A seemingly technical debate about until when one can eat the Pesach meat reflects different views of the Exodus experience. Is it a story of a frightened and exhausted nation rushing out at the first chance? Or a drama of a tribe of former slaves marching out proudly in broad daylight to demonstrate God’s superiority over the gods of Egypt?

Rabbi Joshua Cahan received his Ph.D. in Rabbinic Literature from the Jewish Theological Seminary. He teaches rabbinics at the Schechter High School of Westchester. Previously he was the founder and director of the Northwoods Kollel Talmud program at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin and Director of the Jewish Theological Seminary’s Beit Midrash study center. In 2009 Rabbi Cahan published Yedid Nefesh, a traditional, egalitarian bencher (book of sabbath songs & blessings) with commentary.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

The Rabbis agree that we remain obligated to eat matza and maror even though we cannot offer the Pesach offering. But they debate whether these are merely vestiges of the ancient practice or whether the command to eat matza, at least, truly has an identity of its own.

Rabbi Joshua Cahan received his Ph.D. in Rabbinic Literature from the Jewish Theological Seminary. He teaches rabbinics at the Schechter High School of Westchester. Previously he was the founder and director of the Northwoods Kollel Talmud program at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin and Director of the Jewish Theological Seminary’s Beit Midrash study center. In 2009 Rabbi Cahan published Yedid Nefesh, a traditional, egalitarian bencher (book of sabbath songs & blessings) with commentary.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we will look at two great Midrashim about King David.

Rabbi Gail Diamond is the Associate Director and Director of Institutional Advancement at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem. She received her M.H.L. and Rabbinic Ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and served for seven years as a congregational rabbi before making aliyah in 2001. She teaches Tanach. She lives with her family in Tzur Hadassah, in the Judaean Hills outside Jerusalem.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

What is the Great Hallel? If we have Great Hallel, why do we need ‘regular” Hallel?

Rabbi Gail Diamond is the Associate Director and Director of Institutional Advancement at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem. She received her M.H.L. and Rabbinic Ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and served for seven years as a congregational rabbi before making aliyah in 2001. She teaches Tanach. She lives with her family in Tzur Hadassah, in the Judaean Hills outside Jerusalem.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

In this episode, we focus on who wrote the book of Psalms and what do they mean? If you love this daf, come study Psalms with me in Jerusalem!

Rabbi Gail Diamond is the Associate Director and Director of Institutional Advancement at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem. She received her M.H.L. and Rabbinic Ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and served for seven years as a congregational rabbi before making aliyah in 2001. She teaches Tanach. She lives with her family in Tzur Hadassah, in the Judaean Hills outside Jerusalem.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we answer the question “What did the women of Israel do under the apple tree and why is it important to our seder today?”

Rabbi Gail Diamond is the Associate Director and Director of Institutional Advancement at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem. She received her M.H.L. and Rabbinic Ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and served for seven years as a congregational rabbi before making aliyah in 2001. She teaches Tanach. She lives with her family in Tzur Hadassah, in the Judaean Hills outside Jerusalem.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

In this episode, we explore why bitterness must be tasted and why we no longer “uproot the table” at the Pesach seder. What is the “bread of answering”?

Rabbi Gail Diamond is the Associate Director and Director of Institutional Advancement at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem. She received her M.H.L. and Rabbinic Ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and served for seven years as a congregational rabbi before making aliyah in 2001. She teaches Tanach. She lives with her family in Tzur Hadassah, in the Judaean Hills outside Jerusalem.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we consider how we make decisions in Jewish law? Must we have intention to perform commandements?

Rabbi Gail Diamond is the Associate Director and Director of Institutional Advancement at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem. She received her M.H.L. and Rabbinic Ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and served for seven years as a congregational rabbi before making aliyah in 2001. She teaches Tanach. She lives with her family in Tzur Hadassah, in the Judaean Hills outside Jerusalem.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today’s episode focuses on midrashim about teaching our children, about the value of worldly wisdom and about humility.

Rabbi Gail Diamond is the Associate Director and Director of Institutional Advancement at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem. She received her M.H.L. and Rabbinic Ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and served for seven years as a congregational rabbi before making aliyah in 2001. She teaches Tanach. She lives with her family in Tzur Hadassah, in the Judaean Hills outside Jerusalem.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

This daf discusses the significance of being financially responsible-spending money is not the only way to honor Shabbat.

Simeon Cohen is a second year rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary, and is currently in Jerusalem studying at the Schechter Institute through JTS. Prior to beginning rabbinical school, Simeon graduated from the Columbia/JTS Joint Program, where he studied philosophy and Jewish thought, and then spent a year in Israel as a staff member on the Nativ program. He has also spent time studying at the Conservative Yeshiva and Yeshivat Hadar.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Here, the rabbis continue their discussion of superstition and also tell us that despite the potential dangers one might encounter on a daily basis, it is still important to be engaged with the world.

Simeon Cohen is a second year rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary, and is currently in Jerusalem studying at the Schechter Institute through JTS. Prior to beginning rabbinical school, Simeon graduated from the Columbia/JTS Joint Program, where he studied philosophy and Jewish thought, and then spent a year in Israel as a staff member on the Nativ program. He has also spent time studying at the Conservative Yeshiva and Yeshivat Hadar.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Here, the Talmud discusses both the superstitious belief that we should not drink cups of wine in pairs, and also enlightens us to how, regardless of rabbinic superstition, it in fact is safe to drink in pairs.

Simeon Cohen is a second year rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary, and is currently in Jerusalem studying at the Schechter Institute through JTS. Prior to beginning rabbinical school, Simeon graduated from the Columbia/JTS Joint Program, where he studied philosophy and Jewish thought, and then spent a year in Israel as a staff member on the Nativ program. He has also spent time studying at the Conservative Yeshiva and Yeshivat Hadar.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

This daf tells us how we should keep children awake at the seder, and displays the fact that the rabbis were highly sensitive to the needs of different types of people.

Simeon Cohen is a second year rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary, and is currently in Jerusalem studying at the Schechter Institute through JTS. Prior to beginning rabbinical school, Simeon graduated from the Columbia/JTS Joint Program, where he studied philosophy and Jewish thought, and then spent a year in Israel as a staff member on the Nativ program. He has also spent time studying at the Conservative Yeshiva and Yeshivat Hadar.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

This daf deals with precisely who is obligated to partake in the mitzvot of reclining and drinking four cups of wine on pesah-when it comes to Passover, the rabbis seem to be a bit more lenient and inclusive than they generally are.

Simeon Cohen is a second year rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary, and is currently in Jerusalem studying at the Schechter Institute through JTS. Prior to beginning rabbinical school, Simeon graduated from the Columbia/JTS Joint Program, where he studied philosophy and Jewish thought, and then spent a year in Israel as a staff member on the Nativ program. He has also spent time studying at the Conservative Yeshiva and Yeshivat Hadar.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

This episode discusses whether or not one may recite kiddush over beer, and ends with a discourse on drinking alcohol in moderation.

Simeon Cohen is a second year rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary, and is currently in Jerusalem studying at the Schechter Institute through JTS. Prior to beginning rabbinical school, Simeon graduated from the Columbia/JTS Joint Program, where he studied philosophy and Jewish thought, and then spent a year in Israel as a staff member on the Nativ program. He has also spent time studying at the Conservative Yeshiva and Yeshivat Hadar.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Todays daf deals with a number of interesting issues, including the source of the obligation to recite Kiddush both at night and during the day and whether or not one can recite havdallah if one has eaten before its recitation. Most significantly, however, it deals with how religious authority figures interact with each other when they disagree on a halakhic point, and provides a strong model for tolerance of different religious practices.

