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Machshavah Lab

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Rating
★★★★★
4.7
from
10 reviews
This podcast has
617 episodes
Language
English
Explicit
No
Date created
2020/12/29
Latest episode
2026/04/17
Average duration
50 min.
Release period
4 days

Description

My name is Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss. My goal as a Torah educator is not merely to teach my students my OWN hashkafah. Rather, my goal is to equip them with the foundations, the methodological training, and the tools which will enable them to arrive at their OWN understanding of Judaism and cultivate their OWN relationship with Hashem and His Torah. This podcast is devoted to the shiurim I give which are geared specifically towards that end. As such, the range of topics covered here will be diverse. There will be shiurim on Jewish philosophy, Chumash methodology, aggadic midrashim, maybe even some non-Jewish philosophy as well. Merriam-Webster defines "laboratory" as a place providing opportunity for experimentation, observation, or practice in a field of study. I call this podcast "Machshavah Lab" because this is where we will conduct Torah "experiments" by exploring questions, texts, and ideas in an effort to develop our machshavah in a "hands on," exploratory, firsthand manner.

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Check latest episodes from Machshavah Lab podcast


Rambam on the Satan and Ra (Part 3: Matter as the Cause of Ra)
2026/04/17
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 22 minutes Synopsis: This morning (4/17/26), in our Friday morning Sefer Iyov series for women, we finally began the "Moreh ha'Nevuchim" portion of our Iyov journey. After a very brief review of matter and form, we read, analyzed, and discussed the Moreh 3:8 about the relationship between matter and ra. We concluded by decoding the basic elements of the satan allegory (which, ironically, was interrupted a few minutes before shiur ended by the satan himself). Next week, I hope to cover 3:9 and the all-important 3:10!  ----- מקורות: רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר המדע, הלכות יסודי התורה ב:ג יונה ד:א-ב;ו רמב"ם - מורה הנבוכים ג:ח בבא בתרא דף טז עמוד א איוב א:ו-יב ----- The Torah content for the month of Nisan has been sponsored by Rivkie and Dovi Siderson. In the merit of our learning, may Hashem help us use this time to cleanse ourselves of spiritual "chametz," bringing refuah, shalom, and the final geulah to all of Klal Yisrael! ----- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ----- Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-Schneeweiss Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss YouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweiss Instagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/ "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.com Old Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0H Amazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel
Shemini / Tazria / Metzora: What a REAL Rationalist Would Say About Tumah
2026/04/17
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 3-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 4/16/26 title: Shemini / Tazria / Metzora: What a REAL Rationalist Would Say About Tumah. These three parshiyos all deal with tumah (impurity), which many regard as a mysterious force. Self-described rationalists will likely reject such a notion. But what if THEY are the irrational ones? ----- This week's Torah content is sponsored by Seth Speiser, in honor of the yahrzeit of his father, Rabbi George Speiser (Rav Yosef ben Dovid). Rabbi Speiser was a kind and gentle soul as well as an intellectual and a scholar. He received smicha from Rav Hutner at Chaim Berlin. His love for teaching and making puns was only outweighed by his love of family. ----- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ----- Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-Schneeweiss Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss YouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweiss Instagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/ "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.com Old Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0H
Q&A #47 - Hashgachah Diagnosis, Rambam on Lashon ha'Ra, Dividing Learning Into Thirds
2026/04/16
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 28 minutes Synopsis: This morning (4/16/26), in lieu of our usual morning Mishlei, we had a short Q&A session! We discussed three questions: (1) To what degree can we "diagnose" whether something in our life was hashgachah pratis? (2) What does the Rambam mean by all the aggadic statements he brings down in Hilchos Deios Perek 7 about lashon ha'ra? (3) What are my views on how/whether we do/should implement the halacha about dividing one's learning time into thirds: a third in Torah she'bi'Chsav, a third in Torah she'baal Peh, and a third in Talmud? (I'll point out that these three questions fell neatly into these three categories.) ----- מקורות: רד"ק - תהלים קמה:יז רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר המדע, הלכות דעות פרק ז Benjamin Brown - "From Principles to Rules and from Musar to Halakhah: The Hafetz Hayim's Rulings on Libel and Gossip" רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר המדע, הלכות תלמוד תורה א:יא Evidently, in 2023, I spent around a week updating my understanding of all these sources. Here's the Torah content from