Xai, how are you?

Sometimes you can be SUCH a wife guy that you agree to her nazirite vow and later regret it. What happens then? Sign up for Xava and Binya in the UK here: http://bit.ly/torah-in-exile To ask us questions, email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

What has a never ending paradoxical chain of interlinking vows, women's rights, the Church of England and ordinary halakha? That's right, it's our mishnah! Sign up for Alef Beysics at Shel Maala here: http://bit.ly/alef-beysics To ask us questions, email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

What happens when you vow, and then someone comes into court and gives testimony about your vow? But then what if another guy comes in and says something different and then two other guys say something different than that? Thank GOODNESS our Rabbis thought to explain this. Find out about Nazirite vows and legal testimony. To ask us questions, email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

A mishnah about a woman with a name and her own agenda! Now that's a rare treat. Sign up for The Three Oaths here: https://bit.ly/threeoaths To ask us questions, email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

It's more likely than you think! What if you take a Nazirite vow in a spot that is fundamentally incompatible with Naziriteship? Thank GOODNESS the Rabbis thought about this. Catch Liz Furman at Shel Maala: https://bit.ly/sm-sfas To ask us questions, email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

After a long ramble about modesty, Xava's upcoming paper, and motivation in Judaism, we get around to a nifty little mishnah about that slippery, weird, in-between day of Naziriteship we call day 30. To ask us questions, email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

Finally, you all may learn our take on hot dog vs. hamburger and the mundanity of free will. Also, a mishnah in which when you try to be a little too specific, you really get bitten in the butt by corpse impurity. Check out Shel Maala’s PNW tour here: http://bit.ly/ShelMaalaPNW To ask us questions, email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

Mishnah 2 of chapter 3! What if there was a light-year long bridge of dough would that be messed up or what? Check out Shel Maala's PNW Tour here: https://bit.ly/ShelMaalaPNW To ask us questions, email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

A new chapter of Mishnah begins! Is there such a thing as a day of Naziriteship which can apply to two separate terms, and count for each? Find out if the rabbis are biphobic or not with this one simple mishnah. Check out the Shel Maala PNW Tour here: Check out Shel Maala's PNW tour here: http://bit.ly/PNWInterest To ask us questions, email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

The tension between the magic of vows and the legal folderol of the Rabbis heightens in this Mishnah about vows within vows. Check out Shel Maala's PNW tour here: http://bit.ly/PNWInterest To ask us questions, email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

After a long break (Michael was sick, sorry!) We're back to talk about Nazirite's taking breaks. What if you go on a paternity leave Naziriteship in the middle of your day job Naziriteship? Thank goodness, our Rabbis thought of this problem. To ask us questions, email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

And you thought we had unspecified Nazirites before! This week, conditionals within conditionals, hedging our bets, and being embarrassed for our inadequate feelings. Sign up for In the Shadows here: http://bit.ly/shelmaalashadows To ask us questions, email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

What if you swore a Nazirite vow on the birth of your son, but the numinous indescribable horror of gender said "No."? Find out in this episode! Also we'll talk about some Rabbinic misogyny, transphobia, and why we're still interested in this mishnah anyway. Sign up for Shel Maala's Terms of Service here: http://bit.ly/torahTOS To ask us questions, email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

The shaving saga continues! Rabbi Meir's iconoclastic hot takes return to the pod, along with the mythical half-Nazirite. Do two halves make a whole? Let's find out. To ask us questions, email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

What happens when two totally normal bros vow to shave each other? The Rabbis knew and had rules about it, which they put in this mishnah. Catch Shel Maala's East Coast Tour here: http://bit.ly/eastcoast-5786 To ask us questions, email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

Sometimes people make vows claiming or assuming they’ll be the exception to normal Nazirite stuff. The Rabbis say (mostly) no way! Check out Shel Maala’s East Coast Tour here: http://bit.ly/eastcoast-5786 To ask us questions, email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

Mishnah 3 of chapter 2 is here! What happens when you get a guy to leave you alone at the bar by saying you’re a Nazirite? Let’s find out. Check out Shel Maala’s East Coast Tour here: http://bit.ly/eastcoast-5786 To ask us questions, email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

Lex Rofeberg and Rena Yehuda Newman of Judaism Unbound join us for a big crossover episode about Nazirite philosophy, Rabbinic agendas, Kol Nidre and the metaphysical importance of vows! The Judaism Unbound podcast is a show released every Friday, pushing the boundaries of how we might understand the Jewish past, present, and future. You can subscribe via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any of your other favorite podcast apps, so go give them a listen! Also, check out the Shel Maala East Coast tour here: http://bit.ly/eastcoast-5786 To ask us questions, email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

