As Jews around the world engage in a seven-and-a-half year cycle of Daf Yomi, reading the entire Talmud one page per day, Tablet Magazine's new podcast, Take One, will offer a brief and evocative daily read of the daf, in just about 10 minutes. New episodes will be released daily Monday through Frid…
The Take One Daf Yomi podcast is an incredibly informative and entertaining show that I have been listening to daily for over three years. It has become a staple in my routine, providing me with valuable insights into Talmudic teachings and connecting them to the issues we face in the modern world. One of the highlights of this podcast is the simplicity and perspective brought by 10-year-old Hudson, which brings a sense of comfort and joy during these complex and worrisome times. The hosts, led by Liel Liebowitz, do a fantastic job of unpacking the Talmud through engaging conversations with guests, making it accessible and relatable to listeners.
One of the best aspects of The Take One Daf Yomi podcast is its ability to connect ancient teachings with contemporary issues. The hosts excel at bridging the gap between traditional Jewish texts and our modern world, offering valuable insights that are relevant to our daily lives. Whether it's discussing political correctness or citing heroes like Nathan Sharansky, this podcast provides a fresh perspective on how Talmudic wisdom can inform our understanding of current events.
Another notable aspect of this podcast is the high-quality production value. The episodes are well-paced and organized, making it easy to follow along with each day's teachings. The guest speakers are knowledgeable and provide valuable commentary that enriches the learning experience. Additionally, the podcast offers a variety of perspectives by featuring guest hosts, ensuring that each episode feels distinct from the others.
While there are many positive aspects to The Take One Daf Yomi podcast, one potential downside is that sometimes only one or two sentences of the daily daf are covered. This might leave listeners wanting more in-depth analysis or discussion on certain topics. However, this can be supplemented by other resources such as the 5 Minute Daf Yomi podcast on Podbean mentioned by one reviewer.
In conclusion, The Take One Daf Yomi podcast is an exceptional daily source of Talmudic wisdom and teachings. It offers a unique blend of historical explication, modernization, and thoughtful conversation that keeps listeners engaged and enlightened. Whether you are new to the world of Talmud or a seasoned learner, this podcast is highly recommended for its informative and entertaining content.
In today's page of Talmud, Avodah Zarah 7, the sages discuss how a person should pray. Should a person first say the Amidah, and then issue their own personal requests, or should their personal prayers come first? And why does it matter? Listen and find out.
In today's page of Talmud, Avodah Zarah 6, the sages continue their discussion of "foreign worship," and parse out what it means for Jewish people to partake of non-Jewish holidays. But hey, what's so bad about New Year's Eve? Listen and find out.
In today's Talmud pages, Avodah Zarah 4 and 5, the sages relate an incident between two great scholars, Rabbi Abahu and Rav Safra, and a group of heretics. The moral of the story is so simple, but applicable to anybody who cares about building a healthy and diverse society. What is it? Listen and find out.
Today's Talmud pages, Avodah Zarah 2 and 3, kick off a brand-new tractate. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to tell us a little bit about what we have in store for the next few weeks. What even is Avoda Zara, "foreign worship," and how does studying help us understand the notion of worship, in general? Listen and find out.
In today's Talmud page, Shevuot 49, the sages draw the tractate to a close. To honor the auspicious event, Rabbi David Bashevkin explores in depth one of the largest themes of Shevuot, the gravity and seriousness of using G-d's name. We know that names access their possessor's essence. When we discuss the name of G-d, what are we really talking about? Listen and find out.
In today's Talmud page, Shevuot 48, the sages approach the end of the tractate. Ahead of tomorrow's final page, we take a step back, and hear from Sivan Rahav-Meir (of Tablet's Sivan Says podcast) as we look for meaning during a particularly difficult time in history. Listen to find out more.
In today's Talmud page, Shevuot 47, the sages continue their discussion of oaths, this time focussing, oddly, on different gambling practices. How does this topic fit into the greater themes of the tractate? Listen and find out.
In today's Talmud pages, Shevuot 45 and 46, the sages continue their discussion of the seeming nitty gritty of laws pertaining to daily life, and discuss when a boss should pay his workers. When we discuss a boss, we are, of course, also discussing Hashem. What do these laws tell us about our relationship with G-d? Listen and find out.