Simeon Cohen is a second year rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary, and is currently in Jerusalem studying at the Schechter Institute through JTS. Prior to beginning rabbinical school, Simeon graduated from the Columbia/JTS Joint Program, where he studied philosophy and Jewish thought, and then spent a year in Israel as a staff member on the Nativ program. He has also spent time studying at the Conservative Yeshiva and Yeshivat Hadar.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Masechet Pesachim, Daf 105 asks the question of whether Halacha can be expected to deal with cases of ‘what if’ or only in normal circumstances – in this case in the context of what to do when one has missed saying kiddush on a Friday night. Can it be said on Shabbat during the day? It very well may be, but either way, we can’t expect Halacha to address the ‘what ifs!’

Rabbi Harry Pell is Schechter Westchester’s rabbi-in-residence, as well as a teacher of Talmud and chair of the Judaic Studies department in the High School. His favorite teaching opportunity comes annually when he is privileged to travel and learn with the senior class in Poland and Israel. Rabbi Pell also serves as a reserve chaplain in the United States Navy and is working on a long term doctorate in Talmud and rabbinics.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Masechet Pesachim, Daf 104 picks up in the midst of another discussion about Havdalah, this time about the examples of distinctions (light and dark, etc.) that are part and parcel of the final blessing of Havdalah. This discussion yields into a terrific example of the rabbis seeking to understand the difference between two opinions by asking the classic Talmudic question ‘mai beynayhu?’

Rabbi Harry Pell is Schechter Westchester’s rabbi-in-residence, as well as a teacher of Talmud and chair of the Judaic Studies department in the High School. His favorite teaching opportunity comes annually when he is privileged to travel and learn with the senior class in Poland and Israel. Rabbi Pell also serves as a reserve chaplain in the United States Navy and is working on a long term doctorate in Talmud and rabbinics.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Masechet Pesachim, Daf 103 discusses the order of Havdalah at the end of Shabbat when Shabbat is yielding directly into YomTov and in doing so shares a beautiful parable. The daf also includes a cautionary tale about the power of our influence over those around us.

Rabbi Harry Pell is Schechter Westchester’s rabbi-in-residence, as well as a teacher of Talmud and chair of the Judaic Studies department in the High School. His favorite teaching opportunity comes annually when he is privileged to travel and learn with the senior class in Poland and Israel. Rabbi Pell also serves as a reserve chaplain in the United States Navy and is working on a long term doctorate in Talmud and rabbinics.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Masechet Pesachim, Daf 102 continues to explore what happens when a meal is already underway on a Friday afternoon when Shabbat begins. Very quickly, though, a new question arises – can we make two berachot over the same glass of wine? Or in other words, can we bundle our mitzvot?

Rabbi Harry Pell is Schechter Westchester’s rabbi-in-residence, as well as a teacher of Talmud and chair of the Judaic Studies department in the High School. His favorite teaching opportunity comes annually when he is privileged to travel and learn with the senior class in Poland and Israel. Rabbi Pell also serves as a reserve chaplain in the United States Navy and is working on a long term doctorate in Talmud and rabbinics.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Masechet Pesachim, Daf 101 explores the repetition of kiddush at home after having heard it or recited it in shul on a Friday night? What is the purpose of this repetition? And does it matter whether we make kiddush in the same place where we will eat our Shabbat meal? Apparently it does!

Rabbi Harry Pell is Schechter Westchester’s rabbi-in-residence, as well as a teacher of Talmud and chair of the Judaic Studies department in the High School. His favorite teaching opportunity comes annually when he is privileged to travel and learn with the senior class in Poland and Israel. Rabbi Pell also serves as a reserve chaplain in the United States Navy and is working on a long term doctorate in Talmud and rabbinics.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Masechet Pesachim Daf, 100 asks the question of what to do when one is already in the midst of a meal on a Friday afternoon when Shabbat comes in. Do we interrupt the meal to make kiddush? Or do we finish out the meal and only then make kiddush? Or, perhaps, something else entirely?

Rabbi Harry Pell is Schechter Westchester’s rabbi-in-residence, as well as a teacher of Talmud and chair of the Judaic Studies department in the High School. His favorite teaching opportunity comes annually when he is privileged to travel and learn with the senior class in Poland and Israel. Rabbi Pell also serves as a reserve chaplain in the United States Navy and is working on a long term doctorate in Talmud and rabbinics.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Masechet Pesachim Daf, 99 illustrates how a Kal v’Chomer works with a straightforward example. The example has to do with the benefits to the wise of remaining silent in certain situations, and all the more so, the benefits of silence to the foolish!

Rabbi Harry Pell is Schechter Westchester’s rabbi-in-residence, as well as a teacher of Talmud and chair of the Judaic Studies department in the High School. His favorite teaching opportunity comes annually when he is privileged to travel and learn with the senior class in Poland and Israel. Rabbi Pell also serves as a reserve chaplain in the United States Navy and is working on a long term doctorate in Talmud and rabbinics.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Pasqual lambs that got mixed up with firstling lambs (bekhorot). According to the mishna none of the animals can be sacrificed but the owner now owes the Temple the value of the animals and even has to cover a financial loss.

Rabbi Ute Steyer received rabbinic ordination and a M.A. in Jewish Philosophy from The Jewish Theological Seminary in 2009. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Jewish philosophy at the Hebrew University. Her research interest is in the development of ethical thought in rabbinic literature and contemporary Jewish thought. Rabbi Steyer works as the research and program manager in the Center for Pastoral Education and as adjunct lecturer in Pastoral Theology at JTS. Prior to this she was the program director of the Yeshiva University Center for Jewish Law and Contemporary Civilization at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

If a sacrificial animal is lost or can’t be identified anymore and a replacement is found – what are the rules if the original animal shows up again? And what do we do with the replacement animal and the original animal?

Rabbi Ute Steyer received rabbinic ordination and a M.A. in Jewish Philosophy from The Jewish Theological Seminary in 2009. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Jewish philosophy at the Hebrew University. Her research interest is in the development of ethical thought in rabbinic literature and contemporary Jewish thought. Rabbi Steyer works as the research and program manager in the Center for Pastoral Education and as adjunct lecturer in Pastoral Theology at JTS. Prior to this she was the program director of the Yeshiva University Center for Jewish Law and Contemporary Civilization at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

The difference between pesach mitzrayim and pesach hadorot: the Passover as it was celebrated in Egypt and the subsequent Passover. Is the prohibition against hametz for 7 days or 1 day?

Rabbi Ute Steyer received rabbinic ordination and a M.A. in Jewish Philosophy from The Jewish Theological Seminary in 2009. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Jewish philosophy at the Hebrew University. Her research interest is in the development of ethical thought in rabbinic literature and contemporary Jewish thought. Rabbi Steyer works as the research and program manager in the Center for Pastoral Education and as adjunct lecturer in Pastoral Theology at JTS. Prior to this she was the program director of the Yeshiva University Center for Jewish Law and Contemporary Civilization at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

The difference between the Passover sacrifice of Pesach Rishon and Pesach Sheni and the recitation of Hallel. Is there a prohibition of Hametz on pesach sheni or does it only apply to pesach rishon? And what are some of the characteristics of the recitation of Hallel.

