Shows / Talking Talmud
Talking Talmud
Learning the daf? We have something for you to think about. Not learning the daf? We have something for you to think about! (Along with a taste of the daf...) Join the conversation with us!
Episodes
- Talking Talmud
Taanit 9: Supernatural Natural Rain
More on Resh Lakish, including a discussion of reward and punishment, and the relationship between the books of the Torah and those of Ketuvim. Also, the…
- Talking Talmud
Taanit 8: Praying for Two Things at Once
One must understand Mishnah before going on. And the way to make sure you know enough is to study more. Which brings us to Resh Lakish's practice of reviewing…
- Talking Talmud
Taanit 7: A Theology of Rain
How does rain compare to the resurrection of the dead? How does rain compare to Torah? How does rain compare to creation? Also, Torah is compared to wine…
- Talking Talmud
Taanit 6: The Many Words for Rain
Different types of rain: depending on volume and timing. First, the Yoreh. And Malkosh. And why both have to be for a blessing, from Heshvan to Nisan. With…
- Talking Talmud
Taanit 5: What to Get for One Who Has It All
When does the season of asking for rain end? Of course, it's a debate, but a mild one, and contingent on biblical interpretation. Which leads into a structured…
- Talking Talmud
Taanit 4: Inappropriate Requests
An angry Torah scholar is presumed to be angry because of the Torah itself - that one's sensitivities have been refined. Is this a positive commentary on…
- Talking Talmud
Taanit 3: Judged for Rain... on Sukkot
Revisiting a topic from Sukkah: pouring out libations - of strong drink, of wine, of water. And how the Gemara derives the 2 libations from the text. Plus…
- Talking Talmud
Taanit 2: Praying for Rain
A new tractate! Speaking of fast as prayer, specifically when the Land of Israel needs rain. The mishnah opens with the question if defining the rainy season -…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 35: Really Different Ways of Thinking about Tefilah
Reading the last daf.... More on Musaf of Rosh Hashanah. And how to pray: fix your prayer in your mind before you begin. [Who's Who: R. Yehudah bar Yehezkel]…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 34: Anatomy of a Shofar Blast
Figuring out the order of the various shofar blasts. Which depends on biblical verses and the sounds of each blast - what makes a teruah a teruah? Also, the…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 33: Describing Sound without Sound
Going back to the mishnah that says water and wine can be used on Rosh Hashanah, to clarify the sound of the shofar. But urine is prohibited for the same case…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 32: The Splendor of the King Is in the Multitudes
A 5-mishnah daf. Opening with the structure of the Amidah for Musaf on Rosh Hashanah, including the shofar-blowing that takes place interspersed during this…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 31: The Divine Presence in Exile
The daf opens with the Levites' Shir shel Yom, which are in our siddur today too. Also, the Shechinah, as exiled with the people - with real changes to the…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 30: Preventing Mistakes and Greater Mistakes
More of R. Yochanan ben Zakkai's decrees. Lulav, Yom Henef (Omer). The changes are made to remember the Mikdash, but how is that allowed to begin with? There's…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 29: Moshe's Magic Hands
The shofar-blower must also have intent to dispatch the community's mitzvah obligation. Plus, a mishnah that describes the Israelites' successful war against…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 28: With Intent to Sin
Blowing shofar in a pit or elsewhere with an echo - distinguishing between who fulfills the obligation and who does not. Plus, a Gemara revision. Also, what…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 27: We Can't Hear Two Things at Once
First, a comment on the maidservant from yesterday's daf. Then, more on the trumpets and shofarot, and why we blow a longer blast on the shofar when it is…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 26: The Shofar as Defense Attorney
The key mitzvah of Rosh Hashanah: shofar! And we start with the "instrument" itself. And why the horn cannot come from a cow. Plus, a lot of word play and…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 25: The Connection between Ben Zaza's Mother and Rosh Chodesh
Parallel to a story in Berakhot, the mishnah here has an episode starring R. Gamliel and R. Yehoshua, about new moon testimony. Where one day's testimony seems…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 24: What Do You See in the Sky?
