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The follow-up to the smash HBO limited series ‘The White Lotus’ explores issues of sex and relationships, trust and power, class and privilege, beauty and treachery in a new luxurious setting. Also, can you believe that died?! And also , , and ?! Intrigued? Enticed? Enjoy a romantic, exotic, and dangerous getaway with Rabbis […]

Happy Holidays from your friends at the Amen Corner! This week, Brad and Steven do a Christmas episode that does NOT include any discussion about Chinese food or going to the movies. Instead, they talk about their favorite Christmas songs and think about cultural appreciation versus appropriation. Whatever holiday you celebrate, or if you don’t celebrate […]

This week, Brad and Steven are gearing up for Chanukah and Steven waxes nostalgic for his favorite Chanukah gift of all time. Spoiler alert: it’s not the grapefruit spoons. They also talk about vaccinations and car accidents and wonder if anything at all can be done to change people’s bad behavior. Spoiler alert: nothing can be done. Happy listening! […]

The new Hulu series ‘Fleishman is in Trouble’, starring Jesse Eisenberg and Claire Danes, is a show about how love can become hate, marriage can devolve into divorce, midlife can spiral into a crisis, comfort can turn into boring routine, and the blessing of kids can turn into the thankless burden of parenting. In other […]

This week, Brad and Steven talk about their favorite Eddie Murphy movie, Aaron Judge re-signing with their beloved New York Yankees, the World Cup, and how everyone is on the take. They also talk about waking up earlier as they get older. Happy listening! You can listen to The Amen Corner in lots of ways. […]

In this episode, Rabbis Daniel and Hillary Chorny delve into the complex mishnah that began on the previous amud . This mishnah features several scenarios over which the chachamim of the mishnah and Rabbi Eliezer Yaakov disagree.

In this episode, Rabbis Daniel and Hillary Chorny conclude the fourth chapter of Nedarim and begin the fifth chapter, which is concerned with the implications of mutual vows on two partners who share property.

In this episode, Rabbi Daniel Chorny delves into the fundamental disagreement between Rabbi Yosi and the chachamim in answering the question: when does a renunciation of ownership ( hefker ) go into effect?

In this episode, Rabbi Daniel Chorny explores the limits, challenges, and relationship between one who vows that his fellow may not enjoy any of his property, and the one who is subject to the restrictions of that vow.

In this episode, Rabbis Daniel and Hillary Chorny explore the effectiveness of vows made before and during the sh'mita year. The daf begins with the fifth mishnah of chapter four of Nedarim.

On this page, continuing the theme of the mitzvah of bikkur holim, we focus on three statements today. One regarding the relationship between forgiveness and healing. One regarding how illness can impact our intellectual capacity. And one regarding the extraordinary, though every-day, miracle of people moving from illness to health.

This week, Brad and Steven talk about the World Cup and why American announcers feel the need to be British when calling a soccer game. Keeping with the World Cup motif, they talk about the legendary Pele’s illness and his impact on American soccer. They also discuss the week in Nazism and the noticeable changes […]

In this episode we take a break from some nitty-gritty material regarding vows and promises, and learn about the great mitzvah of visiting the sick, reminding us that when we choose to make ourselves vulnerable to others’ pain and discomfort, we can contribute to enormous healing.

Happy After-Thanksgiving from your friends at the Amen Corner! This week, Brad and Steven do their post-mortem on Thanksgiving eating and hope that they’ll feel like themselves again soon. They also discuss cryptocurrency and that time that the former president of the United states hosted a Nazi for dinner. Happy listening! You can listen to […]

‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ is the eagerly-awaited sequel to one of the most critically and commercially successful films of all time. The original ‘Black Panther’ was not only a mega-hit, but a watershed in pop culture, particularly for many in the African-American community. Adding to the significance of ‘Wakanda Forever’ is the fact that the […]

 It’s the Special Pre-Thanksgiving Special episode and this week, Brad and Steven talk about the potential demise of Twitter and wonder if Elon Musk just bought the platform in order to destroy it. The guys also discuss if the podcast is too “bro-y” and wonder how things are going to go for the Republicans in congress if […]

On this week’s episode, Brad and Steven continue their discussion about the midterm elections and the non-existent “Red Wave.” They also talk about the ridiculous Sunday Routines section of the New York Times and wonder what a profile of Steven would look like. Have a listen and enjoy — and Big Mazal Tov to Tiffany Trump on […]

The new Prime Video series ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,’ is based on one of the most popular book and film series ever, and is the most expensive TV show ever produced. Does it rule them all? Has the king returned? And just how Jewish are harfoots and hobbits, anyway? Rabbis […]

This week, Brad and Steven are back for a special mid-term election episode. They look at the winners and losers and talk about the “Red Wave” that failed to materialize. The guys also discuss some of the lessons that the Republicans may draw from these elections and what it could mean for 2024. Happy listening! […]

Some notes on variations in Talmudic manuscripts and how they relate to our daf -- where we see a strange phrase that doesn’t seem to fit and indeed isn’t found in other manuscripts.

Are all nazirim sinners? And why seem some of the rabbis convinced that anyone who does take the oath of nazirut is indeed a sinner? What is Judaisms relationship to self-imposed stringencies?

We look at the difference between nedavot and nedarim, we learn about the "oath of the wicked" and the "oath of righteous" and why the first one is valid and the latter is not.

Can you swear an oath to fulfill a mitzah? And what happens if you fail to fulfill it -- would you have to bring a sin offering? How can you even swear to fulfill something for which you are obligated in the first place?

Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Ute Steyer looks at Masechet Nedarim, Daf 7. Certain transgressions bring the punishment of “nidui” — excommunication. What does this mean? And can a person revoke a “nidui” that he placed on himself or herself? To view the text of Nedarim, Daf 7 on Sefaria, […]

Is a partial declaration, a "yad" valid in the case of kiddushin? There are all kinds of misunderstandings that can happen as some of the sages will point out. And what are some other examples where a "yad" might have more than one meaning -- and are these declarations valid?