Daily Daf Differently
940 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago - ★★★★ - 12 ratingsJoin a wonderful group of liberal rabbis and teachers as we take part in the cycle of the Daf Yomi. Each week a different teacher presents short episodes on the daily daf “differently”.
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Episodes
Taanit, Daf 23
December 05, 2021 12:00 - 9 minutes - 8.37 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Joel Roth looks at Masechet Taanit Daf 23. What does Honi HaMe’agel mean? And are there limits to the acceptable behavior of a proven miracle worker? The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead. This podcast is […]
Taanit, Daf 22
December 04, 2021 12:00 - 13 minutes - 12.3 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Avi Strausberg looks at Masechet Taanit Daf 22. In today’s episode, we’ll continue to explore what it means to be holy and more specifically address the question, what does one have to do to secure a place in olam ha’ba, the world to come. We’ll eavesdrop […]
Taanit, Daf 21
December 03, 2021 12:00 - 9 minutes - 8.42 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Avi Strausberg looks at Masechet Taanit Daf 21. In today’s episode, we’ll meet the righteous man Nachum Ish Gam Zo, a great rabbi seemingly condemned to a difficult life of suffering. What has he done to deserve this fate? By unpacking his story and understanding how […]
Taanit, Daf 20
December 02, 2021 12:00 - 9 minutes - 8.37 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Avi Strausberg looks at Masechet Taanit Daf 20. In today’s episode, we’ll learn the classic aggadic story of Rabbi Elazar’s encounter with a strange fellow on his way home from a great day of Torah learning. Through that story, we’ll explore what it means to be […]
Taanit, Daf 19
December 01, 2021 12:00 - 11 minutes - 10.9 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Avi Strausberg looks at Masechet Taanit Daf 19. In today’s episode, we learn the famous aggada of Honi the Circle-Maker who stands before God and boldly demands rain for a community in drought. We’ll think about what we can and cannot ask God for, focusing on […]
Taanit, Daf 18
November 30, 2021 12:00 - 11 minutes - 10.3 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Avi Strausberg looks at Masechet Taanit Daf 18. In today’s episode, we’ll learn about Megillat Taanit, the scroll that details 35 celebratory, historical events that the rabbis declared should be observed as holidays for all generations. We’ll unpack what it means to observe these days as […]
Taanit, Daf 17
November 29, 2021 12:00 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Avi Strausberg looks at Masechet Taanit Daf 17. In today’s episode, we explore why Cohanim were forbidden to drink in the days of the Temple and whether this prohibition would apply to Cohanim in our times. We’ll think about how our lives are different today in […]
Taanit, Daf 16
November 28, 2021 12:00 - 9 minutes - 8.8 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Avi Strausberg looks at Masechet Taanit Daf 16. In today’s episode, we’ll delve into the ritual fasts that a community takes upon themselves when suffering from lack of rain and fearing for the harvest to come. We’ll explore the theology of reward and punishment and reflect […]
Taanit, Daf 15
November 27, 2021 12:00 - 6 minutes - 6.37 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Joshua Heller looks at Masechet Taanit Daf 15. The fast day Amidah used to include 6 additional blessings (24 instead of the usual 18) We don’t add all of those blessings today, but phrases from each have been merged together to create a new piyyut […]
Taanit, Daf 14
November 26, 2021 12:00 - 7 minutes - 7.02 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Joshua Heller looks at Masechet Taanit Daf 14. Is any kind of prayer or supplication beneath our dignity? Does it matter whether we pray with words or actions, sackcloth or bowing? What do Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb, the wicked king Jehoram have to tell […]
Taanit, Daf 13
November 25, 2021 12:00 - 8 minutes - 7.45 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Joshua Heller looks at Masechet Taanit Daf 13. In some cultures, people would bathe once a week, whether or not they needed it! Bathing is prohibited on some fast days, but not others. Mourners aren’t supposed to bathe during shiva either, but there are some […]
Taanit, Daf 12
November 24, 2021 12:00 - 8 minutes - 8.22 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Joshua Heller looks at Masechet Taanit Daf 12. How fast can you fast? 25 hours? Is 12 hours enough? How about 6.5? Fasting a “half day” for minor fasts is a common Conservative practice. Where did it originate? The opening and closing music for this […]
Taanit, Daf 11
November 23, 2021 12:00 - 7 minutes - 6.47 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Joshua Heller looks at Masechet Taanit Daf 11. Is fasting a good thing or a bad thing? Is it rude to eat or enjoy one’s self while others are suffering, or is it wrong to waste blessings that God may have sent our way? The […]
Taanit, Daf 10
November 22, 2021 12:00 - 9 minutes - 9.03 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Joshua Heller looks at Masechet Taanit Daf 10. Most prayer books have a cryptic reference to beginning new prayers for rain around December 5th. Why choose a date from the secular calendar and not the Jewish calendar. And why that date? The answer will take […]
Taanit, Daf 9
November 21, 2021 12:00 - 7 minutes - 6.63 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Joshua Heller looks at Masechet Taanit Daf 9. On this daf, we ask the question of whether blessings can come to a whole community on the basis of one person’s actions, or whether, perhaps, sometimes rain may fall on one person, and not his neighbors. […]
Taanit, Daf 8
November 20, 2021 12:00 - 11 minutes - 10.4 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Aaron Alexander looks at Masechet Taanit Daf 8. Wholeness in Prayer – The rabbis explore the difference between communal and individual prayer, and whether sincerity matters at all… The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead. This […]
Taanit, Daf 7
November 19, 2021 12:00 - 10 minutes - 10.1 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Aaron Alexander looks at Masechet Taanit Daf 7. The Singularity of Rain and the double-edged sword of Torah. See how the rabbis have always known what we know today – be careful how you teach and preach. The opening and closing music for this podcast […]
Taanit, Daf 6
