Today’s Talmud page, Bava Metzia 29, instructs us that we should learn to take really good care of our possessions. What's the approach known as soulful materialism? And what does it teach us about radically rethinking the way we shop for and care for our stuff? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note at [email protected]. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group. We think that you may...

Today’s Talmud page, Bava Metzia 28, introduces us to a magical place: The Claimant's Stone, a spot in ancient Jerusalem where anyone who had lost or found anything would come to hang out and connect. It was, if you will, a sort of Facebook before Facebook; but did digital technology rob the idea of its meaning and purpose? And what advice, while we're at it, does Judaism have to offer us about navigating the thicket of social media? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our...

Today’s Talmud page, Bava Metzia 27, is a masterclass in deductive reasoning. What's deductive reasoning? Why did the rabbis of the Talmud cherish it? And what does any of it have to do with a certain famous British detective known for his deerstalker hat and his cranky companion? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note at [email protected]. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group. We...

Today’s Talmud pages, Bava Metzia 25 and 26, raise a terrifying proposition: That no matter how firmly we believe there's always time to do the right thing and make amends and fix what we've broken, sometimes we may simply and sadly be too late. How do we extract something positive and sweet from this bitter teaching? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note at [email protected]. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the...

Today’s Talmud pages, Bava Metzia 23 and 24, ask what makes an item immediately and distinctly recognizable. As it happens, the same exact question occupied some of our finest trademark lawyers as they did battle in court to protect their clients' unique and immediately recognizable brands. What makes something distinct enough to merit a trademark? And why did the Beatles duke it out with Steve Jobs over this very question? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly...

Today’s Talmud page, Bava Metzia 22, discusses one of society's most pressing, and most tragically misunderstood, topics, namely how to host a dinner party. What solemn responsibilities do hosts, and guests, have when breaking bread? And why is a good dinner party more like a shootout than like a picnic? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note at [email protected]. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take...

On today’s episode, we again take a break from Talmud and today's page, Bava Metzia 21, to play you our brand new podcast, Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally. It’s a weekly parsha podcast with me, Liel Liebovitz, and Israeli journalist and Torah scholar Sivan Rahav Meir. In our debut episode, Sivan tells us all about the story of Purim; explains how this year's Taanit Esther - Esther's Fast - takes on new meaning for the families of female hostages; and teaches four purim commandments...

On today’s episode, instead of bringing you an episode about Bava Metzia 20, we take a break from Talmud to tell you about a new podcast we’re launching tomorrow called Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally. It’s a weekly parsha podcast with Israeli journalist and Torah scholar Sivan Rahav Meir. Sivan joins us on Take One to tell us about the 2000 year old “home page” of the Jewish people. You can find Sivan Says at TabletMag.com/sivansays, or whever you listen to podcasts. Like the show?...

Today’s Talmud pages, Bava Metzia 18 and 19, are a master class in paying attention to detail. Do details really matter? And is it better, when doing anything from looking for your keys to handling your legal documents, to sweat the small stuff or look at the big picture instead? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note at [email protected]. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group. We...