Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 75, finds the rabbis discussing how to go about executing a person who has transgressed. Sister Helen Prejean joins us to share her experiences as America’s foremost critic the death penalty, and talk about how Catholic and Jewish traditions come together—and how they differ—when it comes to thinking about sanctioned killings. What did Sister Helen feel the first time she looked a death row inmate in the eye? Listen and find out.
Feb 04, 2021•17 min•Season 4Ep. 75
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 74, is all about meat: How to roast it, eat it, and savor it. Producer Josh Kross returns to talk about the joys of ambling up to the grill, and how meat triggers the primordial memories us moderns thought we've suppressed. Why is meat such an important part of so many religions? Listen and find out.
Feb 03, 2021•8 min•Season 4Ep. 74
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 73, finds the rabbis talking about ritual sacrifice but meditating on animal rights. Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz joins us to talk about why it's crucial not to lose sight of animal suffering even when eating meat, and how our rituals have evolved to reflect an increasingly more compassionate sensibility. What is one of the gravest moral disasters we still commit uncritically? Listen and find out.
Feb 02, 2021•10 min•Season 4Ep. 73
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 71 and 72, offer an inspired vision of what we need to be happy: Clean clothes and old wine. Adam Teeter joins us to explain why so many of us feel intimidated when it comes to picking the perfect bottle, and give us some tips on how to enjoy wine and figure out what it is we truly love. How is wine literally magical? Listen and find out.
Feb 01, 2021•12 min•Season 4Ep. 71
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 69 and 70, make the curious connection between the Korban Pesach, the sacrificial Paschal lamb, and Brit Mila, or circumcision. Sara Fredman Aeder returns to shed light on the uncomfortable similarities between both practices, and what she, as an Orthodox mother to a newborn baby boy, felt before his Bris. Why all this bloodletting in our ancient rituals? Listen and find out.
Jan 29, 2021•7 min•Season 4Ep. 69
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 68, asks a piercing question: Should we use whatever powers we have for good? Or are they ours for our own benefit? Comic book writer and editor Jordan Gorfinkel joins us to talk great power, great responsibility, and what the Bible's protagonists have in common with our modern superheroes. What could the Talmud have taught Spider-Man? Listen and find out.
Jan 28, 2021•10 min•Season 4Ep. 68
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 67, calls for the isolation of those suffering from a set of contagious conditions, a topic that hits close to home in the time of COVID-19. Vineet Chander, the Coordinator for Hindu Life and Hindu chaplain at Princeton University, joins us to talk about how he, as a college chaplain, comforts students struggling with social distancing, and what his faith tradition has to teach us about community and isolation. On what do the Talmud and the Bhagavad Gita agree? Li...
Jan 27, 2021•10 min•Season 4Ep. 67
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 66, tells a story of a great rabbi humbled and delivers a crucial lesson about what to do when you have no idea what to do. Shira Telushkin joins us to deliver some insight about why Jews are prophets or the sons of prophets, and what this means for each and every single one of us. Why should we never feel embarrassed about not knowing enough about our faith and tradition? Listen and find out.
Jan 26, 2021•10 min•Season 4Ep. 66
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 64 and 65, deliver a reminder that we must never tarry when performing a mitzvah. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns with a masterful hassidic interpretation of this deep Talmudic principle that teaches us how to turn off the voices of self-doubt and criticism that plague us all as we strive to do and be better. Why should we learn to cut ourselves some slack? Listen and find out.
Jan 25, 2021•7 min•Season 4Ep. 64
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 62 and 63, the rabbis riff on a very modern obsession: genealogy. Why are we so obsessed with learning more about our ancestors? A.J. Jacobs, best-selling author of It's All Relative, joins us to talk about why we care so much to know about our great-great-great-great grandma and what it means to realize that, really, we're all one big happy family. Can minding the family tree make you a kinder person? Listen and find out.
Jan 22, 2021•8 min•Season 4Ep. 62
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 61, gives us an opportunity to imagine one of the most majestic of all rituals, Korban Pesach, or the Passover sacrifice. Dr. Karen Kirshenbaum joins us to discuss the logistics of that seminal moment in the ancient Jewish calendar, and what it felt, smelt, and sounded like to those who made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem every year. What can we do to recreate the experience now that there's no longer a Temple? Listen and find out.
Jan 21, 2021•8 min•Season 4Ep. 61
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 60, teaches us a lesson in watching what we eat. Stephanie Butnick returns to discuss how she went from grabbing most of her meals on the go to investing time and effort in cooking meals, what it did to bring her and husband closer, and what she learned about herself from hitting the cookbooks. Does a meal taste different when consumed mindfully? Listen and find out.
Jan 20, 2021•7 min•Season 4Ep. 60
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 59, concludes with a discussion of what should be done when the High Priest speaks in ways that aren't altogether clear. Producer Josh Kross joins us to talk about the responsibilities of parsing a person's intentions, the core of his responsibilities as a podcast editor. How is podcasting the most Talmudic of media? Listen and find out.
Jan 19, 2021•9 min•Season 4Ep. 59
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 57 and 58, tell the story of a wise man who was sent as the Jewish community's emissary to the seat of power, Rome. Tevi Troy, former Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Bush and the author of several books about presidents and the people who serve under them, joins us to talk about the role of ambassador, how it has changed, and what some of the most prominent Israelis dispatched to Washington, D.C. made of their sensitive post. What ha...
