On today’s pages, Zevachim 40 and 41, the rabbis discuss the high priest’s two sets of garments—one dazzling and jeweled, the other plain white for Yom Kippur. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explain why Judaism teaches that true importance isn’t shown by adding layers, but by stripping them away. What does holiness look like when we return to the essence? Listen and find out.
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Zevachim 39 - The Spectrum of Sanctity
On today’s page, Zevachim 39, the rabbis compare the Temple’s two altars—one outer and forgiving, one inner and exacting—and uncover a deeper lesson. Holiness, they suggest, isn’t binary but a spectrum. What happens when we stop chasing perfection and instead take one more small, sincere step toward the sacred? Listen and find out.
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Zevachim 38 - Daf and On
On today’s page, Zevachim 38, we pause to reflect on the monumental project that makes daily study possible: the Steinsaltz Talmud. We’re joined by Rabbi Meni Even-Israel, son of the late Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz, to talk about translating the untranslatable, carrying a legacy forward, and what comes after the Daf Yomi cycle ends. How do you keep learning when the pages run out? Listen and find out.
Find out more about the Steinsaltz Center’s work here.
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Zevachim 37 - Neural Notes
On today’s page, Zevachim 37, the rabbis teach that Torah can be shaped by both how it’s written and how it’s heard. Modern brain science agrees, showing that reading silently still lights up the mind’s acoustic pathways. What happens when ancient wisdom and modern neuroscience harmonize? Listen and find out.
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Zevachim 35 and 36 - Broth and Soul
On today’s pages, Zevachim 35 and 36, the Talmud says bones don’t count as food—but modern wisdom might disagree. Between the altar and the kitchen, we find a shared idea: nothing sacred—or edible—should go to waste. How can mindful eating become its own act of devotion? 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.