Take One Daf Yomi

Today’s Talmud pages, Sanhedrin 73 and 74, warn us that we should choose to risk our lives rather than transgress under the duress of our enemies. How does the heroism of the Israelis held captive in Gaza illustrate this principle and its ongoing resonance? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 72, delivers an uncomfortable but essential reminder of the true nature of morality and compassion. Why are we allowed to kill someone who we have every reason to believe will soon rise up to kill us? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 71, warns us against indulging in meat and wine. Which is curious, because, elsewhere, the Talmud teaches us that true joy is possible only if enjoying... meat and wine. Which is it? And what can this apparent discrepancy teach us about how we ought to approach life? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 70, is one protracted discussion of drinking, its perils, and its many, many pleasures. Producer Josh Kross joins us to discuss the link between alcohol and spirituality and the surprising benefits of getting moderately drunk. How do you make the perfect martini? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Sanhedrin 68 and 69, deal with one of the most difficult questions in all of Talmud, the problem of the wayward son. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explain this thorny issue, and why we continue to debate it even though the rabbis insist no such example ever occurred in real life. What can the wayward son teach us about our own family life? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Sanhedrin 66 and 67, contemplates the meaning of the word "God." Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to unpack this complicated question, and what it has to teach us about justice and virtue. Why does the Talmud frequently refer to judges as Elohim, or God? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 65, tells a story of an epic argument between Rabbi Akiva and the evil Turnus Rufus, one of the Talmud's greatest villains. Our very own Presidentischer Rav, Tevi Troy, returns to explain why even our most illustrious political leaders sometimes had daddy issues. What did JFK say when embroiled in a quarrel with Martin Luther King Jr.'s father? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 64, tells us a very bawdy and hilarious story of a man who tried to demean an idol and ended up praised by the pagans for his efforts. Our very own Presidentischer Rav, Tevi Troy, joins us to unpack the story and the lessons it can teach us about American politics. Which politico messed things up for trying to fight dirty? And which great president was celebrated for refusing to do just that? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 63, continues to address the subject of idolatry, and how it impacts our relationships with non-Jews. Rabbi Irving "Yitz" Greenberg joins us to discuss his observations about God, faith, and the Holocaust. How might our people's greatest tragedy impact our capacity to continue and believe? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Sanhedrin 61 and 62, deal with the sensitive subject of idolatry. What precisely is idolatry? And can we figure out if we're guilty of it merely by looking at our smart phones? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Sanhedrin 59 and 60, ask a thorny question: Can non-Jews learn Torah? It's a question that has much to teach us about interfaith relations, respect, and other weighty issues. What surprisingly modern lesson might we learn from Rabbi Meir's ancient wisdom? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 58, argues that even merely contemplating violence is a sin. What did the rabbis understand about human nature that psychologists took millennia to confirm? And are people who threaten violence more likely to actually commit violent acts? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 57, dives into the intricacies of self-defense. What, exactly are we allowed to do when a pursuer wishes to harm us? And how has the rabbis' logic influenced and inspired the Israel Defense Forces? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 56, is all about blaspheming. But what precisely is blasphemy? And why should its very complicated Talmudic definition drive us to watch our tongue lest we use our words to destroy rather than create? And what does Taylor Swift have to do with any of it? Listen and find out

