Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Yoma 19 and 20, kick things off with a thorny question: Who, exactly, do our religious leaders work for? Rabbi Shlomo Zuckier joins us to talk about the Talmud's understanding of the concept of agency, and why it makes sense to have separate branches of religious leadership all in tense conversation with each other. Does the High Priest work for the Jewish People or for God himself? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on ...
Apr 30, 2021•11 min•Season 6Ep. 19
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Yoma 18, revolves around swear words, or more specifically the oath of office taken by the High Priest. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to talk about that ancient ritual, why it was necessary, and what it teaches us about great power and great responsibility today. Why did taking the oath of office make the High Priest weep? 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 T...
Apr 29, 2021•8 min•Season 6Ep. 18
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Yoma 17, contains the core wisdom of organizational psychology thousands of years before the field of study even emerged. Mark Young joins us to talk about setting up a good structure, defining roles and responsibilities, and other principles necessary for running everything from a family to a multinational business. What can today's CEO learn from the High Priest? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeone...
Apr 28, 2021•7 min•Season 6Ep. 17
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Yoma 16, gets down to the details of the precise dimensions of the Temple in Jerusalem. Allison Coudert joins us to talk about why these ancient measurements still matter, and what the logic behind them can teach us today. Why have generations of scientists obsessed over Beit HaMikdash? 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 ho...
Apr 27, 2021•7 min•Season 6Ep. 16
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Yoma 14 and 15, acknowledge that there are things in life that, no matter how hard you contemplate, you'll never truly understand, at least not rationally. Rabbi Haviva Ner-David joins us to talk about the partnership between head and heart, and how it can help us unlock some of the greatest mysteries of life. How should we approach things when we're feeling overwhelmed and confused? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on...
Apr 26, 2021•10 min•Season 6Ep. 14
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Yoma 12 and 13, deliver a strong and undeniable life lesson: You can study and prepare all you want, but some skills only come with experience. Rabbi Dan Ross joins us to talk about why experience matters, and tell us what it takes for a rabbinical student to truly become a rabbi. What can experience teach you that nothing else can? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversatio...
Apr 23, 2021•8 min•Season 6Ep. 12
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Yoma 11, begins with a curious story about a rabbi performing a mitzva and still coming into harm's way, which leads to a meditation on the connection between our physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. Stacy Berman joins us to talk about how our thoughts and beliefs influence our health, and shares some tips on keeping all of our systems aligned. What little things can you do to make sure the heart and the soul sync up with the rest of you? Listen and find out. Like...
Apr 22, 2021•12 min•Season 6Ep. 11
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Yoma 10, contains a curious meditation on the power of the mezuzah to turn a house into a home. Producer Josh Kross returns to tell the story of how and why he, an avowed atheist, was moved to bless his new home with a mezuzah, and how having one changes the way the house feels. What do you tell your children when they ask you about that strange little artifact on the doorpost? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitte...
Apr 21, 2021•7 min•Season 6Ep. 10
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Yoma 9, teaches us what might, without much exaggeration, be called the Talmud's most urgent lesson: How to have profound disagreements without devolving into tribalism and needless hatred. This conversation between Liel Leibovitz and Jay Michaelson — two radically divergent thinkers who disagree on everything from Israel to American politics is a lesson in how to put this sage wisdom to the test. How do you talk to someone who sees the world in a radically different way? ...
Apr 20, 2021•19 min•Season 6Ep. 9
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Yoma 7 and 8, deliver a neat meditation on the ways the garments of the priests helped them feel a little bit closer to God. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to tell us about how the tefillin Jewish men are commanded to wear every morning is simply a continuation of the same idea, and how every day contains a few small opportunities to transcend from the mundane to the divine. How can our daily actions help us overcome our sins and be a bit more like the High Priest on the h...
Apr 19, 2021•8 min•Season 6Ep. 7
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Yoma 5 and 6, contain a strong rabbinic exhortation against sharing information without explicit permission. Stephanie Butnick joins us to take issue with this edict and propose that telling stories to and about each other helps us build a warm, tight-knit community. When, then, should we chat away and when should we keep our mouths shut? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conve...
Apr 16, 2021•10 min•Season 6Ep. 5
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Yoma 4, reminds us that everything worth doing is worth doing with a profound sense of awe. For a long time, our guest today, author Michal Oshman, was struggling with that insight: The granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor, she grew up to have a successful career with some of the world's leading tech companies, but couldn't shake off her sense of anxiety and dread. It was meditating on Judaism's teachings about creation's inherent awe that brought her around, helping her ...
Apr 15, 2021•10 min•Season 6Ep. 4
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Yoma 3, couldn't be more timely: It's about the ways in which the priests must sequester themselves to achieve optimal holiness, a feeling that may not be too foreign to those of us who've had to spend long periods of time recently quarantined alone. Anya Lichtenstein joins us to talk about her year of living alone, and what surprising revelations came out of this solitude. Can being forced to spend a COVID lockdown alone lead to something akin to sanctity? Listen and find...
Apr 14, 2021•9 min•Season 6Ep. 3
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Yoma 2, introduces us to a new tractate, one that's all about Yom Kippur. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to preview Yoma and give us an idea of what to expect when discussing repentance, observance, and other key themes. What is the real meaning of Yom Kippur? 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 ...
Apr 13, 2021•9 min•Season 6Ep. 2
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shekalim 21 and 22, bring this short and strange tractate to its conclusion. What are we to learn from it? Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to suggest that Shekalim is a reminder of why it's important to pay your taxes, and how our financial obligations to each other help us build community. Why is it important for each of us to contribute to the collective project? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeone...
