Talking Talmud

Berakhot 42: Warning: Gluten Ahead

February 14, 2020 04:17 - 17 minutes - 16.7 MB

Pat HaBa BeKisnin: If you fill up on cakes and cookies and pretzels (snacks and desserts), you may not need to say Birkat HaMazon. You said you had HOW MUCH? You might have to daven as it is. If you fill up, you might need to bentsch after all. And a question a claim that IF this, THEN that -- immediately (what exactly does that entail? Perhaps you know.

Berakhot 41: A Barley-grain-sized Piece of Bone from a Corpse (Understanding the 7 Species)

February 13, 2020 05:14 - 22 minutes - 21.3 MB

The power of HaMotzi. The 7 species and their halakhic meaning in our land, including impurity because of Tzaraat. What's What: Asmakhta

Berakhot 40: Adam and Eve Ate What?!

February 12, 2020 04:51 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MB

Identifying the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. Also, how flexible is the formula for blessings? And the very flexible Shehakol blessing. Note: Talking Talmud is now on Facebook.

Berakhot 39: What's Better Than Sliced Bread?

February 11, 2020 04:21 - 19 minutes - 18.5 MB

Also, the story of how two students incurred Bar Kapara's wrath. And: how big an olive?

Berakhot 38: Breaking Bread

February 10, 2020 04:33 - 19 minutes - 18.2 MB

The careful wording of HaMotzi, and the transformative partnership we recognize from the blessing's allusion to the Exodus from Egypt. Also, Who's Who: Ulla.

Berakhot 37: So, You Think Rice Is HaMotzi?

February 09, 2020 04:16 - 22 minutes - 20.6 MB

What do we do when the a Gemara gets detailed in the different halakhic intricacies on one daf. Plus: Rice and Rabban Gamliel vs. Rabbi Akiva.

Berakhot 36: Medicine Is Not Food

February 08, 2020 16:28 - 15 minutes - 14.3 MB

Promoting a deep appreciation for the world around us, from time to the land, and the food we eat. Applying the blessings over food. Also: Orlah, the one "land" mitzvah that applies outside of the Land of Israel.

Berakhot 35: Don't Steal from God!

February 07, 2020 04:37 - 20 minutes - 19 MB

[WE HAVE MUSIC! (Still fine-tuning, literally, but excited to include our theme here)]. Birkat HaNehenin. Plus: tending your fields vs. learning Torah - How should we spend our time in this world? The eternal challenge of finding a balance.

Berakhot 34: God Knows Who You're Praying For

February 06, 2020 04:37 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MB

Prayer is not magic. The Messianic Era won't be magic either. Also: Some "chazzan" etiquette. And the powerful need and effect of praying on behalf of others.

Berakhot 33: Lions and Snakes and Scorpions, Oh My!

February 05, 2020 04:00 - 25 minutes - 23.8 MB

Clear demarcations on the expected violence from various specious of wildlife, and the miraculous doings of R. Chanina Ben Dosa in withstanding all that nature. Also: Who's Who/What's What: Anshei Knesset HaGedolah and the institution of Havdalah.

Berakhot 32: The Golden Calf Was All God's Fault

February 04, 2020 04:11 - 24 minutes - 22.8 MB

How much are we masters of our own fate? If God influences our actions, do we have free will? To what degree must human beings overcome themselves to reach the Divine?

Berakhot 31: No, of course Hannah wasn't drunk

February 03, 2020 04:21 - 19 minutes - 17.6 MB

More on prayer (of course). Giving rebuke even when it turns out that you're wrong (and standing up for yourself!). Also, focus in prayer... And the unsung model of prayer: Daniel.

Berakhot 30: Kavanah, Kavanah, Kavanah!

February 02, 2020 04:15 - 20 minutes - 19.4 MB

We begin with location, we continue to constituency, and close with context - the many factors that are designed to drive our focus and intent in prayer. Do they work for you?

Berakhot 29: The Advantages of Praying by Heart

February 01, 2020 16:15 - 20 minutes - 18.8 MB

The Amidah, its 19th blessing, its abridgement, and the Traveler's Prayer. Also: What's What: Sadducees

Berakhot 28: Leadership and the Value of Machloket

January 31, 2020 04:20 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MB

The daf we've all been waiting for, with the story Yardaena has been telling us about: Rabban Gamliel, Rabbi Yehoshua, and Rabbi Elazar Ben Azariah.

Berakhot 27: If Maariv Is Optional, Why Do We Daven 3x/Day?

January 30, 2020 04:28 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MB

Treating one's Torah teacher right.... Buy a watch and you'll know what time to daven!... And that critical evening service.