that week: Overview of the Halachos of Rechilus and Lashon ha'Ra (4/21/23) 4/24/23: Refining Our Definitions of Rechilus and Lashon ha'Ra (Hilchos Deios 7:1-3) 4/25/23: Lashon ha'Ra = Avodah Zarah, Gilui Arayos, Shfichus Damim (Hilchos Deios 7:3) 4/26/23: Lashon ha'Ra as Homicide-Suicide (Hilchos Deios 7:3) 4/27/23: Four Examples of Avak Lashon ha'Ra Hilchos (Hilchos Deios 7:4) 4/28/23: Kedoshim: Defining Rechilus ----- The Torah content for the month of Nisan has been sponsored by Rivkie and Dovi Siderson. In the merit of our learning, may Hashem help us use this time to cleanse ourselves of spiritual "chametz," bringing refuah, shalom, and the final geulah to all of Klal Yisrael! ----- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ----- Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-Schneeweiss YouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweiss Instagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/ "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambe
Rambam on the Satan and Ra (Part 2: The Form of Man)
2026/03/20
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 7 minutes Synopsis: This Friday morning (3/20/26), in our Friday morning Sefer Iyov series for women, we were GOING to begin the section of the Rambam's Moreh ha'Nevuchim that will be our focus for the next couple of months, beginning with 3:8 on the nature of matter. However, five minutes before shiur, I spontaneously decided to read some Rambams in the Mishneh Torah that I hadn't prepared, but thought would be a good way to review and clarify what we covered in Part 1. The good news is that I was right. The even better news is that this led to a level-up (at least on my part) in how to think about the soul according to the Rambam. I can't say we got everything clear, but we definitely gained in clarity! We ended up spending the rest of the shiur on this topic. The Moreh will have to wait until next time! ----- מקורות: רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר המדע, הלכות יסודי התורה ב:ג; ד:ז-ט יד פשוטה שם רמב"ם - מילות ההגיון: השער התשיעי אבן עזרא פירוש ב' - תהלים ח:ג ----- This week's Torah content is sponsored by Seth Speiser, in honor of the yahrzeit of his father, Rabbi George Speiser (Rav Yosef ben Dovid). Rabbi Speiser was a kind and gentle soul as well as an Intellectual and a scholar. He received smicha from Rav Hutner at Chaim Berlin. His love for teaching and making puns was only outweighed by his love of family. ----- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ----- Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-Schneeweiss Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss YouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweiss Instagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/ "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.com Old Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0H Amazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel
Rambam on the Satan and Ra (Part 1: Aristotelian Primer on Form and Matter)
2026/03/20
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 47 minutes Synopsis: Turns out, I accidentally forgot to upload last Friday's Iyov shiur! This past Friday morning (3/13/26), in our Friday morning Sefer Iyov series for women, I gave a shiur with the aim of introducing the basics of Aristotelian "hylomorphic" thinking, explaining the concepts of "matter" and "form" to lay the groundwork for the Rambam's explanation of the satan and the nature of ra. We began and ended with halachos in the Rambam but the bulk of the material came from "Aristotle for Everybody" by Mortimer J. Adler and "The Hungry Soul" by Leon Kass. I'm pleased with how succinct this primer turned out to be, and although I acknowledge that I may have erred in the nuances of my understanding, I can assure you that I conveyed what I THINK I know with as much clarity as I could muster! ----- מקורות: רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר המדע, הלכות יסודי התורה ב:ג; ד:ז "Aristotle for Everybody," by Mortimer J. Adler (not explicitly quoted) "The Hungry Soul," by Leon R. Kass, pp.35-38 ----- This week's Torah content is sponsored by Seth Speiser, in honor of the yahrzeit of his father, Rabbi George Speiser (Rav Yosef ben Dovid). Rabbi Speiser was a kind and gentle soul as well as an Intellectual and a scholar. He received smicha from Rav Hutner at Chaim Berlin. His love for teaching and making puns was only outweighed by his love of family. ----- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ----- Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-Schneeweiss Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss YouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweiss Instagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/ "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.com Old Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0H Amazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel
Vayikra: Toward a Theory of Jewish Guilt
2026/03/20
