Take One Daf Yomi

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Yoma 53, opens up one of the strangest and most terrifying deaths in a book, the Bible, thick with them: the striking down of the two sons of Aaron, Moses's brother. Why did they have to die? Rabbi Shmuel Hain joins us to explain their sin, its interpretation in rabbinic literature, and why the ongoing fascination with Aaron's sons reflected the rabbis' insecurities about their own role as teachers and students. Why is humility more important than learnedness, and how is being modest better than being correct? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group.Take One is hosted by Liel Leibovitz and produced by Josh Kross, Sara Fredman Aeder, and Robert Scaramuccia.Check out all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Yoma 52, begins with a bold claim: The Jewish people, and they alone, speak directly to God. To investigate this claim, we asked Hudson, age 7, Lily, age 9, and Daniel, age 10, to report on their conversations with the Creator. What do these young Jews believe about talking to God? And what do they ask for when they chat with Hashem? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group.Take One is hosted by Liel Leibovitz and produced by Josh Kross, Sara Fredman Aeder, and Robert Scaramuccia.Check out all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Yoma 51, contains a delightful discussion of the Parochet, or the curtain separating the Holy of the Holies from the rest of the Temple. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to discuss the meaning of this sacred curtain, and what it can teach us about finding holiness even in boundaries and limitations. How does the Parochet continue to inspire contemporary synagogue architecture and design? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group.Take One is hosted by Liel Leibovitz and produced by Josh Kross, Sara Fredman Aeder, and Robert Scaramuccia.Check out all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Yoma 49 and 50, describe, in great detail, how the Kohen Gadol, or High Priest, dispensed the incense on the one day a year he was allowed into the Holy of the Holies. What if we took such care with everything we did? What would happen if we paid as much attention to detail when, say, we made our daily cup of coffee? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group.Take One is hosted by Liel Leibovitz and produced by Josh Kross, Sara Fredman Aeder, and Robert Scaramuccia.Check out all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Yoma 47 and 48, find the rabbis grateful for their existence and their upbringing, so, naturally, they thank their mothers and then dive right into a discussion of just what it was that their mothers did to raise such fine sons. Alana Newhouse, editor in chief of Tablet Magazine, joins us to discuss the tension she feels about bringing God into the motherhood conversation, and the difficulties of reconciling the mystical aspects of child-rearing with the hardships imposed on it by mankind. Should you see God as your parenting partner? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group.Take One is hosted by Liel Leibovitz and produced by Josh Kross, Sara Fredman Aeder, and Robert Scaramuccia.Check out all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Yoma 46, teaches us that the Sabbath is a communal, not personal, undertaking. Sohrab Ahmari, the author of the new book The Unbroken Thread: Discovering the Wisdom of Tradition in an Age of Chaos, joins us to talk about how tradition is the key to making us happier and more self-assured, and how it can only be practiced together with others. What did this committed Catholic learn from thinking about Shabbat? Listen and find out. Join Liel and Sohrab in conversation! June 1, 7:30 p.m. EST. The event is virtual and free, but registration is required. Click here to register.Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group.Take One is hosted by Liel Leibovitz and produced by Josh Kross, Sara Fredman Aeder, and Robert Scaramuccia.Check out all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Yoma 45, finds the rabbis at their most glittery, talking about different kinds of gold and what each one means. Lisa Ann Sandell, the host of the Anxiously podcast, joins us to talk about the secret life of jewelry, and why a simple piece of gold can do so much to transform hearts and spirits alike. Why does wearing jewelry make us feel elevated? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group.Take One is hosted by Liel Leibovitz and produced by Josh Kross, Sara Fredman Aeder, and Robert Scaramuccia.Check out all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Yoma 44, brings up an interesting question: Why did the ancient rabbis believe that burning incense made up for the sin of Lashon Harah, or gossip? Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explain the mystical bonds that tie these two actions together, and how the Hassidic master Rabbi Tzadok taught us a moving lesson about the inclination we all feel to sometimes speak ill of each other. How should we understand our tendency to slander, and how should we fight it? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group.Take One is hosted by Liel Leibovitz and produced by Josh Kross, Sara Fredman Aeder, and Robert Scaramuccia.Check out all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Yoma 42 and 43, give us a bit of insight into the rituals of the High Priests that have much to teach us about that most difficult of all modern questions, namely how to successfully and peacefully and happily live with other people. What should we do to better understand ourselves and others? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group.Take One is hosted by Liel Leibovitz and produced by Josh Kross, Sara Fredman Aeder, and Robert Scaramuccia.Check out all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Yoma 40 and 41, contemplate one of the most iconic rituals in all of Judaism, that of the goat dispatched into the wilderness on Yom Kippur. We have the honor of sharing a teaching from the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks about the meaning of the scapegoat and what this dusty, desert tradition can still teach us today. How does the ancient custom give rise to new reservoirs of hope and redemption? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group.Take One is hosted by Liel Leibovitz and produced by Josh Kross, Sara Fredman Aeder, and Robert Scaramuccia.Check out all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.