Take One Daf Yomi

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Eruvin 37, finds the rabbis talking about retroactive designation, or whether or not it's OK to reason your way in retrospect. Which, if you've ever watched a sci-fi or fantasy film, is what the genre does all the time, changing the rules and the history as it goes along. Film critic Jordan Hoffman joins us to discuss this phenomenon, known as ret-conning, and whether or not its a blessing or a shande. Which very famous Star Wars plot point would've greatly upset the rabbis? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Eruvin 35 and 36, take on one of the biggest problems that inform and inspire all of religious life, the problem of doubt. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to explain why doubt is an essential part of faith, and help us understand how doubt can inspire rather than frustrate us. How should we rethink our attitude to doubt? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Eruvin 33 and 34, begin by asking what sounds like the Jewish version of Schrodinger's Cat: If you put the food you need for an eruv in a closet, lock it up, and then lose the key, is the eruv still valid? Rabba Shani Gross joins us to unlock this complicated question, and explain why it just may be the most pressing conundrum of our time. How's that locked closet a metaphor for Covid-era lockdowns, and what can we learn from it? Listen and find out.

Today's Daf Yomi page, Eruvin 32, continues the crucial and complex conversation about the limits of personal responsibility and transgression. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to guide us through the thicket of sin and stumbling that makes up so much of our moral lives. Is it ever OK to knowingly transgress so as to save a friend from committing an even bigger transgression? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Eruvin 31, urges us to take agency over what matters in life. And what could matter more than our own education? Eric Cohen, executive director of The Tikvah Fund, joins us to talk about how Covid-19 inspired a slew of new educational offerings, and about why high school students are capable of learning and thinking about much loftier things than we give them credit for. Are the kids alright? Listen and find out.

Today's Daf Yomi page, Eruvin 30, introduces one of the most important principles to emerge out of Jewish wisdom: Don't yuck my yum. Chef Einat Admoni joins us to talk about why all dishes, even those you can't stand, have a secret and rich inner life of their own, and how an open mouth and an open mind can change your life. What's the one dish Americans just don't get but really should? Listen and find out.

Today's Daf Yomi pages, Eruvin 28 and 29, find one of the rabbis reminiscing about the wonderful remedies his nurse-mother used to offer when he was ill. Tablet's editor in chief, Alana Newhouse joins us to offer a spirited defense of folk wisdom, and lament the ways in which the traditional male establishment still ignores the insights women have wisely accumulated for years. How did a single nurse stump the best doctors and discovered a cure for jaundice? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Eruvin 26 and 27, inform us that for an eruv to truly turn disparate private domains into one shared public domain, food should be involved. And not just any food—only the kind that sustains us and gives us comfort. Producer Sara Fredman Aeder joins us to talk about how a few perfect cakes brought her community together in the time of Covid-19, and muse about the connections between baking and being together with others. Why is the right pastry the perfect pathway into friendship? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Eruvin 25, raises the question of the often complicated relationships between Jews by choice and their non-Jewish families. Rebecca Cynamon-Murphy kept an audio diary right before her conversion, touching, in large part, on this very subject. What’s the hardest thing about her family traditions for a Jew by choice to leave behind? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Eruvin 24, comes just in time to wave farewell to summer with a brisk discussion of swimming and swimming pools. Mark Oppenheimer returns to talk to us about that great suburban fantasy, a pool of one’s own. Why so little love for above-ground pools, anyway? Listen and find out.

Today's Daf Yomi page, Eruvin 23, sparks a debate that may sound strange to us: is a shul a place of residence? Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to discuss the changing status of synagogues through the ages, and propose a radical rethinking of how we approach our houses of worship today. Is it alright to stretch out on the pews and enjoy a good night’s sleep? Listen and find out.

Today's Daf Yomi pages, Eruvin 21 and 22, raise the question of divine reward: What, in other words, do we get if we’re very good and obey all the commandments? Rabbi Dr. Stuart Halpern joins us with a meditation on prizes, punishments, and personal responsibility. Is it true that good things always happen to good people? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Eruvin 19 and 20, raise one of Judaism’s most difficult questions: Do we believe in hell? Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns with a soulful and evocative reading of eternal damnation. What can we do in life to avoid getting to the Bad Place? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Eruvin 18, tell us a truly fantastic story: At some point after the whole business with the apple and the snake, Adam gave birth to a bunch of demon children. Shira Telushkin joins us to talk about these primordial pests, and explain why the world of the Talmud is thick with otherworldly creatures. Are demon children simply what you get if you don’t properly educate your kids? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Eruvin 17, dives into some of the laws of warfare. Rabbi Avi Shafran, a signatory of a recent letter calling on Jews to abandon the pugilism of partisan politics, joins us to discuss why Jews should look up to Sinai, not Washington, when making their political decisions. Why is our hyper-divisive culture anathema to Jewish values? Listen and find out.

Today's Daf Yomi page, Eruvin 16, deals with the rules of keeping an eruv while camping. Aimee Friedman, author and notable hater of all things outdoorsy, joins us to consider the thorny relationship between some Jews and nature. What to do if you’re in a tent and hear noises late at night? Listen and find out.

Today's Daf Yomi pages, Eruvin 14 and 15, continue to dive deeper and deeper into the concept of the eruv. Rabbi Yaakov Taubes joins us to recap everything we’ve learned in the tractate so far, and give us an insightful look into what eruvin are really for. Why is an eruv the first thing a community usually builds? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Eruvin 12 and 13, teach us about the majestic power of editing. Lisa Sandell, an editor of young adult books, joins us to discuss the editorial process and how it can make—or destroy—a book. What do the best writers understand about their editors? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Eruvin 11, gives us a heartwarming story of one great rabbi humbly and eagerly learning from another. Rabbi Dr. Ari Lamm joins us to shed light on what even the most erudite and confident among us have to learn from others, and how that impacts the very nature of learning itself. What key Talmudic message about learning was hidden in the TV show Scrubs? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Eruvin 10, gives us an insider’s look into how the Talmud raises—and answers—questions. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to shed light on how Jewish law conceptualizes questions versus conclusions. What’s the best way to decide how to live your life? Listen and find out.

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.