Mishna Accomplished

Our final episode of the season doesn’t talk about Sukkot explicitly. We mainly discuss the times that all 24 watches (groups or mishmarot) of Kohanim shared the temple foods, especially the Lechem HaPanim, or showbread. You can find these mishnas here . Content note: In the final mishna, I add in an extra Hebrew word (Tov) that is not supposed to be there. Apologies for the error and for my limit...

We have a super-sized episode today as we tackle two giant mishnas about the trumpet blasts in the Temple and the way the Cohanim divided up the different offerings. The mishnas (Sukkah 5:5-6) can be found here . This is our second-last episode of the season, so if you want to hear my siyyum prep suggestions, you can check out season one, episodes 14 , 16 and 17 . You can follow Mishna Accomplishe...

We continue the fifth chapter of Tractate Sukkah today learning about the wicks for the giant candelabras and the festivities of the Simchat Beit HaShoeva. The mishnas (Sukkah 5:3-4) can be found here . When discussing the second mishna, we raise more questions than we answer, so I hope you have a commentary you like to dive into!  You can follow Mishna Accomplished on Instagram at @mishnaaccompli...

We start the fifth and final chapter of Tractate Sukkah today. Our mishnas, which can be found on Sefaria here , tell us about the Simchat Beit HaShoeva, the celebration each night preceding the early morning water drawing. It’s a short episode, but we manage to squeeze in me singing and also the original source for mechitza in rabbinic literature. Listener discretion is advised.  You can follow M...

We conclude our discussion of chapter 4 by digging into the second last phrase, about the Nisuch Hamayim (also known as the water libation.) We cover Sukkah 4:9-10. You can find these mishnas on Sefaria here . While making sense of today’s mishnas, I relied heavily on the commentary of the Tiferet Yisrael. You can learn a LOT more about him if you read this article.   You can follow Mishna Accompl...

Today is the 17th of Tammuz, so we’ve chosen to diverge from our normal tractate to cover Pirkei Avot with special guest Tami Hershkovitz, author of Mishnafari. Mishnafari is a series of books that teach social emotional learning (SEL) using the text of Pirkei Avot. Tami and I talk about how she uses storytelling and songs to teach these famous mishnayot. Even if you’ve heard these sayings before,...

We conclude our discussion of the Hoshana Rabba aravot rituals and move on to expanding on other phrases from Sukkah 4:1, specifically, Hallel, simcha and sukkah. We cover three mishnas today, Sukkah 4:6-8. You can find them on Sefaria here .   Just a quick note that due to an editing error, S2E19 was initially missing one Hebrew sentence. The error has been corrected. If you are hoping to make a...

Our study of chapter 4 of Masechet Sukkah continues as the Mishna tells us how the lulav and arava were taken in the Temple. You can find these mishnas on Sefaria here . Note: The version of the episode that was first posted here was missing a phrase in the Hebrew. This was corrected on 6/29 at 6pm eastern. You can follow Mishna Accomplished on Instagram at @mishnaaccomplished - only one “h” in “m...

Rabbi Uri Topolosky of Kehilat Pardes - the Rock Creek Synagogue - in Rockville, MD, joins me as we start the chapter which tells us the number of times each ritual was performed in the time of the Temple. We learn that the Arba Minim and Aravot were taken six or seven times, depending on when Shabbat fell. We start to discuss the rituals of Nisuch Ha’Mayim (the water libation) and Simchat Beit Ha...

Today is a three-mishna day. We’re doing a few of these since we have short mishnas for a little while. Today’s episode discusses taking the lulav when the first day of Sukkot is also Shabbat. Guess what? They did take the lulav then! They had procedures in place to avoid carrying the lulav in the public domain on Shabbat. Mishna 13 tells us about these procedures, Mishna 14 talks about what happe...

We kick today’s episode off with Sukkah 3:11, which discusses variations in local customs when it comes to saying Hallel. We also are taught a few rules about procuring lulavs and etrogs during the shmittah year. Our second mishna, Sukkah 3:12, is identical to Rosh Hashana 4:3. Since I already discussed this text with Tzipporah Machlah Klapper in S1E15, our episode features a clip of that original...

We start talking about the mitzvah of taking the lulav and learn about waving the lulav during the recitation of Hallel. The mishna discusses a man who can’t read Hallel. You can find these mishnas on Sefaria here . You can follow Mishna Accomplished on Instagram at @mishnaaccomplished - only one “h” in “mishna”! Are you enjoying the podcast? Please rate and review it wherever you get your podcast...

  We continue studying the etrog with machlokot (disputes) about the minimum and maximum size. We also have a dispute about what materials can be used to tie the Ara Minim together. Our mishnas (Sukkah 3:7-8) are short, so we have a few moments to learn some biographical information about our featured sages, Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yosei. You can find these mishnas on Sefaria here .   I...

