This Daf Yomi Thought is dedicated in honour of the upcoming wedding of Yonah Dorfman to Laurel Dayan. May they have many years of good health…
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Pesachim 49b: Shul Weapons
To produce excellence, a certain degree of elitism is required. We are influenced by those around us; and if those who surround us are average, then…
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Pesachim 49a: A Pesach Wedding
Getting married is a very big deal, and a mitzvah that supersedes almost all else. And like all mitzvoth, this is something we should do at the…
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Pesachim 47: Eating on Yom Kippur?
The Yomim Tovim celebrate monumental events in Jewish history. The focus of these days is on bringing Jews together as a people and as friends.…
Pesachim 37: Designer Matzah
Matzah is the most basic of foods. Mix some grain with water and bake ASAP, and presto! We have the most important course for the most important meal…
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Pesachim 35: Sleeping Through Class
I imagine I am not the only one who has dozed off during a lecture. While I might manage to pick up a point or two, surely such dozing limits my…
Pesachim 34: Land of Darkness
Soon after the editing of the Mishna in the land of Israel, Jewish life and learning started slowly shifting towards Bavel. This was set into motion…
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Pesachim 30a: Economic Intervention
On the first page of the laws of Shabbat, the Mishnah Berurah discusses the problem of price gouging by fishmongers. Knowing the desire of observant…
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Pesachim 22: Time Well Spent
“Shimon Ha'amsoni—and some say, Nechemia Ha'amsoni—used to derive [laws] from all the etim (plural of et) in the Torah.…
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Pesachim 11: Telling Time
The halachic legal system is much more than a set of abstract principles or technical details. It incorporates factors such as human…
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Pesachim 9a: When In Doubt...Eat
"Two verses that contradict each other, until a third verse is found and reconciles between them". This 13th and last of the interpretive…
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Pesachim 7a: Who Carries Your Water?
Rav Yisrael Salanter, the 19th century founder of the mussar movement, was asked by his students what the most important concern is when baking…
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Pesachim 4a: The Rent is Too High
Landlord-tenant disputes are the bread and butter of many a lawyer. No law can account for any eventuality, and the inherent conflict of interest…
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Pesachim 3b: Story of a Bigmouth
Great leaders are great strategists. The Talmud (Pesachim 3b) relates that a certain non-Jew was bragging of how he used to travel to…
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Pesachim 2-3: Light Up the Night
"To tell of Your loving-kindness in the morning and Your faithfulness at night" (Tehilim 92:3). Night and day, from a Jewish…
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Pesachim: Some Opening Thoughts
"On the night of the 14th [of Nissan], one [begins the] search for chametz". So begins mashechet Pesachim, the tractate dealing with…
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Eiruvin 95b: Tefillin for Women
In Talmudic times, it was common for one to wear tefillin all day long. As the Torah does not limit its observance in any way, there would seem to be…
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Eiruvin 81b: Cash Cow
As more and more of our economy runs on credit, as we increasingly pay for purchases with debit cards or even smartphones, the necessity—or…