Take One Daf Yomi

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 86 and 87, ask a difficult question: Why have boundaries? And why would anyone choose to be religious when being religious involves so many strictures? Rabbi David Stav, chairman of the Tzohar organization that works to bridge the gaps between Orthodox and secular Jews in Israel, joins us to discuss the complex beauty of entering into a committed relationship with God. How is observing mitzvot like a marriage? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 84 and 85, find the rabbis in an agricultural state of mind, talking about the different seeds that one is permitted to sow in a single garden patch. Rabbi Ellen Bernstein, a prominent teacher and writer about Judaism and the environment, joins us to talk about biodiversity and our moral responsibilities to the earth. How is the Talmud promoting a truly organic approach to life? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 83, ends on a brooding note, with talk of dying in the tent of Torah. Why would such a life-affirming book as the Talmud strike such a morbid tone? Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns with an uplifting interpretation, teaching us that true growth and sacrifice can only begin once we've had a chance to know ourselves as individuals. What is the self-help message in today's Daf? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 82, makes number two its number one concern. How are we to wipe our behinds? Zach Schreiber, a lawyer and the co-creator of Seinfeld Law, a blog dedicated to exploring the many intricate legal aspects of everyone's favorite sitcom, joins us to talk about why toilet talk is so crucial to comedy, religion, and the justice system alike. Was Elaine being Talmudic when she asked the person in the next stall to spare a square of toilet paper? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 81, tells a fiery little story about a pair of rabbis stuck on a bewitched boat and forced to utter God's name to undo the spell. Ilana Kurshan, author of If All the Seas Were Ink, a stellar memoir of studying the Talmud, joins us to unpack the mysteries of that omnipotent and mighty name, and how our thinking about it has evolved. Why do we refer to God as Hashem, or the name? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 79 and 80, invite us to look at our stuff and rearrange it according to a hierarchy of holiness. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to share some thoughts about why you can't recycle sacred writings and how even inanimate objects can teach us a valuable lesson about always aspiring to be better. How are tefilin holier than a Mezuzah? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 77 and 78, tells us a brief anecdote containing a poignant life lesson. Reading a classic Hassidic tale, we meditate on growth through difficulty, and on what Judaism has to teach us about overcoming adversity. Why should some hardships make us burst into dance? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 76, is a beautiful meditation on wine, from drinking it to blessing it to basking in its glory. Producer Josh Kross returns to offer a soliloquy on drinking mindfully. What's the deal with diluting wine? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 75, finds the rabbis in an ecumenical mood. While we're not allowed to emulate the ways of other religions, they tell us, learning from them and understanding their ways is allowed, maybe even advisable. Ashley McKinless, co-host of the popular podcast Jesuitical, joins us to talk about finding beauty and meaning in other traditions. Why should we pay attention to the intricacies of our friends' and neighbors' religious practices? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 74, unlocks one of the most profound mysteries of the Jewish universe: Why gefilte fish? Jeffrey Yoskowitz, co-author of The Gefilte Manifesto, joins us to shed some light on the much-maligned dish's origins, and why we can't get enough of it. Why is gefilte the ultimate Shabbat dish? Listen and find out.