Take One Daf Yomi

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 78, informs us that if ten people beat an eleventh to death together they are exempt from punishment. What's the moral logic of this controversial statement? And what does it teach us about waging war on Hamas and its many willing executioners? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 77, dives deep into the matter of taking responsibility. At what point are we liable for another person's suffering or death? And why does the distinction matter so much, morally as well as legally? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Sanhedrin 75 and 76, deliver a terrific introduction to the Stam, the Talmud's anonymous voice. What is it, and how does one moving story of a lovesick man unlock the Talmud's literary mysteries? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Sanhedrin 73 and 74, warn us that we should choose to risk our lives rather than transgress under the duress of our enemies. How does the heroism of the Israelis held captive in Gaza illustrate this principle and its ongoing resonance? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 72, delivers an uncomfortable but essential reminder of the true nature of morality and compassion. Why are we allowed to kill someone who we have every reason to believe will soon rise up to kill us? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 71, warns us against indulging in meat and wine. Which is curious, because, elsewhere, the Talmud teaches us that true joy is possible only if enjoying... meat and wine. Which is it? And what can this apparent discrepancy teach us about how we ought to approach life? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 70, is one protracted discussion of drinking, its perils, and its many, many pleasures. Producer Josh Kross joins us to discuss the link between alcohol and spirituality and the surprising benefits of getting moderately drunk. How do you make the perfect martini? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Sanhedrin 68 and 69, deal with one of the most difficult questions in all of Talmud, the problem of the wayward son. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explain this thorny issue, and why we continue to debate it even though the rabbis insist no such example ever occurred in real life. What can the wayward son teach us about our own family life? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Sanhedrin 66 and 67, contemplates the meaning of the word "God." Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to unpack this complicated question, and what it has to teach us about justice and virtue. Why does the Talmud frequently refer to judges as Elohim, or God? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 65, tells a story of an epic argument between Rabbi Akiva and the evil Turnus Rufus, one of the Talmud's greatest villains. Our very own Presidentischer Rav, Tevi Troy, returns to explain why even our most illustrious political leaders sometimes had daddy issues. What did JFK say when embroiled in a quarrel with Martin Luther King Jr.'s father? Listen and find out.