Today’s Talmud pages, Nazir 62 and 63, discuss the importance to bear witness. This role is exemplified in sources as diverse as the marriage ketubah, L.A. Law and of course the Talmud. How does the act of serving as an establishing witness serve to honor Gods creations? Listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The show is hosted by Liel Leibovitz, and is produced and edited by Darone Ruskay, Quinn Waller and Elie Bleier. Our team also includes Stephanie Butnick, Josh Kross,...
Mar 27, 2023•7 min•Season 17Ep. 62
Today’s Talmud pages, Nazir 60 and 61, asks whether all people need to honor their parents, or if this is an obligation only for Jews? Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to discuss the obligation to honor your parents in life, and how it continues in mourning once they die. How does honoring our parents connect us to God and the larger Jewish community? Listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The show is hosted by Liel Leibovitz, and is produced and edited by Darone Ruskay, Qui...
Mar 24, 2023•7 min•Season 17Ep. 60
Today’s Talmud page, Nazir 59, touches an issue that's been in the news a lot lately, the biblical prohibition on men wearing women's clothing and vice versa. Rabbi Mark Gottlieb joins us to deliver some much needed context, and share some stories of admirable women who shaped his understanding of the perennial battle between the sexes. How should we think about our innate differences, and where should we seek inspiration? Listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The show is...
Mar 23, 2023•14 min•Season 17Ep. 59
Today’s Talmud page, Nazir 58, discusses the question of whether hair removal is a gendered idea of beauty. Unorthodox co-hosts Stephanie Butnick and Mark Oppenheimer, along with the other Mark Oppenheimer join to discuss shaving rituals, and the hopes that we can leave this all behind? Who can one enlist to shave their back? Listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The show is hosted by Liel Leibovitz, and is produced and edited by Darone Ruskay, Quinn Waller and Elie Bleie...
Mar 22, 2023•10 min•Season 17Ep. 58
Today’s Talmud page, Nazir 57, delivers a much-needed reminder that, whether we like it or not, we're all responsible for each other. What does that mean in real life? And what can we learn from the famous Hassidic tale about the rich guy who wanted to meet the Prophet Elijah? listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The show is hosted by Liel Leibovitz, and is produced and edited by Darone Ruskay, Quinn Waller and Elie Bleier. Our team also includes Stephanie Butnick, Josh ...
Mar 21, 2023•11 min•Season 17Ep. 57
Today’s Talmud pages, Nazir 55 and 56, teach us that the rabbis considered all other lands except for Israel impure, for a vast array of physical and spiritual reasons. Director Matthew Mishory joins us to talk about his new film, Who Are the Marcuses?, which tells the incredible story of the two unknown Jewish philanthropists behind the single largest gift ever in Israel's history, and how it changed the way Israel, and the world, think about water. What breakthrough did the Marcuses make possi...
Mar 20, 2023•11 min•Season 17Ep. 55
Today’s Talmud pages, Nazir 53 and 54, discuss the magical creation that is the human spine. Joshua Wolk joins us to talk about the unique method he practices, the Feldenkrais method, and the ways in which the renowned healer channeled the rabbis of the Talmud and arrived at new insights about body, mind, and soul. Is our body really as simple as five straight lines? listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The show is hosted by Liel Leibovitz, and is produced and edited by ...
Mar 17, 2023•9 min•Season 17Ep. 53
Today’s Talmud page, Nazir 52, discusses the impurity of creeping animals, and Leviticus 11 29 and 30 tells us exactly which eight creatures they refer to. New York native, and current resident of South Florida, Marc Weiss joins us to discuss the experience of living with crocodiles and alligators, and what makes them both ferocious and fascinating. How is an alligator similar to a pigeon? Listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The show is hosted by Liel Leibovitz, and is ...
Mar 16, 2023•9 min•Season 17Ep. 52
Today’s Talmud page, Nazir 51, discusses the ways that a dead body decomposes in different types of coffins. Unorthodox co-host Mark Oppenheimer joins us to discuss the importance of items made of wood, from coffins to toys, and discusses the importance of the chevra kadisha to honor the dead. How can we honor the dead> listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The show is hosted by Liel Leibovitz, and is produced and edited by Darone Ruskay, Quinn Waller and Elie Bleier. ...
Mar 15, 2023•11 min•Season 17Ep. 51
Today’s Talmud page, Nazir 50, asks a question that starts out as purely mathematical and veers into deep spiritual and moral territory: How do we measure sin? And what about redemption? Listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The show is hosted by Liel Leibovitz, and is produced and edited by Darone Ruskay, Quinn Waller and Elie Bleier. Our team also includes Stephanie Butnick, Josh Kross, Mark Oppenheimer, Robert Scaramuccia, and Tanya Singer. Check out all of Tablet’s po...
