Take One Daf Yomi

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 114 and 115, discuss the time-honored idea that a community ought to put its money where its mouth is and support and sustain its values. In traditional Jewish communities, this means paying for the best and brightest to continue and study Torah. Writer Eli Steinberg joins us to deliver a glimpse into a day in the life of a brilliant Torah student, and reflect on why so many outside the haredi community resent its decision to fund full-time studies. What's it like studying in a top-notch kollel? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 112 and 113, bring up one of the Talmud's most contentious ideas: Yeridat HaDorot, or the notion that each generation is just slightly worse than the one that came before it. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to challenge this thorny notion, and argue that what we may lose in wisdom we gain in empathy and compassion. So are we getting better or worse with time? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 111, delivers an uplifting observation about all of us being the sons and daughters of kings. But what does that mean? Rabbi Motti Seligson joines us to shed light on the teaching of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, whose yahrzeit is today, and to explain why we each have the power to make our lives and our world immeasurably better. What inspiration can the Rebbe offer us in these dark times? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 110, kicks things off with a terrifying tale of a curse that leads to inescapable death by snakebite. Film critic and writer Jordan Hoffman joins us to talk about the logic of horror films, about the return of the repressed, and about how film and literature help us deal with our fear of our inevitable demise. Why do we keep cheering on movie monsters? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 109, gives us a long list of healing snacks and beverages. They also inspire a meditation on why we should watch what we eat, and ask ourselves piercing ethical questions even if we don't go full Kosher or vegan. How are we what we eat? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 107 and 108, pose a cutting question: Are we circumcising the wrong part of our bodies? Rabbi Jodie Gordon joins us to argue that our commitment to the covenant isn't over at eight days, and that we should continue to work hard to keep our hearts and our ears alike open and attuned to the suffering of others. Why is there nothing more whole than a broken heart? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 105 and 106, begin with a startling ruling: If you break some of the laws of Shabbat because you are anguished about the death of a loved one, you should be exempt from the consequences. Eitan Levine, a writer and comedian, lost his beloved grandmother to Covid-19; he joins us to talk about the maddening and heartbreaking moment of having to say goodbye to Bubby over the phone, and how he managed to find humor even in this grim moment. What to do when the hospital puts you on hold and forces you to listen to upbeat smooth jazz? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 104, kicks things off with a mystical theory about the real meaning of Hebrew letters. How is our very alpha-bet prodding us to be more mindful of the less fortunate? And what code does the Talmud contain to teach us the true meaning of compassion and justice? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 103, informs us that the essence of writing involves putting just two letters together. Author and scholar Ilana Kurshan returns to help us dive into the mysteries of Hebrew letters, and how just a few of them can conjure entire worlds of meaning. How are the letters themselves magical? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 102, the rabbis offer a cryptic sentence about why the rich shouldn't mingle with the poor. But do they really mean it? Rabbi Joe Schwartz joins us to deliver an insightful meditation on affluence, privilege, and poverty, and what the Talmud has to teach us about income inequality today. Why must a wealthy society never tolerate hunger or need? Listen and find out.