Michael brings us texts that connect Yellowjackets, moral norms, aesthetic values, cannibalism and vegetarianism. Check out Shel Maala in New Haven here: https://bit.ly/beyondrepairNH and in Baltimore/DC here: https://bit.ly/ShelMaalaDMVTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at xaihoware…

In today's episode, Xava brings some sugyes and history about the etrog (aka the citron aka the Persian apple aka the thing that Rabbis look at with intense love and delight), and how it made its way into our sukkot ritual! Check out Shel Maala's East Coast Tour here: https://bit.ly/shelmaalaeastcoastTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicema…

This time Michael is bringing us a weird, challenging little sugye about business ethics, land deals gone wrong, breakfast food preferences and going above the letter of the law. Sign up to learn with Shel Maala in Western Mass here: https://bit.ly/shelmaalamassTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619…

Xava's got a sugye about keeping your side of the street clean, zoning ordinance, Rabbinic humility and home improvement. Sign up for Shel Maala in Western Mass at https://bit.ly/shelmaalamass !To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at xaihowareyou@gmail.com. Support us on patreon at pat…

Michael brings us a few sugyes about special stones, both paving and corner, in the Talmud. This leads to magic dirt and Nazis getting their faces melted off, naturally.To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at xaihowareyou@gmail.com. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Mu…

Xava brings a series of property law sugyes that tell us about how, why, and how much we should protest, halakhically speaking. Sign up for Shel Maala's Alef Bet class here: https://bit.ly/decodingalefbet, Sign up for Sand into Pearls here: https://bit.ly/sandintopearlsTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-…

Michael brings us all a text about ascending and descending holiness rules, relocation, divorce, parental abandonment and taking other people's opinions too seriously. Sign up for Decoding the Alef Bet here: bit.ly/decodingalefbetTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at xaihowareyou@gma…

Rabbi Miriam Terlinchamp of Judaism Unbound joins us to talk about incarcerated Jews, the problems with the way we handle conversion, what's next for Judaism and how the Rabbi's themselves responded to potential converts. Check out Tales of the Unbound here: http://www.judaismunbound.com/tales, sign up for Shel Maala at Sadeh here: bit.ly/shelmaala…

Xava brings some kabbalah and xasidut about the transcendent nature of beauty, plus some Talmud and Torah that seems to contradict it by saying that beauty is basically worthless. Sign up for Trancestors and Chalices here: bit.ly/shelmaalasadehTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at xa…

Michael brings a delightful obscure little Rabbi to the pod: Elijah Benamozegh! We'll learn about his universalist vision for Judaism and the strange and beautiful connections it has to other Jewish thinkers throughout the ages. Sign up for Trancestors and Chalices here: bit.ly/shelmaalasadehTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the…

We've got grain on the brain! In honor of counting the omer, Xava brought a text about grain, strain, pain and...Torah. Let's see if the sages can find a healthy work/life balance. Sign up for Shel Maala at Sadeh in England here: bit.ly/shelmaalasadehTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email u…

A listener wrote in asking how we can mourn the lives lost in Gaza, if kaddish can be said for them, and how to grapple with the enormity of sadness in times like this. We do our very best to give at least a little bit of an answer. Sign up for Shel Maala at Sadeh in England here: bit.ly/shelmaalasadehTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicem…

A listener has a question about Noahidism and we've got answers! Also, the Chabad factor, alternate universes and the REAL messianic Jews. Sign up for Xava's class here: https://bit.ly/thornsinthevineyard Sign up for Shel Maala at Sadeh in England here: bit.ly/shelmaalasadehTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at…

We're talking about rashes, scorpions, the Leviathan, ancient Messianic political ambitions, campus protests and the power of the small. Sign up for Shel Maala at Sadeh in England here: https://bit.ly/shelmaalasadehTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at xaihowareyou@gmail.com. Support…

Xava brings a story of politically useful sinning, the Rashbi, a suspiciously convenient demon friend and a truly bizarre system of law abolishment. Sign up for her next class here: https://bit.ly/thornsinthevineyardTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at xaihowareyou@gmail.com. Suppor…

Michael returns us to the topic of charisma with a fascinating exploration of the holy spirit in Torah, how it appears linguistically, what kind of powers and effects it gives, and its potential pitfalls. Become a Shel Maala Member here: https://bit.ly/shelmaalajoin, Sign up for Heeling Our Soles here: https://bit.ly/heelingoursoles, Sign up for Th…

