Take One Daf Yomi

On today’s pages, ⁠Chullin 78 and 79, the Talmud invites us to think more deeply about the animals with whom we share the world. Recorded around a barbecue table in upstate New York, this special summer episode with Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin and producer Josh Kross explores why Judaism teaches both profound compassion for animals and a profound appreciation for what makes human beings different. How do we honor both without diminishing either? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, ⁠Chullin 77, a discussion about avoiding the practices of the Amorites becomes a meditation on Jewish identity. Recorded around a barbecue table in upstate New York, this special summer episode with Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin and producer Josh Kross considers how traditions, customs, and everyday habits shape a uniquely Jewish way of life. Is Jewish continuity built on laws alone, or on culture as well? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, ⁠Chullin 76, an ancient discussion of animal welfare becomes a surprisingly contemporary conversation. Recorded around a barbecue table in upstate New York, this special summer episode with Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin and producer Josh Kross asks whether Judaism’s concern for animals should influence not only how we slaughter them, but how we raise them as well. How far should we go to prevent animal suffering? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, ⁠Chullin 75, the rabbis continue their discussion of the laws of kashrut, prompting a broader conversation about what those laws should—and shouldn’t—cover. Recorded around a barbecue table in upstate New York, this special summer episode with Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin and producer Josh Kross considers whether kashrut should expand to include the treatment of animals, workers, and the broader ethics of food production. Is it time to redefine what “kosher” means? Listen and find out.

On today’s pages, Chullin 73 and 74⁠, a technical discussion about sacrificial animals becomes a conversation about one of Judaism’s oldest mysteries. Recorded around a barbecue table in upstate New York, this special summer series with Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin and producer Josh Kross asks why a religion so deeply concerned with compassion ever placed animal sacrifice at its center. What was sacrifice really meant to accomplish? Listen and find out.

On today’s pages, Chullin 71 and 72⁠, the Talmud’s discussion of ritual purity becomes an opportunity to reflect on memory, legacy, and the responsibility to preserve our greatest treasures. Recorded around a barbecue table in upstate New York, this special summer series with Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin and producer Josh Kross celebrates the launch of Talmud Daily⁠, a new home for generations of Talmudic learning. How do we ensure that what matters most outlives us? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Chullin 70⁠, the Talmud’s discussion of the firstborn opens the door to one of life’s greatest transformations. Recorded around a barbecue table in upstate New York, this special summer series with Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin and producer Josh Kross reflects on family, responsibility, and the profound moment when a child turns someone into a parent. Why does Judaism give the firstborn such a special place? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Chullin 69⁠, we step back from the details of kosher law to confront a timeless ethical question. Recorded around a barbecue table in upstate New York, this special summer series with Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin and producer Josh Kross considers why Judaism permits eating meat at all—and why that permission demands mindfulness, gratitude, and restraint. If Judaism places so many moral limits on eating animals, why eat meat in the first place? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Chullin 68⁠, the Talmud’s discussion of pregnant animals takes an unexpected turn into real life. Recorded around a barbecue table in upstate New York, this special summer series with Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin and producer Josh Kross is joined by an unplanned guest: Josh’s neighbor, who spent years raising veal calves. What can a former veal farmer teach us about one of the Talmud’s most sensitive discussions? Listen and find out.

On today’s pages, Chullin 66–67⁠, the rabbis turn from land animals to fish. Recorded around a barbecue table in upstate New York, this special summer series with Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin and producer Josh Kross explores why fish require no ritual slaughter, what that says about consciousness, and why alien life might complicate our understanding of humanity’s place in creation. Listen and find out.

On today’s pages, Chullin 64–65⁠, the rabbis tackle one of the Torah’s most surprising menu items: kosher insects. Recorded around a barbecue table in upstate New York, this special summer series with Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin and producer Josh Kross explores how Jewish food traditions are formed, why planning what we eat matters, and what kashrut teaches us beyond simply what’s permitted. What makes a cuisine authentically Jewish? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Chullin 63⁠, a debate over birds becomes a conversation about America itself. Recorded around a barbecue table in upstate New York, this special summer series with Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin and producer Josh Kross explores how early American Jews navigated unfamiliar species, new traditions, and the challenge of remaining authentically Jewish in an entirely new world. How do you preserve tradition when everything around you is new? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Chullin 62⁠, a long list of birds launches something much bigger. Recorded around a barbecue table in upstate New York, this special summer series with Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin and producer Josh Kross explores the Talmud’s rich and surprisingly modern conversations about meat—from brisket and barbecue to fake pork and the ethics of eating. What can a backyard barbecue teach us about one of the Talmud’s meatiest tractates? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Chullin 61, the rabbis wrestle with a surprisingly practical question: how can we tell whether an unfamiliar bird is kosher? Their discussion has echoed through the centuries, resurfacing whenever Jews encounter a new species—including one now found on millions of Thanksgiving tables. How did the turkey become kosher? Listen and find out.

On today’s pages, Chullin 59 and 60⁠, the Talmud pauses its legal discussions to tell stories—unforgettable stories featuring lions, emperors, and the incomparable Rabbi Yehoshua ben Hananiah. Through wit, parable, and imagination, the rabbis teach truths that argument alone could never convey. Why is storytelling one of Judaism’s greatest teaching tools? Listen and find out.