Jan 18, 2021•10 min•Season 4Ep. 57
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 55 and 56, raise a touchy issue: Are we sometimes being presumptuous? Mark Oppenheimer, our very own Corduroy Rav, returns to share a few funny anecdotes of self-esteem gone wild, and teach us how to adhere to our very democratic roots and stay humble and grounded. What lesson does the Talmud teach us about holding ourselves to higher standards? Listen and find out.
Jan 15, 2021•8 min•Season 4Ep. 55
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 54, tells us that so many of the things we adore, from rainbows to writing, were created at twilight on the first Shabbat eve. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to unveil the symbolic meaning of that magical first Shabbat, and what it can teach us about time and about injecting a bit of holiness into our very hectic calendars. Why did fire have to wait until after Shabbat to come into the world? Listen and find out.
Jan 14, 2021•10 min•Season 4Ep. 54
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 53, urges us to support those committed to education, and promises heavenly rewards to anyone who does so. Writer and educator Malka Fleischmann joins us to evaluate how well we're doing living up to the Talmud's pro-educational teachings, and share some ways to make teachers and students alike feel more supported and appreciated. What's one easy and effortless way to usher in real education reform? Listen and find out.
Jan 13, 2021•8 min•Season 4Ep. 53
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 52, kicks things off with warning us against the temptation to excommunicate those who displease us. How, then, should we have arguments, especially about things that matter? Should the goal of every quarrel be convincing the other person you're right? And is being civil and polite always a good idea? Listen and find out.
Jan 12, 2021•8 min•Season 4Ep. 52
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 50 and 51, regale us with stories of the world-to-come. What does this mysterious place look like? And do Jews really believe in it? Rabbi Dr. Ari Lamm returns to shed some light on Olam Habah, and what Judaism instructs us to do to make this world look almost as perfect as the next. Why is waiting for heavenly rewards the coward's way out? Listen and find out.
Jan 11, 2021•9 min•Season 4Ep. 50
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 48 and 49, kick things off by talking challah. Dr. Beth Ricanati, a physician who found great comfort and healing in baking the traditional bread, joins us to share her challah-baking routine, and her thoughts on the transformative power of yeast, dough, and water. Why is it important to speak aloud and state the names of loved ones when you bake? Listen and find out.
Jan 08, 2021•8 min•Season 4Ep. 48
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 47, asks a thorny question: What role might non-Jews play in Jewish celebrations and festivals? Rabbi Steven Philp, himself a Jew by choice, joins us to tell us about his own journey, and about hosting an annual seder for his family and his friends, most of whom aren't Jewish. How do their questions and perspective enrich the experience of celebrating Passover? Listen and find out.
Jan 07, 2021•10 min•Season 4Ep. 47
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 46, discusses going the distance. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to explain why some rituals can only be practiced communally, and why it's important not to stray too far from other Jews. What's so important about praying in a minyan? Listen and find out.
Jan 06, 2021•6 min•Season 4Ep. 46
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 45, talks about the prohibitions on leaven that is inedible. Which might cause distress to certain kinds of bakers: Shy Krug, a master of sourdough bread, joins us to explain the ancient and intricate process he considers his hobby, and why Passover presents a special challenge. What do you do with your beloved sourdough starter, which you feed and care for yearlong, when the time comes to eradicate that hametz? Listen and find out.
Jan 05, 2021•9 min•Season 4Ep. 45
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 43 and 44, raise the question of what obligations and rights women have when it comes to Passover. Best-selling author Abby Pogrebin joins us to share her memories of the world's first all-women Feminist seder, presided over by such luminaries as Gloria Steineim and Bella Abzug. What has changed since that groundbreaking evening? Listen and find out.
Jan 04, 2021•9 min•Season 4Ep. 43
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 41 and 42, tell us a funny story about a famous rabbi who misspoke and the hillarious misunderstanding that followed. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to teach us about the importance of weighing our words, learning from our mistakes, and listening intently. What lessons does the ancient story offer modern-day parents? Listen and find out.
Jan 01, 2021•7 min•Season 4Ep. 41
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 40, asks what respect, precisely, we owe the dead. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to offer a radical musing on what the dead can teach us about living and about being kind to each other. Why won't the dead mind being buried in a halakhically impure garment? Listen and find out.
Dec 31, 2020•8 min•Season 4Ep. 40
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 39, finds the rabbis in a culinary mindest, as they declare that no other bitter herb has quite the pungent profile as horseradish. Famed cookbook author Adeena Sussman joins us to talk about the bitterest of bitter herbs, why it's a perennial star at the Seder table, and what happens when you mix it with a bit of mayo and eat it with a nice, rich meat. How is horseradish like 2020? Listen and find out.
Dec 30, 2020•8 min•Season 4Ep. 39
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 38, sets things off by discussing the obligations of dinner guests and hosts. Stephanie Butnick joins us to talk about what you should and should never do at a dinner party, and why the Seder is your perfect guide. Why should you never outshine the host? Listen and find out.
Dec 29, 2020•8 min•Season 4Ep. 38
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 36 and 37, ask a question that should be obvious: What, exactly, is a Matzah? Rabbi Ethan Tucker, himself an enthusiastic Matzah-baker, joins us to explain the many traditions and arguments that went into creating our beloved unleavened bread. Why does the Matzah have holes? Listen and find out.
Dec 28, 2020•9 min•Season 4Ep. 36
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 34 and 35, start off with a Talmudic take on a rap battle, with the rabbis of Eretz Yisrael calling the rabbis of Babylon dumb. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to explain the tensions between the two communities, and offer a surprisingly relevant nugget of wisdom for our troubled times. Why does dwelling in darkness inspire talking to God? Listen and find out.
Dec 25, 2020•8 min•Season 4Ep. 34