Berakhot 26: Now We Have Prayer

January 29, 2020 04:47 - 21 minutes - 19.8 MB

Our daf finishes the discussion of bodily fluids with some practical details for our day too. And then: Our Shacharit, Mincha, Maariv that replace the Temple sacrifices...or originate with the Patriarchs... Or both!

Berakhot 25: We're Not Angels

January 28, 2020 04:13 - 15 minutes - 14 MB

When the daf is all cases of urine and excrement, we found some important cases of nakedness. Special guest appearance by Maya, aged 4 (listen if you can spot her).

Berakhot 24: Naked!

January 27, 2020 04:47 - 20 minutes - 19.2 MB

What does it mean that a woman's thigh, voice, and hair are "nakedness"? Is that for always, or is it about Shema? Also: How many people did sleep in the same bed? And: Elevating ourselves above the physical.

Berakhot 23: Distractions

January 26, 2020 05:14 - 15 minutes - 13.9 MB

When you gotta go... and it gets in the way of your tefilah, not to mention everything else that can too. Also: Tefilin, and why a prostitute shows her face in the beit midrash.

Berakhot 22: What Can a Ba'al Keri Who Hasn't Dunked Do?

January 25, 2020 16:12 - 15 minutes - 14.3 MB

And why are we talking about a ba'al keri anyway - that's not tzanua (modest)?! [Some odd audio issues we can't explain - apologies]

Berakhot 21: It Takes 10 to Make a Minyan

January 24, 2020 04:20 - 18 minutes - 16.8 MB

It's the human condition to make mistakes! Also, the renewal of prayer in the collective experience. What's What: Mitzvot in their ideal and "after the fact" (lekhathilah/bedieved). Also, gezarah shavah.

Berakhot 20: Generation Gaps

January 23, 2020 04:01 - 19 minutes - 17.9 MB

From the "imposter syndrome" of the Amoraim to the women who do positive time-bound commandments to the men who no longer sit outside the mikveh when women go to dunk. Let's just say, our norms shift. Whether they should is a different question.

Berakhot 19: The Case of Kilayim and Stripping in the Marketplace

January 22, 2020 04:26 - 22 minutes - 20.4 MB

Personal dignity vs. Halakhah -- which should win? What does halakhah have to say about that? Also some loose ends from daf 18, including an understanding of that difficult story from the graveyard.

Berakhot 18: Death Be Not Proud

January 21, 2020 05:10 - 16 minutes - 15.4 MB

Almost everyone who lives long enough experiences the death(s) of close relatives. The Gemara relates to this natural course of events with lessons for the modern era.

Berakhot 17: The Power of Unique Prayer

January 20, 2020 04:30 - 16 minutes - 15.5 MB

A collection of prayers and proverbs by Chazal makes us think about the meaning of each as well as the fact that they are collected, from across time and place, onto the page.

Berakhot 16: The Shema You Recite Up in a Tree

January 19, 2020 05:55 - 12 minutes - 11.2 MB

"Real world" halakhah for when you can't do more, and Rabban Gamliel, who always did more anyway.

Berakhot 15: What If You Don't "Hear" Shema?

January 18, 2020 16:20 - 19 minutes - 18.4 MB

Who says what in the mishnah on this daf, and why it matters to the Gemara. Also, deafness, then and now.

Berakhot 14: If women don't lay tefilin, can they say Shema?

January 17, 2020 04:59 - 16 minutes - 15.2 MB

When you lie down and when you get up, Shema is to be your first and last event of the day. Can we manage that? Also, crafting the text of Shema. And, yes, women and tefilin.

Berakhot 13: Focusing Your Heart

January 16, 2020 04:44 - 14 minutes - 13 MB

Avram, Avraham! Also: Hello, chapter 2! Do mitzvot need performative intent (kavanah), and if so, which kind?

Berakhot 12: How Wrong Is Wrong?

January 15, 2020 04:51 - 18 minutes - 16.7 MB

You misspoke your berakhah - now what? Also introducing our "Who's Who and What's What" segment.

Berakhot 11: "Your beard is very full" - A Matter of Debate

January 14, 2020 05:02 - 12 minutes - 12 MB

Saying Shema lying down or sitting up, and when what you're learning counts as learning Torah.

Berakhot 10: Beruriah and Praying from the Depths

January 13, 2020 04:25 - 16 minutes - 15.7 MB

It's about humility (always), whether you're avoiding judging people or reaching out to God. Plus Barkhi Nafshi.

Berakhot 9: Different Opinions (Shocking, We Know)

January 12, 2020 04:40 - 21 minutes - 20 MB

Not everyone agreed with R. Shimon Ben Gamliel. The very fact that Halakhah is not a dictatorship is clear in multiple voices of psak. Plus some historical background. NOTE: Correction: Yerushalmi is attributed to R. Yochanan. The Tosefta is attributed to R. Hiyya (you'll hear when you get there)

Episodes