Take One Daf Yomi

Today’s Talmud page, Makkot 8, delivers a stark reminder to watch the way we behave in public. Why should we be meticulously mindful when it comes to the general wellbeing of others? And how do we keep the public domain from becoming a public nuisance? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Makkot 5, 6, and 7, contain a fierce debate of the death penalty. Should courts strive as much as they can to make sure we execute as few people as is possible, if not abolish capital punishment altogether? Or is the death penalty a necessary deterrent, without which we're sure to experience more chaos and crime? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Makkot 3 and 4, gives us a good lesson on how to deal with situations of great uncertainty. Should we just trust our gut and hope for the best? Should we analyze all available metrics instead? Or is there a third, wiser solution? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Makkot 2, kicks off a brand new tractate. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us with a rollicking preview of what lies in store. Why are the conspiring witnesses punished with the same fate they schemed to afflict on another? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 113, brings us to the end of our magical tractate. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to recap what we've learned, and share Judaism's unique and inspired view of the law. Why keep the commandments when we're already guaranteed a place in the World to Come? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 112, continues the discussion of an idolatrous city and whether or not it should be destroyed. Jordan Gorfinkel returns to help us parse what part, if any, do the residents of this evil town play in determining their fate. Why is Kevin Smith's Clerks a masterful Talmudic meditation? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Sanhedrin 110 and 111, kick off a discussion of an idolatrous city and whether or not it should be destroyed. Jordan Gorfinkel has thought about this question a lot, particularly as one of the leading creative forces behind Batman, whose native Gotham is an idolatrous city if there ever was one. Should Gotham be destroyed? Were there innocent people on the Death Star? And what can this Talmudic conversation teach us about, say, Gaza? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Sanhedrin 108 and 109, tell the great tale of Nahum Gam Zo, a man whose motto in life was "This, too, is for the best." How did this outlook save him from certain death? And what can it teach us on handling life's thorniest challenges? Listen and find out.

A poignant tale unfolds about Jesus and his mentor, Yosho ben Parachia, revealing how a lack of compassion can drive individuals away. The discussion emphasizes the vital role of inclusivity in leadership and community. Listeners are reminded of the moral obligation to connect and draw people closer, rather than pushing them away. This narrative serves as a reflection on forgiveness and the importance of nurturing relationships.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 106, dive deep into the story of Balaam, the wicked prophet who set out to curse the Jews and ended up blessing them instead. Courtney Hazlett, Rabbi Diana Fersko, and Josh Kross, the hosts of Tablet's How to Be a Jew podcast, are joined by Jordan Rosenblum, the author of the award-winning book Forbidden: A 3000-Year History of Jews and the Pig, to discuss about how this animal became such a strong and problematic part of Jewish identity. Why is it that sometimes it's the things that are least like us that define us? Listen and find out.