Daf Yomi with Rabbanit Dr. Tamara Spitz

This week we will learn how to identify kosher birds, since the Torah only lists the 24 non-kosher species rather than giving positive signs. We will also learn that eggs of non-kosher birds are Biblically forbidden. The Gemara also teaches the simanim for kosher fish (fins and scales), followed by a discussion of forbidden creeping creatures including snakes, scorpions, beetles, centipedes, and t...

This week we will continue learning about  treifos , focusing on internal organs, debating whether missing or diseased kidneys render an animal a treifah, and then transitioning to the treifos unique to birds, including piercing of the  kurkevan  (gizzard) versus the  zefek  (crop).  We will then learn about the simanim (identifying signs) of kosher animals, birds, locusts and fish. For more info...

This week we will continue learning which injuries, diseases, and organ defects render an animal a  treifah  and which do not. The Gemara examines specific cases organ by organ: lungs, stomach, kidneys, spine, and more, debating the precise thresholds of size, location, and severity that determine kosher status. For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://webyeshiva.or...

This week we will begin to examine treifot (conditions that render an animal forbidden even after proper slaughter), particularly defects or injuries to internal organs like the trachea, esophagus, and other vital structures. Throughout, the Gemara debates the criteria distinguishing a wound that’s survivable from one that’s fatal, often citing cases brought to sages for rulings. For more info or...

We will learn about the laws of purity as they apply to food, focusing on the requirement that food be “prepared” through contact with one of seven liquids before it can become susceptible to impurity. We will then learn about the role of owner’s intent in designating something as food. The Gemara then discusses shechita performed for the sake of idol worship, with a dispute about whether one pers...

This week we will begin Perek Ha’Shochet (the second chapter), establishing the foundational rules of how much of the simanim (windpipe and esophagus) must be cut for valid shechita, a majority of one siman for birds and two for animals. We will then learn the precise technical requirements of the cut itself, analyzing what counts as a “majority,” whether half equals a majority for purposes of tre...

This week the Gemara contrasts shechita with melikah (nape-nicking of bird offerings), detailing what is kosher for one but invalid for the other. We will then learn about disqualifications of Kohanim versus Leviyim (blemishes vs. age), and then shift to the tumah laws of earthenware vessels.  The Gemara then debates the status of temed (water soaked through grape residue), whether it is treated a...

This week we will discuss three main areas within the laws of shechita: the role of intent (focusing on whether a minor’s actions and kavanah have Torah or Rabbinic validity, and whether conscious intent is required for kodshim), the requirements for a valid slaughtering instrument (the knife must be detached, with debate over wheels and re-attached knives, alongside a historical discussion of whe...

This week we will discuss issues of ritual slaughter, including the reliability of people performing shechita, invalid methods of slaughter, and the status of knives used for shechita and prohibited foods. The Gemara also discusses the principles of relying on majority ( rov ) and presumptive status ( chazakah ) in kashrut, especially regarding slaughter and determining whether an animal is kosher...

This week we will begin Masechet Chulin. We are going to learn the laws of Shchita, ritual slaughter, and what makes an animal kosher and what renders it not kosher. This week we will learn who may perform shchita and who may not, and why. For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit ⁠https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-chulin/⁠

As we complete Masechet Menachot, we will learn the halachic details of who brings meal-offerings and how different formulations of vows determine one’s obligation. The Gemara teaches the minimum and maximum amount of flour, oil and wine that can be donated to the Temple. We finish the Masechet with a discussion about a temple built in Egypt and its connection to the Temple in Jerusalem. For more...

We will learn about the shtei halechem and lechem hapanim preparation, how the loaves are made and handled. The daf discusses kneading, shaping, and baking processes. It also touches on how many loaves and their arrangement. The gemara explains the placement of the Lechem Hapannim on the Shulchan and the arrangement of the stacks. The Gemara analyzes how the bread is supported and how it stays fre...