Rabbi Ute Steyer received rabbinic ordination and a M.A. in Jewish Philosophy from The Jewish Theological Seminary in 2009. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Jewish philosophy at the Hebrew University. Her research interest is in the development of ethical thought in rabbinic literature and contemporary Jewish thought. Rabbi Steyer works as the research and program manager in the Center for Pastoral Education and as adjunct lecturer in Pastoral Theology at JTS. Prior to this she was the program director of the Yeshiva University Center for Jewish Law and Contemporary Civilization at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Rabbinic astronomy: how did the sages of Israel understand universe and how did the sages of the gentile nations understand it?

Rabbi Ute Steyer received rabbinic ordination and a M.A. in Jewish Philosophy from The Jewish Theological Seminary in 2009. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Jewish philosophy at the Hebrew University. Her research interest is in the development of ethical thought in rabbinic literature and contemporary Jewish thought. Rabbi Steyer works as the research and program manager in the Center for Pastoral Education and as adjunct lecturer in Pastoral Theology at JTS. Prior to this she was the program director of the Yeshiva University Center for Jewish Law and Contemporary Civilization at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

A person who did not bring the first passover sacrifice – what are his or her obligations? Does he has to bring the Passover sacrifice on pesach sheni? Does Pesach Sheni constitute a holiday in itself or does it exist only as a “second chance”? And what are the different categories of people who did not bring the sacrifice and what is the difference between them?

Rabbi Ute Steyer received rabbinic ordination and a M.A. in Jewish Philosophy from The Jewish Theological Seminary in 2009. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Jewish philosophy at the Hebrew University. Her research interest is in the development of ethical thought in rabbinic literature and contemporary Jewish thought. Rabbi Steyer works as the research and program manager in the Center for Pastoral Education and as adjunct lecturer in Pastoral Theology at JTS. Prior to this she was the program director of the Yeshiva University Center for Jewish Law and Contemporary Civilization at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

The definition of “onen” and someone who became defiled by a corpse: can such a person bring the pesach sheni and what is required of him or her?

Rabbi Ute Steyer received rabbinic ordination and a M.A. in Jewish Philosophy from The Jewish Theological Seminary in 2009. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Jewish philosophy at the Hebrew University. Her research interest is in the development of ethical thought in rabbinic literature and contemporary Jewish thought. Rabbi Steyer works as the research and program manager in the Center for Pastoral Education and as adjunct lecturer in Pastoral Theology at JTS. Prior to this she was the program director of the Yeshiva University Center for Jewish Law and Contemporary Civilization at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we focus on what happens when a prisoner seeks to partake in the paschal sacrifice.

Rabbi Michael Bernstein is the spiritual leader of Congregation Gesher L’Torah in Alpharetta, Ga. He served as the senior Rabbi at Congregation Bnai Jacob in Longmeadow, MA from 1999-2004, and at Congregation Beth Am Israel in Penn Valley, Pa., from 2004-2008. Michael received his ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1999 and is an alumni of the Rabbis Without Borders second cohort. Michael specializes in Jewish philosophy, especially that of Emmanuel Levinas and focuses on how to see the directives inherent in Jewish tradition as meaningful, ethical, and relevant.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

In this episode we ask what happens when a share of the paschal offering seems to become etnan zona (the wage of a harlot)?

Rabbi Michael Bernstein is the spiritual leader of Congregation Gesher L’Torah in Alpharetta, Ga. He served as the senior Rabbi at Congregation Bnai Jacob in Longmeadow, MA from 1999-2004, and at Congregation Beth Am Israel in Penn Valley, Pa., from 2004-2008. Michael received his ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1999 and is an alumni of the Rabbis Without Borders second cohort. Michael specializes in Jewish philosophy, especially that of Emmanuel Levinas and focuses on how to see the directives inherent in Jewish tradition as meaningful, ethical, and relevant.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we ask if a group registered to share the paschal sacrifice ask someone who eats to fast to take his or portion and leave?

Rabbi Michael Bernstein is the spiritual leader of Congregation Gesher L’Torah in Alpharetta, Ga. He served as the senior Rabbi at Congregation Bnai Jacob in Longmeadow, MA from 1999-2004, and at Congregation Beth Am Israel in Penn Valley, Pa., from 2004-2008. Michael received his ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1999 and is an alumni of the Rabbis Without Borders second cohort. Michael specializes in Jewish philosophy, especially that of Emmanuel Levinas and focuses on how to see the directives inherent in Jewish tradition as meaningful, ethical, and relevant.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today’s daf asks if a slave owned by two masters may partake in the paschal sacrifice.

Rabbi Michael Bernstein is the spiritual leader of Congregation Gesher L’Torah in Alpharetta, Ga. He served as the senior Rabbi at Congregation Bnai Jacob in Longmeadow, MA from 1999-2004, and at Congregation Beth Am Israel in Penn Valley, Pa., from 2004-2008. Michael received his ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1999 and is an alumni of the Rabbis Without Borders second cohort. Michael specializes in Jewish philosophy, especially that of Emmanuel Levinas and focuses on how to see the directives inherent in Jewish tradition as meaningful, ethical, and relevant.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

In today’s episode we ask how being a wife, a child ward or a slave affect one’s ability to register for the Paschal sacrifice and how does being the authority have its own difficulties?

Rabbi Michael Bernstein is the spiritual leader of Congregation Gesher L’Torah in Alpharetta, Ga. He served as the senior Rabbi at Congregation Bnai Jacob in Longmeadow, MA from 1999-2004, and at Congregation Beth Am Israel in Penn Valley, Pa., from 2004-2008. Michael received his ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1999 and is an alumni of the Rabbis Without Borders second cohort. Michael specializes in Jewish philosophy, especially that of Emmanuel Levinas and focuses on how to see the directives inherent in Jewish tradition as meaningful, ethical, and relevant.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we see that the feast of freedom requires strict rules when it comes to planning who may eat the paschal sacrifice and where.

Rabbi Michael Bernstein is the spiritual leader of Congregation Gesher L’Torah in Alpharetta, Ga. He served as the senior Rabbi at Congregation Bnai Jacob in Longmeadow, MA from 1999-2004, and at Congregation Beth Am Israel in Penn Valley, Pa., from 2004-2008. Michael received his ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1999 and is an alumni of the Rabbis Without Borders second cohort. Michael specializes in Jewish philosophy, especially that of Emmanuel Levinas and focuses on how to see the directives inherent in Jewish tradition as meaningful, ethical, and relevant.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we ask when ritual becomes more important than ethics.

Rabbi Michael Bernstein is the spiritual leader of Congregation Gesher L’Torah in Alpharetta, Ga. He served as the senior Rabbi at Congregation Bnai Jacob in Longmeadow, MA from 1999-2004, and at Congregation Beth Am Israel in Penn Valley, Pa., from 2004-2008. Michael received his ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1999 and is an alumni of the Rabbis Without Borders second cohort. Michael specializes in Jewish philosophy, especially that of Emmanuel Levinas and focuses on how to see the directives inherent in Jewish tradition as meaningful, ethical, and relevant.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we will consider why the Talmud may choose to follow up on one line of questioning while ignore the same issue in another case.

Matthew Goldstone is a three year PhD student in Talmud at New York University. He received his Masters degree from JTS and subsequently spent two years studying in Israel before beginning at NYU.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we will look at the concept of objects which render the hands impure and those things which serve as a “base” for forbidden objects. Both of these ideas are intended as extensions of the basic law in order to sharpen the taboos associated with the basic prohibition.