On today’s pages, Chullin 57 and 58⁠, the rabbis tell a shocking story in which terror quite literally saves a man’s life. Far from being merely an unpleasant emotion, fear emerges as a force that can reshape both body and mind. Modern psychological research suggests they may have been onto something. Why do we voluntarily scare ourselves, and what can fear teach us? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Chullin 56⁠, a debate about birds and weasel bites turns into a lesson in intellectual honesty. After advancing one position, Rabbi Zeiri later reexamines the evidence, changes his mind, and informs his colleagues of his mistake. In an age when everyone is expected to double down, what does it mean to simply admit you were wrong? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Chullin 55⁠, the rabbis demonstrate a remarkable commitment to evidence, devising a method to determine whether an animal’s condition arose naturally or through external harm. Their willingness to question assumptions and seek verifiable answers serves as a powerful reminder that knowledge grows through inquiry, not conformity. Featuring remarks from Sinai Award recipient Larry Sanger, co-founder of Wikipedia, and an introduction by Walter Kirn. Why is the search for truth worth defending? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Chullin 54⁠, a technical discussion about missing organs yields an unexpectedly hopeful lesson. Again and again, the rabbis rule that an animal can survive conditions that seem impossible at first glance. The result is a reminder that life is often sturdier than we imagine and that setbacks we assume are fatal may not be. What if we are more resilient than we think? Listen and find out.

On today’s pages, Chullin 52 and 53⁠, a debate about foxes, dogs, cats, and other predators becomes a meditation on the importance of particulars. Rather than treating all threats as identical, the rabbis carefully distinguish between different actors, different behaviors, and different consequences. The result is a model of thinking that resists slogans and demands close attention to facts. What happens when we stop arguing about categories and start looking at cases? Listen and find out.

On today’s pages, Chullin 50 and 51⁠, a seemingly technical discussion about an animal falling from a roof takes an unexpected turn when the rabbis tell the story of a goat that saw food below and jumped for it. Rather than assuming disaster, the sages conclude that the goat understood the distance and made the leap deliberately. The result is a surprisingly modern lesson about analysis paralysis, self-doubt, and the opportunities we miss when we spend too much time worrying. What can a hungry goat teach us about courage? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Chullin 50⁠, a discussion about injuries and defects in an animal’s digestive tract reminds us how carefully the rabbis examined every detail of the world before them. As we conclude our week-long series honoring the Lubavitcher Rebbe on the day of his yahrzeit, Rabbi Motti Seligson joins us to reflect on the Rebbe’s enduring intellectual and spiritual legacy. Together, we consider the immense scope of the Rebbe’s teachings and the powerful idea that all of Torah—and indeed all of life—forms a single interconnected whole. What happens when you begin to see the world that...

On today’s page, Chullin 48⁠, a rabbi chooses not to impose his own stringency and instead directs questioners to a colleague whose ruling will bring them closer to Jewish life. Continuing our series honoring the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Mordechai Lightstone joins us to discuss one of the Rebbe’s most enduring ideas: that there are no faraway Jews. What if the goal is not to bring Jews closer, but to recognize how close they already are? Listen and find out

On today’s page, Chullin 47⁠, a remarkable story about a child’s survival becomes the starting point for a conversation about education, growth, and human potential. Continuing our series honoring the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Mendel Bannon joins us to explore the Rebbe’s vision of education—not merely as the transfer of information, but as the cultivation of identity, values, and purpose. What is education really supposed to accomplish? Listen and find out.

On today’s pages, Chullin 45 and 46⁠, the laws of kashrut provide a window into the worldview of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Together with Dovid Margolin, Liel examines the Rebbe’s famous kosher campaign and his insistence that holiness is found not only in study and prayer, but also in kitchens, grocery stores, and dinner tables. The conversation offers a powerful reminder that Judaism asks us to sanctify the material world rather than escape it. Where does spiritual life actually happen? Listen and find out.

On today’s pages, Chullin 43 and 44⁠, a technical debate about ritual slaughter opens onto a broader question about character and judgment. The rabbis insist that constantly switching between competing philosophies based on convenience is a recipe for confusion, while rigidly embracing every stringency is no better. The challenge is to choose a path thoughtfully and then follow it consistently. What happens when we try to have it both ways? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Chullin 42, the rabbis begin a lengthy exploration of one of Judaism’s most misunderstood categories: the treifah. Most of us use the word to describe any non-kosher food, from bacon to cheeseburgers, but the Talmud has something much more specific in mind. Through a detailed discussion of wounds, injuries, and mortal conditions, the daf reveals that a treifah is not merely forbidden food, but a kosher animal suffering from a fatal defect. Have we been using the wrong word all along? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Chullin 41, the rabbis wrestle with a difficult question: how do we identify those who have fundamentally broken with the values of the Jewish community? What begins as a technical discussion of ritual slaughter and idolatry quickly opens onto a much larger story about disagreement, belonging, and the boundaries of Jewish life. The daf reminds us that Jews have been arguing over first principles for thousands of years—and that some of those arguments are still very much alive today. In this special episode, we’re also sharing a brief excerpt from the first installment of our ne...

