Today’s Daf Yomi page, Yevamot 79, gives us a beautiful passage about the essence of the Jewish people, suggesting that at the core of our spirituality is a commitment to mercy and compassion. Rabbi Sari Laufer joins us to unpack this lovely meditation, and explain what it has to teach us today. Are shy people particularly holy? 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 g...
May 25, 2022•10 min•Season 14Ep. 79
Today’s page of Talmud, Yevamot 78, warns us against judging our historical heroes too harshly. Douglas Murray, author of the bestselling The War on the West, joins us to explain our recent appetite for tearing down statues of our heroes, and why seeing the past through the very narrow lens of current ideological convictions is a very bad idea. Does Thomas Jefferson still represent the values of the United States of America? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag...
May 24, 2022•9 min•Season 14Ep. 78
Today’s pages of Talmud, Yevamot 76 and 77, tell us about a man named Barzilai who was so licentious, he would get aroused merely by looking at a woman's dress. What can this Talmudic dude teach us about the pitfalls of Internet pornography? And what dangers do we face when we turn the holy work of sexual arousal into something fast, flat, cheap, and dirty? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversati...
May 23, 2022•11 min•Season 14Ep. 76
Today’s pages of Talmud, Yevamot 74 and 75, deliver a master class in how to have difficult conversations about controversial subjects. What can those of us who spend so many hours each day engaged in heated exchanges about politics learn from the wise rabbis? 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 a Tablet Studios production. The show is hosted by L...
May 20, 2022•9 min•Season 14Ep. 74
Today’s page of Talmud, Yevamot 73, gives us a lesson in purity. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to talk about coming to terms with our own imperfections, and why only those who have stumbled can help others rise. What should we be looking at when we gauge holiness? 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 a Tablet Studios production. The show is hosted...
May 19, 2022•10 min•Season 14Ep. 73
Today’s page of Talmud, Yevamot 72, introduces a moving image of a cool breeze blowing every night at midnight to give the Israelites erring in the wilderness some comfort. Poet Maya Pindyck joins us to meditate on this passage and read out one of her recent and relevant poems. Is there such thing as a magical moment in 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 grou...
May 18, 2022•9 min•Season 14Ep. 72
Today’s page of Talmud, Yevamot 71, brings up a piercing question: What happens when a MAN who was already circumcised as an infant decides to convert to Judaism as an adult? Writer and artist Christopher Noxon joins us to share his own journey, and tell us about a strangely moving ceremony at the home office of a doctor friend in Los Angeles. What's the circumcision ceremony like for the already circumcised, and is it mandatory to follow it up with Chinese food? Listen and find out Like the sho...
May 17, 2022•9 min•Season 14Ep. 71
Today’s pages of Talmud, Yevamot 69 and 70, remind us that we're all converts to Judaism, which means that even if we come from the most pristine lineage we still have to choose and do Jewish, rather than merely be Jewish, a choice we're asked to make again and again every day. What does that teach us about being kind to others, and about forgiving ourselves? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversa...
May 16, 2022•9 min•Season 14Ep. 69
Today’s page of Talmud, Yevamot 67 and 68, contain what is likely the first recorded instance of the disclaimer that retweets do not equal endorsements. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to talk about what the Talmud teaches us about having an argument, and why agreement isn't necessary but acknowledgment is. What other useful bits of Twitter etiquette did the rabbis have in store? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi a...
May 13, 2022•8 min•Season 14Ep. 67
Today’s page of Talmud, Yevamot 66, dives into the painful and traumatic topic of slavery. Activist Charles Jacobs joins us with a frightening reminder that there may be more people enslaved today than at any other moment in human history, and a report on some of the good work being done to free those in bondage. Which countries still openly support modern-day slavery? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join th...
May 12, 2022•8 min•Season 14Ep. 66
Today’s page of Talmud, Yevamot 65, makes a controversial claim: Because conquest is not in the nature of a woman, the commandment to be fruitful and multiply applies exclusively to men. Writer, podcaster, and mother of six Jordana Horn joins us to try and make sense of this baffling argument, and offer her take on the Bible's first--and, arguably, most important, mitzvah. What does this rabbinical riff teach us about the nature of male sexuality? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a no...
May 11, 2022•11 min•Season 14Ep. 65
Today’s page of Talmud, Yevamot 64, argues that time flows differently in Israel than it does anywhere else in the world. Rabbi Dr. Stu Halpern, formerly of New Jersey and now a resident of Modi'in, joins us to talk about his first Yom Ha'Shoah as an Israeli, and what that moving experience taught him about time. How is an Israeli week different from weeks anywhere else? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join ...
May 10, 2022•10 min•Season 14Ep. 64
Today’s pages of Talmud, Yevamot 62 and 63, delivers a striking vignette of God congratulating Moses after the latter smashed the first set of tablets, displaying real leadership. Pano Kanelos, president of the newly inaugurated University of Austin, joins us to discuss courage, leadership, and why so many contemporary universities seem to lack both. Can leadership even be taught? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi...
May 09, 2022•8 min•Season 14Ep. 62
Today’s page of Talmud, Yevamot 60 and 61, expounds on the Bible's first, and arguably most important, mitzvah, the commandment to be fruitful and multiply. New York Post columnist Karol Markowicz joins us to talk about America's precipitous decline in childbirth, explain why no one is having babies, and suggest a few points of light in an otherwise grim demographic picture. Who are the only people in America still procreating? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tablet...
May 06, 2022•9 min•Season 14Ep. 60
Today’s page of Talmud, Yevamot 59, gets very technical about virginity and its meaning. Kylie Unell, host of the new podcast 49 Days to Stretch My Soul, joins us to talk about Spinoza, the mind-body connection, and how purity of thought is just as important to understanding the idea of virginity as anything else. Can you remain in a true state of purity in a society flooded by explicit images? Listen and find out.
