An introduction to the tractate Makkot, and to chapter 1: lashes as punishment for middle-level transgressions. Also, conspiring witnesses who cannot be given the judgment they sought to enact against the person they testified again, so that lashes take that place. So the Gemara explains that the mishnah's expectation for the result of the testimony is upended - though in some cases, the witnesses would be selected via the proper channels, as applied.
Apr 09, 2025•17 min•Season 25Ep. 2
More on the idolatrous city - specifically, how to handle the sacred scrolls that cannot be burned (namely, bury them). How little prevents an ir ha-nidachat from being judged as such? Also, recognizing that the place of the destroyed city cannot be rebuilt as a city, can it be converted to gardens or orchards? A clear machloket! Plus, a detour into the question of Jericho, and also Achav. Also, who are the wicked referred to in the last mishnah? Thievery. Wickedness leading to anger - and God's...
Apr 09, 2025•17 min•Season 24Ep. 113
More on the city of idolaters... Including how to determine how at least half of the city was involved, and the process by which each was put to death in an expeditious way. Also, what does it mean to destroy everything in a city when some of those things are not supposed to be destroyed ever?! Namely, consecrated property, and more. Of course, there's a machloket.
Apr 08, 2025•20 min•Season 24Ep. 112
A story of an old man in Egypt who recounted what his ancestors had done to the Israelite ancestors, which leads to a presentation of Moshe's questioning God, who is then presented as a tad frustrated about that attitude - in contrast to the more accepting approach of the patriarchs. Also, a new, and final, mishnah! With the details of a city of idolaters - an "ir ha-nidachat." Including how the holy things of the city should be handled when the rest of it is being destroyed. And also what can b...
Apr 07, 2025•18 min•Season 24Ep. 111
The sin of Korach (who didn't have a portion in the World to Come)... including a focus (and blame) on the wife of Korach and the wife of On (who names Korach and his followers as holy people, and then entices them). Plus, a discussion of the power of the Leviim and Kohanim, and the famous dispute over techelet on a garment. These interpretations are midrashim that build out the biblical text. Also, a new mishnah about the exile of the 10 Tribes, Rabbi Akiva uncharacteristically maintains that t...
Apr 06, 2025•20 min•Season 24Ep. 110
[Who's Who: Nachum Ish Gamzu] (He turned dirt into gold, after all!). The generation of the Tower of Bavel - and what they did so wrong that they lost their portion in the World to Come. Namely, what did they do in building that tower?! War? Idolatry? And the people of Sodom, and their terrible behavior that lost them their portion in the World to Come - specifically, how they became so inhospitable. Plus, how far they went in punishing those who were in the least bit charitable.
Apr 04, 2025•20 min•Season 24Ep. 109
A new mishnah - it's very long - listing the groups of people who have no share in the World to Come. Such as, the generation of the flood (those who were not saved in Noah's ark). Likewise, the spies of the Book of Numbers. And many others. Where the biblical texts about each of these groups intimate that they are punished in the next world, and/or losing the World to Come. Plus, an investigation into the animals that Noah brought into the ark - 7 kosher animals and 2 non-kosher animals, "husba...
Apr 04, 2025•22 min•Season 24Ep. 108
A long discussion of the sins of King David... and yes, it's a long list. Largely, and perhaps unsurprisingly, related to issues of lust. (In contrast to other interpretations by the sages that he did not sin at all - in the same events). Also, Yehoshua ben Perahiah and his student Jesus - and their sojourn in Egypt (and travels back), when King Yannai was killing sages.
Apr 03, 2025•20 min•Season 24Ep. 107
More on Balaam, and how was truly just so wicked, at least in the rabbinic literature. How bad was he in the Torah? Plus, he was a true prophet, regardless of the fact that he was wicked. The Gemara than describes just how wicked Balaam was, according to his ideas to entrap Jews and turn them from worship of God -- into the defecation worship of the Baal-Peor. Plus, how young Balaam was at his death, and why. Also, shifting focus to Do'eg Ha-Edomi, from the book of Samuel - a bit of an enemy of ...
Apr 02, 2025•26 min•Season 24Ep. 106
Why are the people of the Jerusalem perpetually backsliding (in their observance)? Jeremiah asks the question and the people provide a convincing answer - in that both those who repent and those who continue to do wrong (and those who are righteous) all end up in the same place. With interplay of biblical verses from different books. Plus, the concern that God has severed the ties with the Children of Israel/Jewish people, when not only was King David called God's servant, but so too was Nebucha...
