Tablet Magazine
As Jews around the world engage in a seven-and-a-half year cycle of Daf Yomi, reading the entire Talmud one page per day, Tablet Magazine's new podcast, Take One, will offer a brief and evocative daily read of the daf, in just about 10 minutes. New episodes will be released daily Monday through Friday.
15h ago
On today’s pages, Zevachim 98 and 99 , we encounter the rules for priests in the period of acute mourning, when they cannot offer sacrifices or partake in the ritual meat. Our teacher and friend, Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin, helps illuminate what this stage says about grief, ritual, and the human confrontation with mortality. How do we make space for loss without losing connection to life’s sacredness? Listen and find out. To support Tablet and make a tax-deductible donation, click here .
3d ago
On today’s pages, Zevachim 96 and 97 , the rabbis explore a case of jealousy between teachers when a promising student decides to learn elsewhere. Presidentischer Rav, Dr. Tevi Troy joins us to draw connections between this debate and famous moments of political switching in American history. How do we decide when it’s right to move on and when loyalty should win out? Listen and find out. To support Tablet and make a tax-deductible donation, click here .
4d ago
On today’s page, Zevachim 95 , the rabbis continue their careful discussion of how sacred garments are cleaned in the Temple. We take a Chanukah pause with a song from Nefesh Mountain, because nothing launders our hearts and our minds and makes them fresh again quite like music. When the details of ritual start to pile up, where do you turn to feel renewed? Listen and find out. Join Nefesh Mountain tonight at the Brooklyn Bowl for a very special Love & Light show! Doors open at 6pm, there's a pre-show candle lighting at 7pm, and the show starts at 8pm. Get tickets here . To support Tablet and make a tax-deductible donation, click here .
5d ago
On today’s page, Zevachim 94 , the rabbis debate how items stained with sacrificial blood should be cleaned, and whether leather counts as clothing in the same way fabric does. As the Gemara weighs leather’s strange status somewhere between garment and skin, it quietly nudges us to think about what leather really is and what it means to use it. If leather isn’t quite like cloth, should we treat it differently in how we wear it and choose it? Listen and find out. To support Tablet and make a tax-deductible donation, click here .
6d ago
On today’s page, Zevachim 93 , the Talmud teaches that even a trace of sacrificial blood must be treated with the same care as the entire offering. Beneath the technical details lies a profound moral vision about the holiness of life itself. If no drop of blood is expendable, how should that change how we see human dignity? Listen and find out. To support Tablet and make a tax-deductible donation, click here
Dec 15
On today’s pages, Zevachim 91 and 92 , the Talmud debates waiting for coals to naturally become ash rather than snuffing out the fire. Our guest today, Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin, helps us explore how this ancient rule also mirrors the challenge of keeping our inner fire alive. What does it take to protect the spark that makes us feel awake and inspired? Listen and find out. To support Tablet and make a tax-deductible donation, click here .
Dec 12
On today’s pages, Zevachim 89 and 90 , the rabbis teach that what is frequent takes precedence over what is rare, elevating the daily offering above even the holiest special occasions. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to show how this principle reveals the overlooked spiritual power of consistency—the quiet, steady commitments that shape who we become far more than moments of intensity. What might our spiritual lives look like if we approached them more like Cal Ripken? Listen and find out.
Dec 11
On today’s page, Zevachim 88 , the rabbis debate just how clean the priestly garments must be and whether lightly soiled clothing even needs a full wash. Their insight suggests that not everything requires the same level of cleaning. How do we know when something truly needs refreshing and when good enough is good enough? Listen and find out. To support Tablet and make a tax-deductible donation, click here .