Talking Talmud

Abaye and Rava dream the same dreams, which are consistently interpreted differently in the same way. How can that be? Plus: What it means when Yishmael shows up in your dream. Or when those elephants do.

Witnessing the supernatural. What shortens a person's life? God gives wisdom to the wise. Interpreting dreams, dreams, dreams. NOTE: THIS WAS FIRST RELEASED PRE-EDIT. IT IS FIXED NOW.

The glorious and different 9th chapter: When prayer is in vain. The radical prohibited requirement of greeting people with God's name. Miracles and their blessings. Larger than life, Moshe Rabbenu. Bentsching gomel.

Taking fire from a non-Jew for Havdalah (when is that okay?), and what that means about the dynamic between Jews and non-Jews (or the nature of talmudic exploration). Also: What if you forgot to bentsch?

Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai may have been more argumentative than was strictly necessary, but their disputes populate this daf, with a lot of food for thought. Also: The bat kol, a voice from on high, gets into the debate.

Yalta! Also: 3 things that you can do to prevent a visit from the Angel of Death. And: 10 things pertaining to the proper handling of wine at kiddush.

The Gemara borrows from a foreign field to understand the current topic, in this case: from the impure bed to zimun. Also: How wine becomes wine and stays wine.

Who's Who: The Resh Galuta (Exilarch). And: What is the difference between Birkat HaMazon and prayer?

More on zimun: when a child is eligible. When Yannai left nearly nobody left alive to lead the zimun. And: Finally, the basic texts and structure of Birkat HaMazon . Who's Who: Abaye and Rava (and Rabbah). Yannai and Shimon Ben Shetach. What's What: Kal VaChomer.

Etiquette, as dictated by Halakhah -- we'd still have manners without the Gemara, right? Also: The talmudic category of "am ha-aretz" and its halakhic applications, against the backdrop of our contemporary sensibilities.

Honoring your guests, honoring your betters - who breaks bread for the meal? The Persian banquet and its divans. "Ha-tov ve-ha-metiv" - in and out of context.

Ignorance is not bliss when you don't know the halakhah. Also: The honor of leading is truly an honor. Also: The holy congregation that is formed when 3 people sit down to eat together. What's What: The Meturgaman

A very sweet fruit, eaten in large quantities, and needing a salty fish accompaniment. The intoxicating beauty of the world. Also: Back to some basics, putting in place some building blocks of the past several dapim (Birkat HaMazon, 7 species, etc.).

The personal and the halakhic loss that happens with the death of Rav. Also: The naturalist blessings for all of us in God's perfect world. And: Don't disgrace others or yourself.

Pat HaBa BeKisnin: If you fill up on cakes and cookies and pretzels (snacks and desserts), you may not need to say Birkat HaMazon. You said you had HOW MUCH? You might have to daven as it is. If you fill up, you might need to bentsch after all. And a question a claim that IF this, THEN that -- immediately (what exactly does that entail? Perhaps you know.

The power of HaMotzi. The 7 species and their halakhic meaning in our land, including impurity because of Tzaraat. What's What: Asmakhta

Identifying the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. Also, how flexible is the formula for blessings? And the very flexible Shehakol blessing. Note: Talking Talmud is now on Facebook.

Also, the story of how two students incurred Bar Kapara's wrath. And: how big an olive?

The careful wording of HaMotzi, and the transformative partnership we recognize from the blessing's allusion to the Exodus from Egypt. Also, Who's Who: Ulla.

What do we do when the a Gemara gets detailed in the different halakhic intricacies on one daf. Plus: Rice and Rabban Gamliel vs. Rabbi Akiva.

Promoting a deep appreciation for the world around us, from time to the land, and the food we eat. Applying the blessings over food. Also: Orlah, the one "land" mitzvah that applies outside of the Land of Israel.

[WE HAVE MUSIC! (Still fine-tuning, literally, but excited to include our theme here)]. Birkat HaNehenin. Plus: tending your fields vs. learning Torah - How should we spend our time in this world? The eternal challenge of finding a balance.

Prayer is not magic. The Messianic Era won't be magic either. Also: Some "chazzan" etiquette. And the powerful need and effect of praying on behalf of others.

Clear demarcations on the expected violence from various specious of wildlife, and the miraculous doings of R. Chanina Ben Dosa in withstanding all that nature. Also: Who's Who/What's What: Anshei Knesset HaGedolah and the institution of Havdalah.

How much are we masters of our own fate? If God influences our actions, do we have free will? To what degree must human beings overcome themselves to reach the Divine?