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December 19, 2024

Adventures on the Sea of the Talmud

Real-estate law, giant frogs, and the Jewish Sinbad.

Yesterday, those following the program of daily Talmud study known as daf yomi, the daily page, finished the tractate of Bava Batra (literally, “the last gate,” so called because it is the third and last section of an older tractate about civil law). Bava Batra’s main concern is real-estate and inheritance law, and, in the standard edition, it is the longest tractate in the Talmud. David Bashevkin comments on what he finds its most compelling portion:

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December 19, 2024

  1. Hamas Isn’t Invincible

    “When Islamists start to lose wars, the faithful soon lose heart.”

  2. The Drawbacks of Israel’s Military Brilliance

    Feats like the exploding pagers can create a false sense of what the IDF can achieve.

  3. France’s Foreign-Policy Hypocrisy Extends to Israel

    Speaking of justice while doing business with bad actors.

  4. Adventures on the Sea of the Talmud

    Real-estate law, giant frogs, and the Jewish Sinbad.

  5. Despite Lingering Anti-Semitism, Slovakia Is a Safe Haven for Jews

    “A surprising and highly gratifying degree of philo-Semitism.”