Matthew Goldstone is a three year PhD student in Talmud at New York University. He received his Masters degree from JTS and subsequently spent two years studying in Israel before beginning at NYU.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Based on today’s daf we will question the proper use of embarrassment as a disciplinary measure to be adopted by the community in order to promote future adherence to the law.

Matthew Goldstone is a three year PhD student in Talmud at New York University. He received his Masters degree from JTS and subsequently spent two years studying in Israel before beginning at NYU.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we will explore the role of legal hermeneutical principles in extrapolating Jewish law from orally transmitted sources.

Matthew Goldstone is a three year PhD student in Talmud at New York University. He received his Masters degree from JTS and subsequently spent two years studying in Israel before beginning at NYU.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we will discuss the question of actively rendering an individual impure in order for the community at large to be able to offer their sacrifices. We will look at two different positions offered by the Amora Rav which present us with two different paradigms for thinking about the fulfillment of the mitzvot.

Matthew Goldstone is a three year PhD student in Talmud at New York University. He received his Masters degree from JTS and subsequently spent two years studying in Israel before beginning at NYU.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

In today’s daf we discuss the connection between normativity and the community. As we shall see, the state of the community can have a direct impact on the permissibility of what was once forbidden.

Matthew Goldstone is a three year PhD student in Talmud at New York University. He received his Masters degree from JTS and subsequently spent two years studying in Israel before beginning at NYU.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Here we focus on three different topics that arise over the course of the daf: the difference between a mitzvah being pushed off entirely, or merely being placed into a state of potentiality; the question of whether G-d or the community has a greater hand in rendering impure sacrifices acceptable; and the question of whether eating sacrifices is essential.

Matthew Goldstone is a three year PhD student in Talmud at New York University. He received his Masters degree from JTS and subsequently spent two years studying in Israel before beginning at NYU.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

One of the central steps in the offering of sacrifices was the spilling of blood on the altar. Today’s daf addresses different aspect of this requirement and possible reasons why this was understood to be so important.

Rabbi Michael Pitkowsky is the Rabbinics Curriculum Coordinator at the Academy for Jewish Religion and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Michael lives in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx with his wife and two children and is a member of CSAIR. He can be found blogging at menachemmendel.net/blog and on Twitter @mpitkowsky.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today’s daf includes a further expansion of the discussion about certain principles relating to kashrut in general and Passover in particular. Two such examples are the important role of heat in the transference of taste and the importance of the placement and location of food when it comes into contact with a potentially problematic substance.

Rabbi Michael Pitkowsky is the Rabbinics Curriculum Coordinator at the Academy for Jewish Religion and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Michael lives in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx with his wife and two children and is a member of CSAIR. He can be found blogging at menachemmendel.net/blog and on Twitter @mpitkowsky.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

The Gemara continues its discussion about roasting the Korban Pesach. Today’s daf presents us with a possible contradiction between a stated law in the Mishnah and a narrative description of a certain rabbi’s behavior. The Gemara attempts to reconcile the written law with the descriptive narrative of rabbinic behavior.

Rabbi Michael Pitkowsky is the Rabbinics Curriculum Coordinator at the Academy for Jewish Religion and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Michael lives in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx with his wife and two children and is a member of CSAIR. He can be found blogging at menachemmendel.net/blog and on Twitter @mpitkowsky.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today’s daf begins the seventh chapter of Massechet Pesahim, “Keitzad Tzolin”. This chapter focuses on the requirement to roast the Korban Pesach, prohibiting its cooking through any other means. The discussion of the requirement of roasting introduces to us a number of important concepts in the laws of kashrut, among them “just as something is absorbed, so it is expelled” and the effect that the smoothness of a substance may have on its ability to absorb.

Rabbi Michael Pitkowsky is the Rabbinics Curriculum Coordinator at the Academy for Jewish Religion and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Michael lives in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx with his wife and two children and is a member of CSAIR. He can be found blogging at menachemmendel.net/blog and on Twitter @mpitkowsky.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

The Gemara continues the discussion about the invalidation of the Korban Pesach. A number of different scenarios are discussed, again focusing on the intention of the person bringing the sacrifice. An additional topic discussed is the difference between destructive and constructive behavior on Shabbat. A person is only liable for punishment when they violate Shabbat in a constructive manner and the Gemara tries to further clarify this distinction.

Rabbi Michael Pitkowsky is the Rabbinics Curriculum Coordinator at the Academy for Jewish Religion and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Michael lives in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx with his wife and two children and is a member of CSAIR. He can be found blogging at menachemmendel.net/blog and on Twitter @mpitkowsky.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

If the 14th of Nisan fell on Shabbat, the Korban Pesach was still sacrificed, but the Gemara asked the question about what happens if the person offering the sacrifice had improper intentions. Conversely, what happens when a person initially did not designate an animal to be a Korban Pesach, but then changes his mind. What is the status of the sacrifice in this scenario. A number of different opinions were brought in the Gemara, illustrating the lack of agreement regarding the power that human thought and intention had over the designation and status of sacrifices.

Rabbi Michael Pitkowsky is the Rabbinics Curriculum Coordinator at the Academy for Jewish Religion and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Michael lives in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx with his wife and two children and is a member of CSAIR. He can be found blogging at menachemmendel.net/blog and on Twitter @mpitkowsky.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

When the Temple was in existence, the holiday experience for many Jews was centered around the offering of sacrifices in the Temple. There was an offering that was brought on every holiday and sometimes a specific sacrifice such as the Korban Pesach. For most of these sacrifices the priests were the ones to benefit most from the sacrifice. Today’s daf addresses how non-priests celebrated the festival. What were their avenues for expressing joy and thanks to God? This question opens up the discussion about how holidays are observed and celebrated in a post-destruction world when there is no Temple even for the priests.

Rabbi Michael Pitkowsky is the Rabbinics Curriculum Coordinator at the Academy for Jewish Religion and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Michael lives in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx with his wife and two children and is a member of CSAIR. He can be found blogging at menachemmendel.net/blog and on Twitter @mpitkowsky.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we are learning from the Gemara how to deal with the situation when one feels personally opposed to the decision of one’s rabbi or of the rabbinic leaders of one’s day.

Martin S. Cohen is the rabbi of the Shelter Rock Jewish Center in Roslyn, New York, and served as senior editor of The Observant Life, published by the Rabbinical Assembly in 2012.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we weigh the relative values of three cardinal mitzvot: b’rit milah, korban pesach, and sh’mirat Shabbat.

Martin S. Cohen is the rabbi of the Shelter Rock Jewish Center in Roslyn, New York, and served as senior editor of The Observant Life, published by the Rabbinical Assembly in 2012.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

This daf focuses on negotiating the rabbis’ teachings about the days of the Messiah and the World to Come, and particularly with reference to the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead at the end of time.

Martin S. Cohen is the rabbi of the Shelter Rock Jewish Center in Roslyn, New York, and served as senior editor of The Observant Life, published by the Rabbinical Assembly in 2012.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we will learn how to deal with people who behave poorly by contemplating the Torah’s laws regarding the way people who radiate tumah are to be banished from the Israelite camp.

Martin S. Cohen is the rabbi of the Shelter Rock Jewish Center in Roslyn, New York, and served as senior editor of The Observant Life, published by the Rabbinical Assembly in 2012.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we will focus on learning to learn from others. And also dealing with the vexing question of whether the obligation to offer up the paschal offering on the Eve of Passover overrides the laws of Shabbat.

Martin S. Cohen is the rabbi of the Shelter Rock Jewish Center in Roslyn, New York, and served as senior editor of The Observant Life, published by the Rabbinical Assembly in 2012.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we focus on setting modern attitudes towards animal sacrifice aside to find profundity and meaningful pageantry in the Gemara’s tales of the Temple in Jerusalem and its worship service.

