Today's Daf Yomi page, Rosh Hashanah 19, begins by discussing Tzom Gedalia, a day of mourning for a high-ranking Jewish official assassinated by a Jewish zealot. Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin joins us to argue that in these times of combustible politics and rampant division, we should double down on the lesson of Tzom Gedalia by instituting a day of fasting for the late slain Israeli Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin. Do we really need more modern-day Jewish commemorations? Listen and find out. Like the show? ...
Oct 28, 2021•7 min•Season 9Ep. 19
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Rosh Hashanah 18, reminds us that studying Talmud is a pursuit that contains multitudes. Martin Gaynor, a survivor of the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh, joins us to tell the story of how he and a fellow survivor decided to start studying Daf Yomi to honor the memory of their friend, Jerry Rabinowitz, who was murdered in the attack. How does reading one page of Talmud a day helps keep the memory of a beloved fallen friend alive? Listen and find out. Like the show? Sen...
Oct 27, 2021•8 min•Season 9Ep. 18
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Rosh Hashanah 17, contains a stark warning about flaunting our expertise and authority, and a heartwarming story about finding wisdom in unexpected places. What can the rabbis teach us as we snipe at each other on social media? 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 Fred...
Oct 26, 2021•8 min•Season 9Ep. 17
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Rosh Hashanah 15 and 16, remind us that we're judged not just on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur but every hour of every day, which also means we have constant opportunities to mend our ways and heal the world. As today marks the yahrzeit of the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, we are pleased to share a recent recollection from former prime minister Tony Blair, recalling how the rabbi embodied this principle of constantly working to bring healing to the world. How to keep the fait...
Oct 25, 2021•19 min•Season 9Ep. 15
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Rosh Hashanah 13 and 14, deliver a surprising moment when one rabbi rebukes another for asking a difficult question and posits the non-too-Talmudic sounding advice of simply taking things on authority every now and then. What does this advice have to do with our contemporary culture wars, and what can we learn from it as we struggle to fix our broken political and cultural systems? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on T...
Oct 22, 2021•7 min•Season 9Ep. 13
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Rosh Hashanah 12, reminds us that our actions can literally change the world. But how? In a TED Talk he gave in 2017, the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks addressed just this question, and as the anniversary of his passing approaches, we are honored to share it again. How can we all work together, without fear, and bring about real, sustainable change? Listen and find out. You can register for the Day of Worldwide Learning in honor of Rabbi Sacks here: https://rabbisacks.org/comm...
Oct 21, 2021•16 min•Season 9Ep. 12
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Rosh Hashanah 11, gives us a moving meditation on infertility, and why the Torah equates conceiving a child with memory. Naomi Korb Weiss, who sits on the board of the Jewish Fertility Foundation, joins us to talk about her own struggle to conceive, and the stigma that still surrounds so many aspects of having and not having kids. How must we learn to fine-tune the way we talk to each other about infertility? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@ta...
Oct 20, 2021•6 min•Season 9Ep. 11
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Rosh Hashanah 10, asks a deep question: On what month was the world created? Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to answer this cosmic conundrum with a meditation on time, the calendar, and the ways we shape the months just as the months shape us. What does the creation of Man have to do with how we tell time? 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 gr...
Oct 19, 2021•7 min•Season 9Ep. 10
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Rosh Hashanah 8 and 9, pore over the meaning of liberty, the word and the concept. Rabbi Dr. Stuart Halpern joins us to talk about the liberty-themed biblical verse that inspired the Liberty Bell, and the ways the American icon stirred hearts and minds even as Americans were divided like never before. Did Muhammad Ali really put the crack in the Liberty Bell? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyo...
Oct 18, 2021•8 min•Season 9Ep. 8
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Rosh Hashanah 6 and 7, entertain the bonds between coercion and community. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explore these seemingly disparate notions and their surprising relevance to Jewish life today. Is it really free will if one is forced into doing something for others? 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 Li...