Apr 12, 2021•8 min•Season 5Ep. 21
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shekalim 19 and 20, contemplate the uncertainty principle: What do we do when life presents us with intricate situations? As an old Hasidic tale reminds us, the point isn't to come up with the best answers, but to learn to ask the right questions. What did the meek student in the tale ask the wise old rabbi that won him the day? 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...
Apr 09, 2021•7 min•Season 5Ep. 19
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shekalim 18, is all about the menorah that burned bright in the ancient Temple. Why do we continue to contemplate it even now, millennia after it was last extinguished? Podcaster Eric Silver joins us to talk about the fantasy game Dungeons and Dragons, and how, like studying the Talmud, it makes you better by forcing you to study the intricate details of alternate realities. Why does arguing, in games and in real life alike, help you see things more clearly? Listen and fin...
Apr 08, 2021•9 min•Season 5Ep. 18
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shekalim 17, revolves around a fantastic story that brings to mind the best of Tolkien, about a king climbing to the top of the Temple to return its holy keys to God. Rabbi Raphael Zarum joins us to talk about what the ancient Hebrew king has in common with Frodo, the protagonist of The Lord of the Rings series, and why both tales offer urgently needed insight about humans overcoming their deepest, darkest desires. What secret Hebrew messages did Tolkien code into his popu...
Apr 07, 2021•7 min•Season 5Ep. 17
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shekalim 16, kicks things off by reminding us of the strong bond between great power and great responsibility. Aliza Landes, host of the new podcast Us Among the Israelis, joins us to talk about why Israelis just went to the polls to vote for the fourth time in two years, and what that has to do with the Talmud's exhortations about accountability. Why do Israelis distrust political dynasties? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Foll...
Apr 06, 2021•10 min•Season 5Ep. 16
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shekalim 14 and 15, get back to the basic question that haunts us all: Why do bad things happen to good people? Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to talk about the unlikely figure of Nehunya the ditch digger, a righteous man punished for reasons unknown, and what his story can tell us about the mechanics of Divine justice. What is the deeper meaning of an empty hole? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeone...
Apr 05, 2021•9 min•Season 5Ep. 14
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shekalim 12 and 13, deliver a beautiful passage of admiration to our educators, particularly poignant as it acknowledges that no matter how dedicated the teacher, us students are bound to disappoint. Rabbi Benji Levy joins us to talk about Jewish education, and the hard-earned wisdom he'd acquired as a young principle of a day school. How do you create an ecosystem that enables and encourages kids to thrive? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@ta...
Apr 02, 2021•11 min•Season 5Ep. 12
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shekalim 11, we meet a Talmud sage so special that he's known as Shimon Ha'Tzadik, or Shimon the Righteous. Why did he merit that singular nickname? Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to unlock the mystery and give us a taste of the wise rabbi's teachings, still very relevant to us today. How should we deal with sweeping, far-reaching changes? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conve...
Apr 01, 2021•6 min•Season 5Ep. 11
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shekalim 10, extolls the unique sanctity of the Land of Israel, which is intricately tied to the Omer. Rabbi Dr. Stuart Halpern joins us to talk about the Omer, why we count it, and what the experience can teach us about Eretz Yisrael and about repairing the world. Why is counting the Omer the antithesis of, say, riding your Peloton exercise bike? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join t...
Mar 31, 2021•8 min•Season 5Ep. 10
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shekalim 7, 8 and 9, warn us that anger is akin to idol worship, and that there are few sins as grave as rage. Mark Oppenheimer returns to share his secret to never holding onto anger, and his observations on why staying mad is blasphemy. What can the Talmud teach us about anger management? 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 ...
Mar 30, 2021•9 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shekalim 5 and 6, bring up an interesting mystical connection between the funds we're all expected to pay for our communal welfare and the sin of the golden calf. Rabbi Mark Dratch, the executive vice president of the Rabbinical Council of America, joins us to talk about that ancient transgression and what it still has to teach us today. What profound wisdom about money might we learn from today's page of Talmud? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeo...
Mar 26, 2021•8 min•Season 5Ep. 5
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shekalim 4, asks a thorny question: Just what is the inherent value of money? Hedge fund manager Ben Samuels joins us to talk about bitcoin and other cryptocurrency, and the shifting ways in which we think about cash. Is cryptocurrency good or bad for the Jews? 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...
Mar 25, 2021•10 min•Season 5Ep. 4
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shekalim 3, reminds us that we have a collective responsibility for each other's wellbeing. Felicia Herman, President of Natan, joins us to talk about Jewish philanthropy and the principles that guide today's most notable individuals and foundations when thinking of public welfare. What was the Rambam's philosophy of charity, and why does it still matter today? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafy...
Mar 24, 2021•9 min•Season 5Ep. 3
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shekalim 2, kicks off a brand new tractate, Shekalim. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to introduce its key themes, and tell us how this one is different from all tractates that precede it in the Talmud. Why so much talk about money? 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 ...
Mar 23, 2021•9 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 120 and 121, bring our journey through the tractate to an end. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to help us sum up everything we've learned, and give us a bird's-eye-view of Judaism's wildest, most inspiring holiday. How is Passover a reenactment of our collective childhood? 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 ...
Mar 22, 2021•8 min•Season 4Ep. 120
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Pesachim 118 and 119, warn us against engaging in the sin of lashon hora, or slander. Alana Newhouse, Editor in Chief of Tablet Magazine, joins us to talk the lines that separate journalism from gossip, and how social media have become lashon hora machines. What question might we ask ourselves to help us determine if we're about to speak maliciously and needlessly? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeon...
Mar 19, 2021•9 min•Season 4Ep. 118
