On today’s pages, Zevachim 75 and 76, we learn that when two sanctities are found in separate bodies, one sacred offering may not be diminished in order to preserve another. Our teacher, Rabbi David Bashevkin, joins us to explain how this principle echoed through Jewish history, including debates over whether auctioning off a Torah scroll to fund communal needs dishonors one holy object for the sake of another. What can this tension teach us about honoring the distinct value of the sacred things in our lives? Listen and find out.

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On today’s page, Zevachim 74, we honor the daf by letting it quietly sit in the background while we mark Thanksgiving with a different kind of offering: a conversation about gratitude. When he joined us on Unorthodox back in 2018, A.J. Jacobs talked about his quest to thank a thousand people for his daily coffee and what it taught him about Jewish gratitude, interdependence, and noticing the good. What happens to our hearts when we start treating every small comfort as the work of a whole hidden community? Listen and find out.

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On today’s page, Zevachim 73, the rabbis teach that an animal unfit for sacrifice does not become nullified when mixed with permitted animals, because each creature is considered significant on its own terms. This theme echoes the message in Alana Newhouse’s powerful essay on industrial farming, “Ugly In, Ugly Out,” reminding us how easily individuality and dignity get erased when we treat living beings as interchangeable. How does our moral clarity sharpen when we refuse to let the unique value of anything—or anyone—get lost in the mix? Listen and find out.

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 On today’s page, Zevachim 72, the rabbis explore which forbidden items in a mixture can’t be nullified because they’re considered too significant to simply disappear. They use examples like nuts, pomegranates, gourds, and even homemade loaves to show how value changes the calculus. Why do certain things matter more to us than their size or cost might suggest? Listen and find out.

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On today’s pages, Zevachim 70 and 71, a technical debate about mixed sacrificial animals highlights the importance of preserving the integrity of each offering, even when confusion enters the process. This principle nudges us to think about the parts of our lives that become cluttered or overmixed, making it harder to experience clarity and uplift. How does staying true to the essential create more room for the sacred? Listen and find out.

Read Liel's martini piece for County Highway here.

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On today’s pages, Zevachim 68 and 69, we encounter a striking comparison: a living sheep makes one sound, but in death its horns, bones, skin, and sinews become a symphony. This parable points us toward the power of enduring influence, showing how the traces we leave behind can create beauty and meaning long after we’ve departed. How might we shape a legacy that continues to make music in the world? Listen and find out.

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On today’s page, Zevachim 67, we learn that a woman who vows to bring a pair of birds if she gives birth to a son must actually bring two pairs—one for her vow and one for her standing obligation. This layered requirement invites us to reflect on how faith is shaped not only by what we hope for but also by what we owe, grounding gratitude in something steadier than circumstance. How might our spiritual lives change when thankfulness is not transactional? Listen and find out.

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On today’s page, Zevachim 66, the rabbis remind us that a properly performed bird sin offering is considered fit, even though the details have already been laid out with precision. When he joined us on Unorthodox back in 2020, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks helped us reflect on how stating the obvious can itself be a moral act, especially when the obvious is what we most easily overlook. Why do we need reminders of truths we think we already know? Listen and find out.

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On today’s page, Zevachim 65, we learn that the pinching of a bird’s neck must be done by the priest himself rather than with a tool. This rule challenges us to consider what is lost when we distance ourselves from the actions that sustain us, allowing tools to create emotional or physical separation. What might we reclaim by bringing our bodies back into the process? Listen and find out.

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On today’s pages, Zevachim 63 and 64, we encounter the Talmud’s vivid description of how priests prepared bird offerings and the raw, hands-on nature of the ritual. Our producer and resident bird-cooking correspondent, Josh Kross, joins us to reflect on why handling a whole creature changes the way we think about food, skill, and respect. How does facing the physicality of sacrifice help shape a more mindful relationship to what we consume? Listen and find out.

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