Bava Kama 21 – The Ruined House

Today’s Talmud page, Bava Kama 21, asks whether a person who is living in an otherwise uninhabited house need to pay rent, with some saying that by living in the house, they are keeping it in good standing, and others stating that if the house is being used for anything, then the squatter is required to pay. To discuss the idea of an unused, and forgotten home, we welcome back Ruby Namdar, author of The Ruined House, a novel about a man who has visions of the old Temple in Jerusalem. We consider the importance of maintaining forgotten homes, and consider what it means for a house to be in ruins. Is an abandoned house something to be fearful of or a place that gives us a vision of the divine? Listen and find out. Like the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Send us a note at [email protected]. Follow us on Twitter at @takeonedafyomi and join the conversation in the Take One Facebook group. We think that you may also enjoy Liel's new book How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books. Take One is a Tablet Studios production. The show is hostedby Liel Leibovitz, and is produced and edited by Darone Ruskay, Quinn Waller and Elie Bleier. Our team also includes Satephanie Butnick, Josh Kross, Robert Scaramuccia, and Tanya Singer.  Check out all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices