Daf Yomi – Rabbi Jon 's Website and Blog

March 25, 2021

Figuring Out the Talmud’s Last Page on Pesach

Here is a Passover puzzle I was trying to solve today at our siyyum (completion of a section of Torah study) to undo the fast of the first-born (that’s a whole other story). It is the last teaching of Massechet Pesachim, the Talmudic book about Passover. Rav Simlai attended a pidyon ha-ben, the ceremony… Continue reading

Books, Calendar, Daf Yomi, Freedom, Holidays, Jewish Education, Pesach, Talmud, Youth

January 23, 2020

Daf Yomi: Ch. 2 of Berachot Begins

Again, I'm behind in my post though not my studies… The second chapter of the Talmud begins with a discussion of the concept of kavvanah, which means "intention." The specific issue is whether one can fulfill the mitzvah of reciting the Sh'ma by mechanically vocalizing the sounds, or whether kavvanah is required. The Talmud begins by positing: yes. There… Continue reading

Bavli Berachot, Books, Calendar, Daf Yomi, Jewish Education, Midrash, Prayer, Study, Talmud, Theology

January 20, 2020

Daf Yomi — End of First Chapter of the Talmud!

I am almost up-to-date in my studies, but a bit behind in posting reflections. The first chapter of Massechet Berachot ends with a discussion of two kinds of things that are linked despite being experienced or named differently. One is the series of persecutions and exiles of the Jews. The other is the names of… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Bavli Berachot, Books, Calendar, Daf Yomi, Jewish Education, Prayer, Study, Talmud, Theology, Torah

January 16, 2020

Daf Yomi — Berachot p. 12

When I was studying Berachot 12, I had a mini-experience that is exactly what Torah study should be. On 12b, Rabbah bar Chinana Sava taught in the name of Rav that anyone who could have prayed for compassion/mercy (rachamim) for another but didn't is called a sinner. I was thinking about this for some reason while I… Continue reading

Bavli Berachot, Books, Daf Yomi, Jewish Education, Prayer, Spirituality, Talmud

January 12, 2020

Daf Yomi — Berachot p. 7

I'm not necessarily going to have something to write about every daf (page), but here is something from a couple days ago. Daf 7 opens with a discussion of God's own prayer. The Talmud says that God prays that God's own mercy will overcome God's anger. It's a fascinating depiction of God — as a being… Continue reading

Bavli Berachot, Books, Calendar, Daf Yomi, Prayer, Spirituality, Talmud, Theology

January 9, 2020

Daf Yomi — Berachot p. 6

I have to say that I have a bias in my own Talmud study toward passages that seem to be structured a certain way. That seem quilted, where you can make out some kind of logic to the patterning. This page does not have that. It's a skip from one topic to another. There is… Continue reading

Bavli Berachot, Books, Calendar, Daf Yomi, Jewish Education, Prayer, Spirituality, Study, Talmud, Theology

January 8, 2020

Daf Yomi — Berachot p. 5

Today I did my skimming while I was listening, at a meeting, to a presentation about "adverse childhood experiences" and their impact on mental and physical well-being throughout life. It was an interesting backdrop to what most of today's page, Berachot 5a-b, are about, which is: suffering. The Talmud starts with a fairly traditional theology… Continue reading

Bavli Berachot, Books, Current Affairs, Daf Yomi, Prayer, Spirituality, Study, Talmud, Theology

January 7, 2020

Daf Yomi Berachot p. 4

A lot on today's page is familiar, and shows just how much of the general structure of Jewish worship was already set by 500-600 C.E. The page mentions saying Ashrei (mostly Psalm 145) three times a day, praying in a synagogue and not just individually, saying the Sh'ma in a service as well as at… Continue reading

Bavli Berachot, Books, Calendar, Daf Yomi, Jewish Education, Leadership, Prayer, Study, Talmud

January 6, 2020

Daf Yomi Today — Berachot p. 3

It's day 2 of Daf Yomi, the 7 1/2-year cycle of studying the Babylonian Talmud worldwide. Again I'm not promising to keep up every day or how long I may sustain this. It does seem like a good idea to work through the first "tractate", Berachot or "Blessings", since it is source material for a lot about… Continue reading

Bavli Berachot, Books, Daf Yomi, Spirituality, Study, Talmud

January 6, 2020

Daf Yomi Talmud Cycle Begins

(I actually wrote and FB-posted this yesterday.) Today is the start of a 7 1/2-year worldwide Jewish learning activity called "Daf Yomi" or the "Daily Page." In sync, Jews everywhere of all kinds of backgrounds read and think each weekday about the exact same page of the Babylonian Talmud — alone or in study groups… Continue reading

Bavli Berachot, Calendar, Daf Yomi, Food, Jewish Education, Prayer, Shabbat, Spirituality, Study, Talmud