A new educational project by the Chief Rabbi of Dnipro, Shmuel Kaminezki, has launched on the popular “Menorah” YouTube channel – “Talmud in 8 Minutes.” This is a format of concise, clear, and relevant lessons that show: the Talmud is not about antiquity, but about our present day.
Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki emphasizes: “The Talmud is the explanation of the Written Torah. When doubts or disputes arise in life, we open the Talmud and find similar cases analyzed by the sages almost two thousand years ago. Even if the situation is slightly different, the essence remains the same. The Talmud is a light for our lives. Without it, we see the world as if through a fog. And if you devote at least 8 minutes daily to its study, it brings clarity and helps in making the right decisions.”
The new episode is dedicated to a topic almost everyone has encountered: conflicts over damaged items, disputes about damages, misunderstandings between a client and a craftsman.
Why does a dry cleaner refuse to compensate the full cost of a suit?
Why doesn’t a jewelry workshop want to pay for the entire pair of earrings if it broke only one?
And who is right in these situations?
Rabbi Kaminezki refers to Tractate Bava Kama, page 53, where the sages discuss similar disputes: about wine that looked intact but had spoiled, and about how to assess damage if it is not outwardly visible.
This is the origin of the concept of “invisible damage” – cases where an item seems intact but has lost its value. How is compensation determined in such situations? Why does the distinction between intentional and unintentional damage change the compensation amount?
The “Talmud in 8 Minutes” project shows that the ancient pages of Tractate Bava Kama not only remain relevant but also help find honest, thoughtful, and peaceful solutions to everyday disputes.
Join us in watching, study together, and discover the practical wisdom of the Talmud – simply, concisely, and substantively.
Have you encountered similar situations? Write in the comments – let’s continue this conversation together.
