Rabbi Dr. Stuart Halpern joins us to explain why the relationship between rabbis and their congregations is a delicate dance, not a series of dictates. What to do when you disagree with your rabbi, your boss, or your Congressperson? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 142 and 143, find the rabbis in full parenting mode, discussing whether or not it's permitted to bend the rules on Shabbat for the emotional well-being of your kids. Writer Jordana Horn joins us to talk about the rules we set for ourselves and our families, and the times we decide to break them for everyone's sake. What advice should parents heed now that we're preparing for an uncertain back-to-school period in the fall? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 140 and 141, find the rabbis discussing the intricacies of preparing some of their favorite food dishes. Producer Josh Kross returns to share a confession about his coffee addiction, and explain how having a counter-full of specialized gear can lead to mindfulness. What spiritual teachings might there be in using a burr grinder? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 139, kicks things off with a sharp pronouncements: Unless our judges are righteous, a heap of trouble will be visited on our generation. New York City Judge Ilana Marcus joins us to explain how knowledge of the law and a capacity for empathy are a judge's best tools, and talk about her work in a community court that stresses aid and education rather than punishment. What happens when a judge puts on her black robe? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 138, strikes a dramatic note: The Jews, one of the rabbis predicts, are destined to one day forget the Torah. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to explain this menacing passage, and why it should be seen not as a doomsday prophecy but as an invitation to appreciate our own diverse moment in time. Why should we rejoice in divergent opinions? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 137, revolves around a question that has troubled males for millennia: What does it mean to be a man? We seek a modern answer in a very personal story about crime, punishment, and parenthood. What do you do when your father isn't who you thought he was? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 135 and 136, ask a difficult question: How must we confront that most terrible of ordeals, the loss of a child? Rabbi Dr. Ari Lamm joins us to share his own personal experience and find hope and meaning in the wisdom of the rabbis. What, according to the Talmud, is the meaning of life? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 133 and 134, urge us that we ought to strive and be as beautiful and as merciful as God. But what does that mean? Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to introduce us to one of the Talmud's most famous concepts, and tell us how it should inform our daily behavior. What is the one thing in each happy occasion we should always strive to make as beautiful as possible? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 132, finds the rabbis in a cutting state of mind: They talk about circumcision, and whether or not it is permissible on Shabbat. Dr. Emily Blake, a physician and a mohel, joins us to walk us through the specifics of the sacred ceremony, and share some of her tips to soothing anxious parents. Why is a bris on Shabbat a rare and special thing? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 131, raises the painful question of what we're supposed to do when we can't celebrate the holidays in the joyous and festive fashion to which we're accustomed. Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky joins us to talk about preparing for High Holidays in the Covid-19 era, and what we can do spiritually and practically to have a meaningful Tishrei even if it might not happen in shul. What spiritual advantages might there be to this crazy year of social distancing? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 130, tells a miraculous tale of tefilin transformed. What happens when we start our day by wrapping the leather straps around our arms and our head? And why are tefilin the world's greatest spiritual technology? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 128 and 129, give us a long discussion of the intricacies of giving birth. Dr. Jennifer Mieres, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Northwell Health, joins us to talk about how bias still sadly impacts the way we do everything from treat patients to conduct research, and what we can do fix that. What are the particular challenges facing women's health today? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 126 and 127, give us a heart-warming and timely tale of what happens when you keep and open mind and an open heart and give others the benefit of the doubt. What does this story have to teach us now, as we grapple with mean-spiritedness online and with the ravages of cancel culture? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 125, contemplates building, a labor that's prohibited on Shabbat. But what does building mean? Are you allowed, for example, to open a window on Shabbat, an activity that changes the facade of a structure? Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to shed light on this intricate question, and find in it a beautiful metaphor for always keeping our windows, and our hearts, open. Are we permitted to open an umbrella on Shabbat? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 124, teaches us a valuable lesson about practicing what we preach. Dr. Erica Brown returns to help us make sense of a tense conversation between two wise rabbis, and teach us about the importance of walking the walk when you talk the talk. What does today's page have to offer both rabbis and congregants today? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 123, kicks things off with a long disquisition on tools and how to use them. Producer Josh Kross, a geek's geek, returns to explain why it's important to know how something works before buying it, and lament the mistakes too many people make by buying very powerful tools they neither need nor can properly use. Which questions should you ask yourself before shelling out for that powerful new computer or that snazzy kitchen gadget? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 121 and 122, give us a clash for the ages: The sage, who urge us to go ahead and kill creatures that may threaten our lives, and the pious, who argue that taking a life, under any circumstance, should be avoided. Which, if you think about it, mirrors much of the logic of our contemporary debate about guns: Mark Oppenheimer returns to tell us about his experience as a staunchly anti-gun person taking an NRA shooting course, and to debate Liel about firearms, public discourse, and the soul. What spiritual training should we give to those wishing to own and operate firearms? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 119 and 120, deliver a wise warning from the rabbis: You don't have a lot of time on this planet, so use it wisely. Scholar Penina Levy joins us to share a profound teaching from her grandfather, the late Rabbi Norman Lamm, on how we should spend our leisure hours ethically and Jewishly. Is Netflix and chill kosher? