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Beitzah 2:1

Jan 1, 2008 By Daniel Nevins | Text Study

Rabbinic law allows cooking food on yom tov [Pesah, Shavu’ot, Rosh Hashanah, and Sukkot], but only for yom tov. What, then, will one eat on the day immediately following Shabbat?

Rosh Hashanah 2:5

Jan 1, 2008 By Daniel Nevins | Text Study

Should do-gooders be given special dispensations?

Megillah 4:1

Jan 1, 2008 By Daniel Nevins | Text Study

This Mishnah is a window into early rabbinic customs of chanting scripture.

Moed Katan 1:5

Jan 1, 2008 By Daniel Nevins | Text Study

In talmudic times, the dead were initially placed in burial caves to decompose. After a year, their relatives would gather the bones for “second burial” in an ossuary. Could this be done during the festival?

Hagigah 1:5

Jan 1, 2008 By Daniel Nevins | Text Study

On the three pilgrimage festivals of Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot, Jews were required to make pilgrimage to Jerusalem and bring two sacrifices. The re’iyah (appearance offering) was an olah (burned sacrifice). The hagigah (festive offering) was a sh’lamim (edible sacrifice). The latter was shared by the family as a simhah, or “happy meal.” The Torah does not specify the size of these sacrifices.

Yevamot 15:1

Jan 1, 2008 By Daniel Nevins | Text Study

This tractate deals primarily with complicated cases that test the Torah’s dictate that if a man dies childless, his younger brother is obligated to marry the widow (Deut. 25:5-6). Mingled with these discussions are the consideration of many other situations involving widowhood, divorce, and remarriage.