If I was a Nazirite cow refusing to get up, would the Rabbi's still love me? This week, we find out! We also talk about Nazirite doors, the Shekhina as a bovine, and more. To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

Chapter two of mishnah Nazir begins! And it's about what if you make a completely nonsensical vow. And also, seemingly, how much credit do we give vow makers for their intentions, the interpretive power of the court, and all or nothing reasoning. To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

It's Mishnah 7, the conclusion of the first chapter! We talk about life expectancy, self-similarity, our thoughts on the chapter as a whole and speculation on the future of the masechet. Also, check out Aderaba, a dope new podcast right here: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Ly49AOTSTpWyLmwr91jDQ To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

Would you be a nazir in a box? Would be a nazir with a fox? Find out this week! And also, why the end of the world is different than the number of hairs on our head or the walking distance to the nearest city. To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

Mishnah five! Discussing becoming a Nazir equivalent to the capacity of a basket gets us a little more philosophical, and makes us wonder what the hell we or the Rabbis get out of any of this. Sign up for Deny, Defend, D'Rabbanan here: http://bit.ly/denydefend To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

Mishnah four is here! What if you vow to be a Nazirite like the hairs on your head? What if you're a Nazirite forever but not like, a Nazirite Forever? Sign up for Deny, Defend, D'Rabbanan here: http://bit.ly/denydefend To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

Mishnah gimel is here! What is the default length of being a Nazirite and can it be eternal? Also, halakha created by magical math and is it possible the Rabbis are just silly goofs? To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

Time for mishnah bet of our Nazir journey and this time it's all about the archetypical Nazirites, Samson and Absalom. Also featured: misogyny, angels, tired wives, names of the unknowable and fatal haircuts. Catch Shel Maala in England here: http://bit.ly/sadehsleepless To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

The beginning of a new dawn for the pod! We're starting our journey through Mishnah Nazir together with substitutions, nicknames, fabulous hair and revisiting our favorite vain youth of the Talmud. Catch Shel Maala in England here: http://bit.ly/sadehsleepless To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

It’s Xava’s first post wedding episode! Michael brings texts about how we absolutely really definitely should stay in one place…unless of course we should move. Should I pray or should I go now? Find out in this episode. Sign up for Sefaria Super Sleuths at http://bit.ly/sefariasleuths To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

Xava's got a listener question about what we're allowed to read on Shabbat. Is it only fun stuff, only serious stuff? Or a secret third thing? Tell you this it is NOT menus. Check out Shel Maala at Sadeh at http://bit.ly/sadehsleepless To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

Michael brings some wisdom from Aryeh Kaplan about the ineffable name, charity, the gift of existence and kabbalah! Check out Shel Maala's New York tour here: https://bit.ly/shelmaalanyc To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

Xava brings some sugyes about intention and prayer that connect back to episode 228, plus why you should never hold bread and pray! Check out Torah from the Inside Out Here: http://bit.ly/torahinsideout Check out Laasok here: http://bit.ly/laasok To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

Michael brings us a Purim-relevant sugye on reasoning and rhetoric, full of gourds and goodies! Sign up for Torah from the Inside Out here: http://bit.ly/torahinsideout To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

Xava brings a sugye on the things that can "distract" us from Torah study, which leads to a discussion on how the hell we're supposed to relate to Torah when it's being used for wicked ends. Register for Torah from the Inside Out here: http://bit.ly/torahinsideout To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

What does Jewish law look like on a group scale? How do we deal with harm to the public? How do you do teshuva for the commons? Find out on this episode! Sign up for Shel Maala in Seattle at http://bit.ly/shelmaalaseattle To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

Michael brings a bevy of texts to help answer the question: can you ever become un-Jewish? We’re looking at thoughts and answers from throughout history, plus one extra special Jewish monk! Sign up for Sabbatean Heresy here: https://bit.ly/sabbateanheresy Sign up for Shel Maala in Seattle here: https://bit.ly/shelmaalaseattle To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

Xava brings a buffet of texts exploring intention and structure, mitzvahs, prayer, baby birds and being force fed matza. Sign up for In Every Tongue with Ada Morse here: https://bit.ly/ineverytongue To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

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/ShelMaalaDMV To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

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/shelmaalaeastcoast To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

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/shelmaalamass To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

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 [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

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 [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

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/sandintopearls To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

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/decodingalefbet To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

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/shelmaalasadeh To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

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/shelmaalasadeh To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

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/shelmaalasadeh To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

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/shelmaalasadeh To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

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/shelmaalasadeh To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

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/shelmaalasadeh To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.

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/shelmaalasadeh To ask us questions, text or leaves us a voicemail at the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 or email us at [email protected]. Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Music by Ben Schreiber.