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Chagigah 17: Keep Your Goals Modest

A new mishnah! With a dispute between Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai (with some background on their disputes), over whether semichah – the laying of hands on the holiday. Beit Shammai says the fully burnt offerings can’t be brought on the holiday anyway, because they aren’t eaten. But when the festival of Shavuot falls out on Shabbat, and there is a korban olah (that is fully burnt), then when can you bring it? Since Shavuot doesn’t have any Chol HaMoed! Note the historical context to the Shavuot debate – because the Sadducees insisted that every Shavuot fall out on Shabbat, where the sages did not. Plus, a mnemonic for 6 halakhic differences between Shemini Atzeret and Sukkot – with a focus here on tashlumin. Also, the life lesson: if you aim for too much, you won’t achieve it, but if you keep your goals modest, you’ll meet them – a principle learned in the context of the number of days of these holidays

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Anne and Yardaena

Anne Gordon is the deputy editor of Ops & Blogs at The Times of Israel. She is a veteran educator, having taught in high school and post-high school institutions in Israel and America for several decades. Yardaena Osband is a pediatrician and teaches in her community and online. They both hail from Boston, proud alumna of Maimonides School, where they first learned Gemara. Talking Talmud is their conversation (via podcast) on the daf yomi. They say: "Learning the daf? We have something for you to think about. Not learning the daf? We have something for you to think about! (Along with a taste of the daf...) Join the conversation with us!"
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