god – 2,711 pages of Talmud. A gem a day.

Menachot 2

Welcome to a new tractate! Before we dive in, it’s probaby a good idea to remind ourselves: What Are Menachot? Unlike animal sacrifices, menachot are meal offerings — made of flour, oil, and frankincense — brought in the Temple. They are quieter, humbler offerings, often associated with those who could not afford livestock. Central toContinue reading “Menachot 2”

Zevachim 120

We did it! We made it to the end of this bloody tractate (see what I did there?)! We end the tractate with a summation of what was the same and what was different between offering sacrifices on a communal altar verses a private personal altar. And, maybe a lesson for us. What are theContinue reading “Zevachim 120”

Zevachim 119

When the Ark Was Missing — and What We Learned About Holiness One of the quietly astonishing ideas in Zevachim 119 is that there was a real period in Jewish history when the Mishkan stood — sacrifices were offered, ritual life continued — and yet the Ark was not there. The Talmud reads the verseContinue reading “Zevachim 119”

Zevachim 117

Our daf today teaches us that no one is outside the system and everyone has their camp (even accidental murderers). Even those furthest from the inner camp are still part of the sacred map. Everyone is oriented toward the center, even if they do not stand in the same place. That makes this sugya quietlyContinue reading “Zevachim 117”

Zevachim 116

I love the daf. Only the Talmud would provide a passage as proof of an argument that starts with a conversion and ends with 50 year old a prostitute. The Rabbis often point to Yitro/Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, as a convert to Judaism. The daf asks what it was that made Jethro convert, we see 3Continue reading “Zevachim 116”

Zevachim 115

Many lose faith in God because so many horrible things happen in life. And yet, Aaron lost two of his sons in one moment as they were serving God, and he did not lose faith. where is the allusion to the fact that God would be sanctified through Nadav and Avihu? The Gemara replies: AsContinue reading “Zevachim 115”

Zevachim 114

There was a 440-480 year gap between the Mishkan in the desert and the building of Temple in Jerusalem. The daf has been discussing what sacrifice looked like during those years. It’s discussed private altars, the altar in Jerusalem, and what can be offered in what place. But there was one altar between the twoContinue reading “Zevachim 114”

Zevachim 113

Today’s daf is so interesting! I am pasting the entire passage I want to focus on, but here is an easier to understand summary: The Gemara debates whether the Flood in Noah’s time happened in the Land of Israel. They argue based on the same verse in Ezekiel—Rabbi Yoḥanan reads it as a rhetorical question,Continue reading “Zevachim 113”

Zevachim 112

As we learned on yesterday’s daf, the prohibition against bringing sacrifices in places other than the Tabernacle in the desert or the Temple in Jerusalem was relaxed during times when neither the Tabernacle nor the Temple were standing. The Mishna on today’s daf discusses this idea in greater depth. Until the Tabernacle was established, private altars were permitted and the sacrificial serviceContinue reading “Zevachim 112”

Zevachim 99

In Zevachim 99, Rabbi Shimon offers a striking interpretation of a familiar offering. The Torah calls the peace offering shelamim, he says, to teach that it is brought only when a person is shalem—whole. Someone in a state of acute mourning does not bring this offering. The Gemara counters: But isn’t it taught in aContinue reading “Zevachim 99”