November 18, 2021 12:00 - 8 minutes - 8.06 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Aaron Alexander looks at Masechet Taanit Daf 6. Is there an appropriate and powerful way to offer a personal blessing after a meaningful encounter? Here’s one rabbi’s suggestion… The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead. This […]
Taanit, Daf 5
November 17, 2021 15:00 - 10 minutes - 9.37 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Aaron Alexander looks at Masechet Taanit Daf 5. Is it possible for God to be both here and not here, there and not there? Let’s explore ‘between heaven and earth’! The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One […]
Taanit, Daf 4
November 16, 2021 15:00 - 9 minutes - 8.68 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Aaron Alexander looks at Masechet Taanit Daf 4. Students, Fire and Swords – What are the pitfalls of Torah Study? Opportunities? The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead. This podcast is a collaboration with The Conservative […]
Taanit, Daf 3
November 15, 2021 12:00 - 7 minutes - 7.17 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Aaron Alexander looks at Masechet Taanit Daf 3. What’s in a name? An obscure question with no practical utility asks us to reflect on the moments we become our truest selves. The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album […]
Taanit, Daf 2
November 14, 2021 11:00 - 12 minutes - 11.6 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Aaron Alexander looks at Masechet Taanit Daf 2. The opening Mishnah and subsequent questions offered straightaway in this tratcate uncover deep tension about the nature of God’s power, humanity’s power, and their intersection. The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 35
November 13, 2021 12:00 - 12 minutes - 11.8 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Joe Rosenstein looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 35. Before considering the question discussed on the brief Daf 35, we review what has been said over the week on the general theme of how the understanding and observance of Rosh Hashanah have changed over the ages, […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 34
November 12, 2021 12:00 - 5 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Joe Rosenstein looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 34. Daf 34 discusses the questions of when the shofar is actually blown on Rosh Hashanah, why the blessing over the shofar is said earlier in the service, what kinds of sounds are made by the shofar, how […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 33
November 11, 2021 12:00 - 13 minutes - 12.8 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Joe Rosenstein looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 33. Before looking at Daf 34, we complete the discussion of a Mishnah on Daf 33 that states explicitly that Hallel was recited on Rosh Hashanah and note that between the early Talmudic period and the later Talmudic […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 32
November 10, 2021 12:00 - 5 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Joe Rosenstein looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 32. Daf 32 returns to the discussion of Rosh Hashanah. We focus on a Mishnah that discusses the Musaf Amidah and reveals both how it was recited in earlier times and how it was expanded in later times […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 31
November 09, 2021 12:00 - 10 minutes - 9.21 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Joe Rosenstein looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 31. Daf 31 continues the discussion of the changes made by Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai after the Temple was destroyed. First however there is a brief detour to the question of why the psalms that we recite on […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 30
November 08, 2021 12:00 - 11 minutes - 10.9 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Joe Rosenstein looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 30. Daf 30 continues the discussion of the changes made by Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai after the Temple was destroyed. One topic is the lulav ceremony on Sukkot, where his ruling resulted in decentralizing the Temple practice. Another […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 29
November 07, 2021 12:00 - 15 minutes - 14.2 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Joe Rosenstein looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 29. Chapter 4 of Masechet Rosh Hashana begins on Daf 29 and its focus is on the shofar and the liturgy. The first question it discusses is whether the shofar may be blown if Rosh Hashanah falls on […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 28
November 06, 2021 11:00 - 10 minutes - 9.89 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Steve Kane looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 28. What if you ate matzah on Pesach, but didn’t do it to fulfill the mitzvah? What if you happened to pass by a synagogue on Rosh HaShanah and heard the shofar sounded? Have you still fulfilled […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 27
November 05, 2021 11:00 - 10 minutes - 10.1 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Steve Kane looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 27. When two people speak at once, can we truly hear either? What if God were to speak two words at the same time, would both words be heard? We look into the practical implications of “trei […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 26
November 04, 2021 11:00 - 9 minutes - 8.64 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Steve Kane looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 26. On this page we examine the question as to why a cow’s horn cannot be used as a shofar. The Gemara states that “an accuser cannot become a defender”. What are we accused of, and what […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 25
November 03, 2021 11:00 - 11 minutes - 10.7 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Steve Kane looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 25. The page begins with one of the most famous stories of rabbinic authority. There is a disagreement between Rabbi Yehoshua and Rabban Gamliel (the head of the Sanhedrin) as to when the month began. To assert […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 24
November 02, 2021 11:00 - 9 minutes - 8.51 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Steve Kane looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 24. After discussing what kind of questions one asks witnesses about Rosh Hodesh, we look at the declaration of the new month. What did the Bet Din say, and how did the people respond to the declaration? […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 23