Oct 15, 2021•8 min•Season 9Ep. 6
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Rosh Hashanah 5, invites us to think of Judaism's three main holidays as one cohesive unit. We here at Take One were inspired, and looked fondly at the other podcast we produce at Tablet Magazine, Unorthodox. Today, in a special crossover episode, it's the story of the shaggy-haired Jewish man who inspired one of the most famous and beloved characters in popular culture. Who are we talking about? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. ...
Oct 14, 2021•20 min•Season 9Ep. 5
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Rosh Hashanah 4, shares a Talmudic conspiracy theory about King Cyrus, and ponders what happens when the government goes rogue. Sharon Cameron, the author of the critically acclaimed new novel Bluebird, joins us to tell a story of a true and shocking CIA program to train unwitting assassins, and reflects on what happens when history seems stranger than fiction. Why did the American government enlist the help of Nazi scientists? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a...
Oct 13, 2021•10 min•Season 9Ep. 4
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Rosh Hashanah 3, sings the praises of the Persian king Cyrus, who was respected and beloved by the Jews. Robert Berman, the author of a new collection of Arabic idioms, joins us to talk about cross-cultural dialogues, and why language can succeed where force so often fails. What are some folk sayings that people all over the world seem to share? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the...
Oct 12, 2021•10 min•Season 9Ep. 3
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Rosh Hashanah 2, kicks off a new tractate, Rosh Hashanah. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to give us a taste of what lies ahead. Why are there really four, not one, Rosh Hashanahs? 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 Fredman Aeder, and Robert Scaramuccia. Check out all ...
Oct 11, 2021•7 min•Season 9Ep. 2
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Beitzah 38, 39, and 40, bring Tractate Beitzah to its uplifting conclusion. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to recount everything we've learned about what makes a holy day so holy and special. Why does having a good day necessarily require us to be with others? 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...
Oct 08, 2021•8 min•Season 8Ep. 38
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Beitzah 37, kicks things off with a radical claim: Commerce has a lot in common with the sacred work of priests in the Temple. Shouldn't we imagine something so transactional as buying and selling to be the very opposite of holiness? And what lessons about income inequality and pursuing justice in the world can we learn from wise old Hillel? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the con...
Oct 07, 2021•10 min•Season 8Ep. 37
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Beitzah 36, instructs us that a student must never question the teacher. Mark Oppenheimer, having taught everyone from small children to Yale students, joins us to talk about why students used to be too deferential, and why too many have now moved too far in the opposite direction. Just what measure of respect do we owe our teachers? 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...
Oct 06, 2021•9 min•Season 8Ep. 36
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Beitzah 35, asks a question that seems right out of Seinfeld: If an impure person reaches into a vat of olives, do the olives then become impure, a sort of halachic take on the double dip rule? A.J. Jacobs joins us to talk about why the concept of purity remains so enticing, how it can prove hugely helpful in a time of a global pandemic, and why it should sometimes be altogether rejected. So, once and for all, is the five second rule true, or is it a myth? Listen and find ...
Oct 05, 2021•8 min•Season 8Ep. 35
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Beitzah 33 and 34, ponder how to go about life when the unique requirements of a holiday call for a bit of innovation. Rabbi Areyah Kaltmann joins us to talk about why religious life is about creativity, not constriction. How to go about finding new and inspired ways to celebrate the holidays when COVID-19 calls for safety measures? 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...
Oct 04, 2021•12 min•Season 8Ep. 33
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Beitzah 31 and 32, kick things off with a stark statement: All children of Abraham must show compassion to all of God's creatures. With the number of incarcerated Americans spiking by a whopping 500 percent in the last four decades, compassion doesn't seem to be something at which we currently excel. Rabbi Sholom Lipskar, who runs an organization dedicated to helping prisoners and other afflicted populations, joins us to talk about why we need to change the way we treat p...