The court asks witnesses about what they saw, regarding their testimony about the moon - and the celestial bodies change position over the course of a year, so…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 23: Diving for Coral, Raising Up Pearls
Burning wood for the Rosh Chodesh torches, including from coral wood, which leads to a tangent, including a story about diving, and sinking a ship to get down…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 22: Kosher Witnesses, Kosher Testimony, and a Kosher Messengers
Father and son who saw the new moon should both go to testify, even though it's not clear that they can be paired together as witnesses. Which leads into a…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 21: Yes, the Witnesses Matter
What happens if a community misses the notification about Rosh Chodesh? One can keep track to some extent to which months would be "full," and which…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 20: Calendar Manipulation
Ulla traveled from Eretz Yisrael to Bavel, and he told the Babylonians how the Beit Din in Israel had added a day to Elul, which would insert a weekday between…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 19: How Long the Months
Update with information on the 17 Tammuz (clarification on yesterday). On the holidays that are written in Megilat Taanit, as compared to other holidays... It…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 18: God's Curse for Generation (or: The Power of Torah and Chesed)
Is one's judgement or sentence mutable? The Tannaim dispute this - in a concrete way, regarding two people who had the same circumstances, yet one was saved…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 17: Sinners and... Sinners
Those who sin against God in a variety of ways go down to Gehinnom, and what happens after that (how long and for what degree) depends on the sin. With all the…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 16: The Ins and Outs of Judgement Days
The second mishnah of the masekhet: 4 judgements of the year, on grain, fruit, water, and people. Which leads into a greater discussion of the judgement of…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 15: Fruit Trees and Some Exceptions
More on the new year for an etrog... Specifically, on etrogim that are from the 6th and 7th years of the shemitah cycle. And the 8th year. Including the…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 14: Etrog: Is It a Fruit? Is It a Vegetable?
Tracing a sugia... on the specifics of tithing produce that takes root before Rosh Hashanah, and the question of tithing produce that is "mixed." Can the…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 13: The Sages Knew Their Measurements
The Gemara's premise have a tradition that grain that has reached 1/3 of its growth before Rosh Hashanah, and is then harvested on Sukkot, is credited to the…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 12: Vowing to Suffer
When do we start counting the date for vegetable ma'aser? And does that date work? [What's What: Terumot and Ma'aserot, an overview] Also, nedarim - taking…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 11: Redemption - But When?!
When is the future redemption going to happen? Tishrei or Nisan? It's a machloket! Which basically means 2 models of redemption, going beyond timing. Plus, a…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 10: Six Hundred Years and One Day
If one plants or grafts in the time right before a shmitah year can affect the timing of orlah. 30 days before Rosh Hashanah may count as a year, but what if…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 9: Increasing the Holiness in the World
Adding from the profane to the holy - specifically in the realm of time. Specifically, adding to the sabbatical year on both sides, before and after. A…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 8: The Collective Birthday of Flocks
Ma'aser Behemah - tithing the animals. With joy. On the first of Tishrei, as interpreted from the biblical text. Which of course yields a dispute. And doesn't…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 7: The First of Nisan
On the first of Nisan as a "rosh hashanah," going beyond the original mishnah. Pus, sources from verses - though they weren't stipulated as such from the…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 6: Fixing the Calendar
More on neder/nedavah offerings - specifically when a person must replace a lost or stolen dedicated item. Note that tzedakah vows don't have the year (as…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 5: Oaths, Gifts, and Deadlines
