On todayās pages, Zevachim 84 and 85, the rabbis teach that even legal debates require stories, because only stories reveal the human stakes beneath the rules. Our guest, producer Josh Kross, reminds us that this is precisely why Jewish storytelling still works: itās grounded in people, in curiosity, and in the refusal to be boring. If the Talmud resonates across centuries, he suggests, itās because its talesāstrange, raw, hilarious, profoundāstill sound like us. What can todayās daf teach us about telling the stories that endure? Listen and find out.
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Zevachim 82 and 83 - Once Illuminated
On todayās pages, Zevachim 82 and 83, the rabbis teach that an offering placed on the altar cannot be lowered or diminishedāit has crossed a threshold from which it can only rise. Our guest, Jessica Kasmer-Jacobs, helps us see how that same idea animates Hanukkah: once the menorah was kindled, its light became part of an unbroken chain that still burns in our homes today. Her new childrenās book, The Light That Lasted, available from Doorway Books at doorwaybooks.shop, places each child directly inside that ancient moment, revealing that they, too, sustain the miracle. How does understanding ourselves as part of a story that can only ascend change the way we celebrate? Listen and find out.
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7:48
Zevachim 81 - Elevating Holiness
On todayās page, Zevachim 81, we dive into the technical rules of blood offerings and discover a larger lesson about making things more holy rather than less. Could pausing before acting, speaking, or posting help us elevate even small moments in life? Listen and find out.
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6:24
Zevachim 80 - Sip of Sanctity
On todayās page, Zevachim 80, the rabbis debate what happens when regular water mixes into a flask meant for purification and whether the ritual can still be performed. It raises a quiet question about how much change a sacred act can absorb before it becomes something else. How do we decide when a mixture has tipped too far? Listen and find out.
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Zevachim 79 - Stirring the Soul
On todayās page,Ā Zevachim 79, we learn that the status of a mixture can hinges on a variety of disparate factors. These distinctions highlight a larger truth: eating well isnāt just about rules but about cultivating awareness of what goes into our bodies and why. What changes when we slow down long enough to honor the ingredients, flavors, and intentions behind every bite? Listen and find out.
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.