In today's Talmud pages, Shevuot 43 and 44, the sages continue their discussion of oaths, focussing on the magic that can occur when people are in agreement with one another. How does this relate to the amazing life and work of a musician we lost just this week? Listen and find out.
In today's Talmud page, Shevuot 42, we hear from Rav Avi Weiss, who expounds on the teaching. How does the Rabbis legal discussion of deposits connect with today's Israeli soldiers, Rav Avi's grandson among them, going to war? Listen and find out.
In today's Talmud page, Shevuot 41, the sages continue their discussion of oaths. All the laws in the Torah concerning the way people interact with one another require one crucial ingredient. What is it? Listen and find out.
In today's Talmud page, Shevuot 40, the sages continue their discussion of oaths, this time asking how to approach a tricky legal scenario. How do you know when someone is falsely making an oath? Listen and find out.
In today's Talmud pages, Shevuot 38 and 39, the sages continue their discussion of oaths, this time focusing on invoking the name of G-d when taking an oath. What makes invoking G-d's name such a powerful act? Listen and find out.
In today's Talmud pages, Shevuot 36 and 37, the sages turn to the topic of curses, this time discussing an instance in which a person curses himself. It seems like a harmless practice, but what deeper idea do the rabbis draw from it? Listen and find out.
In today's Talmud page, Shevuot 35, the sages continue their discussion and bring up yet another category - promises. How is a promise different from an oath or a vow? Listen and find out.
In today's Talmud pages, Shevuot 29 and 30, the sages discuss the difference between and oath and a vow, and between and oath made in vain and a false oath. What, exactly, are the differences, and what are the moral implications of each? Listen and find out.
In today's Talmud pages, Shevuot 31, 32, 33, and 34, the sages zoom out for a moment, discussing the bigger picture implications of distancing oneself from falsehoods. What are those implications? Listen and find out.
In today's Talmud page, Shevuot 28, the sages discuss one of the most well-known cases of oath taking - the Nazir. What can these laws tell us about people who convert to Judaism ? Listen and find out.
In today's Talmud page, Shevuot 27, the sages continue their discussion on oaths. Is promising to fulfill a mitzvah we are already obliged to fulfill is considered taking an oath in vain? Listen and find out.
In today's Talmud page, Shevuot 26, the sages discuss oaths of abstinence when you are really starving. Do you need to atone, or does Pikuach Nefesh cover you? Listen and find out.
In today's Talmud pages, Shevuot 24 and 25, our sages continue their discussion of oaths. What happens when somebody makes a promise too impossible to keep? We look back on an enlightening and vulnerable conversation we had with the singer Matisyahu, which beautifully illustrates this very idea. Listen to find out more.
Today's Talmud page, Shevuot 22 and 23, our sages continue their discussion of oaths, this time pertaining to the laws of kashrut. What do the laws of oaths have to do with the purpose of Jewish dietary laws? Listen and find out.
Today's Talmud page, Shevuot 21, our sages continue their discussion of oaths. The gemara discusses the difference between a false oath, and an oath taken in vain. What's the difference, and what can that teach us about maintaining hope during difficult times? Listen and find out.
Today's Talmud page, Shevuot 20, mentions the assassination of Gedalia ben Achikam. Who was he, why was he killed, and why does his death come as an urgent reminder to us quarreling Jews to insist on talking to those with whom we bitterly disagree? Listen and find out.
Today's Talmud page, Shevuot 19, concerns itself with a real brain-twister, a puzzle about what happens when there are two paths, one pure and one impure, and a man who can't quite remember which road he'd taken. What lesson do the rabbis teach us about how memory and responsibility intersect? Listen and find out.
Today's Talmud pages, Shevuot 17 and 18, find the rabbis discussing the prohibition on having intercourse with a menstruating woman. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explain why religion sees fit to regulate matters that should remain personal and intimate, and how it helps us elevate ourselves above the animals. In what ways is the ancient Temple in Jerusalem similar to our modern bedrooms? Listen and find out.
Today's Talmud pages, Shevuot 15 and 16, raise a difficult challenge, claiming the one must not recite any incantations in an effort to heal the sick. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explain why this prohibition does not mean we should stop reciting Psalms for the sick. In what way is each of us his or her own walking, living prayer? Listen and find out.