Martin S. Cohen is the rabbi of the Shelter Rock Jewish Center in Roslyn, New York, and served as senior editor of The Observant Life, published by the Rabbinical Assembly in 2012.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

This episode focuses on the unity of the Jewish people as reflected in the Mishnah’s description of the actual way the zevach peisach was offered in ancient Jerusalem.

Martin S. Cohen is the rabbi of the Shelter Rock Jewish Center in Roslyn, New York, and served as senior editor of The Observant Life, published by the Rabbinical Assembly in 2012.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

You cannot have Hametz “upon” the Passover lamb. How close does the Hametz have to be to invalidate the sacrifice? Does it have to be almost on top of it to be a problem? Or is Hametz anywhere a threat to Passover?

This week, our study is led by Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky of Congregation Ansche Chesed in New York City.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we will study two versions of a single story – in our Babylonian Talmud page, and one in the Jerusalem Talmud – reflecting different attitudes toward the hard facts of the law and the flowing spirit of lore.

This week, our study is led by Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky of Congregation Ansche Chesed in New York City.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Is there any difference between one who can’t participate in Korban Pesach because he hasn’t fulfilled the mitzvah of circumcision, and someone who is too old or ill to each from the Korban? Rambam’s view on this question leads to an deeper understanding of the relationship between brit milah and circumcision.

Ruth Satinover Fagen is the head of the Limudei Qodesh Department at the Abraham Joshua Heschel High School, where she is also Faculty Educator. Her greatest joy in life is studying Talmud, or any other Jewish text with any of her four children.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

When we say something and then immediately take it back, which statement carries more weight? Our original declaration, or the second one? And why does it matter?

Ruth Satinover Fagen is the head of the Limudei Qodesh Department at the Abraham Joshua Heschel High School, where she is also Faculty Educator. Her greatest joy in life is studying Talmud, or any other Jewish text with any of her four children.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Normally, no animal sacrifice is allowed to be offered after the afternoon daily sacrifice. Examining the exceptions to this rule lead the Rabbis to make a strange declaration: The process of atonement that is begun when one brings a chatat, a sin offering, is not complete until the Kohanim have eaten from the sacrifice. Why does the expiation of a sin require the Kohen to partake of the sacrifice in addition to the sacrifice being placed on the altar?

Ruth Satinover Fagen is the head of the Limudei Qodesh Department at the Abraham Joshua Heschel High School, where she is also Faculty Educator. Her greatest joy in life is studying Talmud, or any other Jewish text with any of her four children.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Disagreements about the proper time to offer the Pesach sacrifice lead to a discussion of to what extent our behavior on Shabbat can and should influence our behavior during the week.

Ruth Satinover Fagen is the head of the Limudei Qodesh Department at the Abraham Joshua Heschel High School, where she is also Faculty Educator. Her greatest joy in life is studying Talmud, or any other Jewish text with any of her four children.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today’s daf is filled with stories of corrupt Cohanim, who put their own greed and desire above their commitment to both the Temple and the Jewish people. What can we learn about the nature of leadership from these stories?

Ruth Satinover Fagen is the head of the Limudei Qodesh Department at the Abraham Joshua Heschel High School, where she is also Faculty Educator. Her greatest joy in life is studying Talmud, or any other Jewish text with any of her four children.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we will examine the not-so-appealing theology behind the Sages’ criticism of the biblical king Hezekia, and a fabulous tale of faith about the patriarch Jacob, his children and us.

This week, our study is led by Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky of Congregation Ansche Chesed in New York City.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today’s page reviews the rules against pious show-offs, and the rules about working on the eve of Passover.

This week, our study is led by Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky of Congregation Ansche Chesed in New York City.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

What existed before there was a world at all? Torah, repentance and the promise of redemption.

This week, our study is led by Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky of Congregation Ansche Chesed in New York City.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

When the Temple was destroyed, Jews stopped offering sacrifices, right? Really, all of them? All at once? Maybe not.

This week, our study is led by Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky of Congregation Ansche Chesed in New York City.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Is it logical to keep two days of a holiday in the Diaspora? Maybe not, but Jews have been doing it for a LONG time. Maybe that still counts for something.

This week, our study is led by Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky of Congregation Ansche Chesed in New York City.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Local custom has great meaning in Judaism, and long staying power, because it helps bind us to each other and to our past.

This week, our study is led by Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky of Congregation Ansche Chesed in New York City.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today’s page includes some thoughts on the relative importance of motivation for religious practice, and a very profound teaching on our intentional mispronunciation of God’s name.

This week, our study is led by Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky of Congregation Ansche Chesed in New York City.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

On today’s daf we read some almost unbelievably extreme language about the am haaretz. How are we to understand this sort of discussion?

Rabbi Ethan Linden is the rabbi of Shir Chadash Conservative Congregation in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is the author of the (made-up) book: Tractate Mardis Gras: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Parades. Prior to coming to New Orleans, Ethan was the Assistant Director of Camp Ramah in New England and the Rabbinic Advisor for the Student Conservative Minyan at the Harvard Hillel.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Does one size fit all? Maybe, at least according to Rabban Gamliel. But Rabbi Akiva disagrees. On today’s daf, we ask the age-old question: are all ovens created equal?

Rabbi Ethan Linden is the rabbi of Shir Chadash Conservative Congregation in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is the author of the (made-up) book: Tractate Mardis Gras: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Parades. Prior to coming to New Orleans, Ethan was the Assistant Director of Camp Ramah in New England and the Rabbinic Advisor for the Student Conservative Minyan at the Harvard Hillel.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Are all things possible? And if they are, do we have to consider them when we’re making the rules of our system? Or can we just worry about the things that actually happened, and move on from there?

Rabbi Ethan Linden is the rabbi of Shir Chadash Conservative Congregation in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is the author of the (made-up) book: Tractate Mardis Gras: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Parades. Prior to coming to New Orleans, Ethan was the Assistant Director of Camp Ramah in New England and the Rabbinic Advisor for the Student Conservative Minyan at the Harvard Hillel.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

How far must we go to find a place to pray? What is “deaf dough”? How can these two questions possibly be related? Find out today.

Rabbi Ethan Linden is the rabbi of Shir Chadash Conservative Congregation in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is the author of the (made-up) book: Tractate Mardis Gras: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Parades. Prior to coming to New Orleans, Ethan was the Assistant Director of Camp Ramah in New England and the Rabbinic Advisor for the Student Conservative Minyan at the Harvard Hillel.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today, some dough stuck on the side of a kneading trough occasions a fairly big question: What happens if we have two versions of a similar text that seem to contradict each other? Should we assume that one is wrong and the other is correct? Or do we have a responsibility to make an alternate assumption: that both are legitimate positions?

Rabbi Ethan Linden is the rabbi of Shir Chadash Conservative Congregation in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is the author of the (made-up) book: Tractate Mardis Gras: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Parades. Prior to coming to New Orleans, Ethan was the Assistant Director of Camp Ramah in New England and the Rabbinic Advisor for the Student Conservative Minyan at the Harvard Hillel.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we learn about the possibility that our kashrut laws are a slight expansion from the Biblical rules. As we learn today: it’s all out taste!