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 3/20/26 title: Vayikra: Toward a Theory of Jewish Guilt. Most people who think they know what the asham talui (suspended guilt-offering) is for are missing an important fact - one that sheds light on the Torah's conception of guilt. ----- This week's Torah content is sponsored by Seth Speiser, in honor of the yahrzeit of his father, Rabbi George Speiser (Rav Yosef ben Dovid). Rabbi Speiser was a kind and gentle soul as well as an intellectual and a scholar. He received smicha from Rav Hutner at Chaim Berlin. His love for teaching and making puns was only outweighed by his love of family. ----- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ----- Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-Schneeweiss Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss YouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweiss Instagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/ "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.com Old Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0H
How to Relate to Arbitrary Halachic Details (Part 2 - Rambam and Rav Kook)
2026/03/20
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 50 minutes Synopsis: This week (3/19/26), in our Thursday night Machshavah Lab series for women, we continued the topic we embarked on the week before. First, we revised our understanding of the Rambam's approach and my "Pillow Theory." Then we answered all the questions we raised last time. We then learned through a perek of Rav Kook's Le-Nevukhei ha-Dor, in which he spells out two foundations of the need to be meticulous in halacha. We concluded with a halacha in the Rambam which suggests that he would agree with the first of Rav Kook's foundations, if not the second as well.  ----- מקורות: רמב"ם - מורה הנבוכים ג:כו, מג, מו, מח רב קוק - לנבוכי הדור פרק ט "Rav Kook's Guide for Today's Perplexed," translated by R. Aryeh Sklar רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר קדושה, הלכות שחיטה יד:טז ----- This week's Torah content is sponsored by Seth Speiser, in honor of the yahrzeit of his father, Rabbi George Speiser (Rav Yosef ben Dovid). Rabbi Speiser was a kind and gentle soul as well as an Intellectual and a scholar. He received smicha from Rav Hutner at Chaim Berlin. His love for teaching and making puns was only outweighed by his love of family. ----- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ----- Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-Schneeweiss Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss YouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweiss Instagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/ "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.com Old Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0H Amazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel
Vayakhel / Pikudei: Remembering Minas Tirith … I Mean Mikdash
2026/03/13
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 3/11/26 titled: Vayakhel / Pikudei: Remembering Minas Tirith … I Mean Mikdash. Saadia Gaon states that contemplating the architecture of the Mishkan earns us reward. What is the nature of this reward? How should this shape our reading? And how does this relate to Boromir? ----- This week’s Torah content is sponsored by Rabbi Dr. Ben Aaronson in honor of NYHS (Northwest Yeshiva High School), our alma mater. So many of our friends and classmates — and the two of us — owe our connection to Torah and Judaism to the outstanding education we received there. NYHS just concluded a successful CauseMatch campaign. If you missed it, worry not! Donations are still more than welcome. If you’ve benefited from me, from past and present NYHS teachers (Rabbi Moskowitz zt”l, Rabbi Fox, and others), or simply want to support an exceptional institution with visionary leadership, consider contributing today at nyhs.org/giving. The Torah content this week is also sponsored by Avital and Yitzy Richter. May we be zocheh to see Hashem redeem Klal Yisrael and lead us from geulah to geulah! ----- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ----- Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-Schneeweiss Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss YouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweiss Instagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/ "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.com Old Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0H
How to Relate to Arbitrary Halachic Details (Part 1 - WILL BE REVISED IN PART 2)
2026/03/13
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! DISCLAIMER: I almost didn't post this shiur because it wasn't as clear as I hoped AND because we revised it in Part 2. I'm happy with Part 2, but I'm posting Part 1 for the sake of thoroughness and transparency. Just know that if you listen to it, you should NOT expect the level of clarity that I typically aim for. Length: 1 hour 47 minutes Synopsis: This week (3/12/26), in our Thursday night Machshavah Lab series for women, we took up a question I've wanted to address for a while: How should we relate to arbitrary halachic details? Of course, this would entail first taking up the question: ARE there arbitrary halachic details? According to the Rambam, the answer is: yes. The plan was to learn through the Rambam's treatment of this topic in Moreh ha'Nevuchim 3:26, through my own idiosyncratic lens, which I refer to as "Pillow Theory." We would then segue to a different guide for the perplexed: Rav Kook's Linevukhei ha-Dor. However, we ended up spending all of Part 1 on the Rambam. I presented my current understanding of Pillow Theory, but we left questions unanswered. In Part 2, we came back, revised Pillow Theory, and answered all our questions before turning to Rav Kook. ----- מקורות: רמב"ם - מורה הנבוכים ג:כו, מג, מח תלמוד ירושלמי פאה א:א:טז בראשית רבה מד:א ----- This week's Torah content is sponsored by Seth Speiser, in honor of the yahrzeit of his father, Rabbi George Speiser (Rav Yosef ben Dovid). Rabbi Speiser was a kind and gentle soul as well as an Intellectual and a scholar. He received smicha from Rav Hutner at Chaim Berlin. His love for teaching and making puns was only outweighed by his love of family. ----- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ----- Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-Schneeweiss Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss YouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweiss Instagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/ "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.com Old Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0H