Mar 14, 2023•7 min•Season 17Ep. 50
Today’s Talmud pages, Nazir 48 and 49, tell us an amusing yet instructive story about teaching styles, and how one professor's methods can be vexatious to another. Yeshiva University student Benjamin Gottesman joins us to reflect on his own educational experience, and offer some pointers on how to maximize your emotional and intellectual growth. Do you actually burn more calories studying Talmud with a friend than you do at the gym? Listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. T...
Mar 13, 2023•7 min•Season 17Ep. 48
Today’s Talmud pages, Nazir 46 and 47, discusses how one can and cannot shave their head. To get a better sense of the rules, producer Josh Kross called Rabbi Dr. Ari Lamm from his bathroom as he prepares to shave his head to discuss Leviticus 19 and the rules of what makes up the corners of your head. Are you able to cut your hair beyond your zygomatic arch? Listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The show is hosted by Liel Leibovitz, and is produced and edited by Darone R...
Mar 10, 2023•10 min•Season 17Ep. 46
Today’s Talmud page, Nazir 45, warns us against defiling sacred spaces. But what makes a space sacred? Isn't God everywhere, and doesn't that make all spaces holy by default? And what to make of spaces like Wounded Knee, so sacred yet so neglected? Listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The show is hosted by Liel Leibovitz, and is produced and edited by Darone Ruskay, Quinn Waller and Elie Bleier. Our team also includes Stephanie Butnick, Josh Kross, Mark Oppenheimer, Robe...
Mar 09, 2023•11 min•Season 17Ep. 45
Today’s Talmud page, Nazir 44, kicks things off with a gruesome account of body parts and their proper burial. Author Gavriel Savit joins us to explain Judaism's attitude to the macabre, and why being clear-eyed about death, terror, and other necessary evils is a key to the good life. Why was life so much better when we kept animals around? Listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The show is hosted by Liel Leibovitz, and is produced and edited by Darone Ruskay, Quinn Waller...
Mar 08, 2023•10 min•Season 17Ep. 44
Today’s Talmud page, Nazir 43, asks the ridiculous question of whether a Nazir can be punished twice if they touch two dead bodies. To further explore how silly the Talmud can sometimes be, and in honor of today’s holiday of Purim, we listen to Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin as he shares the brilliance of comedian Gary Shandling and how his comedy embodies the holiday of Purim. Can the breaking of the fourth wall be a lesson for how we connect to one another and to God? Listen and find out. Take One is a...
Mar 07, 2023•11 min•Season 17Ep. 43
Today’s Talmud pages, Nazir 41 and 42, teach us that positive Mitzvot override negative ones every time. Comic book legend Jordan B. Gorfinkel, author of the brand new Book of Esther graphic novel, joins us to talk about why Esther is the original Wonder Woman, and why the story of Purim is a comic book waiting to happen. Is Haman the original Joker? Listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The show is hosted by Liel Leibovitz, and is produced and edited by Darone Ruskay, Qu...
Mar 06, 2023•14 min•Season 17Ep. 41
Today’s Talmud pages, Nazir 39 and 40, discusses the questions of when a person dyes their hair. Author and editor Lisa Ann Sandell and Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin join us to share their stories of the experience of going grey, and the decision to, or not to dye their hair. Is there a different experience for men than for women? Listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The show is hosted by Liel Leibovitz, and is produced and edited by Darone Ruskay, Quinn Waller and Elie Bleier. ...
Mar 03, 2023•12 min•Season 17Ep. 39
Today’s Talmud page, Nazir 38, discusses the requirement to “not profane your word”. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to discuss the importance of standing by your word, and the void that is created when you don’t. Can keeping an oath sanctify your relationship with another person? Listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The show is hosted by Liel Leibovitz, and is produced and edited by Darone Ruskay, Quinn Waller and Elie Bleier. Our team also includes Stephanie Butnick, Jo...
Mar 02, 2023•8 min•Season 17Ep. 38
Today’s Talmud page, Nazir 37, discusses the requirements to make your kitchenware kosher. Maharat Ruth Balinsky Friedman joins us to discuss the need to both kasher your pots and pans as well as to purify them in the mikva. Does cheese sauce impart a good taste in your chicken soup or a bad one? Listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The show is hosted by Liel Leibovitz, and is produced and edited by Darone Ruskay, Quinn Waller and Elie Bleier. Our team also includes Step...
Mar 01, 2023•11 min•Season 17Ep. 37
Today’s Talmud page, Nazir 36, features the Kutah, a strange and wonderful bread-related dip that was all the rage back in Talmudic times. Cookbook author and baking genius Shannon Sarna Goldberg joins us to talk about this forgotten treat, and share some of her favorite unsung amazing Jewish breads from around the world. Why is baking so meaningful to so many religious traditions? Listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The show is hosted by Liel Leibovitz, and is produced...
