Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Joe Rosenstein looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 35 . Before considering the question discussed on the brief Daf 35, we review what has been said over the week on the general theme of how the understanding and observance of Rosh Hashanah have changed over the ages, and make some suggestions for how we might modify our current understanding and observance of this holiday. The discussion on Daf 35 is confined to the question of whether or not...
Nov 13, 2021•13 min
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Joe Rosenstein looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 34 . Daf 34 discusses the questions of when the shofar is actually blown on Rosh Hashanah, why the blessing over the shofar is said earlier in the service, what kinds of sounds are made by the shofar, how those sounds are interpreted in the 4th century, and how Rosh Hashanah might have been observed a thousand years earlier. A continuing general theme is how the understanding and observance o...
Nov 12, 2021
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Joe Rosenstein looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 33 . Before looking at Daf 34, we complete the discussion of a Mishnah on Daf 33 that states explicitly that Hallel was recited on Rosh Hashanah and note that between the early Talmudic period and the later Talmudic period, and subsequently, Rosh Hashanah became more and more linked to Yom Kippur. Among the themes of Daf 34 are the situations in which one doesn’t get to hear the shofar and th...
Nov 11, 2021•14 min
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Joe Rosenstein looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 32 . Daf 32 returns to the discussion of Rosh Hashanah. We focus on a Mishnah that discusses the Musaf Amidah and reveals both how it was recited in earlier times and how it was expanded in later times by Rabbi Akiva. The question discussed is how to add a malchuyot section to an Amidah whose focus in the past had been on zichronot and shofarot. A continuing general theme is how the understan...
Nov 10, 2021
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Joe Rosenstein looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 31 . Daf 31 continues the discussion of the changes made by Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai after the Temple was destroyed. First however there is a brief detour to the question of why the psalms that we recite on the seven days of the week were chosen and the belief that the world will end after the sixth millennium. (Should we worry?) We will also discuss what happened to the red wool that wouldn...
Nov 09, 2021•10 min
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Joe Rosenstein looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 30 . Daf 30 continues the discussion of the changes made by Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai after the Temple was destroyed. One topic is the lulav ceremony on Sukkot, where his ruling resulted in decentralizing the Temple practice. Another topic concerns the declaration of the new moon, why Rosh Hashanah became a two-day event, and why we don’t announce the new moon of Tishrei on the preceding Shab...
Nov 08, 2021•12 min
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Joe Rosenstein looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 29 . Chapter 4 of Masechet Rosh Hashana begins on Daf 29 and its focus is on the shofar and the liturgy. The first question it discusses is whether the shofar may be blown if Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat, and we learn how Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai changed the practice after the Temple was destroyed. A continuing general theme is how the understanding and observance of Rosh Hashanah changed ...
Nov 07, 2021•15 min
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Steve Kane looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 28 . What if you ate matzah on Pesach, but didn’t do it to fulfill the mitzvah? What if you happened to pass by a synagogue on Rosh HaShanah and heard the shofar sounded? Have you still fulfilled your obligation on these mitzvot? We look into the question of whether “ mitzvot tzrichot kavanah “, does the fulfillment of a mitzvah require intent? The opening and closing music for this podcast...
Nov 06, 2021•11 min
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Steve Kane looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 27 . When two people speak at once, can we truly hear either? What if God were to speak two words at the same time, would both words be heard? We look into the practical implications of “ trei kalei ” (two voices). The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead . This podcast is a collaboration with The Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem ....
Nov 05, 2021•11 min
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Steve Kane looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 26 . On this page we examine the question as to why a cow’s horn cannot be used as a shofar. The Gemara states that “an accuser cannot become a defender”. What are we accused of, and what does this have to do not only with a cow’s horn, but also with the gold in the clothing of the cohen gadol ? How does this principle apply to our lives? The opening and closing music for this podcast is Uf...
Nov 04, 2021•9 min
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Steve Kane looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 25 . The page begins with one of the most famous stories of rabbinic authority. There is a disagreement between Rabbi Yehoshua and Rabban Gamliel (the head of the Sanhedrin) as to when the month began. To assert his authority Rabban Gamliel orders Rabbi Yehoshua to appear before him on the day Rabbi Yehoshua considered to be Yom Kippur. What does Rabbi Yehoshua do, and what are the implicat...
Nov 03, 2021•12 min
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Steve Kane looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 24 . After discussing what kind of questions one asks witnesses about Rosh Hodesh , we look at the declaration of the new month. What did the Bet Din say, and how did the people respond to the declaration? What was the reason for this ceremony? What is the role of the people versus the role of “heaven” in deciding the calendar? The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from Th...
Nov 02, 2021•9 min
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Steve Kane looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 23 . The Gemarah compares one who learns and teaches Torah to the hadas (myrtle) tree in the desert. Why is this beautiful tree used in the comparison, and what are the implications of it being found in the desert? What are the responsibilities of one who has learned Torah to teach it to others? The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead . This...
Nov 01, 2021•11 min
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Steve Kane looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 22 . We discuss on this page the question of why certain individuals or groups are unreliable to give testimony for Rosh Hodesh (and in general), and what is the theory behind their rejection. What is the Talmud concerned with when it rejects them as witnesses? What does it say about their nature and character? The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album...
