Shoftim, with Ezra

After a long time away, the Queers return! Is this the beginning of a new season of 2Q4Q? We do not know. But we wanted to talk about prayer. Here is a conversation between Agnes and Ezra in which we ask four questions about Jewish prayer, using the Abraham Joshua Heschel 1952** essay “Prayer As Discipline” to structure our talk. We get into some real open-hearted amateur theology type stuff here and we really love how the discussion went. (**i might have the year wrong, it's around then) The Questions: 1. How do we approach God? (Begins at 7:25) 2. Why talk to God? (26:25) 3. What does prayer do? (43:31) 4. Do the words we use matter? (56:24) As for what’s next on this show, we’re not sure, we’ve been thinking about different ways to talk more about prayer, maybe about other things too. We will let you know. In the meantime you are always welcome to email us at [email protected]. Thanks for your listening ears. Love, E&A

A dvar Torah on parashat Ha'azinu by Ezra Furman. With dreams, songs, the Sifrei, Moses, Jewish holidays, the Sefat Emet and food.

A dvar Torah on parashat Nitzavim-Vayeilech by Agnes Borinsky. With Ben Lerner, Caedmon, poetry, failure, Moses, today and possibility.

A dvar Torah on parashat Ki Tavo by Ezra Furman. With completion, storytelling, covenants, arrival and starting over.

A dvar Torah on parashat Ki Tetzei by Agnes Borinsky. With vows, seeking, lost animals, Bob Kaufman and silence.

A dvar Torah on parashat Shoftim by Ezra Furman. With news, anxiety, authority, Rashi, prophets and trust.

A dvar Torah on parashat Re'eh by Agnes Borinsky. With circumference, crossing over, change, altars and Elul.

A dvar Torah on parashat Eikev by Ezra Furman. With rain, love, the Ronettes, the Shma, Rabbi Chanina and awe.

A dvar Torah on parashat Devarim by Ezra Furman. With Moses, Rabbi Yosei bar Chanina, murder in Gaza, Isaiah, Tisha B’av and rebuke.

A special joint-parsha episode for the week of Matot-Masei: Agnes & Ezra in conversation about this week's double parsha (strangely, the first double parsha of the year this year). Really I think this was just a very difficult and upsetting Torah portion and we were both afraid to do it alone. This is a throwback to the first era of this podcast, when we had rambling conversations about the holidays and asked four questions. And our questions this time around are not even questions. They are just four topics that we were too busy/lazy/excited to turn into questions. They are four rooms in a little bungalow. Join us on an intimate walkthrough: Q1. Cities of asylum? Q2. Horrific war? Q3. Vows? Q4. The end of the book of Bamidbar? Also: this episode has noticeable technical flaws! Editing: weird. Timing: off, due to some delay issue. Sound: pretty low quality, Agnes's audio gets better after a rocky start but it's all pretty low-fi. What are we, professionals? Chazak Chazak, see you in the book of Deuteronomy babes. [Music by Ezra Furman & Sam Durkes in a little practice room in Los Angeles, February 7th, 2017.]