Rabbi Ethan Linden is the rabbi of Shir Chadash Conservative Congregation in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is the author of the (made-up) book: Tractate Mardis Gras: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Parades. Prior to coming to New Orleans, Ethan was the Assistant Director of Camp Ramah in New England and the Rabbinic Advisor for the Student Conservative Minyan at the Harvard Hillel.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we ask the question: Is it possible that women can eat chametz even during Pesach? Probably not, but let’s find out!

Rabbi Ethan Linden is the rabbi of Shir Chadash Conservative Congregation in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is the author of the (made-up) book: Tractate Mardis Gras: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Parades. Prior to coming to New Orleans, Ethan was the Assistant Director of Camp Ramah in New England and the Rabbinic Advisor for the Student Conservative Minyan at the Harvard Hillel.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

The laws of taarovet chametz (mixtures that might have chametz in them) point to the differences between the chametz prohibition on Pesach and other forbidden foods in our tradition.

Rabbi Abby Sosland is the Morah Ruchanit (Spiritual Advisor) for the high school at Solomon Schechter Westchester, where she teaches Talmud, Bible, Philosophy and Prayer. Her chapter “Crime and Punishment” — about the laws of capital punishment and incarceration– appears in The Observant Life: The Wisdom of Conservative Judaism for Contemporary Jews (Martin Cohen and Michael Katz, Rabbinical Assembly, 2012). She runs a free High Holiday service at Town and Village Synagogue in downtown Manhattan.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Rava’s concern about how to eat the Passover sacrifice–parsing out the exact punishment for every misstep– reminds us of his unparalleled commitment to Talmud Torah.

Rabbi Abby Sosland is the Morah Ruchanit (Spiritual Advisor) for the high school at Solomon Schechter Westchester, where she teaches Talmud, Bible, Philosophy and Prayer. Her chapter “Crime and Punishment” — about the laws of capital punishment and incarceration– appears in The Observant Life: The Wisdom of Conservative Judaism for Contemporary Jews (Martin Cohen and Michael Katz, Rabbinical Assembly, 2012). She runs a free High Holiday service at Town and Village Synagogue in downtown Manhattan.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Chametz can represent our slave mentality: apathy, lethargy, and a sense of complacency. Matzah demands movement, action, and liberation. Pesach challenges us to keep things moving.

Rabbi Abby Sosland is the Morah Ruchanit (Spiritual Advisor) for the high school at Solomon Schechter Westchester, where she teaches Talmud, Bible, Philosophy and Prayer. Her chapter “Crime and Punishment” — about the laws of capital punishment and incarceration– appears in The Observant Life: The Wisdom of Conservative Judaism for Contemporary Jews (Martin Cohen and Michael Katz, Rabbinical Assembly, 2012). She runs a free High Holiday service at Town and Village Synagogue in downtown Manhattan.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

What is the best vegetable to be used for maror? Botanical concerns aside, the rabbis teach us that the narrative and the symbols of the vegetable are key to determining the law.

Rabbi Abby Sosland is the Morah Ruchanit (Spiritual Advisor) for the high school at Solomon Schechter Westchester, where she teaches Talmud, Bible, Philosophy and Prayer. Her chapter “Crime and Punishment” — about the laws of capital punishment and incarceration– appears in The Observant Life: The Wisdom of Conservative Judaism for Contemporary Jews (Martin Cohen and Michael Katz, Rabbinical Assembly, 2012). She runs a free High Holiday service at Town and Village Synagogue in downtown Manhattan.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Guard your matzot! Whether or not you feel a sense of gratitude or a desire to be holy, matzah is an obligation. The great equalizer of the Jewish people, matzah forces us to acknowledge our place in the Jewish story.

Rabbi Abby Sosland is the Morah Ruchanit (Spiritual Advisor) for the high school at Solomon Schechter Westchester, where she teaches Talmud, Bible, Philosophy and Prayer. Her chapter “Crime and Punishment” — about the laws of capital punishment and incarceration– appears in The Observant Life: The Wisdom of Conservative Judaism for Contemporary Jews (Martin Cohen and Michael Katz, Rabbinical Assembly, 2012). She runs a free High Holiday service at Town and Village Synagogue in downtown Manhattan.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

No matter what tools or technology are used to make matzah, the process itself is a sacred one. It has been a subject of debate for generations, even in modern American Jewish history.

Rabbi Abby Sosland is the Morah Ruchanit (Spiritual Advisor) for the high school at Solomon Schechter Westchester, where she teaches Talmud, Bible, Philosophy and Prayer. Her chapter “Crime and Punishment” — about the laws of capital punishment and incarceration– appears in The Observant Life: The Wisdom of Conservative Judaism for Contemporary Jews (Martin Cohen and Michael Katz, Rabbinical Assembly, 2012). She runs a free High Holiday service at Town and Village Synagogue in downtown Manhattan.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

In this episode, we ask the questions “What is the essential meaning of the matzah?” The way we understand the purpose of the matzah is at the core of our perspective on Jewish history.

Rabbi Abby Sosland is the Morah Ruchanit (Spiritual Advisor) for the high school at Solomon Schechter Westchester, where she teaches Talmud, Bible, Philosophy and Prayer. Her chapter “Crime and Punishment” — about the laws of capital punishment and incarceration– appears in The Observant Life: The Wisdom of Conservative Judaism for Contemporary Jews (Martin Cohen and Michael Katz, Rabbinical Assembly, 2012). She runs a free High Holiday service at Town and Village Synagogue in downtown Manhattan.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

What kind of flour can you use to make Matzah? What are the implications of this on what substances can become Hametz? What about rice – why don’t some Jews eat it on Pesach? Why is there such a thin line between the definition of Matzah and the definition of Hametz – between what is absolutely required on Pesach, and what is categorically forbidden on Pesach?

Rabbi Robert Scheinberg, a graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary, is the rabbi of the United Synagogue of Hoboken, New Jersey. He has taught Liturgy at the Jewish Theological Seminary and the Academy for Jewish Religion and served on the editorial committee for Mahzor Lev Shalem, the new High Holiday prayerbook for Conservative Judaism, and for the forthcoming Siddur Lev Shalem. He plays piano and guitar and is a choral arranger and conductor. He lives in Hoboken with his wife, Rabbi Naomi Kalish, a hospital chaplain and chaplaincy educator, and their three daughters.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we talk about paying attention – and not paying attention – and what the prophet Elijah has to do with the halakhic system.

Rabbi Robert Scheinberg, a graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary, is the rabbi of the United Synagogue of Hoboken, New Jersey. He has taught Liturgy at the Jewish Theological Seminary and the Academy for Jewish Religion and served on the editorial committee for Mahzor Lev Shalem, the new High Holiday prayerbook for Conservative Judaism, and for the forthcoming Siddur Lev Shalem. He plays piano and guitar and is a choral arranger and conductor. He lives in Hoboken with his wife, Rabbi Naomi Kalish, a hospital chaplain and chaplaincy educator, and their three daughters.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we explore differences between the sin of me’ilah – forbidden misappropriation of sacred property – and other infractions. Along the way, we’ll address the many different ways there are to violate a law accidentally.

Rabbi Robert Scheinberg, a graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary, is the rabbi of the United Synagogue of Hoboken, New Jersey. He has taught Liturgy at the Jewish Theological Seminary and the Academy for Jewish Religion and served on the editorial committee for Mahzor Lev Shalem, the new High Holiday prayerbook for Conservative Judaism, and for the forthcoming Siddur Lev Shalem. He plays piano and guitar and is a choral arranger and conductor. He lives in Hoboken with his wife, Rabbi Naomi Kalish, a hospital chaplain and chaplaincy educator, and their three daughters.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

How are penalties different for an inadvertent infraction and a deliberate infraction? What happens if someone is liable for a range of penalties? And how do we understand the penalty of mitah biy’dei shamayim, “Death at the hands of heaven”?

