Today’s Talmud pages, Bava Batra 152 and 153, the rabbis continue to contemplate our wishes as we lay dying. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to talk about the Kittel, the special white and shroud-like garment when we wear not only as we're buried, but also for special festivals like Passover and Yom Kippur. Why wear the same outfit on the saddest and happiest of occasions? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com. Follow us on...
Nov 25, 2024•11 min•Season 23Ep. 152
Today’s Talmud pages, Bava Batra 150 and 151, are a touching tribute to the sanctification of life. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explain the concept of a Shechiv Mera, a person on his deathbed, and why we should pay special attention to his final wishes. What can these deathbed decisions teach us about the meaning of life? 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 @takeonedafyomi and join the conv...
Nov 22, 2024•8 min•Season 23Ep. 150
Today’s Talmud page, Bava Batra 149, begins with a heartbreaking scene of a father on his deathbed navigating halachic inheritance laws so that he could leave behind his fortune to his son. But study the biographies of these two, and a dark, troubled, and ultimately inspiring story emerges, a story of a man who had done very bad things yet went on to repent. What can Issur the Convert teach us about never, ever losing hope? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. ...
Nov 21, 2024•8 min•Season 23Ep. 149
Today’s Talmud page, Bava Batra 148, asks a thorny question: What happens if someone, on their deathbed, promises to give away all their property but then miraculously recover? Much more than a hypothetical, the question gets to the very bottom of fairness, teaching us much about the promises we must keep and the ones we can safely break. What lesson do the rabbis have for Elton John? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com....
Nov 20, 2024•10 min•Season 23Ep. 148
Today’s Talmud page, Bava Batra 147, finds the rabbis talking about... the wind, and how it sometimes blows this way and sometimes that, and sometimes makes some people sad and others happy and at other times vice versa. Producer Josh Kross joins us to explain why the passage is actually a perfect political metaphor for our fractured time. What can the Talmud's discussion of the wind teach us about building stronger communities? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newslet...
Nov 19, 2024•5 min•Season 23Ep. 147
Today’s Talmud pages, Bava Batra 145 and 146, give us a quizzical passage trying to decipher the secret to happiness. How can we make sure we're always feeling joyful? And how did one famous rabbi learn the answer to that question the hard way? 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 @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group. We think that you may also enjoy Liel's new ...
Nov 18, 2024•7 min•Season 23Ep. 145
Today’s Talmud pages, Bava Batra 143 and 144, negotiate the central tension in Judaism between divine determinism and free will. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explain what catching a cold has to do with our sense of agency in this world. What is divine responsibility, and what is ours? 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 @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group...
Nov 15, 2024•8 min•Season 23Ep. 143
Today’s Talmud page, Bava Batra 142, revolves around a curious question: can an unborn child receive gifts? It's not just a hypothetical thought exercise; it is, as the rabbis teach us, a lesson in prioritizing the real over the ideal. Why should we stop pursuing the perfect and learn instead to grapple with reality in all its complications? 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 @takeonedafyomi and...
Nov 14, 2024•7 min•Season 23Ep. 142
Today’s Talmud page, Bava Batra 141, shows us the rabbis once again arguing that God is furious with anyone who doesn't leave behind inheritors. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explain this curious passage, and give us insight into the Talmud view of what truly matters in life. How is having children a reflection of one's values? 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 @takeonedafyomi and join the ...
Nov 13, 2024•9 min•Season 23Ep. 141
Today’s Talmud Page, Bava Batra 140, raises a dilemma: As the Torah tells us that sons inherit their fathers, and as Jewish tradition instructs us that fathers must support their unmarried daughters, what happens if a man with both sons and daughters dies and has no money to sustain them both? It's a drama that touches on so much that is human, from family dynamics to the sometimes tense relationship between men and women. How to resolve it? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our w...
Nov 12, 2024•6 min•Season 23Ep. 140
Today’s Talmud Pages, Bava Batra 138 and 139, dip in to the age-old battle between introverts and extroverts. Is this distinction even real? And what's the one thing Talmud and science alike tell us you need if you're going to go ahead and grow and change? 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 @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group. We think that you may also enjoy...