Apr 01, 2025•18 min•Season 24Ep. 106
An investigation and interpretation of verses from Eikhah/ Lamentations playing off the word "eikhah," as well as the alphabet, given the acrostics in the megillah of Eikhah. Plus, the example of two Jewish slaves who describe a camel and the circumstances under which it walks ahead (beyond their view): blind in one eye, two wineskins with oil and wine respectively, etc. -- and then are freed for being right. Also, who decided who is on the list of those who do not have a portion in the world to...
Mar 30, 2025•20 min•Season 24Ep. 104
Resh Lakish bounces off the wicked kings of Yehudah to talk about wickedness in general. With playing on the spelling of words as implying the way bad things happen in the world, with the letter "ayin." Plus, more on Menashe -- among several of the other wicked kings who didn't make it onto the list of those who don't have a portion in the World to Come. With a list of how many midrashic interpretations these wicked kings had learned -- that is, they learned more Torah than one might have expect...
Mar 30, 2025•12 min•Season 24Ep. 103
An approach to the Golden Calf that blames God for giving the Israelites gold and silver upon their departure from Egypt -- because they suddenly had the means for the wrong-doing, instead of when they were poor. This raises questions, of course, about wealth and leisure, and its desirability. Also, Rabbi Abbahu would lecture on the topic of 3 wicked kings -- even after he gave it up for a time, he came back to it, on the grounds that they hadn't repented yet, after all. Plus, King Menashe's app...
Mar 28, 2025•19 min•Season 24Ep. 102
More on those who have no portion in the World to Come -- starting with those who whisper incantations over a wound. The problem seems to be magicking up God's healing powers, which is a marked sign of disrespect. But some surprising measures of incantations are indeed permitted - even on Shabbat. Also, when Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyracanus became ill - and the students went to visit him. Does this account take place before or after the story of the oven of Akhnai? Plus, the rationale that teaching T...
Mar 28, 2025•23 min•Season 24Ep. 101
One of the sages presents an interpretation, describing the beauty of a vision of a plentiful river surrounded by delightful growing things that emerges from the Holy of Holies. Others congratulate him on his teaching -- and one of those congratulations is criticized as coming from bystander who wasn't in a position to judge, and therefore was disrespectful. Except that - in contrast with a truly disrespectful response - it really wasn't. Also, the book of the Wisdom of Ben Sira -- and the pheno...
Mar 27, 2025•19 min•Season 24Ep. 100
Different opinions from the sages on the length of the "messianic era": 40 years? 70 years? 3 generations? Or Rabbi Hillel's shocking statement that the messiah has already come and gone, as per fulfilling the prophesies in the era of Hezekiah, king of Judah. Also, the distinction between the messianic era and the World to Come, with prophecy being primarily about the former. But the key question regarding the messianic era and how different it may be from the current world is also significant. ...
Mar 25, 2025•20 min•Season 24Ep. 99
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi - on the messiah, and when he will come, with regard to the people awaiting his arrival. Including Eliyahu (Elijah), of course. Also, the birthpangs of the messiah - how many sages want the messiah to come, but only after they themselves die, so they don't have to suffer through it. But won't the messianic era be worth it? And won't their Torah study and acts of kindness protect them? With parallels between the entrance to the land of Israel from the Exodus of Egypt, vs. ...
Mar 25, 2025•17 min•Season 24Ep. 98
Is there truth in the world? Rava thought not, until he encountered one truth-telling sage and heard his story of truth-tellers, and how that sage's own lie was his downfall. Also, a story about Eliyahu, in the exploration of the messianic time to come -- including a good deal of calculation and supposition regarding when it will happen. Plus, the discovery of a scroll written in Hebrew that had been found among the treasures the Romans took from Jerusalem, in their conquest. And it too has pred...
Mar 24, 2025•18 min•Season 24Ep. 97
From Sennacherib to Nebuchadnezzar - and why the latter was able to conquer Jerusalem (that is, what good deed did he do that he got his way of breaking through Jerusalem's divine protection?). Also, how Nebuchadnezzar's captain of the guard, Nevuzaradan, led the charge, and succeeded where Sennacherib did not, apparently with God's approval. He was indeed a bloody man of war, until - it seems - he saw the error of his ways.
Mar 22, 2025•22 min•Season 24Ep. 96
Compare this part of the daf to the stories in Shmuel Bet (Second Samuel) -- the son of Goliath is armed to go take vengeance on David. Ishbivenov is this same son of the giant, and his name is connected to his identity - because his revenge is on account of Nov. God makes it clear to David that he must pay the price of his wrong-doing, and gives him a choice of cutting off his descendants or suffer himself. He chooses the latter. Which leads to his own near-death, in greater detail in the Gemar...
