Hey there, and welcome back to take one, the podcast that brings you just one correct page of Talmud each day.

And on today's page, Menachot 18, we receive, honestly,

a catalog of all the things that could go wrong once the Cohen prepares the sacrificial

offering. What if he did not pour in the oil? What if he did not mix the ingredients together? What if he did not pour in the oil? What if he did not mix the ingredients

together? What if he did not break up the meal offering in pieces? What if he did not salt it?

What if he did not lift it? What if he did not bring it to the altar? It's a long,

long, long list of steps that were skipped, steps that you would really think

were kind of essential. And yet, the rabbis teach us in that case, the offering is valid.

Because the Mishnah incredibly teaches us that while all these things needed to be done,

they didn't necessarily all have to be done according to the highest ideals.

And so even if these activities were performed by an ordinary person who is not a cohen,

these offerings would still be valid.

Look, maybe because it's very cold or because I'm a little bit sick,

or because it's kind of that time of year, you know, late January,

when we really think about all the resolutions we made just a few weeks ago.

But today's stuff really kind of warmed my heart because it reminded me, and I think all of us,

again and again and again, that the Torah doesn't necessarily want us to be absolutely perfect.

It understands that we are likely to mess up again and again and again,

mix up even steps that are important and crucial.

And yet, it forgives us and gives us another opportunity to try again and do better.

And so I want to share with you one of my absolute favorite things that we

have ever run on tablet magazine, a story that we ran a few years back on the Unorthodox

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