Take One Daf Yomi

Today’s Talmud page, Bava Batra 169, looks at the connection between a written contract and the actual thing you're buying. Should you have to return your Toyota, say, if you happen to simply misplace the lease? And, if not, do words on contracts have any meaning at all? Listen and find out.

A fascinating exploration of a marriage contract reveals the complexities of identity in rabbinical law. The podcast uncovers the dynamic role of commoners in Talmudic society and how their contributions balance notions of equity and excellence. It also critiques the pitfalls of relying solely on expert opinions, arguing that even scholars can be mistaken. The discussion emphasizes the value of practical wisdom and a society focused on excellence, showcasing a refreshing perspective on community life.

Today’s Talmud pages, Bava Batra 166 and 167, discuss a dastardly bit of forgery and its subsequent investigation. The Presidentischer Rav Tevi Troy returns to the show to discuss how different presidential administrations have investigated leaks, and how some of these leakers composed their messages in language that would throw suspicion onto their rivals. How has forgery and leaking changed since the days of the Talmud? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Bava Batra 164 and 165, caution us not to erase a document after it's been signed and try to write a new one in its stead. What does this seemingly mundane bit of legalese have to do with baseball? And why is it the most Jewish sport imaginable? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Bava Batra 163, continues the tractate's discussion of documents, signatures, and forgeries. But it also delivers a surprising and potent meditation on true freedom, and on how to live authentically. What's the great lesson Abraham taught us about keeping it real? Listen and find out.Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group.We think that you may also enjoy Liel's new book How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books.Listen to the Testimonies Archive, a partnership between Tablet Studios and the USC Shoah Foundation, for eyewitness audio accounts from Israel in the wake of the Oct 7 Hamas attacks.Check out all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Today’s Talmud page, Bava Batra 162, deals mainly with how to make sure your documents aren't forged. But as the history of philosophy teaches us, sometimes a little fakery is necessary for brilliant ideas to break through. Who was the great thinker Johannes de Silentio, and how come you've never heard of him yet know his work? Listen and find out.Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group.We think that you may also enjoy Liel's new book How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books.Listen to the Testimonies Archive, a partnership between Tablet Studios and the USC Shoah Foundation, for eyewitness audio accounts from Israel in the wake of the Oct 7 Hamas attacks.Check out all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Today’s Talmud page, Bava Batra 161, gives us what may very well be the first ever documented appearance of... emoji. Why did some rabbis sign their names using pictograms? And how can emoji sometimes succeed where all words fail? Listen and find out.Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group.We think that you may also enjoy Liel's new book How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books.Listen to the Testimonies Archive, a partnership between Tablet Studios and the USC Shoah Foundation, for eyewitness audio accounts from Israel in the wake of the Oct 7 Hamas attacks.Check out all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Today’s Talmud pages, Bava Batra 159 and 160, contain a ruling that the Talmud considers one of the most difficult cases of civil law. What can it teach us about family? And was Don Corleone really living out some core Talmudic values? Listen and find out.Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group.We think that you may also enjoy Liel's new book How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books.Listen to the Testimonies Archive, a partnership between Tablet Studios and the USC Shoah Foundation, for eyewitness audio accounts from Israel in the wake of the Oct 7 Hamas attacks.Check out all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Today’s Talmud pages, Bava Batra 155, 156, 157, and 158, usher us into Thanksgiving. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explain the strange but undeniable connection between America's favorite holiday and one of the Talmud's most demanding tractates. Why is Bava Batra perfect Thanksgiving reading? Listen and find out.Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group.We think that you may also enjoy Liel's new book How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books.Listen to the Testimonies Archive, a partnership between Tablet Studios and the USC Shoah Foundation, for eyewitness audio accounts from Israel in the wake of the Oct 7 Hamas attacks.Check out all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Today’s Talmud page, Bava Batra 154, delivers a key lesson in political philosophy disguised as a meditation on inheritance. What's the real difference between conservatives and progressives? And why do both do best when they walk hand in hand? Listen and find out.Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group.We think that you may also enjoy Liel's new book How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books.Listen to the Testimonies Archive, a partnership between Tablet Studios and the USC Shoah Foundation, for eyewitness audio accounts from Israel in the wake of the Oct 7 Hamas attacks.Check out all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.