Take One Daf Yomi

On today’s page, Menachot 9, the rabbis debate whether a meal offering is invalidated if its ingredients are mixed outside the Temple courtyard. This technical inquiry into when a mixture reaches its full potency serves as a backdrop for a deeper look at the American cocktail and its "founding father," Jerry Thomas. Can a return to simple, strong traditions save us from a modern spiritual crisis? Listen and find out.

On today’s pages, Menachot 7 and 8, the Talmud debates whether holiness can take hold when a sacrifice is offered in parts rather than all at once. Joined by Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin, Liel explores how sanctity doesn’t require a perfect vessel—only a moment worth consecrating—recorded over a very good meal at Dougie’s BBQ. If holiness can emerge in the middle of lunch, conversation, and everyday life, what excuse do we have for not finding it there? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Menachot 5, a disagreement about the Omer offering leads the rabbis to slow down and ask what this ritual is actually meant to accomplish. By questioning whether intention, validity, and even sacrificial status apply in the usual way, the discussion turns ritual into an invitation to inquire rather than comply. If the Torah wants us not just to perform commandments but to interrogate their purpose, how should that shape the way we live with them? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Menachot 4, the rabbis reflect on the omer offering, the first and finest grain brought with great care and intention. The ritual points to a deeper truth about generosity, gratitude, and recognizing that nothing is fully ours. What happens when we lead with thanks instead of possession? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Menachot 3, the Talmud opens its discussion of meal offerings by examining when a handful of flour taken from an offering is valid or invalid depending on whether it was taken “for its own sake.” Rather than launching into new themes, the tractate underscores a core idea we’ve seen before: even the best offering fails without the right intention behind it. What does it teach us about the place of mindful purpose in ritual — and in life? Listen and find out.