Today’s Talmud pages, Gittin 82 and 83, is full of questions asked and answered. This provides us with another opportunity to consider the broader questions that we have about the Talmud. Producer Darone Ruskay is once again joined by Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin for our second “Talmud Explainer” episode. Rabbi Bashevkin answers questions posed by our listeners on our Take One Facebook page about topics ranging from how the rabbis from different eras seem to be in conversation with one another, how to ...
Aug 07, 2023•32 min•Season 19Ep. 82
Today’s Talmud pages, Gittin 80 and 81, tell a tale of documents unknowingly given to the wrong people, and the results of such a mistake. This reminds us of the types of mistakes that we see in many of the works of Shakespeare. We are joined by Shaina Trapedo who shares with us the many examples that we see throughout the work of the Bard that rely on letters, and the ways in which miscommunication can result in everything from making peace, to finding love, to being killed on the spot. What ca...
Aug 04, 2023•12 min•Season 19Ep. 80
Today’s Talmud page, Gittin 79, discusses what happens when something is in mid-air. To further explore the feeling of being in flight, between the land and heavens, we welcome back Hudson Leibovitz who joins us to share what it is about air-travel that he enjoys so much. From the magic of being able to do something that humans were not intended to do, to getting to watch an in-light movie, Hudson seems to enjoy it all, and shares his tips about what you can do to make the experience of flying m...
Aug 03, 2023•8 min•Season 19Ep. 79
Today’s Talmud page, Gittin 78, discusses the personal space that is one’s lap or one’s basket. Unorthodox co-host Stephanie Butnick returns to share her experiences of functioning in cramped spaces. From an aversion to having her pants touch the pants of the stranger sitting next to her on the subway, to her fondness for having her daughter in her lap, or her husband snuggling close, she shares the multiple responses to others invading her space. How might an Israeli experience a lack of person...
Aug 02, 2023•8 min•Season 19Ep. 78
Today’s Talmud page, Gittin 77, talks about the importance of being on time, and shares how long one must wait beyond a deadline before moving on. Podcast producer Darone Ruskay joins us to share a sad story of when he was left waiting, and the maxim he lives by and has taught his children, about what it means to be on time. Is being late ever acceptable? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter at @take...
Aug 01, 2023•9 min•Season 19Ep. 77
Today’s Talmud pages, Gittin 75 and 76, teach that if one is instructed not to write a bill of divorce until a certain time, it will not be considered valid if it is written early. This teaches us an important lesson, one that is central to Judaism, that everything has a time. One of the first commandments that was received was to look at the moon to determine the new month. From the very start God taught that time, and the respect for it, was a gift that enabled us to organize our lives. Do res...
Jul 31, 2023•8 min•Season 19Ep. 75
Today’s Talmud pages, Gittin 73 and 74, explores the idea that one who sells a house has twelve months to change their mind. Our resident real estate expert Scott Harris, of Brown Harris Stevens joins us to think about how central one’s home can be, and how that can lead to buyers and sellers remorse when it comes to real estate transactions. What makes buying and selling a home such a powerful experience? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note at ...
Jul 28, 2023•10 min•Season 19Ep. 73
Today’s Talmud page, Gittin 72, explains that a request for a divorce decree to be written must be made verbally, and not just in writing. Alex Pappademas, author of Quantum Criminals: Ramblers, Wild Gamblers, and Other Sole Survivors from the Songs of Steely Dan joins us to discuss the importance of words in expressing our deepest emotions, and the ways that the lyrics of Steely Dan, as written by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen did this in their songs. What can we learn from the song ‘Rikki Don...
Jul 27, 2023•15 min•Season 19Ep. 72
In today’s Talmud page, Gittin 71, it states that testimony should come in spoken form rather than in writing. Rabbi Dovid Beshevkin returns to discuss why a witness needs to testify in person rather than in writing, and posits that it is not just a question of halacha, Jewish law, but rather that it is instructive on how to best transmit ideas. Do we deepen our relationship with Torah by hearing it taught rather than just reading it? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly n...
Jul 26, 2023•7 min•Season 19Ep. 71
Today’s Talmud page, Gittin 70, shares a list of eight items that the body and soul should enjoy in moderation. Rabbi Dr. Stuart Halpern gives advice on ways to enjoy life, while also living in moderation. As an example of this, he shares the story of when George Will entered the Beit Midrash, the Study Hall of Yeshiva University, and wondered how anyone could learn in the cacophony of noise the came from the students as they studied together. How do you enjoy a baseball game during the nine day...
