The Gemara derives the minimum height of a sukkah from two separate and very distinct sources. In…
Sukkah 2: It's Who You Know
We eat matza on Pesach to commemorate the matza eaten by our ancestors as slaves in Egypt and as…
Perfect Practice: Some Opening Thoughts on Masechet Sukkah
Masechet Sukkah holds a special place in my heart, being the first tractate I learned cover to…
Some Concluding Thoughts on Masechet Yoma
Masechet Yoma deals almost exclusively with mitzvoth between man and G-d. Most of the tractate…
Yoma 77: Swimming on Yom Kippur
“Our Sages compared the (positive) mitzvoth in the Torah to the limbs of the body and (the…
Terumah: Volunteers Needed
Immediately after the Divine revelation at Sinai, the Torah in Parshat Mishpatim presents a long…
Yoma 75: The Penalty Box
One of the most challenging roles for a parent or teacher is to figure out how to administer…
Yoma 74: Great Looking Food
Thanks to Rabbi Jonathan Ziring for his help with this Daily Daf and with countless other divrei…
Yoma 72: Time For Some Fun
"Any Torah scholar whose inside is not like his outside [whose piety does not match…
Mishpatim: Follow the Leader
"Do not be a follower of the majority for bad, do not respond to a grievance by yielding to…
Yoma 70: Don't Waste My Time
Torah reading as we know it today is a rabbinic innovation, beginning with Moshe Rabbeinu who--…
Yoma 67: A Cliffhanger
The ritual of the sa'ar la-azazel is a most incomprehensible one. Howcan …
Yoma 66b: A Walk in the Desert
"Some of the nobility of Jerusalem would escort him to the first booth" (Yoma 66b).…
Yitro: Hear Ye, Hear Ye
"And Yitro, the priest of Midian, the father-in-law of Moshe, heard all that G-d did for Moshe…
Yoma 66a: Barbers in the Temple
"Everybody is eligible to walk it, but the kohanim made a permanent rule not to let…
Yoma 66: Between the Lines
One of great and tragic figures in our Talmudic corpus is that of Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrkanus.…
Yoma 62: Luck of the Draw
For years, one of the most anticipated dates on the Jewish calendar was Rabbi Soloveitchik’s…
Beshalach: Up in Arms
This week's devar Torah is dedicated in honour of the upcoming wedding of Miriam Libman and…