Yoma

Embark on a journey of Jewish learning and discovery, exploring the depth of our Yoma resources, where tagged items including audio, programs, and podcast episodes await your exploration.

Yoma 86: Time for a Cheeseburger?

Orly Hyman

One of the fundamental mitzvot of the Torah, one we acknowledge at least twice a day, is the command to love G-d. “And you shall love the Lord your G-d with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might”. The Rambam, whose (initial)…
Article
Jul 7, 2021

Yoma 69: Who is Great

Orly Hyman

It is hard to imagine Jewish life without davening or brachot. They are amongst the most important of our religious practices. One of the ways COVID-19 has upended our lives is the impact it has had on our davening schedule, location, and intensity…
Article
Jun 23, 2021

Yoma 38: The Printing Press

Rabbi Jay Kelman

“Talmud Torah k’neged kulam, Torah study equals them all”. And in our tradition, learning equates with teaching. The Torah records no actual mitzvah to learn Torah; it is the mitzvah of teaching Torah that it stresses: “v’shinantem lebanecha, and…
Article
May 25, 2021

Yoma 23: Misplaced Priorities

Rabbi Jay Kelman

In our last post, we discussed the tragic murder carried out in the Temple by a religious zealot who had lost a race to determine who would have the privilege of cleaning the altar, and the sickening reaction of the father of the murder victim. But…
Article
May 13, 2021

Yoma 23: The Height of Impurity

Rabbi Jay Kelman

Newton’s third law of motion teaches that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This law explains why it is much easier to hit a home run if one connects on a fastball than a change-up. With every physical rule having a…
Article
May 8, 2021

Yoma 18: Will You Marry Me

Rabbi Jay Kelman

We have often noted the refreshing openness of our Sages. They tell it as it is, and made no efforts to cover up the foibles or even sins of their colleagues. They were wont to offer sharp critique, and were never afraid to express their views…
Article
May 5, 2021

Yoma 9: Sins of Omission

Rabbi Jay Kelman

When discussing the gravest of sins—say, for example, the three cardinal sins of murder, adultery and idolatry—we are dealing with sins of commission, terrible actions that one has done. The same holds true for a host of other sins: theft,…
Article
Apr 27, 2021

From Pesachim to Yoma

Rabbi Jay Kelman

In a rather fortuitous coincidence, the daf yomi cycle concluded masechet Pesachim just a few days before Pesach. In the Talmud Bavli, masechet Pesachim is followed by masechet Yoma, dealing with a very special yom, day, that of Yom Kippur.  One…
Article
Apr 18, 2021

Some Concluding Thoughts on Masechet Yoma

Rabbi Jay Kelman

Masechet Yoma deals almost exclusively with mitzvoth between man and G-d. Most of the tractate painstakingly records the intricate details of the special Temple service carried out on Yom Kippur. The few pages that are left focus primarily on the…
Article
Feb 5, 2014

Yoma 77: Swimming on Yom Kippur

Rabbi Jay Kelman

“Our Sages compared the (positive) mitzvoth in the Torah to the limbs of the body and (the negative) to the days of the year” (Makkot 23b). No limb in the body operates independently. Rather, each is part of a larger system, with a…
Article
Feb 3, 2014