Take One Daf Yomi

The discussion dives into the four methods of execution in Jewish law, examining their gravity and the rabbinic debates surrounding them. Emphasis is placed on justice intertwined with compassion, reflecting a deep concern for human life. Listeners are encouraged to navigate the complexities of controversial topics, promoting sensitivity and reflection. The conversation highlights the need for nuance in engaging with difficult issues, urging us to consider the intricacies of personal beliefs in the face of polarizing conversations.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 49, kicks things off with a wise bit of teaching: It's better to be cursed than to curse. Socrates himself would have agreed, but the rabbis had a very different understanding of why cursing corrodes society. Who was Rabbi Haim, and what terrible truth did he learn when he was allowed to visit Heaven and Hell? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Sanhedrin 47 and 48, remind us that grief is a singular burden. A story from one of the Talmud's wisest rabbis gives us new insights into grief, and helps us navigate even the most unbearable of feelings. How, then, should we grieve? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 45 and 46, cover various different aspects of the execution process, and even shares a specific process for the blasphemer and the atheist. Producer Josh Kross joins us to discuss how he squares his fervent love of being a Jew with his atheism. Can someone find a basis for morality without Hashem? Listen, and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 44, tells an eerie tale of a wise sage and an evil taxman who were each buried in the other's tomb. Dr. Tevi Troy, our very own Presidentischer Rav, returns to shed light on this insightful tale, and teach us a lesson about history's long memory. How did Harry Truman benefit from history's hindsight? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 43, raises an interesting point about the procedure of public executions. Dr. Tevi Troy, our very own Presidentischer Rav, joins us to explain why we don't ask a condemned man to pay for his own execution, and what the ordinance has to do with contemporary American politics. What lesson could Bill Clinton learn from the Talmud's rabbis? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 42, begins a lengthy discussion of the death penalty. Sister Helen Prejean, a notable opponent of capital punishment, joins us to discuss what it's like being with a person moments before his execution, and parse the differences between Jewish and Catholic approaches to the death penalty. Why did the rabbis rule that the place of execution must be far away from the court itself? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Sanhedrin 40 and 41, dive down into the life of the great Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explain why we need to know so much about this sage's life, and what his example can teach us about living in an imperfect world. How can we find the language of divinity in the narrative of our lives? Listen and find out.

Rabbi David B'Shevkin, an expert in Jewish thought and author of "Synagogue, Sin and Failure in Jewish Thought," shares insights on the creation and fall of Adam. He discusses how this narrative reshapes our understanding of human morality, emphasizing that imperfection is inherent in creation. The conversation delves into the timing of Adam's sin and its implications, contrasting Jewish perspectives with those of other faiths. Listeners are invited to rethink the nature of failure and its role in the journey towards personal growth.

Today’s Talmud page, Sanhedrin 37, tells a moving story about the pious Rabbi Zeira, who prayed even for the hooligans in his neighborhood who tormented him. What can we learn from his example that is particularly pressing in our social media addled age of rage and despair? Listen and find out.