Take One Daf Yomi

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 67, asks a very timely question: How open should we be to different putative potions and cures? Should we forbid anything not proven to work? Or should we keep an open mind, recognize that there's much we don't know, and that healing is both physical and emotional? Writer Lisa Ann Sandell, herself recovering from Covid-19, joins us to talk about what it's like to try and manage your care when so much remains unknown about the virus. How do we sort out which medical advice to accept and which to reject? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 65 and 66, discuss various laws pertaining to people with disabilities. Jay Ruderman, president of the Ruderman Family Foundation, joins us to talk about how far we've come in rethinking our approach towards people with disabilities, and how far we still have to go. Why are shuls the perfect place to start and implement positive change? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 63 and 64, wax poetic about the Beit Midrash, the house of study, where Torah learning is conducted by dividing the students into pairs who read together and spend their days arguing. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to sing the glories of this pedagogical methodology, and tell us of the intellectual and emotional benefits of learning through quibbling. Should Harvard take note? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 62, finds the rabbis in a particularly patriarchal mood, discussing the things that women do to get the attention of men. Dr. Bat Sheva Marcus joins us to discuss why objectifying women, then and now, is never a good idea. Why does the passage tell us about men, women, and the still unresolved tensions between them? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 61, asks a profound question: Does magic work? Alana Newhouse, Tablet's Editor in Chief, joins us to talk about amulets, and why some people take good-luck charms very seriously. How do we know if our amulets are truly protecting us? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 60, tells an incredible and bloody story that begins with dorky footwear and ends in a bloodbath. Stephanie Butnick, co-host of Unorthodox, joins us to talk about sandals and other problematic footwear, and explain the cycles that make some fashion trends cool again and again and again. Is it ever OK to wear flip-flops if you're not at the beach? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 58 and 59, reveal some of the ancient rabbis' habits when it came to wearing brand-name clothes. Marco Greenberg, marketing and branding expert and the author of the new book Primitive: Tapping the Primal Drive That Powers the World's Most Successful People joins us to talk about the primordial power of logos, and why we still set so much store in our favorite brands. Is it better to be cool or warm? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 56 and 57, begin with the rabbis contemplating whether or not the great King David has ever sinned. After doing away with that troublesome bit about Uria the Hittite, they come to a strange conclusion: David's only sin was adhering, just once, to gossip. What can we learn from the king's costly flaw? And what does it have to do with Leonard Cohen? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 55, tells a dramatic story of four famous Biblical figures who died without sin. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin returns to introduce us to these Fantastic Four, and explain what their lives and deaths can teach us about leadership. Is perfection the key to greatness or a detriment? Listen and find out.

Today’s Daf Yomi page, Shabbat 54 makes a startling claim: If you were in a position to protest the sinful conduct of a friend and failed to do so, you yourself must be held accountable. It's an ancient take on the principle made famous by Spider-Man, namely that with great power comes great responsibility. Rabbi David Ingber joins us and delivers a moral primer on what each one of us can do to make sure we all stand for what's right. How do we hold ourselves accountable? Listen and find out.