Post-Purim 5786: Operation Growling Bear
2026/03/11
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 4-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 3/11/26 titled: Post-Purim 5786: Operation Growling Bear. This began as a recap of a Mishlei/Megilah/Midrash crossover shiur I gave before Purim. Then Operation Roaring Lion, which commenced on Shabbos Zachor, added another dimension. Better late than never! ----- This week’s Torah content is sponsored by Rabbi Dr. Ben Aaronson in honor of NYHS (Northwest Yeshiva High School), our alma mater. So many of our friends and classmates — and the two of us — owe our connection to Torah and Judaism to the outstanding education we received there. NYHS just concluded a successful CauseMatch campaign. If you missed it, worry not! Donations are still more than welcome. If you’ve benefited from me, from past and present NYHS teachers (Rabbi Moskowitz zt”l, Rabbi Fox, and others), or simply want to support an exceptional institution with visionary leadership, consider contributing today at nyhs.org/giving. The Torah content this week is also sponsored by Avital and Yitzy Richter. May we be zocheh to see Hashem redeem Klal Yisrael and lead us from geulah to geulah! ----- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ----- Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-Schneeweiss Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss YouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweiss Instagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/ "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.com Old Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0H
What Modern Orthodoxy Means to Me (or Rabbi Fox’s 2007 NYHS Commencement Address)
2026/03/09
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 3/9/26 titled: What Modern Orthodoxy Means to Me (or Rabbi Fox’s 2007 NYHS Commencement Address). Since NYHS’s annual fundraising campaign is in full swing, I figured this would be a good time to share the educational philosophy of the school, as articulated by former head of school R. Bernie Fox. ----- This week’s Torah content is sponsored by Rabbi Dr. Ben Aaronson in honor of NYHS (Northwest Yeshiva High School), our alma mater. So many of our friends and classmates — and the two of us — owe our connection to Torah and Judaism to the outstanding education we received there. NYHS is currently running its CauseMatch campaign, and every dollar you contribute will be quadrupled! If you’ve benefited from me, from past and present NYHS teachers (Rabbi Moskowitz zt”l, Rabbi Fox, and others), or simply want to support an exceptional institution with visionary leadership, please contribute today at causematch.com/nyhs26. Campaign runs until Monday 10:00pm PDT! The Torah content this week is also sponsored by Avital and Yitzy Richter. May we be zocheh to see Hashem redeem Klal Yisrael and lead us from geulah to geulah! ----- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ----- Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-Schneeweiss Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss YouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweiss Instagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/ "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.com Old Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0H
Rabbeinu Yonah on Bitachon (Part 3)
2026/03/06
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 40 minutes Synopsis: This evening (3/5/25), in our Thursday night women’s shiur, we continued our exploration of Rabbeinu Yonah on bitachon. The bad news is that I didn't have a chance to prepare. The good news is that our review went SO far in-depth that we ended up covering a whole lot that I hadn't planned. In the text of Rabbeinu Yonah, we only read one additional sentence, but our understanding of bitachon was sharpened AND deepened. Next time (בג"ה) we'll attempt to finish the Rabbeinu Yonah on our pasuk. ----- מקורות: רבינו יונה - משלי ג:ו רמב"ם - משנה תורה: הקדמה, חלוקת הספרים רמב"ם - מורה הנבוכים ג:נא שמות לג:יג,יח-יט אבות ב:ד ר' אברהם בן הרמב"ם - בראשית כח:כ ----- The Torah content this week is sponsored by Avital and Yitzy Richter. This Purim, may we be zocheh to see Hashem redeem Klal Yisrael and lead us from geulah to geulah! ----- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ----- Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-Schneeweiss Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss YouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweiss Instagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/ "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.com Old Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0H Amazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel
Ki Tisa: Is Shabbos a Day of Simchah?