Oct 31, 2021•10 min
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Ute Steyer looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 21 . We only keep one day of Yom Kippur because it would be too much of a burden on the community to keep a second day of yom tov shel galut on account of Yom Kipur. The Daf also discusses that witnesses are always allowed to transgress Shabbat in order to testify in order to assure that the mitzvah is kept and people don’t become distant to it. The opening and closing music for this podcas...
Oct 30, 2021
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Ute Steyer looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 20 . “Maleh” and “chaser” months and is it necessary to desecrate Shabbat for them? We look at the fascinating case of a Beit Din coercing witnesses to prevent them from testifying for the benefit of the community. The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead . This podcast is a collaboration with The Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem ....
Oct 29, 2021•11 min
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Ute Steyer looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 19 . Megilat Ta’anit and whether it is still valid after the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash. What is the status of certain holidays: divrei torah or divrei sofrim? Do they need chizuk or not and where do divrei kabbalah fall in the spectrum of legal categories? The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead . This podcast is a collaboration with...
Oct 28, 2021•10 min
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Ute Steyer looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 18 . The story of Beluria the convert who asked Rabban Gamliel a question regarding a legal interpretation of Scripture and we encounter the principle of “beyn adam l’makom” and “beyn adam l’chavero” The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead . This podcast is a collaboration with The Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem ....
Oct 27, 2021•11 min
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Ute Steyer looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 17 . We learn about the three groups of people that are judged on the final Yom Din: completely righteous, completely wicked, and those in-between and what role suffering plays to atone for one’s wrongdoings. We look at the meaning of the “El Rahum v’Hanun” familiar from the High Holiday and Festival liturgy. The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album O...
Oct 26, 2021•10 min
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Ute Steyer looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 16 . The four occasions on which judgment is passed on the world and the beginning of the discussion about the moral judgment of mankind on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kipur. Which things can change the final decree? The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead . This podcast is a collaboration with The Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem ....
Oct 25, 2021•11 min
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Ute Steyer looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 15 . The new year of trees and what determines it? The tithing cycle and how it is determined which fruits are tithed for the past year and the coming year. The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead . This podcast is a collaboration with The Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem ....
Oct 24, 2021•9 min
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Michael Pitkowsky looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 14 . Is consistency a requirement for a religious legal system? Today’s daf addresses this very important question. What are the rules according to which rabbinic law work? Autonomy as a value is central to many modern approaches to Judaism and accept by many modern Jews, even if there is disagreement on how far reaching this autonomy should be. But is this good? How much autonomy ca...
Oct 23, 2021
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Michael Pitkowsky looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 13 . Today’s daf addresses a number of issues relating to the Sabbatical Year. One is how much does something have to grow before it is considered to have grown during the Sabbatical year. Specifically, if towards the end of the Sabbatical year produce or grain has grown a certain amount, at what point will prohibitions from the Sabbatical Year continue to apply to it during the year...
Oct 22, 2021•7 min
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Michael Pitkowsky looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 12 . Have you ever looked up at the stars and wondered what lies beyond all of those stars and constellations? Well, according to today’s daf, beyond the constellations and stars were the waters that flooded the Earth during the days of Noah. Confused? You won’t be after learning today’s daf. The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead . ...
Oct 21, 2021•8 min
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Michael Pitkowsky looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 11 . On today’s daf we go read a detailed list of special dates within Jewish history. We’ll learn on what day the world was created, when were the patriarchs born, and during which month the Children of Israel will be redeemed in the future. There is some disagreement about the dates, and we’ll examine the sources for these disagreements and what they can tell us about Talmudic inte...
Oct 20, 2021•9 min
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Michael Pitkowsky looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 10 . I hope that you enjoyed the concept that we are obligated to add to the holy time period of the Sabbatical Year that we learned on yesterday’s daf, because we speak more about it today. Today’s daf addresses the topic of deadlines related to the Sabbatical Year in more detail. A second topic discussed is Orlah, the teaching that during the first three years that a tree bears fru...
Oct 19, 2021•8 min
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Michael Pitkowsky looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 9 . Listen to today’s daf in order to learn how a discussion of the starting point for the Sabbatical Year, the Shemittah year, is used in order to teach an important concept that applies to Shabbat and Jewish holidays. This concept is that we add time from the weekday, the unholy time, to the holy time in order to make the time period of the holy day even long. So if you ever wonder...
Oct 18, 2021•8 min
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Michael Pitkowsky looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 8 . Tithing a cattle? Who would have thought. Well, Masekhet Rosh Hashana is very interested in the tithing of cattle and any deadlines that were involved. Our daf addresses these questions along with other important dates in the Hebrew calendar. The first of Elul-check. The first of Tishrei-check. Speaking of the first of Tishrei, a lot apparently happens on this day. Listen to Dail...
Oct 17, 2021•9 min
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbbi Daniel Goldfarb looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 7 . A rabbinic statement adding “months, leap-years and, some say, housing rental agreements” to the matters for which the first of Nisan is the “new year” gives us the opportunity to look at each of these and the extent to which Torah can touch all aspects of life. The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead . This podcast is a collaborat...
Oct 16, 2021•8 min
Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Daniel Goldfarb looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 6 . A statement by one rabbi that Charity pledges should be paid immediately, and not within the longer time period allowed for pledges to the Temple, leads us to explore the place of charity as a value in Judaism. The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead . This podcast is a collaboration with The Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem ....
Oct 15, 2021•9 min