Nov 11, 2024•7 min•Season 23Ep. 138
Today’s Talmud Pages, Bava Batra 136 and 137, treat us to a complicated case of inheritance law that's really about making sure that we remain forever hopeful. Tablet Magazine's Editor in Chief Alana Newhouse joins us to discuss why all American Jews, no matter who they voted for, see this week's election as a beacon of hope. What's the one thing history teaches us about American politics and institutions ? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note at...
Nov 08, 2024•19 min•Season 23Ep. 136
Today's Talmud Page, Bava Batra135, teaches us that a will means nothing unless it was passed down to the next of kin. Tablet podcast producer Josh Kross joins us to discuss how this insight shaped his parenting sensibilities, and how it inspired his son, Miles, who voted this week for the very first time. What must we pass down to our children, and how to make sure we do so properly? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com....
Nov 07, 2024•8 min•Season 23Ep. 135
Today’s Talmud page, Bava Batra 134, tells us about two of Rabbi Hillel's students, one of them the greatest and one the least impressive. What can we learn from this story about the nature and essence of genius? And what does Isaiah Berlin's most famous essay have to do with it? 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 @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group. We think...
Nov 06, 2024•7 min•Season 23Ep. 134
Today’s Talmud page, Bava Batra 133, shows us something we rarely see in contemporary politics: A senior official refusing to play the blame game and instead being kind and supportive of his errant colleagues. Dr. Tevi Troy, our very own Presidentischer Rav, joins us to discuss in a very special election day episode. What should the McCain and Clinton campaigns have learned from the wise rabbis of the Talmud? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note ...
Nov 05, 2024•5 min•Season 23Ep. 133
oday’s Talmud pages, Bava Batra 131 and 132, ask what we may or may not do with things that don't physically exist yet, like trading futures or, somewhat more spiritually, banking on our share in the World to Come. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explain why Jews don't consider heaven an ephemeral entity but rather a very concrete thing that exists, in part, right here in this world. Which famous person literally sold their share in the World to Come? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscr...
Nov 04, 2024•9 min•Season 23Ep. 131
Today’s Talmud pages, Bava Batra 129 and 130, pose a difficult question about Halacha, or Jewish law. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explore this profound and beautiful insight into how Halacha is not a stringent set of rules but a language that helps all Jews figure out their connection to each other. How do we learn to speak Halacha? 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 @takeonedafyomi and jo...
Nov 01, 2024•9 min•Season 23Ep. 129
Today’s Talmud page, Bava Batra 128, asks the question that has baffled psychologists for a very long while: can people really change? And if they do, will they necessary change for the better? The rabbis already figured it out, and their insights are supported by modern science. So what's the verdict on hope and change? 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 @takeonedafyomi and join the conversatio...
Oct 31, 2024•7 min•Season 23Ep. 128
Today’s Talmud page, Bava Batra 127, delivers a small and sweet lesson about the mechanics of kindness. Why should we always believe good things we hear about people but not the bad things? And what are the benefits of giving everyone the benefit of the doubt? 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 @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group. We think that you may also e...
Oct 30, 2024•6 min•Season 23Ep. 127
Today’s Talmud page, Bava Batra 126, raises a difficult question that begins with inheritance and sends us exploring the meaning of religious belief. Can the Torah tell us what we must and mustn't do with our personal property? And how does that question reflect on how we see ourselves and our role in the world? 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 @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the ...
Oct 29, 2024•7 min•Season 23Ep. 126
Today’s Talmud pages, Bava Batra 123, 124, and 125, tells a sordid and complicated tale of inheritance gone wrong. At its core is this vexing question: Can a person have a say in what happens to something once he decides to give it away? And how does this seemingly theoretical conundrum shape our understanding of everything from law to family relations? 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 @takeon...
