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Psychology of the Daf Yomi
Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R The Daf Yomi through a Psychological Lens.
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Too Much of a Good Thing? Gittin 6 Psychology of the Daf
Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R
May 22nd, 2023

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses the opinion of Shmuel that Babylonia is considered outside of Israel and a Get needs the messenger to attest to the signatures. Shmuel holds that though due to the constant traffic to and from the yeshivos in Israel to Bavel, there ought to be sufficient witnesses who could attest to the signatures on the Get, the Benei Yeshiva are engrossed in their studies and nonetheless would not recognize signatures.  …
Smoke Signals from Sodom Menachos 26 Psychology of the Daf Yomi
Author:
February 6th, 2026

Our Gemara on Amud Beis uses a prooftext from the story of the destruction of Sodom for a Halacha regarding the handful of the Mincha offering burned on the altar (Vayikra 2:2). The verse (Bereishis 19:28) states:
“And, looking down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of the Plain, he (Avraham) saw the smoke of the land rising like the smoke of a furnace.”
The Gemara’s derasha learns that since a furnace does not release smoke …
46 Sinners and Saints Psychology of the Daf
Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R
January 6th, 2021

Our Gemara quotes a Mishna that skins that are worked and processed lose their status of Tum’ah, with the exception of human skin which remains impure.  Based on this difference, there is an important polemic between a Saducee and a Sage recorded in Mishna Yadayim 4:6.  The dispute is as follows: How does rabbinic law make sense? They render scrolls of scripture as impure, while Greek sacred literature (possibly referring to Homer …
15 Minutes of Fame Eruvin 88 Psychology of the Daf
Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R
November 5th, 2020

  בִּיב הַקָּמוּר אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים — שׁוֹפְכִין לְתוֹכוֹ מַיִם בַּשַּׁבָּת. If the first four cubits of a drainage ditch were arched over (Kamur) in the public domain, one may pour waste water into it on Shabbat. What is this obscure term, Kamur? Meiri ibid on word Kemoros ועוקה זו מתרת בין בפנים ובין מבחוץ …
Man Must Finish the Job Avodah Zarah 54 Psychology of the Daf Yomi
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August 12th, 2025

The Mishna on Amud Beis records a polemic between Roman philosophers and our Jewish sages:
The gentiles asked the Jewish Sages who were in Rome: If it is not God’s will that people should engage in idol worship, why does He not eliminate it?
The Sages said to them: Were people worshipping only objects for which the world has no need, He would eliminate it. But they worship the sun and the moon and the stars and the constellations. Should …
It Is Straight Out in Bereishis Avodah Zarah 25 Psychology of the Daf Yomi
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July 13th, 2025

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph explores the identity of Sefer HaYashar (“The Book of the Upright”), mentioned in Yehoshua (10:13). One opinion says it refers to Bereishis, the Book of Genesis, because it chronicles the Patriarchs, who are known as yesharim—the upright ones.The term yashar implies someone morally straight, honest, and correct. In Jewish liturgy and tradition, we often encounter three types of righteous individuals: yashar, tzaddik …
Idolatry 401: Avrahams Advanced Degrees Avodah Zarah 14 Psychology of the Daf Yomi
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July 2nd, 2025

Our Gemara on Amud Beis tells us that our forefather, Avraham, was well-versed in 400 chapters of idolatry.What does this mean? A simple reading is that in his quest to find the true religion and God, he studied the various religions of his time. (The number 400 in Hebrew often means a large number, such as Esav’s 400 men (Bereishis 33:1), adding 400 benches to the study hall (Berachos 28a), 400 casks of wine (Berachos 5b), and more.)
The Mi …
Grains of Truth: Sand, Glass, and Jewish Destiny Avodah Zara 75 Psychology of the Daf Yomi
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August 25th, 2025

Our Gemara on Amud Beis discusses whether glass vessels require ritual immersion, like metal vessels, which Biblically require immersion when purchased from a gentile—or whether they do not, like earthenware vessels. The Gemara reasons they are similar to metal, because if exposed to enough heat, they melt and can be reformed. (Glass, after all, is made by superheating sand until it liquefies.)
This quality of sand to melt into glass is note …
Enmeshment: Momma’s Boys and Daddy’s Girls Kesuvos 60 Psychology of the Daf Yomi
Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R
September 4th, 2022

Our Gemara mentions a problematic pattern of behavior that can, according to the Gemara, even affect a woman’s likelihood of conceiving:  Redufa leylech el beis aviha, When there is contention in the marriage and the woman tends to return back to her father’s home.There is a normal human pattern for young women to connect to and seek guidance from their mothers, as we saw by Rivkah (Bereishis 24:28): וַתָּ֙רׇץ֙ הַֽנ …
Compatibility Factors in Marriage Yevamos 110 Psychology of the Daf Yomi
Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R
June 24th, 2022

Our gemara on amud beis discusses the idea that certain people may have preference in marriage for someone similar to them, such as a deaf person may prefer to marry a deaf person. If compatibility and similarity in interests are important in marriage, to what extent and what domains can be identified?  Doing this can help couples work on enhancing them together, and also help people who are dating identify these areas as priorities.  R …
A Well-Mixed Maseches Avodah Zara 58 Psychology of the Daf Yomi
Author:
August 15th, 2025

Our Gemara on Amud Beis ponders the exact definition of a particular Aramaic word for mixing wine and its relation to its Hebrew form. In the process, it cites a verse from Mishlei (9:2):
“She has prepared the feast, mixed the wine, and also set the table.”
The Aramaic mazag and Hebrew masach both refer to the process of diluting wine with water. In the ancient world, wine was apparently a kind of syrup or thick concentrate, mixed with …
A Token of Appreciation Kesuvos 79 Psychology of the Daf Yomi
Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R
September 23rd, 2022

It is important to show gratitude.  Sometimes gratitude does not involve much effort or expenditure, so long as it is sincere. Our Mishna on Amud Beis teaches us: הַמּוֹצִיא הוֹצָאוֹת עַל נִכְסֵי אִשְׁתּוֹ הוֹצִיא הַרְבֵּה וְאָכַל קִימְעָא קִימְעָא וְאָכַל הַרְבֵּה מַה שֶּׁהוֹצִיא הוֹצִיא וּמַה שֶּׁאָכַל אָכַל ה …
מילי דהספידא על אבי ומורי זכר צדיק לברכה
Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R
October 1st, 2017

 מילי דהספידא על אבי ומורי זכר צדיק לברכה מאת: הרב שמחה פוירמן   ביום שלישי, כ״ט אלול תשע״ז הרב חיים יהושע בן אברהם פוירמן סים מלהגיד שיעורו האחרון בישיבה אוניברסיטי, מכון לחינוך ״עזריאלי״. אמר לאחד ממשרתיו, ״חכה לי, שצריך אני לנוח קצת״, ואז יצאה …
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