Today, etrogs get their turn as we see how the rules of stolen, idolatrous and blemished Arba Minim apply specifically to the etrog. I think a little bit about how beauty standards are subjective and change over time. You can find these mishnas on Sefaria here . You can follow Mishna Accomplished on Instagram at @mishnaaccomplished - only one “h” in “mishna”! I use a lot of Hebrew terms when I'm t...

My colleague Marc Silberstein joins me as we continue chapter 3. Today’s mishnas, Sukkah 3:3-4, lay out rules governing stolen, idolatrous, and fashimmeled* willow branches as well as the total number of myrtle and willow required. You can find them on Sefaria here . We discuss some of the bigger ideas behind stolen ritual items, including mitzvah ha’ba’a b’avera, a mitzvah that comes about as a r...

Today, we start chapter 3, which discusses the four species (arba minim). Today’s mishnas, Sukkah 3:1-2, lay out rules governing stolen, idolatrous, and fashimmeled* lulavs and myrtle branches. You can find them on Sefaria here . *This is Yiddish. I often oversimplify complicated halachic ideas due to time constraints. In the episode, I clarify some of my comments from Episode 10. You can read mor...

Rabbi Sara Levy-Stevenson joins us to discuss Sukkah 2:8-9. We grapple with the exemption of women from the mitzvah of sitting in the sukkah and discuss the impact of rain on sitting in the sukkah. You can find them on Sefaria here . I often oversimplify complicated halachic ideas due to time constraints. In the episode, I mention that some Sefardi women don’t say brachot on time-bound mitzvot lik...

How do you keep up your mishna routine when traveling? Today, we discuss how a daily learning schedule can be impacted when you are traveling, with or without your child. After we think through those potential challenges and deconstruct how they led to Tuesday’s technical difficulties, we study Sukkah 2:6-7. These two mishnas discuss rules that apply to eating in the sukkah. You can find them on S...

Disclaimer: Today’s episode was recorded remotely from a hotel room in Yonkers. The sound quality is not up to our usual standards. We appreciate your forbearance.   Today’s episode covers Sukkah 2:4-5. These two mishnas start with one final rule about sukkah construction, then move to laws about eating in the sukkah. You can find them on Sefaria here . You can follow Mishna Accomplished on Instag...

Today’s episode covers Sukkah 2:2-3. These two mishnas feature a bevy of out-of-the-ordinary sukkahs that are nonetheless acceptable for use. You can find them on Sefaria here .   I dedicate today’s episode to the memory of Lieutenant Nathan Baskind, z”l. Read about Lieutenant Baskind here: https://www.operationbenjamin.org/nathanbaskind   May his memory be for a blessing, and may the Torah we can...

Today’s mishnas are jam-packed: We finish chapter 1 with pointy-topped sukkahs and reed mats. We start chapter 2 with a story about sleeping under the bed in the sukkah that dredges up some uncomfortable stuff. You can find these mishnas on Sefaria here .  Content warning: The mishna discusses all aspects of adult life. Today’s episode will briefly discuss sources of ritual impurity. Listener disc...

Today, we welcome Dr. Sara Ronis to the pod as we discuss Sukkah 1:9-10. These mishnas cover aspects of Sukkah construction, including gaps at the top and bottom of walls and schach placed over preexisting structure. Dr. Ronis tells us all about Queen Helene, whose sukkah was discussed extensively in the Talmud on Sukkah 2b ( read it here ) and featured gaps between the tops of the walls and the s...

Ren B returns to the pod and we overview the order of Mo’ed and its tractates. Our mishnas for today are Sukkah 1:7-8, continuing the discussion of using boards from your roof as schach, as well as supporting your schach on material that is not itself kosher schach and the possibility of a haystack sukkah. You can find these mishnas on Sefaria here .  I use a lot of Hebrew terms when I'm talking....

Today I welcome special guest Rabbi Derek Rosenbaum, my buddy teacher. Our mishnas continue Tractate Sukkah’s general rules of materials for schach with rules about bundles of twigs and large boards for schach.  Rabbi Rosenbaum and I discuss our sukkah project where the students build sukkahs based on these mishnas. You can find these mishnas on Sefaria here .  I use a lot of Hebrew terms when I'm...

Today I welcome special guest Meena Viswanath, who tells us about the way she picks tractates when studying with her 7-year-old daughter. Our mishnas continue Tractate Sukkah with a discussion of items that can’t be above or below the schach and general rules of materials for schach. You can find these mishnas on Sefaria here .  I use a lot of Hebrew terms when I'm talking. Check out my glossary h...