Rabbi Carl Perkins

About Rabbi Carl Perkins

Rabbi Carl M. Perkins has been the spiritual leader of Temple Aliyah in Needham, MA, since 1991. Educated at Haverford College, Harvard Law School and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, Carl has taught and lectured widely in the Boston area, including at Hebrew College and Boston College Law School. He is the author of the revised edition of Embracing Judaism, and numerous short essays on the Jewish Values Online website. He is a Senior Rabbinic Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, and a member of the board of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston.

July 29, 2022

Ketubot, Daf 23

Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Carl Perkins looks at Masechet Ketubot, Daf 23. Two women return from captivity. What are the legal consequences when one of them testifies about what happened to each of them in captivity? The opening and closing music for this podcast is Ufros from The Epichorus […]

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July 28, 2022

Ketubot, Daf 22

Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Carl Perkins looks at Masechet Ketubot, Daf 22. Another example of “the mouth that confined is the mouth that permits.” Also, why would a woman, even (or especially?) a prominent woman, lie about her marital status? The opening and closing music for this podcast is […]

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July 27, 2022

Ketubot, Daf 21

Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Carl Perkins looks at Masechet Ketubot, Daf 21. Sometimes, you can learn important lessons when people say the most obvious things. Also, why would a judge act with greater care and precision than the law demands? The opening and closing music for this podcast is […]

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July 26, 2022

Ketubot, Daf 20

Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Carl Perkins looks at Masechet Ketubot, Daf 20. The dangers of refreshing a witness’s recollection. Also, when a witness confirms his signature on a document, what is he really doing? Is he testifying that the contents of the document are true and/or that it was […]

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July 25, 2022

Ketubot, Daf 19

Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Carl Perkins looks at Masechet Ketubot, Daf 19. The principle of “the mouth that confines is the mouth that releases.” Also, three kinds of promissory notes that it is best not to keep in your home. The opening and closing music for this podcast is […]

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July 24, 2022

Ketubot, Daf 18

Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Carl Perkins looks at Masechet Ketubot, Daf 18. In order to make use of a ketubah or other note to recover funds, it must first be authenticated. In this episode, we discuss one challenge that can arise when witnesses come forward to authenticate their signatures […]

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July 23, 2022

Ketubot, Daf 17

Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Carl Perkins looks at Masechet Ketubot, Daf 17. How honest should we be when asked to describe a bride at her wedding? How indeed should we sing the praises of the bride? And what do we have to play at a wedding, anyway, if we’re […]

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July 22, 2022

Ketubot, Daf 16

Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Carl Perkins looks at Masechet Ketubot, Daf 16. Is a marriage an expression of love between two people, or is it a business transaction? There’s nothing like the dissolution of a marriage to make it seem more like the latter. On this page, we begin […]

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January 1, 2022

Megillah, Daf 20

Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Carl Perkins looks at Masechet Megillah Daf 20. On this page we examine the question: When does day begin? Is it sunrise, or is it when light first appears in the eastern sky? There are arguments for both opinions. The halachic (Jewish legal) issue is: […]

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December 31, 2021

Megillah, Daf 19

Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Carl Perkins looks at Masechet Megillah Daf 19. On this page we explore the tension between uniformity and variety in religious practice. According to the Talmud, different communities read the Megillah (the Scroll of Esther) on different days. Yet all read the entire Megillah—even though […]