May 05, 2022•9 min•Season 14Ep. 59
Today’s page of Talmud, Yevamot 58, tells us that the moment in which two people stand underneath the wedding canopy is magically intimate. Noah Salomon, a Jewish musician who has played at more than a thousand weddings, joins us to talk about what it feels like to watch so many people enter into this joyous and sacred space. How do you summon that loving feeling even when you're playing your umpteenth wedding gig? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Foll...
May 04, 2022•8 min•Season 14Ep. 58
Today’s page of Talmud, Yevamot 57, introduces us to the sanctity of the wedding canopy. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to discuss the chuppah, or the traditional canopy for the bride and groom, and why it represents more than just the union of two people in love. Was Mount Sinai the first chuppah? 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 a Tablet Stud...
May 03, 2022•9 min•Season 14Ep. 57
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Yevamot 55 and 56, find the rabbis asking a real tough question: What, exactly, do we mean when we talk about having sex? Rabbi Chaim Brent Spodek joins us to share some thoughts about intimacy, the ways in which we understand and misunderstand sex, and what we can to become better (Jewish) lovers. Why is a kiss so important? 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 th...
May 02, 2022•9 min•Season 14Ep. 55
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Yevamot 53 and 54, give us a NSFW meditation on the mechanics and psychology of the male organ. Mark Oppenheimer joins us to discuss the philosophy of the penis from the Talmud to Montaigne, and how it has surprising connections to some of our most pressing philosophical and political discussions today. How does the Talmud's raunchy passage inspire the way we think about bodies and minds? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow ...
Apr 29, 2022•8 min•Season 14Ep. 53
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Yevamot 52, kicks things off with an exhortation to watch our manners. Kylie Unell, host of the new podcast 49 Days to Stretch My Soul, joins us to talk about the ancient practice of counting the Omer, and how it can still inspire and improve us today. How can something as mundane as counting shape our spirits? 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 Faceb...
Apr 28, 2022•10 min•Season 14Ep. 52
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Yevamot 51, gives us a moving meditation on the power of speech. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to talk about how one word influenced and inspired the rabbis' view of marriage, and how it can apply to everyone, from teachers to lovers. Why is speaking with intention so powerful? 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 a Tablet S...
Apr 27, 2022•10 min•Season 14Ep. 51
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Yevamot 50, finds the rabbis opining on how sex can change a relationship between men and women. Erin Carlson, the author of a book about screenwriter Nora Ephron, joins us to talk about how the writer's legendary romantic comedies, and especially When Harry Met Sally, continue to address the same question today and have surprisingly more in common with the Talmudic mindset than we may think. So can men and women be friends without the sex getting in the way? Listen and fi...
Apr 26, 2022•11 min•Season 14Ep. 50
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Yevamot 47, 48, and 49, tell a story of a beautiful woman taken captive by Jewish warriors. Rabbi Sari Laufer joins us to talk about the prisoner's plight, and why the Talmud's particular guidelines award her a touch of agency in dark times. Why must the beautiful woman make herself repulsive? 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 O...
Apr 25, 2022•9 min•Season 14Ep. 47
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Yevamot 45 and 46, warn us against deferring to the opinion of experts. Tablet Magazine's editor in chief Alana Newhouse joins us to share an essay she'd written about the Exodus, about the contemporary state of our politics and culture, and what Jews must do to survive and thrive. Why is it important for Jews to always remain outsiders? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conver...
Apr 21, 2022•19 min•Season 14Ep. 45
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Yevamot 44, shares a bit of pedagogical wisdom, urging us to teach each child according to his or her way. Educational entrepreneurs Simone and Malcolm Collins join us to talk about what's broken in our current educational system, and how we may go ahead and fix it. Could Pokemon teach you STEM skills? 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...
Apr 20, 2022•9 min•Season 14Ep. 44
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Yevamot 43, asserts that there are limits to how long we must mourn the death of a loved one. Writer Amy Bloom joins us to talk about her latest book, In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss, detailing the journey she and her late husband took after a grim diagnosis led him to choose to end his own life. How do you prepare yourself for the end of life? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join t...
Apr 19, 2022•9 min•Season 14Ep. 43
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Yevamot 41 and 42, give us a rare bit of thick description, with one rabbi leaning on another. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explain this touching moment, and what it can teach all of us today about learning, friendship, compassion, and other things crucial to human happiness. How is studying Talmud like leaning on a good friend? 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 18, 2022•9 min•Season 14Ep. 41
Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Yevamot 39 and 40, give us a very timely shout out to some sacred matzah. Kylie Unell joins us with a sneak preview of a new podcast, counting the Omer and preparing herself spiritually for Shavuot and the receiving of the Torah. What's the Omer all about, and why count 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 a Tablet Studi...
Apr 15, 2022•14 min•Season 14Ep. 39
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Yevamot 38, insists that even in a patriarchal society, women, too, are entitled to their own property and agency. Amy Zitelman, the CEO of Soom Foods, joins us to talk about the thriving tehini business she launched with her sisters, and how being a female entrepreneur influenced her Jewish growth. What aisle of the supermarket should tehini be on, really? Listen and find out. Like the show? Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi ...
Apr 14, 2022•9 min•Season 14Ep. 38
Today’s Daf Yomi page, Yevamot 37, sings the praises of the first born, a subject of much discussion in the Bible itself. But why does being first matter? Why are first borns commanded to fast right up to the seder? And how is reading a book instead an acceptable substitution? 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 a Tablet Studios production. The sh...
Apr 13, 2022•24 min•Season 14Ep. 37
