Dr. Rabbi Joshua Kulp is the co-author of The Schechter Haggadah, Reconstructing the Talmud Volume 1 and Volume 2, and the forthcoming Reimagining the Rabbis. He teaches for Hadar, Drisha, the Fuchsberg Jerusalem Center, and the Schechter Institute. He received his Ph.D. in Talmud from Bar-Ilan University and his semicha from the Hadar Institute.
Last Updated
February 16, 2026
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A person who digs or opens a pit into which an animal falls is liable for damages (Exodus 21:33–34). As a result of a hyper-literal reading of the term בַּעַל הַבּוֹר (baʿal ha-bor)—literally “the owner of the pit”—combined with abstract legal codification, the Talmud ends up suggesting that, in fact, a person who digs a pit on public property is actually exempt from paying damages.
A person who digs or opens a pit into which an animal falls is liable for damages (Exodus 21:33–34). As a result of a hyper-literal reading of the term בַּעַל הַבּוֹר (baʿal ha-bor)—literally “the owner of the pit”—combined with abstract legal codification, the Talmud ends up suggesting that, in fact, a person who digs a pit on public property is actually exempt from paying damages.
The night before Passover, chametz “leaven” is searched for and then burned the next morning—ביעור חמץ biʿur chametz. Afterwards, any remaining unfound chametz is nullified and declared to be “like the dust of the earth,”— ביטול חמץ bittul chametz. Which of these acts fulfills the biblical requirement?
The night before Passover, chametz “leaven” is searched for and then burned the next morning—ביעור חמץ biʿur chametz. Afterwards, any remaining unfound chametz is nullified and declared to be “like the dust of the earth,”— ביטול חמץ bittul chametz. Which of these acts fulfills the biblical requirement?
In the Second Temple period, a crimson thread was placed on the horn of the Yom Kippur scapegoat and tied to a stone in the desert before the goat was pushed off the cliff. After the verse “If your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18) was used as a prooftext for this non-biblical practice, the Talmud envisaged a magical ritual in which a second crimson thread would turn white on Yom Kippur to signal God’s acceptance of the people’s repentance.
In the Second Temple period, a crimson thread was placed on the horn of the Yom Kippur scapegoat and tied to a stone in the desert before the goat was pushed off the cliff. After the verse “If your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18) was used as a prooftext for this non-biblical practice, the Talmud envisaged a magical ritual in which a second crimson thread would turn white on Yom Kippur to signal God’s acceptance of the people’s repentance.
The Talmud requires having two unspecified cooked dishes to be eaten as part of the Passover meal. How did this requirement develop into the custom of placing two particular symbolic foods, the shankbone and the egg, on the seder plate?
The Talmud requires having two unspecified cooked dishes to be eaten as part of the Passover meal. How did this requirement develop into the custom of placing two particular symbolic foods, the shankbone and the egg, on the seder plate?
Shemurah matzah, “guarded matzah,” has two meanings: The matzah is guarded so that it does not become chametz, and the matzah is made with the express intent that it be used to fulfill the mitzvah. This latter idea, however, does not appear in any of the early (Tannaitic or Amoraic) layers of the Talmud, but only in the editorial (Stammaitic) layer. This article demonstrates how this notion entered rabbinic literature.[1]
Shemurah matzah, “guarded matzah,” has two meanings: The matzah is guarded so that it does not become chametz, and the matzah is made with the express intent that it be used to fulfill the mitzvah. This latter idea, however, does not appear in any of the early (Tannaitic or Amoraic) layers of the Talmud, but only in the editorial (Stammaitic) layer. This article demonstrates how this notion entered rabbinic literature.[1]
