Take One Daf Yomi

On today's page, Zevachim 87, the rabbis debate whether suspended offerings become sanctified by the altar's “airspace,” expanding holiness into the invisible vertical realm above it. That same question animates New York City's obsession with air rights, where the unseen world above a roofline becomes the site of future growth. What happens if we start treating the space above our own lives—our ambitions, potential, imagination—as buildable terrain? Listen and find out.

On today's page, Zevachim 86, we revisit the principle that holiness only increases, never diminishes, no matter how humble the vessel. Our guest today, Rabbi Eli Sapo of Chabad of the West Side, helps us connect this idea to the spirit of Hanukkah and the growing light we share. How do we notice the ways sanctity rises in our own lives? Listen and find out. To support Tablet and make a tax-deductible donation, click here. To get tickets for Chanukah on Ice click here.

On today's pages, Zevachim 84 and 85, the rabbis teach that even legal debates require stories, because only stories reveal the human stakes beneath the rules. Our guest, producer Josh Kross, reminds us that this is precisely why Jewish storytelling still works: it's grounded in people, in curiosity, and in the refusal to be boring. If the Talmud resonates across centuries, he suggests, it's because its tales—strange, raw, hilarious, profound—still sound like us. What can today's daf teach us about telling the stories that endure? Listen and find out. To support Tablet and make a tax deductible donation, click ⁠here⁠.

On today's pages, Zevachim 82 and 83, the rabbis teach that an offering placed on the altar cannot be lowered or diminished—it has crossed a threshold from which it can only rise. Our guest, Jessica Kasmer-Jacobs, helps us see how that same idea animates Hanukkah: once the menorah was kindled, its light became part of an unbroken chain that still burns in our homes today. Her new children's book, The Light That Lasted, available from Doorway Books at doorwaybooks.shop, places each child directly inside that ancient moment, revealing that they, too, sustain the miracle. How does understanding ourselves as part of a story that can only ascend change the way we celebrate? Listen and find out. To support Tablet and make a tax deductible donation, click ⁠here⁠.

On today's page, Zevachim 81, we dive into the technical rules of blood offerings and discover a larger lesson about making things more holy rather than less. Could pausing before acting, speaking, or posting help us elevate even small moments in life? Listen and find out. To support Tablet and make a tax deductible donation, click here.

On today's page, Zevachim 80, the rabbis debate what happens when regular water mixes into a flask meant for purification and whether the ritual can still be performed. It raises a quiet question about how much change a sacred act can absorb before it becomes something else. How do we decide when a mixture has tipped too far? Listen and find out.

On today's page, Zevachim 79, we learn that the status of a mixture can hinges on a variety of disparate factors. These distinctions highlight a larger truth: eating well isn't just about rules but about cultivating awareness of what goes into our bodies and why. What changes when we slow down long enough to honor the ingredients, flavors, and intentions behind every bite? Listen and find out.

On today's pages, Zevachim 77 and 78, the rabbis teach that even substances normally prohibited on the altar may be burned if they serve only to create a pleasing aroma, raising the deeper question of why scent is the Torah's chosen language for divine acceptance. Our guest, Rabbi David Bashevkin, helps us explore how fragrance becomes a symbol of memory, lingering presence, and the subtle traces of holiness that remain even when the source is gone. How does this unique sense invite us to notice what came before and what still echoes in our lives? Listen and find out.

On today's pages, Zevachim 75 and 76, we learn that when two sanctities are found in separate bodies, one sacred offering may not be diminished in order to preserve another. Our teacher, Rabbi David Bashevkin, joins us to explain how this principle echoed through Jewish history, including debates over whether auctioning off a Torah scroll to fund communal needs dishonors one holy object for the sake of another. What can this tension teach us about honoring the distinct value of the sacred things in our lives? Listen and find out.

On today's page, Zevachim 74, we honor the daf by letting it quietly sit in the background while we mark Thanksgiving with a different kind of offering: a conversation about gratitude. When he joined us on Unorthodox back in 2018, A.J. Jacobs talked about his quest to thank a thousand people for his daily coffee and what it taught him about Jewish gratitude, interdependence, and noticing the good. What happens to our hearts when we start treating every small comfort as the work of a whole hidden community? Listen and find out.

On today's page, Zevachim 73, the rabbis teach that an animal unfit for sacrifice does not become nullified when mixed with permitted animals, because each creature is considered significant on its own terms. This theme echoes the message in Alana Newhouse's powerful essay on industrial farming, “Ugly In, Ugly Out,” reminding us how easily individuality and dignity get erased when we treat living beings as interchangeable. How does our moral clarity sharpen when we refuse to let the unique value of anything—or anyone—get lost in the mix? Listen and find out.

 On today's page, Zevachim 72, the rabbis explore which forbidden items in a mixture can't be nullified because they're considered too significant to simply disappear. They use examples like nuts, pomegranates, gourds, and even homemade loaves to show how value changes the calculus. Why do certain things matter more to us than their size or cost might suggest? Listen and find out.

