Take One Daf Yomi

Today’s Talmud page, Bava Batra 176, brings us to the end of one of the Talmud's longest and most demanding tractates. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to sum it all up. Why does this legalistic tractate contain a collection of wild stories about the Jewish Sinbad, and what do they teach us about coexistence? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Bava Batra 175, warns us that people will always try to make themselves appear poorer than they are so as to receive a bit more money. But as one of the Torah's greatest heroes, Jacob, teaches us, it's far healthier to do just the opposite. Why is Jacob's mantra "I have become small," and why should we, too, adopt it? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Bava Batra 173 and 174, give us a stunning example of a very famous rabbi advocating what at first sounds like a complete violation of his own teaching, advising a friend to defraud his own father. But the advice is much more soulful than that, delivering a masterclass on the relationship between love and law. What is the ultimate purpose of rules and regulations, and what does it have to do with our families? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Bava Batra 171 and 172, ask how to go about doing business with two people who have the same name. How to keep the records straight? And what did the rabbis understand about the human brain that took neuroscientists millennia to unlock? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Bava Batra 170, offers a small but inspiring meditation on the true meaning of the justice system, warning us not to forget that every machination we set up must first and foremost serve human beings, flawed as they may be. What should our algorithm-addled and bureaucratic modern society learn from the ancient rabbis about making people feel seen and heard before the law? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Bava Batra 169, looks at the connection between a written contract and the actual thing you're buying. Should you have to return your Toyota, say, if you happen to simply misplace the lease? And, if not, do words on contracts have any meaning at all? Listen and find out.

A fascinating exploration of a marriage contract reveals the complexities of identity in rabbinical law. The podcast uncovers the dynamic role of commoners in Talmudic society and how their contributions balance notions of equity and excellence. It also critiques the pitfalls of relying solely on expert opinions, arguing that even scholars can be mistaken. The discussion emphasizes the value of practical wisdom and a society focused on excellence, showcasing a refreshing perspective on community life.

Today’s Talmud pages, Bava Batra 166 and 167, discuss a dastardly bit of forgery and its subsequent investigation. The Presidentischer Rav Tevi Troy returns to the show to discuss how different presidential administrations have investigated leaks, and how some of these leakers composed their messages in language that would throw suspicion onto their rivals. How has forgery and leaking changed since the days of the Talmud? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud pages, Bava Batra 164 and 165, caution us not to erase a document after it's been signed and try to write a new one in its stead. What does this seemingly mundane bit of legalese have to do with baseball? And why is it the most Jewish sport imaginable? Listen and find out.

Today’s Talmud page, Bava Batra 163, continues the tractate's discussion of documents, signatures, and forgeries. But it also delivers a surprising and potent meditation on true freedom, and on how to live authentically. What's the great lesson Abraham taught us about keeping it real? 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 book How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books.Listen to the Testimonies Archive, a partnership between Tablet Studios and the USC Shoah Foundation, for eyewitness audio accounts from Israel in the wake of the Oct 7 Hamas attacks.Check out all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.