Jul 25, 2023•9 min•Season 19Ep. 70
Today’s Talmud pages, Gittin 68 and 69, tell stories as wide ranging as a comedy of manners, fantasy and suspense discussing demons of all types, and practical advice including the ancient remedy for migraines and nosebleeds. For a set of pages like these we could only invite one person, and so Jordan Gorfinkel joins us to walk us through the wonderful stories of this page with his special cinematic take on these stories. In the end we realize that all of this is just a way to learn the lesson t...
Jul 24, 2023•14 min•Season 19Ep. 68
In today’s Talmud pages, Gittin 66 and 67, Isi ben Yehuda recount the praise of the Sages, listing each scholar with a descriptor of their wisdom. One Rabbi however, Rabbi Yehudah, is mentioned as “a scholar when he chooses.” Rabbi Dovid Beshevkin joins us to say that rather than the type of language that you wouldn’t want to see on your report card, this descriptor is a praise in that R. Yehudah was able to find small times within his life to study. What can we learn from praising others? Liste...
Jul 21, 2023•10 min•Season 19Ep. 66
In today’s Talmud page, Gittin 65, the rabbis discuss the need for a request of a divorce decree to be slightly impolite in order for it to be valid. Tablet Editor in Chief Alana Newhouse expresses her surprise that the rabbis seem to be showing a lack of sensitivity in this discussion. The process of ending a marriage is fraught with complicated and difficult feelings that impact more than just the married couple, and we must fight the impulse of self-interest to focus on all of the people affe...
Jul 20, 2023•7 min•Season 19Ep. 65
In today’s Talmud page, Gittin 64, the rabbis discuss how to tell if a child is mindful of the value of money and property. Producer Josh Kross joins us to discuss how he taught his three children to value money. His methods include giving them an allowance, creating opportunities to earn money, and the space to make mistakes with their money. Will a child learn more about the value of money when they have spent their own money for something? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our ...
Jul 19, 2023•10 min•Season 19Ep. 64
In today’s Talmud page, Gittin 63, the rabbis discuss the legality of a divorce decree when it is delivered by an agent who sees themselves as having the job of receipt rather than of delivery. What are the different archetypes of agents in popular culture. There is James Bond who is explicitly tied to his country, and Ethan Hunt, who chooses what jobs to take and not to take and is as committed to his friends as he is to his country. What can we learn about the importance of taking on difficult...
Jul 18, 2023•8 min•Season 19Ep. 63
In today’s Talmud pages, Gittin 61 and 62, expresses the importance for Jews to support gentiles in need in the same way that they support Jews in need. Luke Moon from the Philos Project joins us to discuss how his organization promotes positive Christian engagement in the Near East by creating leaders, building community, and taking action to support the Jewish community when they are threatened, and what drew him to this work. What can we learn from other faith communities about how to stand w...
Jul 17, 2023•10 min•Season 19Ep. 61
In today’s Talmud pages, Gittin 59 and 60, the Rabbis ask if we can produce a torah portion by portion, in order to make it easier for a child to learn, or whether it must be produced in full. Hudson Leibovitz joins us to discuss how he best learned, piece by piece or all at once, and tells us his favorite portion of the Torah. Is there a better way to teach our children? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on...
Jul 14, 2023•8 min•Season 19Ep. 59
In today’s Talmud page, Gittin 58, we hear a tale of an unfaithful wife, an untrusting husband, and a conniving apprentice. The story ends by saying that because of these three actors, the Jewish people were forced to suffer. This actors in this allegory represent God, the Jewish people and the embodiment of all of the Jews enemies. What should we really learn from this strange Talmudic story? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note at takeone@table...
Jul 13, 2023•9 min•Season 19Ep. 58
In today’s Talmud page, Gittin 57, we learn of a conversation between the translator Onkelos and Jesus of Nazareth. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to dig into this story, and explores the ways that the Talmud focuses on how Jews are to sustain their connection to God once the Temple was destroyed. Why was Onkelos the only character who could have had such a conversation with Jesus in the Talmud? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note at takeone@tab...
Jul 12, 2023•11 min•Season 19Ep. 57
In today’s Talmud page, Gittin 56, we hear a story of Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai who while visiting with Vespasian at the moment when a messenger arrived to let Vespasian know that he was the new Emperor of Rome. Tevi Troy, former Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services and the author of Fight House: Rivalries in the White House from Truman to Trump, joins us to reflect on the moments in American history when vice presidents have the mantle of leadership thrust upon them. What can we learn ...
