Daf Yomi shiur online: how to find a shiur that fits you (English and Yiddish)

Daf Yomi — one blatt of Gemara a day, the same daf for everyone around the world — is one of the great achievements of modern Jewish life. Thousands of people who could never get to a shiur in person now learn every day with a Daf Yomi shiur online, on the train, in the office before work, or late at night. This guide explains how it works and how to choose a shiur you will stick with.

How Daf Yomi works

Daf Yomi was proposed by Rav Meir Shapiro of Lublin at the first Knessia Gedola of Agudas Yisroel in Vienna in 1923, and the first cycle began that Rosh Hashanah. The idea is simple: every day, Jews everywhere learn the same two-sided page (a daf) of the Babylonian Talmud. Going through all of Shas, 2,711 dapim, takes about seven and a half years, ending with a Siyum HaShas. The current, 14th cycle began in January 2020.

Because everyone is on the same daf, you can join any shiur anywhere and be on the same page — literally.

Why an online shiur helps

• It sets the pace. A daf a day is a lot. A good maggid shiur gets you through it in 30–60 minutes.
• It explains. Gemara is dense. Hearing it read, translated and explained makes it accessible.
• It fits your schedule. You can learn at 5 AM or 11 PM, and pause when the baby wakes up.
• It keeps you going. Missing a day in person can end the habit; online, you can catch up.

Choosing a shiur: what to look for

Language. English, Yiddish, Hebrew — pick the one you understand best, not the one you think you should.

Length. Some shiurim are a quick 20-minute overview; others go through every line with Rashi and Tosafos in an hour. Choose what you can realistically keep up with every day.

Style. Some maggidei shiur use slides and diagrams, others just the Gemara and a clear voice. Try two or three for a week each.

Consistency. The best shiur is the one that is there every single day, on time.

Video shiurim on Kall Video

Kall Video has a Torah section with a dedicated Daf Yomi group. Shiurim currently in it include:

• MDY — Daf Yomi with Rabbi Eli Stefansky (Mercaz Daf Yomi). A lively English shiur with visual aids that has brought many new people into Daf Yomi.
• Dirshu. Shiurim and content from the organisation that runs daily learning programs and tests on Daf Yomi.
• Kol Halashon. A large library of shiurim from many maggidei shiur.
• Daf Yomi Yad Yosef — in Yiddish. For those who learn best in Yiddish.
• ToShema — Daf Yomi.
• Let's Daf with Rabbi Yoel Gold.
• Daf Hachaim.

The Torah section also has halacha and parsha shiurim (including TorahAnytime and Torch), chassidus, and inspiration from speakers such as Rabbi YY Jacobson, Rabbi Akiva Tatz and Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski.

Why watch on Kall Video instead of an open video site

When you sit down to learn, the last thing you need is a sidebar full of other videos. On Kall Video:

• Only approved Torah channels play. No outside recommendations pull you away mid-daf.
• No comments and no links out.
• New shiurim appear automatically from approved channels, so today's daf is waiting when you open it.
• Free, with nothing to install. Add it to your home screen and it opens straight to your shiur.

If you use a filter, ask your provider to allow video.kallin1.com. It is a far smaller thing to allow than a whole video platform.

Tips for sticking with it

1. Attach it to something you already do — after Shacharis, on the commute, or right after supper.
2. Have a Gemara open if you can, even when listening. Seeing the words makes a big difference.
3. Don't give up after missing a day. Catch up with a shorter review shiur, or just pick up with today's daf.
4. Find a chavrusa to review with once a week — even ten minutes on the phone helps it stay.
5. Ask your Rebbe or Rav which shiur and pace suit you.

Start today

Every daf is a fresh start. Open Kall Video, go to Torah → Daf Yomi, and join the shiur.