Daily Daf Differently: Masechet Shabbat

Welcome to the Hundred and Thirty Sixith episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Martin S. Cohen looks at Masechet Shabbat Daf 137. This episode deals with the question of when the laws of the Torah may be set aside for the sake of preserving an individual’s health in the context of a […]

Welcome to the Hundred and Thirty Fifth episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Martin S. Cohen looks at Masechet Shabbat Daf 136. Today, we look at the rabbinical model for thinking about the question of when life fully begins. Martin S. Cohen is the rabbi of the Shelter Rock Jewish Center in […]

Welcome to the Hundred and Thirty Fourth episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Martin S. Cohen looks at Masechet Shabbat Daf 135. In this episode, we look at how the specific way the halakhah deals with conflicting obligations can serve as a reasonable model for the resolution of other kinds of conflicts […]

Welcome to the Hundred and Thirty Third episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Marci Jacobs Aronchick looks at Masechet Shabbat Daf 134. “From the mouths of babes…” or in this case, mothers. On our Daf, we see how folk wisdom handed down from mother to child and real life experience impact our […]

Welcome to the Hundred and Thirty Second episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Marci Jacobs Aronchick looks at Masechet Shabbat Daf 133. Today we discuss the role of kavanah – intentionality – in culpability. Is “But I didn’t mean to do it!” really a valid excuse? Rabbi Marci Jacobs Aronchick is the […]

Welcome to the Hundred and Thirty First episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Marci Jacobs Aronchick looks at Masechet Shabbat Daf 132. The discussion on this Daf asks us to consider what we do when our obligations for potentially contradictory mitzvoth intersect. How do we decide which mitzvah takes precedence? And in […]

Welcome to the Hundred and Thirtieth episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Marci Jacobs Aronchick looks at Masechet Shabbat Daf 131. The discussion of machshirei mitzvah – the items and preparations we undertake in order to do certain Mitzvot – reminds us that our Jewish behaviors don’t exist in a vacuum. Our […]

Welcome to the Hundred and Twenty Ninth episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Marci Jacobs Aronchick looks at Masechet Shabbat Daf 130. The Talmud’s exploration of the rules of Brit Milah on Shabbat opens us up to what it means to be a part of community that lives by normative behaviors – […]

Welcome to the Hundred and Twenty Eighth episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Marci Jacobs Aronchick looks at Masechet Shabbat Daf 129. In this episode, we explore the principle of safek n’fashot l’hakeil – our leniency in cases where a life might be in danger. When faced with decision between preserving someone’s […]

Welcome to the Hundred and Twenty Seventh episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Marci Jacobs Aronchick looks at Masechet Shabbat Daf 128. Through the Talmud’s discussion of the flexibility of Shabbat – how many things we might consider forbidden are actually permitted – we are reminded of our responsibility to treat that […]

Welcome to the Hundred and Twenty Sixith episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Adina Lewittes looks at Masechet Shabbat Daf 127. This page in Massechet Shabbat tries to understand some of the Sages concerns about exerting ourselves physically on Shabbat. It then shares some beautiful teachings about the importance of the mitzvah […]

Welcome to the Hundred and Twenty Fifth episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Adina Lewittes looks at Masechet Shabbat Daf 126. This page in Massechet Shabbat teaches us an important principle about the relative weight of proof-texts, showing that one which refers to the actual practice of the sages is more authoritative […]

Welcome to the Hundred and Twenty Fourth episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Adina Lewittes looks at Masechet Shabbat Daf 125. This page in Massechet Shabbat shows us the compassionate spirit of Jewish law in that it’s not based upon the lives and means of the majority of the community, but is […]

Welcome to the Hundred and Twenty Third episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Adina Lewittes looks at Masechet Shabbat Daf 124. This page in Massechet Shabbat illustrates once again how some sages considered such factors as financial loss when making decisions around Shabbat or Festival observance, reminding us of how halacha never […]

Welcome to the Hundred and Twenty Second episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Adina Lewittes looks at Masechet Shabbat Daf 123. This page in Massechet Shabbat describes two fascinating aspects of the development and growth of Jewish law over the ages. One indicates the different priorities and values poskim, those who decide […]

Welcome to the Hundred and Twenty First episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Adina Lewittes looks at Masechet Shabbat Daf 122. This page in Massechet Shabbat deals with the permissibility of a Jew benefiting from work a non-Jew does for themselves on Shabbat. It then opens a new chapter of Massechet Shabbat […]

Welcome to the Hundred and Twentieth episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Adina Lewittes looks at Masechet Shabbat Daf 121. This page in Massechet Shabbat tackles the question of whether there are any circumstances in which we may direct a non-Jew to work on our behalf on Shabbat. The page continues with […]

Welcome to the Hundred and Nineteenth episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Justin David looks at Masechet Shabbat Daf 120. Why are we only permitted to indirectly put out a fire on Shabbat, whereas we are permitted to extinguish a candle if it bothers a sick person on Shabbat? Perhaps the answer […]

Welcome to the Hundred and Eighteenth episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Justin David looks at Masechet Shabbat Daf 119. Is there a deeper theological meaning to the sensual enjoyment of Shabbat? For those of us who revel in Oneg Shabbat, this daf gives us a moment to think more deeply about […]

Welcome to the Hundred and Seventeenth episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Justin David looks at Masechet Shabbat Daf 118. Perhaps there is nothing more holy than a day in which we experience an intimation of relief from all suffering. But to do that, we first have to imagine that we suffer. […]