Oct 01, 2021•19 min•Season 8Ep. 31
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Beitzah 30, offers an emphatic but a bit strange exhortation: Don't tell your friends when they're in the wrong, because they might not change their ways. Did the rabbis really mean that you shouldn't ever try to help your loved ones grow and improve? Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to shed light on this question and deliver a teaching about seeing the potential in everyone that is as relevant today as it has ever been. What is the one essential quality a leader of the Jewis...
Sep 30, 2021•9 min•Season 8Ep. 30
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Beitzah 27, 28, and 29, raise a fascinating moral dilemma: Say you stole something and you're not sure who you stole it from. You're feeling terrible about it and would like to give it back. How might you go about it? Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explain why the question is an essential one to understanding not only the idea of community, but also the core psychological insight at the heart of human relationships. Why is offering someone a glass of water such a profo...
Sep 27, 2021•8 min•Season 8Ep. 27
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Beitzah 24, 25, and 26, debate whether learning Halacha is like learning a song, and whether you have to understand every word to appreciate the overall majesty of the music. What's the answer? And what does it have to do with Leonard Cohen? Listen and find out. You can find Daniel Kahn's Yiddish version of "Hallelujah" on his upcoming album Word Beggar, out this December on Oriente Music. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @ta...
Sep 24, 2021•13 min•Season 8Ep. 24
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Beitzah 23, issues a stern warning: Don't get too comfortable, or you may find yourself liable for all sorts of trouble. Rabbi Nolan Lebovitz joins us to speak about the ways modern convenience can jeopardize our souls, and what we can do about it. What would the rabbis tell us about shopping on Amazon? Listen and find out. To connect with Rabbi Nolan Lebovitz, follow him on Facebook at Facebook.com/RabbiNolan or on Twitter at @RabbiNolan. To watch "Standing Against Amazon...
Sep 23, 2021•12 min•Season 8Ep. 23
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Beitzah 20, 21, and 22, give us the sort of warning we can all use, especially those of us who fume at our keyboards and post hot takes on social media: Cool it with your criticism. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to tell us why the rabbis preached de-escalation, and what we moderns can learn from their ancient wisdom. What to do when you feel the temper running high? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeo...
Sep 20, 2021•8 min•Season 8Ep. 20
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Beitzah 17, 18, and 19, continue to contemplate the difference between Shabbos and Yom Tov. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to think about how these two celebrations feel different and reflect two very different worlds. More than just another day you have to email your boss, Yom Tov takes us someplace else. But where? 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 On...
Sep 17, 2021•8 min•Season 8Ep. 17
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Beitzah 15 and 16, evoke a charming concept: Every celebration is really a partnership between us and God. As we're about to enter the holiest day of the Jewish year, Yom Kippur, we ask: Does the same principle apply to repentance? 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...
Sep 15, 2021•8 min•Season 8Ep. 15
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Beitzah 14, has the rabbis engage in a long and spirited discussion about gift-giving. Dena Ingerman, celebrated gift-giver extraordinaire, joins us to talk about why the perfect little token can really make someone's holiday, and how to put together the quintessential gift for your friends. What can the rabbis teach Martha Stewart about putting a lot of thought into a celebration? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Tw...
Sep 14, 2021•7 min•Season 8Ep. 14
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Beitzah 12 and 13, raise the seminal question of the tractate, namely why are some restrictions more lenient on a holiday than those required on Shabbat? Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explain this idea, and shed light on the philosophical premise at its core, one very much relevant to us today. How are holidays just a preparation for the world to come? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi ...
Sep 13, 2021•8 min•Season 8Ep. 12
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Beitzah 10 and 11, launch into a meditation of ends and means. A hassidic story about a great rabbi and a hapless Gulag warden sheds light on this question: Why do we always look for things in all the wrong places? 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 Fredman Aeder, a...
Sep 10, 2021•8 min•Season 8Ep. 10