On today's pages, Zevachim 70 and 71, a technical debate about mixed sacrificial animals highlights the importance of preserving the integrity of each offering, even when confusion enters the process. This principle nudges us to think about the parts of our lives that become cluttered or overmixed, making it harder to experience clarity and uplift. How does staying true to the essential create more room for the sacred? Listen and find out. Read Liel's martini piece for County Highway here.

On today's pages, Zevachim 68 and 69, we encounter a striking comparison: a living sheep makes one sound, but in death its horns, bones, skin, and sinews become a symphony. This parable points us toward the power of enduring influence, showing how the traces we leave behind can create beauty and meaning long after we've departed. How might we shape a legacy that continues to make music in the world? Listen and find out.

On today's page, Zevachim 67, we learn that a woman who vows to bring a pair of birds if she gives birth to a son must actually bring two pairs—one for her vow and one for her standing obligation. This layered requirement invites us to reflect on how faith is shaped not only by what we hope for but also by what we owe, grounding gratitude in something steadier than circumstance. How might our spiritual lives change when thankfulness is not transactional? Listen and find out.

On today's page, Zevachim 66, the rabbis remind us that a properly performed bird sin offering is considered fit, even though the details have already been laid out with precision. When he joined us on Unorthodox back in 2020, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks helped us reflect on how stating the obvious can itself be a moral act, especially when the obvious is what we most easily overlook. Why do we need reminders of truths we think we already know? Listen and find out.

On today's page, Zevachim 65, we learn that the pinching of a bird's neck must be done by the priest himself rather than with a tool. This rule challenges us to consider what is lost when we distance ourselves from the actions that sustain us, allowing tools to create emotional or physical separation. What might we reclaim by bringing our bodies back into the process? Listen and find out.

On today's pages, Zevachim 63 and 64, we encounter the Talmud's vivid description of how priests prepared bird offerings and the raw, hands-on nature of the ritual. Our producer and resident bird-cooking correspondent, Josh Kross, joins us to reflect on why handling a whole creature changes the way we think about food, skill, and respect. How does facing the physicality of sacrifice help shape a more mindful relationship to what we consume? Listen and find out.

On today's pages, Zevachim 61 and 62, we encounter a nation moving from place to place, altar to altar, waiting for the right moment to build God's house. The delay isn't a flaw but a feature: a reminder that spiritual readiness can't be forced. What might this teach us about our own impatience to “arrive”? Listen and find out.

On today's page, Zevachim 60, holiness meets history. As the rabbis ponder whether the Temple's sanctity remains after its destruction, we turn to a modern echo of that question: the story of “Jerusalem of Gold.” Written before the city's reunification, it became a national prayer—and a confession. What does its melody still teach us? Listen and find out.

On today's page, Zevachim 59, the rabbis question how King Solomon's altar could possibly be “too small” to handle his sacrifices when it was hundreds of times larger than Moses's. The math just doesn't add up—and that's the point. What do we miss when we let statistics tell the whole story? Listen and find out.

On today's page, Zevachim 58, the rabbis chart out the sacred geography of the Temple, each direction representing a dimension of human life, from the material to the spiritual. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch saw in this design a living map of the soul. What can an unfinished corner teach us about our own unfinished selves? Listen and find out.

On today's pages, Zevachim 56 and 57, the rabbis recall the “wise men of the vineyards of Yavneh,” who rebuilt the Sanhedrin in secret after Rome's destruction of the Temple. Our very own Presidentischer Rav, Dr. Tevi Troy, joins to compare that ancient subterfuge with another hub of quiet strategy—the East Wing of the White House. Why does true leadership sometimes have to hide in plain sight? Listen and find out.

On today's pages, Zevachim 54–55, the rabbis recall a dark episode—when jealousy between leaders ended in bloodshed. Our very own Presidentischer Rav, Dr. Tevi Troy, joins to show how the same impulse plays out in presidential politics. What can we learn when rivalry crosses the line? Listen and find out. The Rival's Shadow

On today's page, Zevachim 53, the rabbis tell us that the altar straddled Judah's and Benjamin's land. What might sound like a recipe for rivalry is instead a model of brotherhood and repair. A logistical headache—or a reminder of reconciliation and shared purpose? Listen and find out.

On today's page, Zevachim 52, the rabbis describe how priests sprinkled blood on all four corners of the altar — north, south, east, and west. What could sound like a technical detail becomes a timeless reminder that holiness belongs to everyone, everywhere. How do we make our rituals truly inclusive? Listen and find out.

On today's page, Zevachim 51, we learn that the inner altar, unlike the outer one, was built without a base. The rabbis saw this as a symbol of pure connection—an unmediated encounter between us and the Divine. What might it mean to build our faith on something that can't be seen or touched? Listen and find out.

