Take One Daf Yomi

On today’s page, Bekhorot 19, the rabbis discuss the rite of the Egla Arufa, or the decapitated calf, sacrificed whenever a stranger was murdered by an unknown assailant as a way to shock us all into understanding that we are responsible for each other. Still, why such a brutal ritual? And why a calf? Listen and find out.
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On today’s page, Bekhorot 18, a ewe gives birth to two males whose heads appear at precisely the same moment, leaving the rabbis with a problem: Which one is actually the firstborn? What follows is a wonderfully intricate argument about stronger lambs, weaker lambs, competing claims, and the burden of proof. What can two newborn lambs teach us about the extraordinary precision of Talmudic reasoning? Listen and find out.
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On today’s pages, Bekhorot 16 and 17, the rabbis ask what happens when an animal no longer looks the way its species is supposed to look. Centuries of breeding and natural change make that ancient question surprisingly modern, with implications for everything from wool to matzah. What does Jewish law consider meaningful change, and what can safely be chalked up to nature taking its course? Listen and find out.
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On today’s pages, Bekhorot 14 and 15, a discussion of private altars raises a surprisingly fundamental question: Why should sacrifice be confined to the Temple in Jerusalem? From backyard altars to IMAX theaters, Liel explores why the most powerful experiences sometimes require a special place—and what happens when the sacred becomes too familiar. Why might getting closer to holiness require keeping it at a distance? Listen and find out.
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On today’s page, Bekhorot 13, the rabbis ask why the humble donkey, alone among non-kosher animals, has a firstborn that must be redeemed. Rabbi Eliezer Melamed offers three answers involving gratitude, holiness, and the surprising spiritual potential of the material world. What can a lowly beast of burden teach us about finding the sacred in even the most ordinary things? Listen and find out.
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