Take One Daf Yomi

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.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 95, the rabbis talk makeup: Is eyeliner kosher on Shabbat? What about blush, rouge, or lipstick? Stephanie Butnick returns to help us make sense of the rabbis' surprisingly keen knowledge of all-things-makeup. Why is braiding hair a form of building? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 93 and 94, make a distinction between the kinds of work one person can do alone and the sort of labor that truly takes a village. Rabbi Shira Stutman of Sixth & I in Washington, D.C., joins us to discuss this insight, and what it can teach us about our current movement for social justice. Why is repairing the world always a team effort? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 91 and 92, begin a long and fascinating discussion of intention, or how what we had meant to do impacts the outcome of our action. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to offer us some profound thoughts on living life with purpose and meaning. Why does intentionality matter? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 90, the rabbis warn against giving children locusts to play with, as the young ones may eat the bugs and the bugs may not be Kosher. One rabbi, however, warns that kids love their animal playmates and will not hurt them. To test this theory, we are joined by Lily, 8, and Hudson, 6, two budding bug enthusiasts. Would they ever eat a locust? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 89, tells us a heartwarming story about Satan trying and failing to stump Moses, and extols the great leader's virtue. Tal Ben-Shahar, best-selling author, Columbia professor, and the brain behind the Happiness Studies Academy, joins to tell us why happiness matters, especially now that the national mood is grim. Why must a good leader be humble rather than charismatic? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 88, dives into one of the most mysterious phrases in the entire Torah, the promise by the Israelites receiving the Torah to obey it first and only then listen to what it says. Rabbi Sari Laufer joins us to meditate on how and why some things only make sense once you experience them. What are the boundaries and the possibilities of obedience? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 86 and 87, ask a difficult question: Why have boundaries? And why would anyone choose to be religious when being religious involves so many strictures? Rabbi David Stav, chairman of the Tzohar organization that works to bridge the gaps between Orthodox and secular Jews in Israel, joins us to discuss the complex beauty of entering into a committed relationship with God. How is observing mitzvot like a marriage? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 84 and 85, find the rabbis in an agricultural state of mind, talking about the different seeds that one is permitted to sow in a single garden patch. Rabbi Ellen Bernstein, a prominent teacher and writer about Judaism and the environment, joins us to talk about biodiversity and our moral responsibilities to the earth. How is the Talmud promoting a truly organic approach to life? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 83, ends on a brooding note, with talk of dying in the tent of Torah. Why would such a life-affirming book as the Talmud strike such a morbid tone? Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns with an uplifting interpretation, teaching us that true growth and sacrifice can only begin once we've had a chance to know ourselves as individuals. What is the self-help message in today's Daf? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 82, makes number two its number one concern. How are we to wipe our behinds? Zach Schreiber, a lawyer and the co-creator of Seinfeld Law, a blog dedicated to exploring the many intricate legal aspects of everyone's favorite sitcom, joins us to talk about why toilet talk is so crucial to comedy, religion, and the justice system alike. Was Elaine being Talmudic when she asked the person in the next stall to spare a square of toilet paper? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 81, tells a fiery little story about a pair of rabbis stuck on a bewitched boat and forced to utter God's name to undo the spell. Ilana Kurshan, author of If All the Seas Were Ink, a stellar memoir of studying the Talmud, joins us to unpack the mysteries of that omnipotent and mighty name, and how our thinking about it has evolved. Why do we refer to God as Hashem, or the name? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 79 and 80, invite us to look at our stuff and rearrange it according to a hierarchy of holiness. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to share some thoughts about why you can't recycle sacred writings and how even inanimate objects can teach us a valuable lesson about always aspiring to be better. How are tefilin holier than a Mezuzah? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 77 and 78, tells us a brief anecdote containing a poignant life lesson. Reading a classic Hassidic tale, we meditate on growth through difficulty, and on what Judaism has to teach us about overcoming adversity. Why should some hardships make us burst into dance? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 76, is a beautiful meditation on wine, from drinking it to blessing it to basking in its glory. Producer Josh Kross returns to offer a soliloquy on drinking mindfully. What's the deal with diluting wine? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 75, finds the rabbis in an ecumenical mood. While we're not allowed to emulate the ways of other religions, they tell us, learning from them and understanding their ways is allowed, maybe even advisable. Ashley McKinless, co-host of the popular podcast Jesuitical, joins us to talk about finding beauty and meaning in other traditions. Why should we pay attention to the intricacies of our friends' and neighbors' religious practices? