On today’s pages, Chullin 59 and 60⁠, the Talmud pauses its legal discussions to tell stories—unforgettable stories featuring lions, emperors, and the incomparable Rabbi Yehoshua ben Hananiah. Through wit, parable, and imagination, the rabbis teach truths that argument alone could never convey. Why is storytelling one of Judaism’s greatest teaching tools? Listen and find out.

On today’s pages, Chullin 57 and 58⁠, the rabbis tell a shocking story in which terror quite literally saves a man’s life. Far from being merely an unpleasant emotion, fear emerges as a force that can reshape both body and mind. Modern psychological research suggests they may have been onto something. Why do we voluntarily scare ourselves, and what can fear teach us? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Chullin 56⁠, a debate about birds and weasel bites turns into a lesson in intellectual honesty. After advancing one position, Rabbi Zeiri later reexamines the evidence, changes his mind, and informs his colleagues of his mistake. In an age when everyone is expected to double down, what does it mean to simply admit you were wrong? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Chullin 55⁠, the rabbis demonstrate a remarkable commitment to evidence, devising a method to determine whether an animal’s condition arose naturally or through external harm. Their willingness to question assumptions and seek verifiable answers serves as a powerful reminder that knowledge grows through inquiry, not conformity. Featuring remarks from Sinai Award recipient Larry Sanger, co-founder of Wikipedia, and an introduction by Walter Kirn. Why is the search for truth worth defending? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Chullin 54⁠, a technical discussion about missing organs yields an unexpectedly hopeful lesson. Again and again, the rabbis rule that an animal can survive conditions that seem impossible at first glance. The result is a reminder that life is often sturdier than we imagine and that setbacks we assume are fatal may not be. What if we are more resilient than we think? Listen and find out.

On today’s pages, Chullin 52 and 53⁠, a debate about foxes, dogs, cats, and other predators becomes a meditation on the importance of particulars. Rather than treating all threats as identical, the rabbis carefully distinguish between different actors, different behaviors, and different consequences. The result is a model of thinking that resists slogans and demands close attention to facts. What happens when we stop arguing about categories and start looking at cases? Listen and find out.

On today’s pages, Chullin 50 and 51⁠, a seemingly technical discussion about an animal falling from a roof takes an unexpected turn when the rabbis tell the story of a goat that saw food below and jumped for it. Rather than assuming disaster, the sages conclude that the goat understood the distance and made the leap deliberately. The result is a surprisingly modern lesson about analysis paralysis, self-doubt, and the opportunities we miss when we spend too much time worrying. What can a hungry goat teach us about courage? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Chullin 50⁠, a discussion about injuries and defects in an animal’s digestive tract reminds us how carefully the rabbis examined every detail of the world before them. As we conclude our week-long series honoring the Lubavitcher Rebbe on the day of his yahrzeit, Rabbi Motti Seligson joins us to reflect on the Rebbe’s enduring intellectual and spiritual legacy. Together, we consider the immense scope of the Rebbe’s teachings and the powerful idea that all of Torah—and indeed all of life—forms a single interconnected whole. What happens when you begin to see the world that way? Listen and find out.

On today’s page, Chullin 48⁠, a rabbi chooses not to impose his own stringency and instead directs questioners to a colleague whose ruling will bring them closer to Jewish life. Continuing our series honoring the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Mordechai Lightstone joins us to discuss one of the Rebbe’s most enduring ideas: that there are no faraway Jews. What if the goal is not to bring Jews closer, but to recognize how close they already are? Listen and find out

On today’s page, Chullin 47⁠, a remarkable story about a child’s survival becomes the starting point for a conversation about education, growth, and human potential. Continuing our series honoring the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Mendel Banon joins us to explore the Rebbe’s vision of education—not merely as the transfer of information, but as the cultivation of identity, values, and purpose. What is education really supposed to accomplish? Listen and find out.