On today's pages of Talmud, Avodah Zarah 11 and 12, we learn about the legendary commentator Onkelos, who was born into Roman nobility, but later converted to Judaism. What made him so great? Listen and find out.
In today's pages of Talmud, Avodah Zarah 9 and 10, we learn about the singular friendship between Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi and the Emperor Antoninus. What does the Talmud teach us about their unlikely alliance? Listen and find out.
In today's page of Talmud, Avodah Zarah 8, the Rabbis tell a story of Jewish bravery during the Roman Empire. When the chain of Rabbinic ordination was threatened by the Roman rulers, a group of Rabbis met to ordain students at tremendous risk to themselves. What happened next? Listen and find out.
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.