On today's pages, Zevachim 49 and 50, gratitude itself becomes a kind of offering. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin traces how the Temple's korban todah—the thanksgiving sacrifice—became today's birkat hagomel, a blessing said after danger, illness, or release. What does this prayer teach us about recognizing that life could have turned out otherwise? Listen and find out.

On today's pages, Zevachim 47 and 48, we learn about Makom HaZevachim, the precise location where each Temple sacrifice was performed. But as Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin explains, this chapter became part of our daily prayers not for its geography, but its spirit: prayer itself is how we find our place in a chaotic world. What does it mean to build an ark out of words? Listen and find out.

On today's page, Zevachim 46, a Mishnah lists six intentions required when bringing a sacrifice—from naming the offering to aiming it toward God's will. Read as a life practice, it's a blueprint for mindfulness. What happens when we bring this level of purpose to everything we do? Listen and find out.

On today's page, Zevachim 45, the rabbis wonder aloud why they're debating laws for a Temple that doesn't exist. The answer? Study isn't just about what is — it's about what could be. Why does learning something seemingly irrelevant keep faith alive? Listen and find out.

On today's page, Zevachim 44, the priests are granted a curious right: they may keep restitution from a thief who wronged a convert with no heirs. The lesson? The kohanim aren't above us—they're for us, spiritual family for the unrooted. What happens when power comes with empathy, not entitlement? Listen and find out.

On today's pages, Zevachim 42 and 43, the rabbis introduce the strange concept of pigul—a sacrifice made invalid not by an action, but by a stray thought. To explain this rare prohibition, Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explore why, in the Temple, even the mind was subject to divine law. What can this idealized world of kodshim teach us about aligning our inner thoughts with our outer lives? Listen and find out.

On today's pages, Zevachim 40 and 41, the rabbis discuss the high priest's two sets of garments—one dazzling and jeweled, the other plain white for Yom Kippur. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explain why Judaism teaches that true importance isn't shown by adding layers, but by stripping them away. What does holiness look like when we return to the essence? Listen and find out.

On today's page, Zevachim 39, the rabbis compare the Temple's two altars—one outer and forgiving, one inner and exacting—and uncover a deeper lesson. Holiness, they suggest, isn't binary but a spectrum. What happens when we stop chasing perfection and instead take one more small, sincere step toward the sacred? Listen and find out.

On today's page, Zevachim 38, we pause to reflect on the monumental project that makes daily study possible: the Steinsaltz Talmud. We're joined by Rabbi Meni Even-Israel, son of the late Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz, to talk about translating the untranslatable, carrying a legacy forward, and what comes after the Daf Yomi cycle ends. How do you keep learning when the pages run out? Listen and find out. Find out more about the Steinsaltz Center's work here.

On today's page, Zevachim 37, the rabbis teach that Torah can be shaped by both how it's written and how it's heard. Modern brain science agrees, showing that reading silently still lights up the mind's acoustic pathways. What happens when ancient wisdom and modern neuroscience harmonize? Listen and find out.

On today's pages, Zevachim 35 and 36, the Talmud says bones don't count as food—but modern wisdom might disagree. Between the altar and the kitchen, we find a shared idea: nothing sacred—or edible—should go to waste. How can mindful eating become its own act of devotion? Listen and find out.

On today's pages, Zevachim 33 and 34, the rabbis test the edges of sacrifice law: non-kosher limbs, wild game, and the line between an ideal instruction and a binding limit. The result is a masterclass in Talmudic logic that turns hypotheticals into clarity. How does precision in language shape what we can—and can't—offer? Listen and find out.

On today's pages, Zevachim 30, 31, and 32, the rabbis ask whether simply reaching a hand into the Temple counts as entering it—reminding us that even the smallest touch has power. From sacred law to modern science, touch shapes how we connect, heal, and feel alive. What does the Talmud teach us about rediscovering the holiness in human contact? Listen and find out.

On today's pages, Zevachim 28 and 29, the rabbis return to a central theme: the power of kavanah—intentionality in action. A sacrifice counts only when it's offered with total focus of heart and mind. To bring this teaching to life, we revisit a stirring speech from farmer and Tablet Magazine Sinai Award winner Joel Salatin, who speaks about devotion, purpose, and caring for God's creation. How can the discipline of intent turn ordinary work into sacred service? Listen and find out.

On today's pages, Zevachim 26 and 27, a father challenges his son with puzzles worthy of a Talmudic logic olympiad. Behind the levitating livestock lies a deeper goal: to raise a child who can reason through chaos. How can the Talmud's model of education help us teach not memorization but mindfulness and moral clarity? Listen and find out.

On today's pages, Zevachim 23, 24, and 25, the Talmud insists that priests must stand while serving, echoing Deuteronomy's command to “stand to minister.” After a long stretch of holidays filled with more standing than sitting, this teaching hits home. What does standing up—literally—teach us about focus, presence, and prayer? Listen and find out.