November 01, 2021 11:00 - 11 minutes - 10.3 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Steve Kane looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 23. The Gemarah compares one who learns and teaches Torah to the hadas (myrtle) tree in the desert. Why is this beautiful tree used in the comparison, and what are the implications of it being found in […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 22
October 31, 2021 11:00 - 10 minutes - 9.37 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Steve Kane looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 22. We discuss on this page the question of why certain individuals or groups are unreliable to give testimony for Rosh Hodesh (and in general), and what is the theory behind their rejection. What is the Talmud […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 21
October 30, 2021 11:00 - 5 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Ute Steyer looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 21. We only keep one day of Yom Kippur because it would be too much of a burden on the community to keep a second day of yom tov shel galut on account of Yom Kipur. The […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 20
October 29, 2021 11:00 - 10 minutes - 9.73 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Ute Steyer looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 20. “Maleh” and “chaser” months and is it necessary to desecrate Shabbat for them? We look at the fascinating case of a Beit Din coercing witnesses to prevent them from testifying for the benefit of the community. […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 19
October 28, 2021 11:00 - 9 minutes - 8.85 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Ute Steyer looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 19. Megilat Ta’anit and whether it is still valid after the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash. What is the status of certain holidays: divrei torah or divrei sofrim? Do they need chizuk or not and where do […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 18
October 27, 2021 11:00 - 10 minutes - 9.71 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Ute Steyer looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 18. The story of Beluria the convert who asked Rabban Gamliel a question regarding a legal interpretation of Scripture and we encounter the principle of “beyn adam l’makom” and “beyn adam l’chavero” The opening and closing music […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 17
October 26, 2021 11:00 - 9 minutes - 8.98 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Ute Steyer looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 17. We learn about the three groups of people that are judged on the final Yom Din: completely righteous, completely wicked, and those in-between and what role suffering plays to atone for one’s wrongdoings. We look at […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 16
October 25, 2021 11:00 - 10 minutes - 9.75 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Ute Steyer looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 16. The four occasions on which judgment is passed on the world and the beginning of the discussion about the moral judgment of mankind on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kipur. Which things can change the final decree? […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 15
October 24, 2021 11:00 - 8 minutes - 8.01 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Ute Steyer looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 15. The new year of trees and what determines it? The tithing cycle and how it is determined which fruits are tithed for the past year and the coming year. The opening and closing music for this […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 14
October 23, 2021 11:00 - 5 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Michael Pitkowsky looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 14. Is consistency a requirement for a religious legal system? Today’s daf addresses this very important question. What are the rules according to which rabbinic law work? Autonomy as a value is central to many modern approaches […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 13
October 22, 2021 11:00 - 7 minutes - 6.72 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Michael Pitkowsky looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 13. Today’s daf addresses a number of issues relating to the Sabbatical Year. One is how much does something have to grow before it is considered to have grown during the Sabbatical year. Specifically, if towards the […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 12
October 21, 2021 11:00 - 8 minutes - 7.48 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Michael Pitkowsky looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 12. Have you ever looked up at the stars and wondered what lies beyond all of those stars and constellations? Well, according to today’s daf, beyond the constellations and stars were the waters that flooded the Earth […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 11
October 20, 2021 11:00 - 8 minutes - 7.89 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Michael Pitkowsky looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 11. On today’s daf we go read a detailed list of special dates within Jewish history. We’ll learn on what day the world was created, when were the patriarchs born, and during which month the Children of […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 10
October 19, 2021 11:00 - 8 minutes - 7.76 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Michael Pitkowsky looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 10. I hope that you enjoyed the concept that we are obligated to add to the holy time period of the Sabbatical Year that we learned on yesterday’s daf, because we speak more about it today. Today’s […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 9
October 18, 2021 11:00 - 7 minutes - 7.27 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Michael Pitkowsky looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 9. Listen to today’s daf in order to learn how a discussion of the starting point for the Sabbatical Year, the Shemittah year, is used in order to teach an important concept that applies to Shabbat and […]
Rosh Hashana, Daf 8
October 17, 2021 11:00 - 9 minutes - 8.67 MBWelcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Michael Pitkowsky looks at Masechet Rosh Hashana Daf 8. Tithing a cattle? Who would have thought. Well, Masekhet Rosh Hashana is very interested in the tithing of cattle and any deadlines that were involved. Our daf addresses these questions along with other important dates in […]