Take One Daf Yomi

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 64 and 65, deliver a reminder that we must never tarry when performing a mitzvah. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns with a masterful hassidic interpretation of this deep Talmudic principle that teaches us how to turn off the voices of self-doubt and criticism that plague us all as we strive to do and be better. Why should we learn to cut ourselves some slack? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 62 and 63, the rabbis riff on a very modern obsession: genealogy. Why are we so obsessed with learning more about our ancestors? A.J. Jacobs, best-selling author of It's All Relative, joins us to talk about why we care so much to know about our great-great-great-great grandma and what it means to realize that, really, we're all one big happy family. Can minding the family tree make you a kinder person? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 61, gives us an opportunity to imagine one of the most majestic of all rituals, Korban Pesach, or the Passover sacrifice. Dr. Karen Kirshenbaum joins us to discuss the logistics of that seminal moment in the ancient Jewish calendar, and what it felt, smelt, and sounded like to those who made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem every year. What can we do to recreate the experience now that there's no longer a Temple? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 60, teaches us a lesson in watching what we eat. Stephanie Butnick returns to discuss how she went from grabbing most of her meals on the go to investing time and effort in cooking meals, what it did to bring her and husband closer, and what she learned about herself from hitting the cookbooks. Does a meal taste different when consumed mindfully? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 59, concludes with a discussion of what should be done when the High Priest speaks in ways that aren't altogether clear. Producer Josh Kross joins us to talk about the responsibilities of parsing a person's intentions, the core of his responsibilities as a podcast editor. How is podcasting the most Talmudic of media? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 57 and 58, tell the story of a wise man who was sent as the Jewish community's emissary to the seat of power, Rome. Tevi Troy, former Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Bush and the author of several books about presidents and the people who serve under them, joins us to talk about the role of ambassador, how it has changed, and what some of the most prominent Israelis dispatched to Washington, D.C. made of their sensitive post. What habits did Israeli ambassador, and later Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin, pick up when on the Hill? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 55 and 56, raise a touchy issue: Are we sometimes being presumptuous? Mark Oppenheimer, our very own Corduroy Rav, returns to share a few funny anecdotes of self-esteem gone wild, and teach us how to adhere to our very democratic roots and stay humble and grounded. What lesson does the Talmud teach us about holding ourselves to higher standards? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 54, tells us that so many of the things we adore, from rainbows to writing, were created at twilight on the first Shabbat eve. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to unveil the symbolic meaning of that magical first Shabbat, and what it can teach us about time and about injecting a bit of holiness into our very hectic calendars. Why did fire have to wait until after Shabbat to come into the world? Listen and find out. 

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 53, urges us to support those committed to education, and promises heavenly rewards to anyone who does so. Writer and educator Malka Fleischmann joins us to evaluate how well we're doing living up to the Talmud's pro-educational teachings, and share some ways to make teachers and students alike feel more supported and appreciated. What's one easy and effortless way to usher in real education reform? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 52, kicks things off with warning us against the temptation to excommunicate those who displease us. How, then, should we have arguments, especially about things that matter? Should the goal of every quarrel be convincing the other person you're right? And is being civil and polite always a good idea? Listen and find out.