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 53: Please Shorten Your Prayers

Rabbi Jay Kelman

Mashechet Yoma delineates the special Temple service performed on Yom Kippur in great detail--and includes much discussion relating to the daily running of the Temple. It is easy to forget that the Beit Hamikdash was, first and foremost, "a…
Article
Jan 8, 2014

Yoma 52: There's No Way to Know

Rabbi Jay Kelman

Great literature lends itself to multiple, even contradictory, interpretations. And the Bible is--in addition to everything else--great literature. "Isi ben Yehuda said that five verses in the Torah ein lo hechreh, have no definitive…
Article
Jan 6, 2014

Yoma 48: Try a Little Harder

Rabbi Jay Kelman

One of the major debates in Jewish law is whether mitzvoth require kavanah, intent to fulfill the mitzvah (see for example Brachot13a). As a general rule, those mitzvoth which are dependent on actions--for example, shaking a lulav or eating matzah--…
Article
Dec 31, 2013

Yoma 47: Raising Great Children

Rabbi Jay Kelman

There is nothing more challenging and important, for a parent and for a community, than raising children. There is no formula for producing wonderful children, and siblings can be so different that it makes us wonder how they came from the same…
Article
Dec 29, 2013

Yoma 38: What a Loser

Rabbi Jay Kelman

"And [we remember] these for degradation: those of Beit Garmu didnot want to teach on the matter of the lechem hapanim; those of Beit Avtinus did not want to teach on the matter of the ketoret" (Yoma 38a). In our last…
Article
Dec 23, 2013

Yoma 37: Winning the Lottery

Rabbi Jay Kelman

One of the central features of the Yom Kippur service was that involving the two goats: one offered as a sacrifice whose blood was sprinkled on the curtain of the Holy of Holies, and one on which the kohen gadol would offer confession…
Article
Dec 22, 2013

Yoma 36: What Sin Comes First?

Rabbi Jay Kelman

The kohen gadol performed vidui, confession, three times on Yom Kippur. The first two were done using his own personal bull offering, asking for forgiveness for the sins of his family and for his fellow kohanim. The third vidui,…
Article
Dec 20, 2013

Yoma 35: Not Such a Good Excuse

Rabbi Jay Kelman

One of the most difficult things for we humans to do is to admit that we are wrong. Even when we know we have acted in ways that leave much to be desired, we are great at offering excuses, rationalizations, justifications, and the like. This is…
Article
Dec 18, 2013

Yoma 28: Prehistoric Torah

Rabbi Jay Kelman

"The Holy One blessed be He looked into Torah and created the world" (Breisheet Rabba 1:2). Our Sages viewed the Torah as the architectural blueprint for the world, predating creation and serving as the very basis for that creation. The…
Article
Dec 11, 2013

Yoma 22: Murder in the Mikdash

Rabbi Jay Kelman

One of the fundamental teachings of Judaism is that nothing is inherently good or bad--it all depends on how it is used. Even the evil inclination can be most positive and without it, we would not have children or an advanced economy (see Yoma…
Article
Dec 3, 2013