Oct 28, 2024•8 min•Season 23Ep. 123
Today’s Talmud pages, Bava Batra 120, 121, and 122, contain a charming discussion of Judaism's happiest days. One is the 15th of Av, the Jewish celebration of love; the other is... Yom Kippur? Singer, songwriter, and author Peter Himmelman joins us to talk about God, love, grief, joy, and other uneasy but necessary paths to happiness. Why would a budding rock star give up on fame and fortune for a life of deeper meaning? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sen...
Oct 23, 2024•19 min•Season 23Ep. 120
Today’s Talmud page, Bava Batra 119, delivers a direct warning for women not to marry too late in life. Faith Salie, author, actress, and panelist on NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! joins us to talk about her own later-in-life marriage, and why she wouldn't have it any other way. What unique insights do older adults have into life, marriage, and parenthood? 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 @...
Oct 22, 2024•9 min•Season 23Ep. 119
Today’s Talmud pages, Bava Batra 116, 117, and 118, find the rabbis engaged in a conversation about childlessness. Is God angry with those who choose not to have children? Or with those who don't pass on their knowledge to the next generation? And how does this discussion touch on our current combustible political climate? 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 @takeonedafyomi and join the conversat...
Oct 21, 2024•7 min•Season 23Ep. 116
Today’s Talmud pages, Bava Batra 113, 114, and 115, continue the discussion of death, dying, and inheritance. Internationally acclaimed author Alice Hoffman joins us to discuss her new book, When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary, a bold and beautiful imagining of the lives of Anne Frank and her family members from the day of the Nazi invasion to the morning they go into hiding. How can a book with such a famously tragic ending yet be hopeful? And how is Anne Frank's story a m...
Oct 16, 2024•18 min•Season 23Ep. 113
Dreyfus: A Very Modern Affair is an October 7th story, but one that begins not in 2023, but in October of 1894 with the arrest of French military officer Alfred Dreyfus, who also happened to be a Jew. The implications of his framing, arrest, incarceration and the fallout of his eventual exoneration reverberate today. Over this five-episode series, we examine how these events unfolded, and how they connect to the antisemitism that exists today. Visit https://www.tabletmag.com/dreyfuspodcast or se...
Oct 15, 2024•15 min
Today's Talmud page, Bava Batra 112, finds the rabbis talking about death, dying, burial plots, and questions of inheritance. And when we think about Jews who have left behind a legacy that continues to edify and inspire, few shine more brightly than Captain Alfred Dreyfus, whose arrest, trial, and exoneration forced Europe to question its hatred of the Jews and inspired the Jews to flock to Zionism and fight for the establishment of a Jewish homeland. Commemorating the 130th anniversary of Drey...
Oct 15, 2024•17 min•Season 23Ep. 112
Today’s Talmud pages, Bava Batra 110 and 111, dwell on an incident from the Book of Judges involving Moses's grandson, Jonathan, who found himself involved in idol worship. The rabbis discuss the three questions asked of Jonathan, three questions that still serve as an excellent guide to life. What are they? And why should we still be asking ourselves these questions every single day? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note at takeone@tabletmag.com....
Oct 14, 2024•7 min•Season 23Ep. 110
Today’s Talmud pages, Bava Batra 108 and 109, are all about family and inheritance, but today we take a brief break from the Talmud. Why? Because it's the eve of Yom Kippur, Judaism's holiest day, and we're thrilled to feature a beautiful audio essay by Yeshiva University's Dr. Shaina Trapedo, all about Shakespeare and Rachel Goldberg-Polin and the meaning of second chances. You can read a PDF version of the essay here. Wonder what Mrs. Freud started doing immediately after Sigmund passed away? ...
Oct 11, 2024•15 min•Season 23Ep. 108
Today’s Talmud page, Bava Batra 107, starts out as a discussion of a complicated inheritance situation but blooms into a meditation on family. What, if anything, do we owe our nearest and dearest? And what are our responsibilities to each other when, God forbid, very bad things happen? 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 @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group. We...
Oct 10, 2024•8 min•Season 23Ep. 107
