Take One Daf Yomi

On today’s page, Zevachim 108, a pigeon’s head, a pinch of salt, and an olive-sized requirement spark a surprisingly elegant debate. Is sameness defined by substance, by function, or by obligation? As the rabbis slow everything down and refuse to rush to judgment, they remind us that clarity often comes from sharper questions, not cleaner answers. What does it mean to let a dilemma stand? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Zevachim 107, the Gemara asks if the land of Israel keeps its holiness even without the Temple. Our discussion includes a visit to the National Library of Israel, home to the Rambam’s handwritten manuscripts. How does sanctity persist when the world changes? Listen and find out. To support Tablet and make a tax-deductible donation, click here.

On today’s pages, Zevachim 105 and 106, the Talmud explores the radical holiness of shemita, the sabbatical year, when produce itself becomes sacred and even transfers that sanctity to money. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to trace how this law shaped Jewish farming, Zionist history, and modern Israeli life. What does it mean to live in a world where ownership pauses? Listen and find out.

On today’s pages, Zevachim 103 and 104, the rabbis debate whether the absence of prior examples can serve as proof in halacha. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin shows how this question has echoed from Temple times to modern issues like machine-made matzah. When does tradition guide us, and when does it limit us? Listen and find out. To support Tablet and make a tax-deductible donation, click here.

On today’s page, Zevachim 102, the Gemara suggests that Moses was too preoccupied with the Divine Presence to fulfill a basic priestly duty. Israeli rabbi Avihud Schwartz unpacks why that startling answer explains not just Moses’s role, but Judaism’s broader vision of sanctity. Is being “too spiritual” ever a real excuse for skipping the work of this world? Listen and find out. To support Tablet and make a tax-deductible donation, click here.