More on the timeliness of offering consecrated items. But why does the Gemara need to get just this granular in detailing the Korban Shelamim brought on…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 4: The Expected Corruption of a Non-Jewish King
On the corruption or lack thereof of Koresh (Cyrus). Is Koresh commissioning sacrifices and so on for his own selfish purposes? But isn't prayer often selfish…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 3: Jewish Kings, Non-Jewish Kings, and One Who Was Both (not quite)
Counting the years for kings... How does the mishnah know that the kings' rule is counted from Rosh Chodesh Nisan?The Gemara tracks through biblical verses…
- Talking Talmud
Rosh Hashanah 2: Keeping Track of Time
Some introduction to Rosh Hashanah, and why we mark time. The term "Rosh Hashanah," meaning the head of the year, is not really used in the Bible, yet in the…
- Talking Talmud
Beitzah 40: Mic Drop
If someone has someone who owns produce in another city can make an eruv techumin to be able to have his produce brought to him - but that is not allowed…
- Talking Talmud
Beitzah 39: Shlepping Fire and Water
2 mishnayot on the daf. First, if one borrows a coal on yom tov, the coal can only be taken as far as its original owner - in contrast to flame (a similar…
- Talking Talmud
Beitzah 38: Peer Review
R. Abba left Babylonia for the Land of Israel, and he prays that he (and his words of Torah) will be well-received. When he sits among the sages, they discuss…
- Talking Talmud
Beitzah 37: Juggling Competing Halakhic Values
The practices that are prohibited on yom tov, as on Shabbat, whether because they are optional for that time or mitzvot - beginning with yibum and halitzah, as…
- Talking Talmud
Beitzah 36: The Bathroom Episode (not only)
Spreading a mat over a beehive to protect it from the weather - the mishnah says it's acceptable; the gemara raises questions as to when and to what extent…
- Talking Talmud
Beitzah 35: Dropping Your Fruit through the Ancient Skylight
A long discussion on R. Nachman's position from the previous daf regarding how one demonstrates intent to tithe. Including timing. And the manner the fruit is…
- Talking Talmud
Beitzah 34: Labor-intensive Holidays
A series of halakhot of what is permitted and not permitted on yom tov. Beginning with some details of shechitah - with concern that it should not appear to be…
- Talking Talmud
Beitzah 33: Toothpicks and Spice Wood
A couple of puzzling aspects to the daf today: a woman should not enter a storage place for wood to take a firebrand. But this formulation is a little…
- Talking Talmud
Beitzah 32: When the Bathroom Isn't Already Put Together
Two mishnayot on the daf. First, one cannot hollow out clay to make a lamp because that is making a vessel. Ditto making charcoal or a wick. Plus, Bar Kapra -…
- Talking Talmud
Beitzah 31: Wood and Bricks
First, a couple of announcements. || A new mishnah: gathering (already chopped) wood for firewood is acceptable, depending on where you are gathering it from…
- Talking Talmud
Beitzah 30: Better They Should Be Unwitting Sinners
One who carries wine jugs from one place to the next cannot do so in the usual, everyday way of carrying, but can in other ways. Likewise, wood and straw. But…
- Talking Talmud
Beitzah 29: Business Non-business
2 mishnayot on the daf. One is not permitted to fill vessels at the grocery store to a measuring line on yom tov. Abba Shaul ben Botnit (short Who's Who)…
- Talking Talmud
Beitzah 28: Going to the Butcher... on Yom Tov
3 mishnayot on the daf. If you're selling meat on yom tov (yes), you still need to avoid the weekday manner of doing so. For example, using a balance scale to…
- Talking Talmud
Beitzah 27: Special for Yom Tov
More on the first-born animal - figuring out whether you can check for a blemish on yom tov itself. But what a temptation - to blemish your animal so you could…
- Talking Talmud
Beitzah 26: Half Shabbos
A case of the first-born male animal - bekhor - that is dedicated and given to kohanim to eat, unless it has a blemish. When is checking for such a blemish…
- Talking Talmud
Beitzah 25: Manners for the Stiff-necked Jewish People
A new mishnah - an animal that is in danger of dying should not be slaughtered on yom tov. Or rather, there must be enough time in the day to eat from the meat…
- Talking Talmud
Beitzah 24: Staying 'Til the Very End
Chapter 3 - It is prohibited to trap fish from fish ponds on yom tov, as is feeding the fish, but taking an animal from an enclosure for food on yom tov is…
- Talking Talmud
Beitzah 23: A Child's Wagon
Keturah - a type of melakhah that needs definition and application. Specifically, fire and incense. Plus, R. Elazar's leniencies vs. the sages. And the…