Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 117, muses on the ways Jews see the world, in good times and bad, and the words they choose to describe their reality. Author Menachem Kaiser joins us to talk about his new book, which tells the story of a clandestine memoir his relative wrote while imprisoned in a Nazi camp that became a target for a gaggle of treasure hunting enthusiasts. What power do words have to heal and bring generations together? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeon...
Mar 18, 2021•9 min•Season 4Ep. 117
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 116, gets to the heart of the Passover family drama, talking about fathers and sons and mothers and daughters and the ways we learn from and teach each other. Celebrated actress Tovah Feldshuh joins us to talk about her new memoir, Lilyville, which tells the story of her own mother and how her childhood experiences prepared her for life on stage and screen. How do you go from prancing in front of the mirror to Broadway? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us ...
Mar 17, 2021•17 min•Season 4Ep. 116
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 115, sings the praises of everyone's favorite Passover treat, the Hillel Sandwich. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to tell us about the snack's origins, and why it remains such a beloved part of the Passover tradition. How does this one sandwich symbolize Judaism's approach to life? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group. Take One is...
Mar 16, 2021•7 min•Season 4Ep. 115
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 113 and 114, give us some sparkling words to live by. Mark Gerson, author of the newly published book The Telling: How Judaism's Essential Book Reveals the Meaning of Life, joins us to argue that the Haggadah is our faith's greatest hits collection, and shares some choice bits of ancient wisdom that are ever so relevant today. Why was the Haggadah written in such a cryptic and often difficult manner? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@t...
Mar 15, 2021•11 min•Season 4Ep. 113
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 111 and 112, has the rabbis doing battle with demons. Andrew Fox, author of a new novel about a Jewish demon haunting and helping save New Orleans, joins us to talk about how living in the city during Hurricane Katrina felt like a long bout of the evil eye, and what faith and superstition have to teach each other. What happens when a Jewish demons falls in love with the family she was supposed to torment? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at take...
Mar 12, 2021•12 min•Season 4Ep. 111
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 110, kicks things off with talk of demons, evil eyes, and other superstitious beliefs. Lisa Sandell and Aimee Friedman, the hosts of Tablet Magazine's new podcast, Anxiously, join us to talk about growing up with superstitious parents, and about why some of these ancient folk beliefs persist till today. Why exactly do we knock on wood? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the ...
Mar 11, 2021•8 min•Season 4Ep. 110
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 109, parse the true meaning of joy: surprise surprise, the rabbis believe it involves meat and wine. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us for a full-bodied conversation about eating and drinking, and why meat alone matters so much. How is throwing a steak on the grill entering into a partnership with God? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook...
Mar 10, 2021•8 min•Season 4Ep. 109
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 108, talks about that least understood of all Passover rituals, reclining. Rabbi Willie Balk joins us to talk about just how we're supposed to recline, and what exactly it means. How does the way we sit at dinner a manifestation of our emotional and spiritual state? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group. Take One is hosted by Liel...
Mar 09, 2021•8 min•Season 4Ep. 108
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 106 and 107, find the rabbis in a snooty mood, particularly when it comes to beer. Why does the anti-beer snobbery persist? Jeremy Cowan, founder and CEO of the Shmaltz Brewing Company, makers of He'Brew beer, joins us to talk about making beer stand up to the standards of wine connoisseurs and about using Biblical ingredients to make his brews. What's in his hoppy tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@table...
Mar 08, 2021•9 min•Season 4Ep. 106
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 104 and 105, give some love to the Havdalah. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to tell us about his love for the ritual, and why it's even more special to him than making Kiddush on Friday evening. How does Havdalah sanctify the rest of the week? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group. Take One is hosted by Liel Leibovitz and produced...
Mar 05, 2021•9 min•Season 4Ep. 104
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 103, gives us strange mnemonics, including one that is making a star turn this year. Dr. Chaya Sima Koenigsberg joins us to talk about the rabbis' love of acronyms, and why one acronym in particular inspired Jewish artists to illustrate Haggadot with, of all things, scenes from the rabbit hunt. What's with Jews and bunnies? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation...
Mar 04, 2021•10 min•Season 4Ep. 103
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 102, warns us against trying to bundle our mitzvot. Rabbi Dr. Ari Lamm joins us to talk about the importance of taking life one good deed at a time. Why should we be mindful not only of what we do but of how we do it? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group. Take One is hosted by Liel Leibovitz and produced by Josh Kross, Sara Fredm...
Mar 03, 2021•8 min•Season 4Ep. 102
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 101, sings the praises of the Shabbat meal, a dinner like no other in the week. Hudson Leibovitz, 7 years old, joins us to talk about the Shabbat table in his home, and why having some challah and a few dips really transforms the evening into something truly special. When do we start preparing for Shabbat dinner? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Tak...
Mar 02, 2021•7 min•Season 4Ep. 101
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 99 and 100, gives us the rabbis' wisdom to live by: it’s better to say nothing and be thought wise, than to speak and prove the opposite. John Podhoretz, the editor of Commentary Magazine, joins us to speak about the burden of being paid to always have an opinion and about living in a world where silence is far less than golden. How do we cure this inflation of hot takes? Listen and find out.
Mar 01, 2021•8 min•Season 4Ep. 99
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 97 and 98, the rabbis bring up our inheritance, and inquire about our privileges and our duties when we're lucky enough to have something of value passed down from one generation to the next. Josh Kross returns to share a story of one ugly painting and its beautiful meaning. How do family heirlooms inspire us to be better people? Listen and find out.