Blurb:
On today’s page, Chullin 40, the Talmud asks what happens when two people jointly perform an act, but only one brings corrupt intentions to it. The answer is severe: the whole slaughter becomes invalid, even though one participant may have meant no harm. The daf turns this legal problem into a broader warning about the company we keep and the partnerships we form. Can one bad partner ruin an otherwise worthy project? Listen and find out.

On today’s pages, Chullin 38 and 39, the rabbis confront one of the most difficult questions in all of law and ethics: how can we ever know what another person truly intended? Through cases involving idol worship, divorce, and ambiguous actions, the daf explores the complicated relationship between thought and behavior. Sometimes actions reveal intentions; sometimes they obscure them. How much can we really know about what is happening inside another person’s mind? Listen and find out.

On today’s pages, Chullin 36 and 37, the rabbis debate how to determine whether a sick animal was still alive at the moment it was slaughtered. Blood, movement, and other signs become crucial evidence in a surprisingly detailed discussion about the boundary between life and death. But the daf ultimately points toward a deeper question: what does it mean for a human being to be truly alive? Is life merely a matter of biology, or is something more required of us? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Chullin 35, the rabbis discuss the ritual status of the garments of an am ha’aretz—an ordinary person who is not meticulous about the laws of ritual purity. What begins as a technical legal discussion quickly opens onto a deeper question about the relationship between experts and everyone else. The daf preserves a surprisingly sharp tension between learned scholars and ordinary people, one that remains deeply familiar today. Can a society thrive without the constant push and pull between expertise and common sense? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Chullin 34, the Talmud explores the many gradations of ritual impurity and the complicated ways they are transmitted from one person or object to another. Yet beneath the legal framework lies a striking philosophical observation: impurity comes in countless forms and degrees, while purity is singular and uncomplicated. The daf challenges us to think differently about growth, failure, and the long process of becoming better people. If perfection is impossible, what does it mean to keep improving anyway? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Chullin 33, the rabbis recommend a curious remedy for those recovering from illness, joining a long Jewish tradition of folk medicine, healing practices, and unconventional cures. From herbal concoctions and mystical amulets to remedies that sound downright bizarre to modern ears, generations of Jews searched for ways to care for body and soul alike. The daf invites us to reconsider what our ancestors were really doing when they experimented with healing. Were they merely superstitious, or were they engaged in an older form of biohacking? Listen and find out.

On today’s pages, Chullin 31 and 32, the rabbis examine what happens when ritual slaughter is interrupted midway through the act. The Mishna says that a pause is only disqualifying if it lasts as long as another act of slaughter, but the Gemara immediately asks what that measurement actually means. The daf becomes a display of rabbinic reasoning at its finest, testing every possible definition until the law can be stated with care and precision. How exact must our thinking be when even a pause can change everything? Listen and find out.

On today’s pages, Chullin 29 and 30, the rabbis wrestle with an odd question: why does the Mishna repeat a law we already learned only a few pages earlier? Their answer opens into a surprisingly modern meditation on distraction, memory, and the limits of human attention. In a world increasingly dominated by notifications, interruptions, and fractured concentration, the daf reminds us that repetition is not redundancy but mercy. What if reminders are not signs of weakness, but essential tools for living wisely? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Chullin 28, the rabbis spend page after page discussing cuts, angles, and the fine technical details of slaughter. Producer Josh Kross uses brisket to illuminate the daf’s deeper lesson about understanding structure before making distinctions. From rendering tallow to slicing against the grain, the daf becomes a meditation on why wisdom often begins with learning to see what something is meant to become. What can a brisket teach us about reading the world properly? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Chullin 27, a discussion about slaughtering birds and animals opens unexpectedly into the world of Jewish mysticism. The rabbis imagine different creatures as possessing different degrees of physicality and spiritual vitality, raising the stakes of what it means to consume them properly. The result is a vision of kashrut not merely as a system of rules, but as an attempt to elevate even our most basic appetites into acts of awareness and repair. What does it mean to eat in a way that honors the holiness of life itself? Listen and find out.

On today’s pages, Chullin 24, 25, and 26, the rabbis discuss unfinished vessels and the precise point at which an object becomes complete enough to matter in matters of ritual purity. Along the way emerges a deeper meditation on the word golem, not as a mythical monster but as something unfinished, unformed, and still awaiting refinement. The daf reminds us that growth requires effort, patience, and a willingness to endure the long and often uncomfortable process of becoming fully ourselves. What if the real task of life is learning how to finish the work of becoming human? Listen and find out.

On today’s pages, Chullin 21, 22 and 23, we take a brief pause from the technical discussion of birds and slaughter to reflect on the extraordinary convergence of Shavuot and Shabbat. The rabbis famously debate exactly when the Torah was given, but perhaps the more important question is not when it was given but when each of us is ready to receive it. Drawing on the teachings of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, the episode becomes a meditation on revelation, readiness, and the possibility that Torah can arrive anew at any moment. What if the day we receive the Torah is not fixed on...