
Xai, how are you?
Queer Jews Michael Sokolovsky and Rabbi Xava De Cordova play with the multi-millennial dialectic that is the Talmud. Join them as they throw drash, seek prophetic insight and uncover the rabbinic smuttiness inherent in the system.
Latest episodes

Mar 26, 2024 • 21min
207. Foxy Loxy
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/sacredwiggles
To ask us questions, text or leave 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 twitter @xaihowareyou and @miss_figured. Music by Ben Schreiber.

Mar 22, 2024 • 23min
206. Our Purims, Our Selves
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/3IsrEBj
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. Music by Ben Schreiber.

Mar 7, 2024 • 24min
205. Fox News
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/3IsrEBj
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. Music by Ben Schreiber.

Feb 27, 2024 • 29min
204. A Tomb with a View
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/buildingbrakhas
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. Music by Ben Schreiber.

Feb 20, 2024 • 27min
203. Body Horror
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/buildingbrakhas
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. Music by Ben Schreiber.

Feb 13, 2024 • 32min
202. Shared Sherds: a Story of Pots and Pans
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/3wgc215
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. Music by Ben Schreiber.

Feb 4, 2024 • 24min
201. Blood Stains
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. Music by Ben Schreiber.

Jan 26, 2024 • 26min
200. Average Joe
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 at Midnight here: https://bit.ly/TPEAM
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. Music by Ben Schreiber.

Jan 13, 2024 • 1h 5min
199. Temple OS 2: Modernity and Inspiration
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/TPEAM
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 twitter @xaihowareyou and @miss_figured. Music by Ben Schreiber.

Dec 31, 2023 • 34min
198. Actually, Don't Rashbi
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/TPEAM
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 twitter @xaihowareyou and @miss_figured. Music by Ben Schreiber.