Rabbi Robert Scheinberg, a graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary, is the rabbi of the United Synagogue of Hoboken, New Jersey. He has taught Liturgy at the Jewish Theological Seminary and the Academy for Jewish Religion and served on the editorial committee for Mahzor Lev Shalem, the new High Holiday prayerbook for Conservative Judaism, and for the forthcoming Siddur Lev Shalem. He plays piano and guitar and is a choral arranger and conductor. He lives in Hoboken with his wife, Rabbi Naomi Kalish, a hospital chaplain and chaplaincy educator, and their three daughters.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Loans and mortgages… earthquakes, rubble, and hungry dogs… and what they have to do with Hametz.

Rabbi Robert Scheinberg, a graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary, is the rabbi of the United Synagogue of Hoboken, New Jersey. He has taught Liturgy at the Jewish Theological Seminary and the Academy for Jewish Religion and served on the editorial committee for Mahzor Lev Shalem, the new High Holiday prayerbook for Conservative Judaism, and for the forthcoming Siddur Lev Shalem. He plays piano and guitar and is a choral arranger and conductor. He lives in Hoboken with his wife, Rabbi Naomi Kalish, a hospital chaplain and chaplaincy educator, and their three daughters.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

How much Hametz is forbidden on Pesach? How do you remove Hametz from your pots? What happens if merchants try to take advantage of people’s observance of Pesach by inflating prices on necessary goods? Three questions on Pesachim Daf 30, all of which are relevant to contemporary traditional observance of Pesach…

Rabbi Robert Scheinberg, a graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary, is the rabbi of the United Synagogue of Hoboken, New Jersey. He has taught Liturgy at the Jewish Theological Seminary and the Academy for Jewish Religion and served on the editorial committee for Mahzor Lev Shalem, the new High Holiday prayerbook for Conservative Judaism, and for the forthcoming Siddur Lev Shalem. He plays piano and guitar and is a choral arranger and conductor. He lives in Hoboken with his wife, Rabbi Naomi Kalish, a hospital chaplain and chaplaincy educator, and their three daughters.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Exactly when does the prohibition of Hametz apply – only during Pesach itself, or also before and after? What about eating Hametz DURING Pesach if it doesn’t belong to a Jew? What are the limits of the Talmud’s imagination?

Rabbi Robert Scheinberg, a graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary, is the rabbi of the United Synagogue of Hoboken, New Jersey. He has taught Liturgy at the Jewish Theological Seminary and the Academy for Jewish Religion and served on the editorial committee for Mahzor Lev Shalem, the new High Holiday prayerbook for Conservative Judaism, and for the forthcoming Siddur Lev Shalem. He plays piano and guitar and is a choral arranger and conductor. He lives in Hoboken with his wife, Rabbi Naomi Kalish, a hospital chaplain and chaplaincy educator, and their three daughters.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Rabbi Yehuda is still arguing about burning chametz when his own words are used against him.

Rabbi Michelle Greenfield is a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.  She currently serves as the school director at Kehilat HaNahar in New Hope and as a teacher for Celebrations!, a program for children with special needs and their families.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Rabbi Yehuda says that to get rid of your Chametz properly you must burn it, but the chachamim worry that this will be a problem

Rabbi Michelle Greenfield is a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.  She currently serves as the school director at Kehilat HaNahar in New Hope and as a teacher for Celebrations!, a program for children with special needs and their families.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

When an artisan had to do work in the Holy of Holies, he was lowered down in a closed elevator so he wouldn’t see anything he wasn’t supposed to see. But is sight something that can be stolen?

Rabbi Michelle Greenfield is a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.  She currently serves as the school director at Kehilat HaNahar in New Hope and as a teacher for Celebrations!, a program for children with special needs and their families.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

On this daf, a question is raised about how far you can go to save a human life, and an answer involves an interesting definition of self-sacrifice.

Rabbi Michelle Greenfield is a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.  She currently serves as the school director at Kehilat HaNahar in New Hope and as a teacher for Celebrations!, a program for children with special needs and their families.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

This episode focuses on the unity of the Jewish people as reflected in the Mishnah’s description of the actual way the zevach peisach was offered in ancient Jerusalem.

Rabbi Isabel de Koninck serves as the Director and Campus Rabbi, Hillel at Drexel University. Rabbi de Koninck began her career with Hillel as the Advisor to Jewish students at Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges in 2008. Prior to beginning her work with college students, Rabbi de Koninck served as the editor of Ritualwell.org, as rabbinic intern at Temple Shir Hadash of Westford, Massachusetts. A native of Montclair, New Jersey, Rabbi Isabel de Koninck is a 2004 graduate of Brandeis University, and received her rabbinic ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 2010 where she also completed a graduate certificate in Jewish Gender and Women’s Studies. Isabel is an avid volleyball player and also a serious foodie.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we focus on Rabbi Yossi HaGelili and the idea of benefiting from hametz on Pesach.

Rabbi Isabel de Koninck serves as the Director and Campus Rabbi, Hillel at Drexel University. Rabbi de Koninck began her career with Hillel as the Advisor to Jewish students at Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges in 2008. Prior to beginning her work with college students, Rabbi de Koninck served as the editor of Ritualwell.org, as rabbinic intern at Temple Shir Hadash of Westford, Massachusetts. A native of Montclair, New Jersey, Rabbi Isabel de Koninck is a 2004 graduate of Brandeis University, and received her rabbinic ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 2010 where she also completed a graduate certificate in Jewish Gender and Women’s Studies. Isabel is an avid volleyball player and also a serious foodie.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

By way of a conversation about ever min ha-chay, eating parts of animals that are still alive, the Talmud shares a reminder about our responsibility to helping others follow the rules.

Rabbi Michelle Greenfield is a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. She currently serves as the school director at Kehilat HaNahar in New Hope and as a teacher for Celebrations!, a program for children with special needs and their families.

Rabbi Isabel de Koninck serves as the Director and Campus Rabbi, Hillel at Drexel University. Rabbi de Koninck began her career with Hillel as the Advisor to Jewish students at Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges in 2008. Prior to beginning her work with college students, Rabbi de Koninck served as the editor of Ritualwell.org, as rabbinic intern at Temple Shir Hadash of Westford, Massachusetts. A native of Montclair, New Jersey, Rabbi Isabel de Koninck is a 2004 graduate of Brandeis University, and received her rabbinic ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 2010 where she also completed a graduate certificate in Jewish Gender and Women’s Studies. Isabel is an avid volleyball player and also a serious foodie.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

In this episode we will talk about how the ways in which we dispose of leavened items before Passover connects us to the material world and our spiritual lives.

Rabbi Aaron Alexander is the Associate Dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies (American Jewish University – Los Angeles) and Lecturer in Rabbinics and Halakhah. He is a certified mashgiach by the the Conservative Movement’s Rav Hamachshir program and currently serves on its Committee for Jewish Law and Standards. He is a blogger for the Huffington Post and podcasts on topics in Jewish Law at ZieglerTorah.org.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

In this episode we will explore how the laws of kosher slaughter are connected to our page, both in the way in which it reflects on the particular discussion, and more globally as well.

