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Menahot 44: The Prostitute, the Sage, and His Tzitzit

02.24.2026 | ז׳ באדר תשפ״ו

On the “hilazon,” the crustacean whose blood is used to make the tekhelet: the murex trunculus, and its form, function, and impact. Also, the Gemara tells the story of a sage who was particularly careful about the mitzvah of tzitzit, and, indeed, they end up protecting him from sin (and then in reward for his resolve to not sin, he is given the very opportunity that was prohibited – but now permitted for him). Also, 2 mishnayot! 1 – Non-essential libations with regard to each other. But what about the grain-offering itself? 2 – The bull, the ram, and the lamb of the Musaf offerings – are not essential for each of the others to be accepted.

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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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