We're finally answering a listener question! In this case, what's the deal with hatafam dam brit for NB and trans folks and why does it seem like we're following Shammai when the halakaha is like Hillel?! Sign up for Heeling Our Soles here: https://bit.ly/heelingoursolesTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401…

Oops! Both of us forgot who was actually supposed to prepare this episode, so enjoy this minisode about charisma, our personal issues and hints at what our next actual episode will be about. To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at xaihowareyou@gmail.com. Support us on patreon at patreo…

Author and scholar Rafael Neis joins us to talk about their book, "When a Human Gives Birth to a Raven: Rabbis and the Reproduction of Species", featuring a riveting discussion of furries, gender, what happens if your brother is a bird, gay demon divorce and much more! Keep up with them on insta @postrafelite and on their website at https://rachelr…

Michael brings a bounty of sources from Talmud to Kabbalah to Xasidut on anger and what the Rabbis say we should do about it (but often don't do themselves).To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at xaihowareyou@gmail.com. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Follow us on t…

Part 2 of Xava's spontaneous series on foxes! Featured are Babylonian pedagogy, greedy wolves, overzealous interpretation and selfishness in the Rabbinate. Sign up for Sacred Wiggles here: https://bit.ly/sacredwigglesTo ask us questions, text or leave us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at xaihowareyou@gmail.com. Suppor…

Michael has brought us some luscious Xasidic and Kabbalaistic wisdom on the soul, two major Jewish holidays and the extremes of human experience. Sign up for Building Our Brakhas here: bit.ly/3IsrEBjVisit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 and leave us a voicemail. Support us on p…

Something's fishy as frenemy of the pod Rabbi Akiva returns with a parable about a fox...maybe the start of a fox series? We'll see! Also featuring: love of Torah and struggling with loving Judaism. Sign up for Sacred Wiggles at https://bit.ly/3IsrEBjVisit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Hotline at 40…

Michael continues his archaeology rampage with some tales and tidbits about burial practices in the first century, which sheds some light on social structures, Jewish denominations in the time and collaborative funeral cookouts. Sign up for Building Our Brakhas here: bit.ly/buildingbrakhasVisit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com an…

Xava brings a source sheet from friend of the pod Olivia Devorah Tucker about bodies, fluids, clay and the strange ways they mix. Sign up for Building Our Brakhas here: https://bit.ly/buildingbrakhasVisit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 and leave us a voicemail. Support us on p…

Michael has brought our very first archaeology episode, in which we learn about the cultural significance of frittatas in the first century CE, ceramic studio pop ups and pre-revolt material culture. Sign up for Building Our Brakhas Here: https://bit.ly/3wgc215Visit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Hot…

Xava brings us a (maybe) allegorical story about conquest, revenge, bloodshed and breaking cycles of violence. Visit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 and leave us a voicemail. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Follow us on twitter @xaihowareyou and @miss_figured…

Michael brings us a sugye exploring the restrictions and stigma surrounding an "am ha'aretz", plus some historical speculation and context about how that role has shifted over time. Listen to Sam's 2023 Year in Review episode here: https://soundcloud.com/historiansplaining/2023-in-historical-context-dividing-the-harvest. Sign up for The Priests Eat…

Finally, part 2 of the TOS series is here! We're discussing the trends in computing that inspired Terry, the meaning of mysticism and the modern in spiritual thought along with friend of the pod, Sam! Sign up for The Priests Eat at Midnight here: https://bit.ly/TPEAMTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484…

We all know how the story of Shimon Bar Yoxai ends, right? Right? Wrong, turns out there's agricultural infrastructure projects, moral backsliding, secret sex work detail and edible flowers left to discover. Sign up for The Priests Eat at Midnight here: https://bit.ly/TPEAMTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at …

Michael is bringing two tasty listener queries this week that get us talking about the first cis nonbinary person in history, as well as fairies, tree antics and the mouth in the earth. Sign up for Who Created These here: https://bit.ly/whocreatedtheseTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email …

Xava's brought a big long daf with 9 headed demons, bad father son relationships, arrogance, punishment, gay content and everything else you could possibly want in a few short paragraphs. Sign up for Who Created These here: https://bit.ly/whocreatedtheseTo ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or emai…

Continuing our theme of continuing our theme, this week Michael helps us explore the legacy, vibes and snappy one liners of the Kotzker Rebbe, a famed purveyor of misanthropy and shower thoughts. Sign up for Who Created These here: https://bit.ly/whocreatedtheseVisit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Ho…