Feb 26, 2021•10 min•Season 4Ep. 97
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 96, asks only this: What's the difference between that first OG Pesach sacrifice and all the others that follow? Or, put differently, has anything really changed since the Exodus? Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to tell us a charming story of a Hassidic master's first insight, and how Passover inspired him to find meaning in the way we jump into new resolutions in life. Why is it a good idea to jump in fast and then take it slow? Listen and find out. Like the show? ...
Feb 25, 2021•10 min•Season 4Ep. 96
In today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 95, the rabbis discuss the second Pesach, Judaism’s great do-over. Kylie Unell joins us to talk about second chances and why no religion can ever work with out them. What do Jay Z and Beyonce have to do with Passover? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group. Take One is hosted by Liel Leibovitz and produced by Josh Kross, Sara Fr...
Feb 24, 2021•8 min•Season 4Ep. 95
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 94, mentions perhaps the most maligned of all Hebrew months, Marcheshvan. Does its name really mean "bitter"? Was the calendar really that unkind? Tevi Troy returns to help us make sense of the Hebrew year's most frequently discussed month. Why are we so obsessed with Cheshvan? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi. Take One is hosted by Liel Leibovitz and produced by Josh Kross, Sara ...
Feb 23, 2021•7 min•Season 4Ep. 94
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 92 and 93, bring up a tricky question: How can we really measure distance? The answer, of course, is through time, which teaches us a valuable lesson on how to go very far even when we may think it impossible. What crucial time management skill can we learn from the rabbis? Listen and find out.
Feb 22, 2021•9 min•Season 4Ep. 92
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 90 and 91, bring up the question of whether a portion of the Paschal sacrifice may count as payment to a prostitute for her services. Rabbanit Leah Sarna joins us to make sense of this thorny passage. Is the Talmud belittling prostitutes, or being wildly inclusive? Listen and find out.
Feb 19, 2021•7 min•Season 4Ep. 90
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 89, gets downright uncomfortable when it talks about how members of a community act when they share finite resources and believe that one of them has gotten more than his share. Cantor Jacob Greenberg joins us to talk about the ethics of the COVID vaccine, and how we behave when demand for a cure is high and the rules less than clear. Why can't we all simply wait our turn? Listen and find out.
Feb 18, 2021•13 min•Season 4Ep. 89
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 88, kicks things off with an audacious claim: When all Jews return home to the Land of Israel, it will be a more monumental day than the day the heavens and the earth were created. Marc Rosenberg, the Vice President of Nefesh B'Nefesh, joins us to talk about making aliya, and about the emotional insights the Talmud has into emigration. What three questions must everyone contemplating moving to Israel ask? Listen and find out.
Feb 17, 2021•9 min•Season 4Ep. 88
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 87, tells us the rolicking story of the prophet Hosea, which includes rancor and despair and prostitution. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to celebrate this minor prophet's very major and timely message. What does Hosea teach us about getting along even, or especially, with those we don't really like? Listen and find out.
Feb 16, 2021•8 min•Season 4Ep. 87
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 85 and 86, ponder whether or not the prayers of outsiders are heard just as loudly and clearly. Rabbi Hart Levine joins us to tell us to talk about the logic of prayer, and why God listens even to those who go nowhere near the shul. What is the number one reason some people just don't feel comfortable with prayer? Listen and find out.
Feb 15, 2021•8 min•Season 4Ep. 85
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 83 and 84, warn us against breaking the bones of the paschal sacrifice. Dr. Adina Minkowitz Silberman joins us to tell us why this act is an invitation to dignity even under the most dire circumstances, and share with us a few delicious bone-related recipes. Why is there a secret dignity in bones? Listen and find out.
Feb 12, 2021•12 min•Season 4Ep. 83
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 82, is all about shaming. Is it ever OK to shame someone if by embarrassing them we can make sure they do the right thing? Rabbi Josh Lookstein joins us to discuss shaming in the time of COVID-19 and how the school he runs works hard to make sure no kid feels embarrassed or left out. Why do we still feel so much shame about shaming? Listen and find out.
Feb 11, 2021•11 min•Season 4Ep. 82
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 81, brings up a mysterious concept: the impurity of the deep. Put simply, it revolves around the following question: If someone, somewhere in the world dies and no one knows about it, are all of us impure because of the possibility that we might've inadvertently come into contact with a dead body? Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Zuckier joins us to explain this Jewish Zen koan and its tremendous impact on Jewish thought. Who was the first Jew ever to suggest we just not worry so...
Feb 10, 2021•10 min•Season 4Ep. 81
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Pesachim 80, raises the question of how to proceed with the Paschal sacrifice if some tribes are pure and others impure, which is a great way of thinking about the divisions that still tear the Jewish people apart. Moshe Koppel joins us to discuss why religious and secular Jews often see the world in starkly different terms, and what could be done to bring them closer together. Is tribalism truly a fundamental human emotion? Listen and find out
Feb 09, 2021•20 min•Season 4Ep. 80
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 78 and 79, bring up a curious conundrum: Is it possible for all of Israel, the entirety of the Jewish people, to be impure at the exact same time? Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin explains why the Talmud brings up this thought experiment, and what it has to teach us about Jewish history and the Jewish future. Why didn't God give the Torah to Abraham? Listen and find out.
Feb 08, 2021•8 min•Season 4Ep. 78
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 76 and 77, raise an interesting question about what happens if a piece of bread absorbs the scent of wine set aside as a contribution to the priests. Does the bread, too, become holy simply because it now smells like the wine? Alana Newhouse, Tablet's editor in chief, returns to tell us how the brain processes our senses, and what it has to do with sanctity. What must it have been like to stand outside the Temple as sacrifices were offered? Listen and find out.
Feb 05, 2021•8 min•Season 4Ep. 76