2026/03/05
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 3/5/26 titled: Ki Tisa: Is Shabbos a Day of Simchah? If so, why isn't it presented this way in the Torah and in halacha? And if not, then why are there so many references to Shabbos joy in the songs we sing on Shabbos? ----- The Torah content for the month of February is sponsored by the Koffsky family in memory of Adira Rose Koffsky a”h, whose third yahrzeit is on the 11th of Shvat. Adira was a gifted writer, a deep thinker, and an exceptionally kind soul. I am grateful to have been able to call her my student.תְּהֵא נִשְׁמָתָהּ צְרוּרָה בִּצְרוֹר הַחַיִּים (May her soul be bound up in the bundle of life.) ----- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ----- Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-Schneeweiss Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss YouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweiss Instagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/ "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.com Old Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0H Amazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel
Q&A #46 - 30 Days Before the Chag, Necessity of Haggadah, Mishlei vs. Gemara, Hodaah Anniversaries
2026/03/05
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 31 minutes Synopsis: This morning (3/5/26), in lieu of our usual morning Mishlei, we had a Q&A session! We discussed four questions: (1) What's the nature of the halacha of "learning the halachos of the chag 30 days before the chag"? (2) How necessary is it for people to read and understand every line of the Haggadah? (3) Why do I prefer Mishlei over Gemara b'iyun? (4) Is there any idea of having a recurring seudas hodaah on the anniversary of an event one feels grateful for? ----- מקורות: רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר המדע, הלכות תלמוד תורה רמב"ם - ספר המצוות: עשה קנ"ז רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר זמנים, הלכות חמץ ומצה ז:א-ב,ו; ח:ב ריטב"א - הלכות פסח, מוסד הרב קוק עמוד יא  רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר אהבה, הלכות ברכות י:כו רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר אהבה, הלכות תפילה וברכת כהנים ט:ז https://rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/p/tzav-korban-todah-thanking-god-with https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jH9AbgnRgPw ----- The Torah content this week is sponsored by Avital and Yitzy Richter. This Purim, may we be zocheh to see Hashem redeem Klal Yisrael and lead us from geulah to geulah! ----- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ----- Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-Schneeweiss Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss YouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweiss Instagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/ "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.com Old Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0H Amazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel
The Tail of Vashti and Gavriel ha'Malach
2026/02/27
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 26 minutes Synopsis: This morning (2/27/26), in our Friday morning Sefer Iyov series for women, we capped off our series of shiurim on malachim with a midrash on Megilas Esther about a malach (in preparation for Purim, of course). This is a well-known midrash, but the version in the Gemara differs markedly from the version in the popular imagination. After raising questions and problems, we took a detour into the topic of angelic names, then analyzed the midrash, first on our own and then through the meforshim. At the end, I shared an interpretation that a friend and I developed. Whether we “got it right” or not is secondary. The real value, in my opinion, lies in the methodology. ----- מקורות: מגילה דף יב עמוב ב נדה דף ל עמוד ב ראב"ן רשב"א - חידושי אגדה שם אור חדש שם אסתר א:י-יב; ב:א ב' דברי הימים כו:כא א' שמואל ט:כד עבודה זרה דף כה עמוד א רד"ק - בראשית לב:ל רלב"ג - בראשית לב:ל ספר חסידים (מרגליות) סימן קצב אבן עזרא פירוש ב' - אסתר א:יב אבות ד:א רש"י - דברים כה:יח ----- The Torah content for the month of February is sponsored by the Koffsky family in memory of Adira Rose Koffsky a”h, whose third yahrzeit is on the 11th of Shvat. Adira was a gifted writer, a deep thinker, and an exceptionally kind soul. I am grateful to have been able to call her my student.תְּהֵא נִשְׁמָתָהּ צְרוּרָה בִּצְרוֹר הַחַיִּים (May her soul be bound up in the bundle of life.) ----- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you. If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone. ----- Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-Schneeweiss Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss YouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweiss Instagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/ "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com "The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com "The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.com Old Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/ WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0H Amazon Wishlist: amazon.co

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