Today’s Talmud pages, Sanhedrin 54 and 55, raise a complicated question: Is punishment logical? Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to tackle this thorny subject. How did the rabbis, then, think about punishment? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 51, asks a question many of us have been pondering: Why spend all this time learning about laws and events that are simply no longer relevant to our lives today? And what's the reward of being diligent students of Torah? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Sanhedrin 52 and 53, ponder what life was like in a world in which God's presence was truly and viscerally felt. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to discuss this inspired, and inspiring, passage. Why did the sages of the Talmud choose to illustrate this principle by describing a horrific execution? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 50, delves into the four methods of execution prescribed by Jewish law—stoning, fire, sword, and strangulation—and the rabbinic debate over which is the most severe. But beyond the technicalities, the discussion is infused with a deep concern for human life. What can this teach us about justice, nuance, and the way we engage with difficult issues today? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 49, kicks things off with a wise bit of teaching: It's better to be cursed than to curse. Socrates himself would have agreed, but the rabbis had a very different understanding of why cursing corrodes society. Who was Rabbi Haim, and what terrible truth did he learn when he was allowed to visit Heaven and Hell? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Sanhedrin 47 and 48, remind us that grief is a singular burden. A story from one of the Talmud's wisest rabbis gives us new insights into grief, and helps us navigate even the most unbearable of feelings. How, then, should we grieve? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 45 and 46, cover various different aspects of the execution process, and even shares a specific process for the blasphemer and the atheist. Producer Josh Kross joins us to discuss how he squares his fervent love of being a Jew with his atheism. Can someone find a basis for morality without Hashem? Listen, and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 44, tells an eerie tale of a wise sage and an evil taxman who were each buried in the other's tomb. Dr. Tevi Troy, our very own Presidentischer Rav, returns to shed light on this insightful tale, and teach us a lesson about history's long memory. How did Harry Truman benefit from history's hindsight? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 43, raises an interesting point about the procedure of public executions. Dr. Tevi Troy, our very own Presidentischer Rav, joins us to explain why we don't ask a condemned man to pay for his own execution, and what the ordinance has to do with contemporary American politics. What lesson could Bill Clinton learn from the Talmud's rabbis? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 42, begins a lengthy discussion of the death penalty. Sister Helen Prejean, a notable opponent of capital punishment, joins us to discuss what it's like being with a person moments before his execution, and parse the differences between Jewish and Catholic approaches to the death penalty. Why did the rabbis rule that the place of execution must be far away from the court itself? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Sanhedrin 40 and 41, dive down into the life of the great Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explain why we need to know so much about this sage's life, and what his example can teach us about living in an imperfect world. How can we find the language of divinity in the narrative of our lives? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Sanhedrin 38 and 39, give us a shocking retelling of Adam's creation and fall. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explain why this account should change the way we think about human morality, and how it sets Judaism apart from other religions. Why did creation include sin and failure in its original design? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 37, tells a moving story about the pious Rabbi Zeira, who prayed even for the hooligans in his neighborhood who tormented him. What can we learn from his example that is particularly pressing in our social media addled age of rage and despair? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 36, argues that Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, the redactor of the Mishnah, was the greatest leader to embody both political acumen and Torah knowledge since Moses himself. What made him so great? And what timely lesson can we learn from the sad but poignant story of his death? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 35, discusses the Golden calf and the courts that enacted punishment afterwards. Why should even the perpetrators want a speedy trial? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Sanhedrin 33 and 34, have the Rabbis interrogating what to do when the results of a trial have been found to be flawed. How do we choose when a retrial is warranted? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Sanhedrin 31 and 32, see the Rabbis debating how to choose a trial location when the two litigants can not agree on a venue. What kind of insight can this give us into upholding the Constitution while conducting trials today? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 30, shows the rabbis discussing whether judges should discuss their personal opinions after a case is decided. Should we know what each individual judge things, or should their opinions remain anonymous? What is the line between transparency and oversharing? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 29, finds the rabbis advancing a defense of none other than the Snake. Was he truly guilty of any sin way back when in the Garden of Eden? Or was he merely giving Eve bad advice, and shouldn't be punished for her transgressions? And what does this question have to teach us about personal responsibility? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 28, kicks things off by discussing the responsibilities cousins have for one another. Actor and director Jesse Eisenberg joins us to discuss his new movie, A Real Pain, which deals with two cousins traveling to Poland to learn more about their late grandmother's life. What do we owe our relatives, and why? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Sanhedrin 26 and 27, ponder the nature of studying Torah. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to shed light on this gorgeous discussion. How is studying Torah, quite literally, magical, and how does it transform the entire world? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Sanhedrin 24 and 25, are all about... the Talmud. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explain why this bit of self-reference is crucial to understanding the entire nature of the Talmud's logic, and what it can teach us moderns. So what does the Talmud think the Talmud is all about? Listen and find out.

On today’s episode of Take One, we take a break from the daf to speak with Gila Fine, the author of The Mad Woman in the Rabbi’s Attic, a reexamination of women’s role in the Talmud. What can we learn about the world of women in the Talmud? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 22, tells us that it’s as difficult to match a couple as it is to part the Red Sea and that when a couple divorces, the very alter at which they were married sheds tears. Executive producer Courtney Hazlett joins us to share her perspective on this touchy topic. When is a relationship truly over? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 21, tells us the story of King Solomon's downfall. What made the wisest man alive sin, and what does it have to do with the Roman Empire? And what warning does the story hold for us about choosing our values carefully? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Sanhedrin 19 and 20, tell a riveting story of a haughty king, a brave rabbi, and a murder most foul. Why did one brave judge stand up to the most powerful man in the land? And what led the rabbis to issue a stern warning against handing any one person, or institution, too much power? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Sanhedrin 17 and 18, give us a masterclass about choosing the right leaders. Why must a leader speak every conceivable language? And why must he or she be attractive as well as wise? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 16, is all about optional wars, and who has the right to go to battle and under what circumstances. Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Brody, author of the new book Ethics of Our Fighters: A Jewish View on War and Morality, joins us to talk about the Jewish way of war. How do the ancient teachings inform our very modern warfare? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 15, asks what is to be done should an animal take a life. Might the beast stand trial for murder? And why is Reish Lakish, perhaps the fiercest of all of the Talmud's rabbis, advocating for compassion? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 14, tells the story of Rabbi Yehuda ben Bava, a Talmudic superhero who sacrificed his own life to keep the Jewish tradition alive. What can we learn from his inspiring story? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Sanhedrin 12 and 13, remind us that the role of rabbis used to be very different than what most of might recognize today. Rabbi Diana Fersko joins us to talk about this historic shift, and about whether the expectations we have of modern-day rabbis are still realistic. So what, exactly, is it that a rabbi does all day? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Sanhedrin 10 and 11, ask a deeply troubling question: How come we no longer have prophets hearing and conveying the word of God? Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explore this complicated question. What's the Bat Kol, the Divine voice that some still continue to hear? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 9, informs us that those of us who rush to help someone do a mitzvah are rewarded themselves as well. Erica Pelman, the founder and director of Jewish unplanned pregnancy support network Shifra, joins us to talk about her organization's sacred work. How can we change the way we talk about abortions for the better? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 8, introduces us to one of the most popular idioms in contemporary Hebrew, teaching us that we should be as diligent when passing judgment involving a very small amount of money as we would've been with a much larger sum. Israeli broadcaster and Torah teacher Sivan Rahav-Meir joins us to shed light on the profound moral principle at play here. How can we become more cautious and righteous people by sweating the small stuff? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 7, argues that when people love each other, they can make do with very little physical space. Producer Josh Kross joins us to discuss how this rule applies to minuscule New York City apartments. Is a home made physically larger on account of joy? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Sanhedrin 5 and 6, raise a fascinating question: Why should we ever compromise? After all, if justice is a divine quality, shouldn't we always aspire to have a clear-cut verdict? Or is compromise itself just as heavenly? Listen and find out.