Take One Daf Yomi

On today’s pages, Menachot 47 and 48, the rabbis outline the "opening and closing" sacrifices that defined a day in the Temple. Yet, the Passover offering purposefully breaks this cycle, signaling that the Jewish story is built on moments that transcend the ordinary. Rabbi David Bashevkin shares how this unique ritual timing teaches us that our identity isn't just about following brackets—it's about the courage to step out of bounds and embrace the miraculous. How can a change in schedule reveal the core of who we are? Listen and find out.

On today's page, Menachot 46, the rabbis are talking about priestly life in Yavne, the town that became Judaism's unlikely headquarters after Rome burned Jerusalem to the ground. It's a story that starts with a scholar smuggling himself out of a besieged city and ends with three surprisingly wise requests that have a lot to say about how any of us survive upheaval. When everything breaks, what do you actually rebuild first? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Menachot 45, we hear the spectacular story of Hananiah ben Hezekiah, the man who saved the Book of Ezekiel from being removed from the biblical canon. Hananiah famously holed himself up in an attic with 300 barrels of oil for illumination until he mastered the text. Guest Dr. Tevi Troy joins us to discuss this kind of scholarly obsession, drawing parallels to American presidents like Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt, who went to extreme lengths to satisfy their own hunger for books. What does it mean to love a text so much that you’d risk everything to understand it? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Menachot 44, we encounter one of the Talmud’s most cinematic stories, involving a man’s journey across the sea to visit a famous woman of great beauty. At a critical moment, the ritual fringes on his garment serve as a physical reminder of his values, sparking a dramatic change of heart for both individuals. This narrative explores how our outward symbols can ground us during moments of intense temptation and ultimately lead to a path of transformation. How can a simple ritual object change the course of a person's life? Listen and find out.

On today’s pages, Menachot 42 and 43, the Talmud issues a fascinating prohibition: we may not sell tzitzit to an idolater because they might use them to impersonate a Jew, leading to dangerous social and religious consequences. Guest Dr. Tevi Troy joins us to draw a parallel to the world of American politics, where "wearing the uniform" doesn't always mean playing for the team. Can we ever truly trust the labels people wear? Listen and find out.