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 74, unlocks one of the most profound mysteries of the Jewish universe: Why gefilte fish? Jeffrey Yoskowitz, co-author of The Gefilte Manifesto, joins us to shed some light on the much-maligned dish's origins, and why we can't get enough of it. Why is gefilte the ultimate Shabbat dish? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 72 and 73, finally give us the 39 labors we're not allowed to perform on Shabbat. Why did it take so long? Why go through more than 70 pages before getting to the point? Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to shed light on this seminal question, and help us understand the real meaning of Shabbat. How is the Talmud like a Quentin Tarantino movie? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 70 and 71, bring up a fascinating concept: Yediah, or knowing. Are we responsible for the sins we commit if we don't really know that we've committed them? Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explore the intricacies of this complicated question. How do we resolve the tension between divine intervention and free will? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 69, shares an anecdote that feels deeply relatable these days, about a man who wanders in the desert and loses all track of time. Dr. Erica Brown joins us to talk about the centrality of time in Judaism, and what to do when, sheltered in place, time itself becomes a challenge. How do we find a sense of direction when the days just seem to melt into one another? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 68, introduces an astonishing concept, that of the captive child. Just as a child kidnapped from his parents holds no responsibility for the way he was raised, the rabbis tell us, so do those of us who have never studied the intricacies of Jewish law not necessarily liable if and when we break them. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to talk about this intriguing and seminal concept. How do we learn to forgive ourselves? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 67, asks a very timely question: How open should we be to different putative potions and cures? Should we forbid anything not proven to work? Or should we keep an open mind, recognize that there's much we don't know, and that healing is both physical and emotional? Writer Lisa Ann Sandell, herself recovering from Covid-19, joins us to talk about what it's like to try and manage your care when so much remains unknown about the virus. How do we sort out which medical advice to accept and which to reject? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 65 and 66, discuss various laws pertaining to people with disabilities. Jay Ruderman, president of the Ruderman Family Foundation, joins us to talk about how far we've come in rethinking our approach towards people with disabilities, and how far we still have to go. Why are shuls the perfect place to start and implement positive change? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 63 and 64, wax poetic about the Beit Midrash, the house of study, where Torah learning is conducted by dividing the students into pairs who read together and spend their days arguing. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to sing the glories of this pedagogical methodology, and tell us of the intellectual and emotional benefits of learning through quibbling. Should Harvard take note? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 62, finds the rabbis in a particularly patriarchal mood, discussing the things that women do to get the attention of men. Dr. Bat Sheva Marcus joins us to discuss why objectifying women, then and now, is never a good idea. Why does the passage tell us about men, women, and the still unresolved tensions between them? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 61, asks a profound question: Does magic work? Alana Newhouse, Tablet's Editor in Chief, joins us to talk about amulets, and why some people take good-luck charms very seriously. How do we know if our amulets are truly protecting us? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 60, tells an incredible and bloody story that begins with dorky footwear and ends in a bloodbath. Stephanie Butnick, co-host of Unorthodox, joins us to talk about sandals and other problematic footwear, and explain the cycles that make some fashion trends cool again and again and again. Is it ever OK to wear flip-flops if you're not at the beach? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 58 and 59, reveal some of the ancient rabbis' habits when it came to wearing brand-name clothes. Marco Greenberg, marketing and branding expert and the author of the new book Primitive: Tapping the Primal Drive That Powers the World's Most Successful People joins us to talk about the primordial power of logos, and why we still set so much store in our favorite brands. Is it better to be cool or warm? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 56 and 57, begin with the rabbis contemplating whether or not the great King David has ever sinned. After doing away with that troublesome bit about Uria the Hittite, they come to a strange conclusion: David's only sin was adhering, just once, to gossip. What can we learn from the king's costly flaw? And what does it have to do with Leonard Cohen? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 55, tells a dramatic story of four famous Biblical figures who died without sin. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to introduce us to these Fantastic Four, and explain what their lives and deaths can teach us about leadership. Is perfection the key to greatness or a detriment? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 54 makes a startling claim: If you were in a position to protest the sinful conduct of a friend and failed to do so, you yourself must be held accountable. It's an ancient take on the principle made famous by Spider-Man, namely that with great power comes great responsibility. Rabbi David Ingber joins us and delivers a moral primer on what each one of us can do to make sure we all stand for what's right. How do we hold ourselves accountable? Listen and find out.