Take One Daf Yomi

Today’s Talmud page, Makkot 22, finally sheds light on one of the tractate's central questions, namely just how many lashes must a person sentenced to lashing receive. Why did the rabbis subtract one lash from the number indicated in the Torah? And what could their behavior teach us as we think of crime and punishment? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Makkot 21, dives into the controversial issue of tattoos. Are tatted Jews really prohibited from being buried in Jewish cemeteries? And what surprisingly moving lesson do the rabbis teach us about finding compassion even as we falter and sin? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Makkot 19 and 20, contain a long list of instructions pertaining to Jewish hair. Why can't men shave their beards with a razor, but scissors are fine? And how to address the anxieties around frizzy, curly hair? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Makkot 17 and 18, the rabbis warn us that there are times when we must follow very strict procedures or rob even life's most special and sacred moments of all meaning. How is this insight relevant for anyone trying to enjoy a meal these days at a fancy restaurant? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Makkot 16, informs us that if you have to go to the bathroom and fail to do so in a timely fashion you risk making your soul detestable. Why is that? And how is relieving ourselves not just of bodily waste but of emotional and spiritual baggage as well key to staying healthy? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Makkot 15, asks a fascinating question: Are there any transgressions for which there's no punishment? It's a conundrum we've all faced when we vowed, say, to go to the gym and never did. What, if any, should be the consequences for promises unfulfilled? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Makkot 14, delivers a charming little story of three of the most important rabbis of the Talmud talking Torah while buying meat at the butcher shop. What can this slice of life anecdote teach us about the rabbis style of leadership? And what time management skill can we still learn by following their advice? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Makkot 12 and 13, take up the thorny question of why, precisely, courts do not absolve those who are truly repentant. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explain why we may be forgiven for our sins in shul on Yom Kippur but not before an earthly judge. What was the most famous Talmudic discussion ever held in America, and how does it relate to the question at hand? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Makkot 10 and 11, kick things off with a strange, spooky story about two murderers that soon blossoms into a gorgeous morality tale. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explain the important insight the story delivers. What did the rabbis mean when they taught us that we must assist a person to walk down whichever path the person chooses? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Makkot 9, delivers a subtle rebuke about the dangers of succumbing to hate. Why should we sometimes be much more attentive to those we hate than to the ones we love? Listen and find out.