Introduction I. Tractate Berachot and Seder Moed: Prayers, Shabbat and Holidays 1. Berachot: On how to pray, whose prayers are granted, and the perils of snubbing a rabbi's wife. 2. Shabbat: On forbidden labors, set-aside items, and learning the Torah while standing on one leg. 3. Eruvin: On bounaries, interpreting the Torah, and why the Messiah will come on a weekday. 4. Pesachim: On searching for chametz, the Passover sacrifice, and how to calculate the size of hell. 5. Shekalim: On money-changers in the Temple, the appearance of impropriety, and what happened to the Ark of the Covenant. 6. Yoma: On sacred choreography, the meaning of atonement, and the many uses of manna. 7. Sukka: On squaring the circle, using an elephant as a wall, and why the sages juggled torches. 8. Beitza: On newly laid eggs, good table manners, and why the Jewish people need a fiery law. 9. Rosh Hashanah: On the date of Creation, hearing the shofar, and how to trick death. 10. Taanit: On praying for rain, the importance of solidarity, and the inauspicious dates. 11. Megilla: On divine inspiration, rewriting the Bible, and Haman's years as a barber. 12. Moed Katan: On holidays, making graves, and the right to be beautiful. 13. Hagiga: On divine judgment and the danger of praying into God's secrets. II. Seder Nashim: Marriage and Divorce 14. Yevamot: On levirate marriage, converting to Judaism, and a camel that didn't dance. 15. Ketubot: On marriage contracts, the value of virginity, and how to deal with a disgusting spouse. 16. Nedarim and Nazir: On how to take a vow - and why you shouldn't. 17. Sota: On magic potions, unfaithful wives, and a worm that chews through stone. 18. Gittin: On divorce, the destruction of the Temple, and the real meaning of tikkun olam. 19. Kiddushin: On betrothal, the duties of parents and children, and why women don't have to wear tefillin. III. Seder Nezikin: Civil and Criminal Law 20. Bava Kamma: On negligence, restitution, and the problem with being robbed by a Jewish bandit. 21. Bava Metzia: On ownership, exploitation, and when to ignore the voice of God. 22. Bava Batra: On real estate, inheritance, and surviving catastrophe. 23. Sanhedrin: On capital punishment, the World to Come, and using magic to make dinner. 24. Makkot: On flogging, perjury, and forbidden tattoos. 25. Shevuot: On taking oaths, the burden of proof, and when to throw a duck at a judge. 26. Avoda Zara: On idol worship, intermarriage, and the rabbi who used an emperor as a footstool. 27. Horayot: On mistaken judgments and why scholars outrank kings. IV: Seder Kodashim and Tractate Niddah: The Temple, Sacrifices, and Ritual Purity 28. Zevachim and Menachot: On animal sacrifices, meal offerings, and how the Jewish people is like an olive tree. 29. Hullin and Bekhorot: On kosher slaughter, separating meat and dairy, and when a firstborn isn't a firstborn. 30. Arakhin, Temura, and Karetot: On the value of a life, switching sacrifices, and a punishment worse than death. 31. Meila, Tamid, Middot, and Kinnim: On stealing from God, a day in the life of the Temple, and avian brainteasers. 32. Nidda: On menstruation, ejaculation, and why girls are wiser than boys. Conclusion Acknowledgments