Rabbi Aaron Alexander is the Associate Dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies (American Jewish University – Los Angeles) and Lecturer in Rabbinics and Halakhah. He is a certified mashgiach by the the Conservative Movement’s Rav Hamachshir program and currently serves on its Committee for Jewish Law and Standards. He is a blogger for the Huffington Post and podcasts on topics in Jewish Law at ZieglerTorah.org.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

In this episode we unpack the textured symbolism and status of an unexpected needle in a haystack.

Rabbi Aaron Alexander is the Associate Dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies (American Jewish University – Los Angeles) and Lecturer in Rabbinics and Halakhah. He is a certified mashgiach by the the Conservative Movement’s Rav Hamachshir program and currently serves on its Committee for Jewish Law and Standards. He is a blogger for the Huffington Post and podcasts on topics in Jewish Law at ZieglerTorah.org.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

In this episode we explore the deep significance of porous vessels, impure emotions, and personal transformation.

Rabbi Aaron Alexander is the Associate Dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies (American Jewish University – Los Angeles) and Lecturer in Rabbinics and Halakhah. He is a certified mashgiach by the the Conservative Movement’s Rav Hamachshir program and currently serves on its Committee for Jewish Law and Standards. He is a blogger for the Huffington Post and podcasts on topics in Jewish Law at ZieglerTorah.org.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we ask why the Talmud designates some laws with the technical term “Halakha le’Moshe miSinai”

This week, our study is led by Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky of Congregation Ansche Chesed in New York City.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Can liquids become ritually impure? Let’s ask one of the oldest sages in the Talmud, a teacher who lived around 50 or 100 BCE.

This week, our study is led by Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky of Congregation Ansche Chesed in New York City.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Everyone loves a bargain. Today we’ll see that at least one of the sages, Rabbi Joshua, wants to consider the economic consequences of the law when deciding the rules of ritual purity.

This week, our study is led by Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky of Congregation Ansche Chesed in New York City.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we study the first of several pages devoted to ritual impurity, and consider what this topic meant to the Sages.

This week, our study is led by Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky of Congregation Ansche Chesed in New York City.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Public servants must be “blameless before both God and Israel.” Those who hold the public trust must inspire others to think of them as trustworthy, and not suspect them of wrongdoing.

This week, our study is led by Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky of Congregation Ansche Chesed in New York City.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

The Sages had no precise clocks. So when calculating when to stop eating hametz before Passover, they had to leave room for some margin of error. The same problem applied to testimony in criminal cases. How much margin of error can be tolerated in witnesses’ testimony? We will also discuss the modern philosophical problem of “falsifiability” and the Torah’s method of catching false witnesses.

This week, our study is led by Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky of Congregation Ansche Chesed in New York City.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Passover is not only about physical slavery it’s also about spiritual slavery. Sometimes we can get so stuck in a rut: emotionally, behaviorally, mentally, about things that it’s hard to do anything else. That’s our spiritual Egypt. Liberation comes when we decide to do things, even small things, a little differently. And yet that doesn’t mean that we have to change entirely.

Rabbi Noam Raucher is one of the spiritual leaders at Temple Israel in Charlotte, North Carolina- a Conservative congregation. Noam Raucher grew up in Southern Connecticut to a loving family of Jewish educators and leaders. An alumnus of USY and Camp Ramah in New England, Noam also attend Hofstra University. Noam was ordained by the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in 2011. In addition to his rabbinic ordination Noam also studied for a Masters degree in education. Noam Raucher currently lives with his amazing wife, Tamar, his 2.5 year old son, Judah, and their two dogs: Lucy and Dixie.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

In this episode, we see that searching for hametz does not just mean one search and done. It means constant monitoring for the potential of a bloated self.

Rabbi Noam Raucher is one of the spiritual leaders at Temple Israel in Charlotte, North Carolina- a Conservative congregation. Noam Raucher grew up in Southern Connecticut to a loving family of Jewish educators and leaders. An alumnus of USY and Camp Ramah in New England, Noam also attend Hofstra University. Noam was ordained by the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in 2011. In addition to his rabbinic ordination Noam also studied for a Masters degree in education. Noam Raucher currently lives with his amazing wife, Tamar, his 2.5 year old son, Judah, and their two dogs: Lucy and Dixie.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today’s episode explores the idea that being certain about where our hametz is makes us confident about the cleanliness of our homes, but also aware of the triggers that enable our bloated egos.

Rabbi Noam Raucher is one of the spiritual leaders at Temple Israel in Charlotte, North Carolina- a Conservative congregation. Noam Raucher grew up in Southern Connecticut to a loving family of Jewish educators and leaders. An alumnus of USY and Camp Ramah in New England, Noam also attend Hofstra University. Noam was ordained by the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in 2011. In addition to his rabbinic ordination Noam also studied for a Masters degree in education. Noam Raucher currently lives with his amazing wife, Tamar, his 2.5 year old son, Judah, and their two dogs: Lucy and Dixie.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

“A man’s spirit is God’s lamp, searching all the inward parts.” (Proverbs 20:27). The process of searching for hametz is more than just searching the darkest depths of one’s homes; it’s a process of searching the darkest depths of one’s soul.

Rabbi Noam Raucher is one of the spiritual leaders at Temple Israel in Charlotte, North Carolina- a Conservative congregation. Noam Raucher grew up in Southern Connecticut to a loving family of Jewish educators and leaders. An alumnus of USY and Camp Ramah in New England, Noam also attend Hofstra University. Noam was ordained by the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in 2011. In addition to his rabbinic ordination Noam also studied for a Masters degree in education. Noam Raucher currently lives with his amazing wife, Tamar, his 2.5 year old son, Judah, and their two dogs: Lucy and Dixie.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

This episode is an exploration of the construction of the blessing on searching for hametz, and how the blessing formulas are constructed.

Rabbi Ashira Konigsburg is the Associate Director of Rabbinic Services at the Rabbinical Assembly. She earned an MA in Talmud and Rabbinics and Rabbinic Ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary. She currently serves as a member of the Kehilat Hadar steering team.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we ask the questions of what to do if you come across hametz on pesah, and how to handle searching hametz if you plan to be away for all or part of pesah.

Rabbi Ashira Konigsburg is the Associate Director of Rabbinic Services at the Rabbinical Assembly. She earned an MA in Talmud and Rabbinics and Rabbinic Ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary. She currently serves as a member of the Kehilat Hadar steering team.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we consider how far would you go to establish exactly what a teacher said? And what happens when Friday lunch goes so late it’s time for Shabbat?

Rabbi Ashira Konigsburg is the Associate Director of Rabbinic Services at the Rabbinical Assembly. She earned an MA in Talmud and Rabbinics and Rabbinic Ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary. She currently serves as a member of the Kehilat Hadar steering team.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we will focus on practical halakhot about morning and who is responsible for searching for hameitz.

Rabbi Ashira Konigsburg is the Associate Director of Rabbinic Services at the Rabbinical Assembly. She earned an MA in Talmud and Rabbinics and Rabbinic Ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary. She currently serves as a member of the Kehilat Hadar steering team.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today we focus on the importance of careful word choice.

Rabbi Ashira Konigsburg is the Associate Director of Rabbinic Services at the Rabbinical Assembly. She earned an MA in Talmud and Rabbinics and Rabbinic Ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary. She currently serves as a member of the Kehilat Hadar steering team.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.

Today’s we look at the definition of אור in the Misnhah.

Rabbi Ashira Konigsburg is the Associate Director of Rabbinic Services at the Rabbinical Assembly. She earned an MA in Talmud and Rabbinics and Rabbinic Ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary. She currently serves as a member of the Kehilat Hadar steering team.

The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus album One Bead.