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 118, finally gets to the heart of the matter: After many, many pages describing all the laws of observing Shabbat, the Talmud acknowledges that celebrating our holy day should be, well, fun. Producer Sara Fredman Aeder returns to share with us her own joyous Shabbat routine, and tell us how you can make it fun for a couple of small and adorable children. Why is candy Shabbat's secret weapon? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 117, contains a long discussion about what may and may not be saved from a fire on Shabbat, and has the rabbis insisting that food must never be wasted. Writer and activist Liz Galst joins us to discuss why 40 percent of all the food in America finds its way to the trash uneaten, and what we can do to reduce this vast waste. How is eating leftovers great for the environment? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 116, raises the curious idea that a few verses in the Torah, about the traveling of the Ark of the Covenant, should constitute a book unto themselves. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to muse on these powerful verses, and float the theory that they constitute a sort of biblical alt history, telling us what would've happened if the Israelites marched straight to the Promised Land instead of spending four decades in the desert. Why, then, all this erring in the wilderness? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 114 and 115, discuss the time-honored idea that a community ought to put its money where its mouth is and support and sustain its values. In traditional Jewish communities, this means paying for the best and brightest to continue and study Torah. Writer Eli Steinberg joins us to deliver a glimpse into a day in the life of a brilliant Torah student, and reflect on why so many outside the haredi community resent its decision to fund full-time studies. What's it like studying in a top-notch kollel? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 112 and 113, bring up one of the Talmud's most contentious ideas: Yeridat HaDorot, or the notion that each generation is just slightly worse than the one that came before it. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to challenge this thorny notion, and argue that what we may lose in wisdom we gain in empathy and compassion. So are we getting better or worse with time? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 111, delivers an uplifting observation about all of us being the sons and daughters of kings. But what does that mean? Rabbi Motti Seligson joines us to shed light on the teaching of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, whose yahrzeit is today, and to explain why we each have the power to make our lives and our world immeasurably better. What inspiration can the Rebbe offer us in these dark times? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 110, kicks things off with a terrifying tale of a curse that leads to inescapable death by snakebite. Film critic and writer Jordan Hoffman joins us to talk about the logic of horror films, about the return of the repressed, and about how film and literature help us deal with our fear of our inevitable demise. Why do we keep cheering on movie monsters? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 109, gives us a long list of healing snacks and beverages. They also inspire a meditation on why we should watch what we eat, and ask ourselves piercing ethical questions even if we don't go full Kosher or vegan. How are we what we eat? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 107 and 108, pose a cutting question: Are we circumcising the wrong part of our bodies? Rabbi Jodie Gordon joins us to argue that our commitment to the covenant isn't over at eight days, and that we should continue to work hard to keep our hearts and our ears alike open and attuned to the suffering of others. Why is there nothing more whole than a broken heart? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 105 and 106, begin with a startling ruling: If you break some of the laws of Shabbat because you are anguished about the death of a loved one, you should be exempt from the consequences. Eitan Levine, a writer and comedian, lost his beloved grandmother to Covid-19; he joins us to talk about the maddening and heartbreaking moment of having to say goodbye to Bubby over the phone, and how he managed to find humor even in this grim moment. What to do when the hospital puts you on hold and forces you to listen to upbeat smooth jazz? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 104, kicks things off with a mystical theory about the real meaning of Hebrew letters. How is our very alpha-bet prodding us to be more mindful of the less fortunate? And what code does the Talmud contain to teach us the true meaning of compassion and justice? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 103, informs us that the essence of writing involves putting just two letters together. Author and scholar Ilana Kurshan returns to help us dive into the mysteries of Hebrew letters, and how just a few of them can conjure entire worlds of meaning. How are the letters themselves magical? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 102, the rabbis offer a cryptic sentence about why the rich shouldn't mingle with the poor. But do they really mean it? Rabbi Joe Schwartz joins us to deliver an insightful meditation on affluence, privilege, and poverty, and what the Talmud has to teach us about income inequality today. Why must a wealthy society never tolerate hunger or need? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 100 and 101, find the rabbis in a name-calling mood. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to help us make sense of the practice of evoking the name of Moses. Why are the rabbis having a literal holy Moses moment? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 98 and 99, tells us a brief and magical story: The center beam in the mishkan, God's holy dwelling place on earth, was floating miraculously in mid-air, keeping together the beams on its left and on its right. Producer Josh Kross returns to talk about why it's so important to talk to friends and family members who disagree with you, and why political moderation is a miracle we must keep alive. How can we disagree and argue without malice? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 97, give us a story of ancient biblical gossip and its dire consequences. Rabbi Dr. Richard Hidary of Yeshiva University joins us to explain why the kind of idle chatter we see on Facebook is ruinous, and why we should be very careful before speaking ill of anyone. Why isn't it a good idea to talk about our friends behind their backs, even if what we say is true? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 96, tells us that the men building the mishkan, God's holy dwelling place on earth, would never throw the beams they were passing to each other, but rather hand them down slowly and respectfully, recognizing their innate holiness. Alana Newhouse, Tablet Magazine's editor in chief, returns to teach us a lesson about just how important objects can be to our spiritual observation. How is our stuff imbued with our spiritual energy? Listen and find out.