Mar 21, 2025•24 min•Season 24Ep. 95
A focus on the Assyrian king Sennacherib, and the Jewish king, Hizkiyahu (Hezekiah). Why is the wicked king given an honorific, asks the Gemara. And answers: He didn't use derogatory language when speaking about the land of Israel. Is that really the case?! From Sennacherib, we move on to Hezekiah -- and the discussion of him as a possible messiah, which would have meant Sennacherib was to be part of the "Gog and Magog" battle for final redemption (which clearly didn't happen that way). Plus, th...
Mar 21, 2025•20 min•Season 24Ep. 94
If you dream about a white horse (thanks to Zechariah's prophecy), that's a good thing (alluding to God's anger abating). Also, more on Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. With imports to Babylonia from Alexandria, possibly to the exclusion of breeding Egyptian hogs... Plus, Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar's idol. Plus, sexual immorality that is rejected by Nebuchadnezzar, no less. Plus, the experience of another three in the fiery furnace: Yehoshua, the high priest, Achav, and Tzidkiyahu (with a mini-stu...
Mar 20, 2025•28 min•Season 24Ep. 93
A small corrective on Cleopatra and Rabbi Meir (we know they couldn't have actually spoken to each other; they didn't live at the same time!). From there, delving into the teachings of Rabbi Elazar, some of which are about personal conduct, some about personal intellect, and how we interact. Also, the possible people who were resurrected by Ezekiel, in restoring the dry bones of his visions to life. Plus, the fiery furnace of the Book of Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar -- borrowed by the midrash for t...
Mar 19, 2025•18 min•Season 24Ep. 92
Sharpening the questions asked of the sages by secular figures (of leadership), such as Cleopatra -- who wants to know if the resurrection of the dead will bring people back clothed or naked -- and Antony, who asks about the insertion of the soul into human beings. The sages take the questions seriously, to be be sure, and provide answers that have some measure of logic behind them. Other tidbits include a heretic's sharp questions and a hunchback's quick retorts, and the friendship between Anto...
Mar 18, 2025•18 min•Season 24Ep. 91
Finishing the 10th chapter - and beginning the 11th. First, the dispute between the sages and Rabbi Shimon for the details and timing of execution for someone who speaks to others to get them to violate the Torah. With idolatry being its own (worse) case. But can those false prophets perform miracles, prophesy, etc., and they then malign it, or are they just lying or deceiving throughout? Onwards to chapter 11 - to the principle of the World to Come, in which every Jew has a portion, except for ...
Mar 17, 2025•22 min•Season 24Ep. 90
The daf begins with two mishnayot, basically, and they begin with a dispute between Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Yehudah over when to put the rebellious elder to death. Namely, did the public need to hear about his execution, or see it for themselves? 2 - False prophets and lesser falsities are executed by the court and in the hands of heaven, respectively. Plus, the adultery case or the betrothed case or conspiring witnesses against a daughter of a kohen - and their respective executions. Also, the Ge...
Mar 15, 2025•27 min•Season 24Ep. 89
On the 3 courts identified in the previous mishnah: delving into the dispute between the courts and the individual who is being questioned as a possible rebellious elder. With the prime example of Akavya ben Mehallalel -- who is NOT deemed a rebellious elder. He had a tradition and an opinion that counters the majority, but is a regular dispute, as far as that goes. Plus, initially, the disputes were really kept to a minimum. Which leads into the rabbinic era and the proliferation of dispute amo...
Mar 15, 2025•15 min•Season 24Ep. 88
The Gemara specifies what kinds of cases need to be brought before the experts on the court. Plus, discussion of "going up" to the land of Israel, and then Jerusalem, for that expertise. Plus, a return to the case of the rebellious elder who goes against the teachings coming from the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. Also, Rav Pappa parses each detail of a baraita, quite thoroughly, to line it up with Rabbi Meir's approach on the rebelliious elder and also connect to other disputes.
Mar 14, 2025•18 min•Season 24Ep. 87
In the discussion of kidnapping, the source is connected to the "don't steal" of the Ten Commandments (at least, according to a prominent opinion), which seems to revise the translation of that mitzvah! Also, the concern of conspiring witnesses in the context of the gluttonous and rebellious child (among others). Plus, a new mishnah! On a "zaken mamre" - the rebellious elder, and his death sentence, plus what it takes to deserve that execution.
Mar 13, 2025•24 min•Season 24Ep. 86
Since a son cannot hit his parents, can that son sit on a court that would decide the case of his father being subject to lashes, for example? Rav Sheshet says yes, and the Gemara jumps to defend his approach, though then his view is countered in a sharp why. Also: 2 new mishnayot: First, one who hits his father or mother is only subject to execution if he actually injures the parent (but only if the hitting takes place while the parent is alive). Second, when it comes to kidnapping, the kidnapp...
Mar 12, 2025•19 min•Season 24Ep. 85
