Rambam Yomi with Rav Eytan

Perek ד: The Choreography of a Meal From the wine served before the meal to the wine that follows it, this Perek walks through the practical sequencing of Brachot across an entire meal, including when a single Bracha covers everyone at the table and when each guest must bless for themselves.

Perek ג: Bread, Grain, and Everything Between Not all grain products are equal. This Perek works through the tricky cases, when something counts as bread requiring a full meal blessing, and when it's a 'lesser' Mezonot food, based on how it's prepared and eaten.

Perek ב: The Fine Print of Grace When exactly does the biblical obligation to bless HaShem after eating kick in, and how much food triggers it? This Perek details the structure of Birkat HaMazon itself, its four blessings and their sources, and the special additions for Eretz Yisrael and Jerusalem woven into the text.

Perek א: A World That Isn't Free Everything we eat and drink belongs to HaShem, so partaking without a blessing is like taking something consecrated. This opening Perek establishes the biblical and rabbinic sources for blessings before and after eating, introduces the hierarchy of food blessings, and explains why a single blessing over the primary food can exempt everything served alongside it...

Perek ג: Who Wears Them, and On What This closing Perek addresses who is obligated in Tzitzit and who is exempt, including the discussion around women’s obligation, the rules about mixing wool and linen (Shatnez) in a Tzitzit garment, and a parent’s duty to train their children in the Mitzvah from a young age.

Perek ב: The Dye of the Sky What is Techelet, and why does its exact shade matter so much? This Perek explores the source and preparation of the sky-blue dye the Torah requires, the criteria for a Kosher batch, and what happens to Tzitzit when Techelet isn’t available.

Perek א: Making the Fringes Every four-cornered garment carries a quiet reminder of the Mitzvot. This opening Perek explains how Tzitzit are constructed, the white strands and the strand of Techeilet wound around them, the required number of strands and knots, and the deeper purpose the Torah gives for wearing them.

Perek י: What Disqualifies a Scroll This closing Perek gathers twenty distinct factors that can invalidate a Torah scroll, and turns to the deep respect owed to a Kosher scroll, how it must be handled, stored, and treated as an object of genuine holiness.

Perek ט: The Structure of the Scroll Continuing the discussion of scribal form, this Perek addresses the broader architecture of a Kosher Torah scroll, its columns, its layout, and the conventions that give the scroll its unmistakable, unchanging shape across generations.

Perek ח: Open and Closed Passages The Torah is divided into 669 sections, each written in one of two distinct forms. This Perek explains the difference between a Petucha and Setuma passage, the spacing rules that define them, and the exceptional layouts used for Az Yashir and Ha'azinu.

Perek ז: The Craft of a Torah Scroll Writing a Torah scroll is an exacting art. This Perek covers the physical form the letters must take, the spacing of words and columns, and the artistry the Chachamim praised in a scroll written beautifully and precisely.

Perek ו: Fixing the Mezuzah in Place Where exactly does a Mezuzah go, and why? This Perek details its placement on the doorpost, the height and positioning that Halacha requires, and closes with the deeper idea that the Mezuzah is meant to keep a person's awareness of HaShem at the entrance to daily life.

Perek ה: Writing a Mezuzah This Perek turns to the Mezuzah: how the two passages of Shema and V'haya are written on a single parchment, the acceptable and unacceptable forms, and why a Mezuzah may not be repurposed from a worn Torah scroll or Tefillin.

Perek ד: Putting On the Tefillin Beyond how Tefillin are made lies the question of how they're worn. This Perek covers the obligation to don Tefillin, the correct order and positioning, and the specific circumstances, distraction, impurity, disrespect, that require removing them.

Perek ג: Eight Unbending Requirements The Rambam lists eight structural requirements for Kosher Tefillin, from their square shape to their stitching, all transmitted as Halacha Moshe Mi'Sinai. This Perek walks through each requirement and what happens when even one is not met.

Perek ב: Writing the Parshiyot of Tefillin How exactly are the four passages inside Tefillin written? This Perek details the precise spelling, order, and layout of the Parshiyot for both the head and arm Tefillin, including the letters that require special crowns, and explains why any deviation disqualifies the Tefillin entirely.

Perek א: The Sanctity of the Written Word This opening Perek introduces the five Mitzvot at the heart of this section: wearing Tefillin on the head and arm, affixing a Mezuzah, and writing a Torah scroll. It lays down the foundational rules for any sacred scribe, who may write these texts, the intent required when inscribing HaShem's name, and why a single flawed letter can invalidate the enti...

Perek ט״ו: Who May Not Bless Not every Kohen can step forward to bless the congregation. This closing Perek details the six factors that disqualify a Kohen from Nesiat Kapayim, from physical concerns to matters of conduct, rounding out the laws of Tefilla.

Perek י״ד: Birkat Kohanim Nesiat Kapayim, the Priestly Blessing, is unpacked here: when in the service it's recited, the procedure the Kohanim follow, and why it's reserved for certain Tefillot and left out of others.

Perek י״ג: A Year of Torah How does the yearly reading cycle actually work? This Perek traces the annual progression through the Torah, the special readings for festivals and fasts, and the layered calendar that determines what's read and when.

Perek י״ב: Reading the Torah in Public The structure of Kriyat HaTorah takes center stage here: the required times for public reading, who is called to the Torah and in what order, and the rules that keep this cornerstone of communal life running smoothly.

Perek י״א: Building a 'House for Prayer' Every community needs its own Shul. This Perek explores the Halachic requirements for building one, its ideal location and structure, and the layer of sanctity that transforms a physical building into a place set apart.

Perek י: When Things Go Wrong Mistakes happen mid-Tefilla, so what then? This Perek works through the practical rules for errors in the Amidah, when the individual or the Chazzan must go back and repeat, and how missed Tefilla can sometimes be made up later.

Perek ט: Following the Chazan What exactly happens when the chazan steps up to lead? This Perek walks through the choreography of public prayer, from Kaddish and Barchu to the Kedusha recited only in the presence of a minyan, and the congregation's responsibility to answer along the way.

Perek ח: Why Daven With a Minyan? A prayer offered alone and a prayer offered with nine others are not treated the same. This Perek explains the unique power of communal prayer, defines what constitutes a minyan, and introduces the chazan's essential role in repeating the Amidah aloud for the congregation.