Michael brings some deep lore on the 4 branched shin, the new Torah, the World to Come and our eventual dinner of mythical creatures. Sign up for Divine Decay here: bit.ly/divinedecayVisit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 and leave us a voicemail. Support us on patreon at patreo…

Time to get down to brass tacks about reincarnation, gender ghosts, punishment for past lives and where it all comes from. Content Warning: This episode contains mention of animal death. Sign up for Divine Decay here: https://bit.ly/divinedecayVisit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1…

Michael brings us all some theology about halos, gender roles, secret torah and the world to come. Donate to support mutual aid in Gaza here: https://bit.ly/472xmUR. Sign up for Shel Maala's Divine Decay in Portland, OR here: https://bit.ly/divinedecayVisit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Hotline at 4…

Xava gives a primer on mitzvot that women (supposedly) aren't obligated in and why, what even is a gender, why we get left out of the fanciest mitzvahs and whether we're okay with that.Donate to support mutual aid efforts in Gaza here: https://secure.everyaction.com/b00t33wD-EOVJ1cNTyHixg2Visit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com an…

Michael brings us a walk through several pages of Talmud covering gender, sex, risk, isolation and sexy ladder leaping shenanigans. Sign up for The Sheydy Bunch here:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-sheydy-bunch-halloween-talmud-series-on-amulets-the-demons-next-door-tickets-686988459977Visit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and …

Xava brings in some texts and talks to explore the concept of basic dignity, honor and human rights. Sign up for CTNTC here: https://svara.org/course/trans-codex/Visit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 and leave us a voicemail. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. F…

Michael has brought a sexy Mishnah about vegetarian food, kosher restaurants, avodah zara and other hot, hot topics. Visit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 and leave us a voicemail. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Follow us on twitter @xaihowareyou and @miss_f…

The very first episode of our Temple OS series is finally here! We'll be releasing them slowly as we get them edited over the next few months. This week we're introducing you to what the heck is TOS, who was Terry Davis, and why we decided to create this series.Check out Shel Maala's Fall offerings here: https://www.shelmaala.com/classes/fall-in-lo…

A listener asked us: does that Talmud have anything to say about getting married for immigration or citizenship purposes? This week Xava brought us the answer (which is not legal advice but just a fun podcast episode)!Visit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 and leave us a voicema…

Michael unearths a treasure trove of dino details from the Rabbis, plus some paleontology simps explain kashrut and a mysterious bone tunnel appears.Visit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 and leave us a voicemail. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Follow us on t…

Finally, we're covering one of the wisest and wiliest women of the Talmud, Bruriah! This week, she corrects her husband, is a paragon of learning, gets slandered and gets redeemed.Visit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 and leave us a voicemail. Support us on patreon at patreon.c…

Inquiring listeners want to know: if HaShem is all good and all powerful, what do Jews have to say about why evil exists? You'll be shocked to learn the answer is complicated! But it involves a hippopotamus.Visit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 and leave us a voicemail. Support…

Michael brings us all a story of a rabbi slash con man extraordinaire on a spree of theft, trickery and death avoidance.Visit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 and leave us a voicemail. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Follow us on twitter @xaihowareyou and @mis…

This episode, it's giving tree y'all! Listen in for a date with dates, mystical plant revelations and Xava's favorite verse from Tehillim. Sign up for Frootcamp here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/frootcamp-a-summer-shiur-series-to-up-your-practical-gay-talmud-skills-tickets-657309780247Visit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and c…

Our tale of the demon lord and the "wisest" ruler continues with glass domes, crimes against roosters and super strength king tosses. Sign up for Frootcamp here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/frootcamp-a-summer-shiur-series-to-up-your-practical-gay-talmud-skills-tickets-657309780247Visit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call o…

Ashmodai, king of the demons is coming to the pod! We've got Solomonic war crimes, earthworks projects, demon tzadakim and random acts of kindness. Sign up for Frootcamp: A Summer Shiur Series to Up Your Practical Gay Talmud Skills here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/frootcamp-a-summer-shiur-series-to-up-your-practical-gay-talmud-skills-tickets-6573…

Michael brings us a case of civil law that devolves/evolves into a story about the magical power of oaths, swearing, divorce and deriving benefit from bread (or the absence thereof).Visit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 and leave us a voicemail. Support us on patreon at patreon…