Take One Daf Yomi

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Eruvin 84 and 85, give us one charming anecdote that helps dive right into the true meaning of the eruv. Rabbi Hart Levine joins us to tell us about the diverse and welcoming community he'd built in New York, and how it was inspired by the laws and the logic of the eruv. What does it take to turn a bunch of Jews into a thriving community? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Eruvin 82 and 83, introduce a curious prohibition against gamblers giving testimony in a court of law. Joe Bednarsh, Athletics Director at Yeshiva University and a world-class Poker player, joins us to discuss why the rabbis suspected anyone who made a living rolling the dice. Why do card sharks look down on those in the Casino who merely play the Roulette? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Eruvin 81, reaches into the book of Ezekiel to discuss one of the Bible's most notoriously scatological references, the poop sandwich. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to help us figure out what this unappetizing snack means, and why the Talmud seems to devote so much time to number two. Why is the punishment for mocking the rabbis being boiled in excrement? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Eruvin 80, tells a story of a woman who defies her husband to make an eruv possible. Sara Shalva, Chief Arts Officer at the JCC in Baltimore, joins us to talk about how women create community, and what that means for gender roles and division of labor, especially during a pandemic. What would happen if we left socialization up to the men? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Eruvin 79, finds the rabbis permitting building a fire on Shabbat to make a woman giving birth more comfortable. Dr. David Jay Berman, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine at Johns Hopkins, joins us to share some troubling statistics about the risks expecting mothers, and particularly expecting mothers of color, face, and what we must do to heal them. How do race and socioeconomic status impact the health of mother and baby alike? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Eruvin 77 and 78, drill down on which laws must be rigorously observed and which may sometime be overlooked. Officer Jacob Novikov, vice president of the NYPD's Shomrim Society, joins us to talk about the decisions he has to make every day when deciding how to handle infractions and interact with the community he has sworn to serve and protect. How does a cop know when to be strict and when to be merficul? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Eruvin 75 and 76, find one of the rabbis, Rav Yosef, making a blunder. Rabbi Eric Wisnia joins us to explain why Rav Yosef's response can teach us everything we need to know about learning from our mistakes, and why this message is one we particularly need to hear in this troubled moment in American history. What should we do when asked a question about something that pertains directly to our interests? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Eruvin 74, tells a sad and strange story of a man who built an eruv for just one home: His own. Was it kosher? Or must an eruv, designed to connect several abodes, include at least two houses? Adina Fredman joins us to shed light on this instructive anecdote, and offer a surprising look at the central question of what makes a home a home. How has COVID-19 driven us to reconsider our domestic sensibilities? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Eruvin 73, raises a sharp question: What's in a home? Is it the place where you eat? Sleep? Both? Something else? Rabbanit Leah Sarna joins us to talk about the intricacies of domesticity, and about what we think about when we think about home. Did the definition of home change once so many of us started working from home? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Eruvin 72, has the rabbis channeling their inner interior designers: What, they ask, makes a room a room? Author Lisa Sandell joins us to discuss how, while redecorating her very small Manhattan apartment, she found herself contemplating some of the very same questions as our ancient sages. Would the rabbis love shopping on Wayfair.com? Listen and find out.