Liel Leibovitz: Why the Talmud Is So Hard to Love—and Worth Loving
Liel Leibovitz reflects on falling in love with the Talmud precisely because it is so difficult—and on how its questions, frustrations, and intricate details can transform the way we live.
TodaySponsored by Daniel and Jessica Courtney in memory of Dr. Stuart A. Courtney.
This weekSponsored by Richard and Sheryl Weisberg in honor of My Grandchildren.
In this episode of Talmud Daily: Voices, Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin speaks with Liel Leibovitz, his longtime chavruta (study partner) and co-host of Tablet’s Take One, about what it means to truly learn Talmud.
Liel reflects on his own journey from encountering the Talmud as an outsider to making its study a central part of his Jewish life. Together, they discuss why the Talmud can be so difficult and frustrating, how its attention to the smallest details can transform the way we experience everyday life, and why learning Gemara is less about finding easy answers than learning how to ask better questions.
Liel Leibovitz is editor-at-large for Tablet Magazine and the host of its daily Talmud podcast Take One. He is also the author of How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book.
Read the full transcript
We try to make transcripts available week after the podcast it released. Thank you for your patience!