Feb 28, 2023•10 min•Season 17Ep. 36
Today’s Talmud pages, Nazir 34 and 35, ask a question physicians and college students alike still ask with fiery focus: how much drinking is too much drinking? One of the Talmud's most astonishing tales, a story of liquor and Purim and murder, sheds light on this eternal debate, and reminds us of the bond between booze and spiritual transcendence. What can the Talmud's strangest drunken killing teach us about being better people? Listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The ...
Feb 27, 2023•10 min•Season 17Ep. 34
Today’s Talmud pages, Nazir 32 and 33, discuss the possibly incorrect opinion of Beit Hillel on the topic of erroneous consecration of a bull. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us for a live recording of the podcast to discuss the ways that Rambam ignored the authoritative take of the Talmud on this page to share his own opinion. Can we have our own interpretations of the Talmud if they contradict the authoritative take on a passage? Listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The sh...
Feb 24, 2023•7 min•Season 17Ep. 32
Today’s Talmud page, Nazir 31, discusses what it takes to become a Nazarite. Ashley McKinless and Zac Davis of the podcast Jesuitical join us to discuss the importance of learning in order to spread faith through community. Do you need to be a religious leader to be a teacher? Listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The show is hosted by Liel Leibovitz, and is produced and edited by Darone Ruskay, Quinn Waller and Elie Bleier. Our team also includes Stephanie Butnick, Josh ...
Feb 23, 2023•11 min•Season 17Ep. 31
Today’s Talmud page, Nazir 30, asks what happens when a boy matures into manhood, and must choose between the vows that his father took in his name, and those that he takes for himself. Listen in on a conversation between Unorthodox host Stephanie Butnick and the Challah Prince Idan Chabasov about his journey to find his own way into Judaism. How did baking bread help him find his way back to his familial traditions? Listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The show is hoste...
Feb 22, 2023•15 min•Season 17Ep. 30
Today’s Talmud page, Nazir 29, talks about the ways that fathers have different types of control over sons versus daughters. Rabbi Diana Fersko joins us to reframe the discussion from that over gender, to that of different models of parenting. In what ways should we try to control our children? Listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The show is hosted by Liel Leibovitz, and is produced and edited by Darone Ruskay, Quinn Waller and Elie Bleier. Our team also includes Stepha...
Feb 21, 2023•8 min•Season 17Ep. 29
Today’s Talmud pages, Nazir 27 and 28, talks about the ways that fathers can and cannot make decisions for their sons. Tablet producer Josh Kross and his son Miles sit down to discuss how much control a father can have over his son. Is parental control based on age, or just the power of the purse? Listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The show is hosted by Liel Leibovitz, and is produced and edited by Darone Ruskay, Quinn Waller and Elie Bleier. Our team also includes Ste...
Feb 20, 2023•9 min•Season 17Ep. 27
Today’s Talmud page, Nazir 25 and 26, asks us to think about what is important. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to shed light on how through self-reflection, we get a better sense of who we are, and can thus, can help the world make sense. How does abstaining from drink and letting our hair grow help us to become our best selves? Listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The show is hosted by Liel Leibovitz, and is produced and edited by Darone Ruskay, Quinn Waller and Elie Bl...
Feb 17, 2023•10 min•Season 17Ep. 26
Today’s Talmud page, Nazir 24, asks how finances are shared in marriage. Stephanie Butnick, co-host of the Unorthodox podcast, joins us to discuss the tensions that can exist between partners in relationship to personal finance, how money is spent, and saved, and shared and kept. Can a couple share everything except their checking account? Listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The show is hosted by Liel Leibovitz, and is produced and edited by Darone Ruskay, Quinn Waller ...
Feb 16, 2023•7 min•Season 17Ep. 24
Today’s Talmud page, Nazir 23, asks what to do with a woman who rebels against the rules of the Nazir. How should we respond when a person acts out in a rebellious manner? Do we embrace with a loving arm or punish with a forceful one? Perhaps both! Can the combination of embracing and punishing change the behavior of the rebel? Listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The show is hosted by Liel Leibovitz, and is produced and edited by Darone Ruskay, Quinn Waller and Elie Ble...
Feb 15, 2023•8 min•Season 17Ep. 23
Today’s Talmud page, Nazir 22, brings up the thorny issue of peer pressure. Educator Vicki Messler joins us to discuss whether peer pressure could ever be a force for good, and give parents and teachers some tips on harnessing the mighty power of other people's opinions. What's the one question you can ask to figure out if peer pressure is playing a positive or negative role in a certain situation? Listen and find out. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The show is hosted by Liel Leibovitz...
Feb 14, 2023•9 min•Season 17Ep. 22