This week we will learn about the precise measurements and vessels for nesachim, clarifying how exact they must be and how sanctification of Temple utensils affects their validity. They then explore the relationship between korbanot and their nesachim, whether they must be brought together, can be delayed, or even brought independently, while defining categories of obligation vs. voluntary offerin...

We will analyze how voluntary menachot vows function, whether multiple obligations can be combined, how wording defines the number of required offerings, and when substituting types or altering quantities invalidates fulfillment. The Gemara carefully distinguishes between essential elements (me’akev), like proper type and minimum measures, and cases where partial or altered performance does not co...

We will learn the entire 7th chapter of Masechet Menachot. We will learn which menachot are eaten by the Cohanim and which are completely burned on the altar. The Gemara teaches how the oil is added to the mincha and how the mincha is broken up into smaller pieces.  The 8th chapter begins by describing the Korban Todah and its 40 loaves, 10 of which are chametz and 30 are matza. For more info or t...

This week we will continue learning about the Korban HaOmer. The Gemara teaches how it was harvested and processed. We will learn that the Omer permits new grain to be eaten and the 2 loaves of Shavuot permit the new grain to be used in the Temple. For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-m...

This week we will discuss which meal-offerings include or exclude oil and frankincense, focusing on exceptional offerings like the minchat choteh and minchat sotah, and what happens if these ingredients are added improperly. We will then analyze the procedures of tenufah (waving) and hagashah (bringing the offering to the altar), identifying which meal-offerings require these rituals and who perfo...

This week we will learn about the prohibition of chametz in grain offerings, examining when dough becomes halachically leavened and which processes (kneading, arranging, baking) would invalidate a korban if leaven occurs. The Gemara will expand the discussion to general rules governing what may be offered on the altar, including the prohibition of offering leaven or honey on the mizbeach. For more...

This week we will analyze the  Shtei HaLechem  of Shavuot, the waving with the two sheep, and whether the loaves and sheep are mutually indispensable. We will then learn about the broader principles of communal offerings, clarifying when components are  me’akev , how improper intent affects them, and when communal korbanot override Shabbat or tumah. The Gemara then discusses the  Chavitin  (daily...

This week we will continue our discussion of tefillin, detailing the structure of the batim, placement and order of the parshiyot, black straps, proper positioning, and who is obligated, including whether the mitzvah applies at night or on Shabbat and Yom Tov. We will then learn about tzitzit, deriving the requirements for the number of strings, inclusion of  techelet , proper tying, and which gar...

This week we will learn about the laws of tefillin and mezuzah, deriving the requirement to write the four parshiyot of tefillin on parchment, in proper script, order, and placement. The Gemara analyzes details such as the order of the parshiyot, invalidating defects in writing, the shape of letters, and the requirement of complete writing. We will also learn about the form of the batim (boxes), t...

This week, we will discuss the technical requirements of kemitza and the handling of the kometz, including what disqualifies it through improper placement, contact, or deviation from prescribed procedure. The Gemara analyzes vessels, measurements, and physical integrity of meal-offerings, clarifying when errors invalidate the korban and when they can be corrected. These dapim also further define w...

This week we will continue the analysis of  invalid intent (pigul)  in meal offerings, clarifying which actions are considered essential service acts and which are merely preparatory. The Gemara examines cases of  partial validity , mixtures of valid and invalid components, and whether disqualifying intent affects the entire offering or only specific parts. For more info or to visit the main shiur...

This week we will examine the  valid preparation of meal-offerings , focusing on the required amounts of oil, proper mixing, and the role of  kemitza  in establishing sanctity and validity. It analyzes  invalid intent (pigul)  at each essential stage—kemitza, placing the kometz in a vessel, and burning it—and compares meal-offerings to animal sacrifices in determining which actions are legally dec...

This week we will learn that grain offerings must be prepared and offered with proper intent, and analyze which incorrect intentions invalidate the offering versus merely prevent it from fulfilling the owner’s obligation. The Gemara defines the essential components of a meal offering—flour, oil, frankincense, and kemitzah—and explains how missing elements or procedural errors affect validity. It a...