Take One Daf Yomi

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 new three-part series, The Battle for Israel’s Soul, which explores one of the most consequential Jewish debates of our own time. What happens when two Jews envision radically different futures for the same people? Listen and find out.

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.