Jul 11, 2023•7 min•Season 19Ep. 56
In today’s Talmud pages, Gittin 54 and 55, we hear the story of one person using the terms “convert” as an insult against another. The idea of considering a convert less than is difficult to comprehend in these modern times. To respond, we share this piece by Nissim Black from the Unorthodox Conversion episode from 2021 in which he shares his journey to Judaism. What can we learn from the fact that King David was a descendant of Ruth, the first convert to Judaism? Listen and find out. Like the s...
Jul 10, 2023•15 min•Season 19Ep. 54
In today’s Talmud pages, Gittin 52 and 53, we hear a story of when Satan came to visit two men who would fight each Shabbat evening. Tevi Troy, former Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services and the author of Fight House: Rivalries in the White House from Truman to Trump, joins us to tell the story of the fraught relationship between New York Times columnist William Sapphire and director of the Office of Management and Budget for President Carter, Bert Lance. The story tells of how the two...
Jul 07, 2023•6 min•Season 19Ep. 52
In today’s Talmud page, Gittin 51, it states that a child, be they a minor or an adult is not responsible for the affairs of their parents, as we all find it so difficult to wrap our heads around the experiences of our ancestors. This was deeply felt on a visit to Deadwood, South Dakota, which was included in a recent Across the JEW.S.A. segment of our sister podcast Unorthodox. What were the Jews doing during the Gold Rush? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter....
Jul 06, 2023•27 min•Season 19Ep. 51
In today’s Talmud page, Gittin 50, the rabbis discuss the quality of land a woman receives from her marriage contract, and whether the poor quality of land has to do with the greater desire that a woman has to be married then a man does. Podcast producer Quinn Waller returns to discuss the trials and tribulations of finding one of the few good men in New York. Will men ever learn to pick up their dirty socks from the floor? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. ...
Jul 05, 2023•11 min•Season 19Ep. 50
In today’s Talmud page, Gittin 49, we learn that when a creditor is to collect land from a debtor, they are only to take the intermediate-quality land, and not their best land, as it is because of this middling land that they needed to take the loan in the first place. Reflecting on the importance of mediocrity, we share an essay that reflects on the thin line between great and good. What do we learn as we fail and fail again in better and more interesting ways? Listen and find out. Like the sho...
Jul 04, 2023•13 min•Season 19Ep. 49
In today’s Talmud pages, Gittin 47 and 48, we hear the tale of when Reish Lakish was captured by cannibals. Tevi Troy, former Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services and the author of Fight House: Rivalries in the White House from Truman to Trump, joins us to tell his favorite from the canon of cannibal jokes that teaches us that Jews must be hit first before we hit back. What rules are there about defending ourselves ? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter...
Jul 03, 2023•6 min•Season 19Ep. 47
In today’s Talmud pages, Gittin 45 and 46, shares a wild story of Rav Ilish who was in prison until told by a bird that he could escape, and his choice of who to trust and who to take with him. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin adjusts our reading of this page to see it as a conversation about rupture, within a family or between God and the Jewish people. What can we learn about trust within a family through this story? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note a...
Jun 30, 2023•10 min•Season 19Ep. 45
In today’s Talmud page, Gittin 44, there is a discussion about a child’s responsibility or lack or responsibility for the penalties assessed to a parent. The Talmud is teaching us that we each have the opportunity to make choices of our own in our relationship with God and Jewish practice. What are the different choices that each of us may make from those of our parents? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on ...
Jun 29, 2023•6 min•Season 19Ep. 44
In today’s Talmud page, Gittin 43, we read an amazing line that indicates that one must stumble in order to understand Torah. Rabbi Lauren Tuchman returns to explore the many places in Jewish learning where we must struggle with a text and return to it again and again in order to begin to comprehend its deeper meaning. How does our struggle help our understanding? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twitter...
Jun 28, 2023•7 min•Season 19Ep. 43
In today’s Talmud page, Gittin 42, we read a conversation asking who should be paid if a slave is killed by an ox. This page, which deals with an issue so foreign to our current sensibilities, allows us the opportunity to meditate on the ways that even in our modern lives, we sometimes feel only half-free. What are some lessons we can learn about appreciating freedom? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on Twi...
Jun 27, 2023•7 min•Season 19Ep. 42