Today's Talmud page, Shevuot 14, warns us against climbing atop the Temple Mount, lest we accidentally defile its holiness. But if that's the case, why are we permitted to climb Mount Sinai? And how does Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel help explain this idea of making the world holier with our actions? Listen and find out.
Today's Talmud page, Shevuot 13, discusses one of the Torah's strangest rituals, one involving two goats on Yom Kippur. How does sacrificing one and launching one into the wilderness mirror the repentance each of us must make? And what does Satan have to do with it? Listen and find out.
Today's Talmud page, Shevuot 12, discusses the two goats offered up on Yom Kippur, one sacrificed and the other pushed off a cliff into the wilderness. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to discuss why this ceremony is an astonishing example of breaking the Fourth Wall and talking to God directly. Why do we sacrifice our own decision-making power? Listen and find out.
Today's Talmud pages, Shevuot 10 and 11, explain what was done with the leftovers animals in the Temple, those fit to be sacrificed but never used. What insights can we learn from the rabbis to help us do better than the $160 billion worth of food we throw away every year while 50 million Americans go hungry? Listen and find out.
Today's Talmud pages, Shevuot 8 and 9, raise one of the most difficult questions to ever face the rabbis: Why is a woman giving birth considered a sinner? Is she required to bring a sin offering to repent for that first sin, so long ago, by the first mother, Eve, eating from the Tree of Knowledge? Or is there some deeper lesson here about hope, connection, and gratitude? Listen and find out.
Today's Talmud page, Shevuot 7, introduces us to a very special category of sins, those we enter into fully aware of what we're doing yet somehow lose all track of our wrongdoing the more we engage in it. How is that possible? And what brilliant and compassionate atonement payment plan does the Torah prescribe? Listen and find out.
Today's Talmud page, Shevuot 6, finds the rabbis talking about what happens when you compare two great kings. Dr. Tevi Troy, our very own Presidentischer Rav, returns to explain how the Talmud's dual approaches to power informed Ronald Regan in his struggle with the Soviet Union. How to handle a global adversary and win? Listen and find out.
Today's Talmud page, Shevuot 5, finds the rabbis talking about Tzara'at, the affliction that was punishment for slanderous gossip. What can this ancient disease teach us moderns about guarding our tongue? Listen and find out.
Today's Talmud page, Shevuot 2, kicks off a brand new tractate. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to tell us a little bit about what we have in store for the next few weeks. Why must we be careful when taking the name of God? Listen and find out.
Today's Talmud page, Makkot 24, brings our tractate to a close. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to sum up what we've learned, and explain Judaism's wonderful attitude to punishment and reward. Why did Rabbi Akiva laugh when he saw Jerusalem destroyed? Listen and find out.
Today's Talmud page, Makkot 23, issues a stern warning against lashon harah, or malicious speech. But hey, we all gossip, so what's so bad about that, anyway? And what great arguments did the rabbis give to convince us to think before we open our mouths? Listen and find out.
Today's Talmud page, Makkot 22, finally sheds light on one of the tractate's central questions, namely just how many lashes must a person sentenced to lashing receive. Why did the rabbis subtract one lash from the number indicated in the Torah? And what could their behavior teach us as we think of crime and punishment? Listen and find out.
Today's Talmud page, Makkot 21, dives into the controversial issue of tattoos. Are tatted Jews really prohibited from being buried in Jewish cemeteries? And what surprisingly moving lesson do the rabbis teach us about finding compassion even as we falter and sin? Listen and find out.
Today's Talmud pages, Makkot 19 and 20, contain a long list of instructions pertaining to Jewish hair. Why can't men shave their beards with a razor, but scissors are fine? And how to address the anxieties around frizzy, curly hair? Listen and find out.
Today's Talmud pages, Makkot 17 and 18, the rabbis warn us that there are times when we must follow very strict procedures or rob even life's most special and sacred moments of all meaning. How is this insight relevant for anyone trying to enjoy a meal these days at a fancy restaurant? Listen and find out.
Today's Talmud page, Makkot 16, informs us that if you have to go to the bathroom and fail to do so in a timely fashion you risk making your soul detestable. Why is that? And how is relieving ourselves not just of bodily waste but of emotional and spiritual baggage as well key to staying healthy? Listen and find out.