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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Chayei Sarah: Rivkah’s Birth, Sarah’s Death, and the Tzadikim in Every Generation
2026/11/06
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 11/6/26 titled: Chayei Sarah: Rivkah’s Birth, Sarah’s Death, and the Tzadikim in Every Generation. The Sages teach us that a tzadik does not depart from the world before a tzadik like him has been born to take his place. What does this mean?
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The Torah content for the remainder of October has been sponsored by Naomi Schwartz Rothschild, who writes: "My stepmother was nifteres. She was a mother to me for almost 20 years. She called me her daughter. She was always positive and b'simchah. My Ima also helped and then took over my father's (z״l) Partners in Torah when he had difficulty and then couldn't do it all." May the memory of Chava Leah bas Tzivia Rochel be for a blessing.
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If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider supporting my work via Patreon, Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal — links below. Even a small contribution helps cover production costs and gives me the freedom to create more Torah content. To sponsor a day's or week's worth of content, or to inquire about tutoring or teaching, reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you for listening, reading, and supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
Patreon | [Venmo: @Matt-Schneeweiss] | [Zelle/PayPal: mattschneeweiss at gmail]
Substack | YouTube | YUTorah | Instagram
Podcasts: The Stoic Jew | Machshavah Lab | The Mishlei Podcast | Rambam Bekius | The Tefilah Podcast
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Rambam on Gehinnom (or Did Rambam Hold by Gehinnom as a Post-Mortem Spiritual Punishment?)
2026/11/01
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!
Length: 2 hours 17 minutes
Synopsis: This morning (11/1/26), I gave a YBT Sunday Shiur on the weighty and controversial topic of what the Rambam holds about Gehinnom. Specifically, does the Rambam agree with the traditional concept of Gehinnom as a post-mortem spiritual punishment? As I mention at the outset of the shiur and at several points throughout, I feared this shiur would start off well, then crash and burn. It’s the only Sunday Shiur I did not feel prepared for at the time it began, because it expanded in scope at the last minute and I didn’t have time to account for that. Thankfully, the shiur went over well! It’s a little messy at the end, but I believe I achieved all the goals I stated at the outset. Feedback is always welcome, but here I’m especially interested in disagreements, counterarguments, and evidence I hadn’t considered.
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מקורות:
Rabbi Dr. Isadore Twersky, An Introduction to the Code of Maimonides (Mishneh Torah), pp.234-235
רמב"ם - פירוש המשניות, אבות א:ה; ד:יז; ה:כ
רמב"ם - פירוש המשניות, הקדמה לסנהדרין פרק חלק
רמב"ם - פירוש המשניות, הקדמה
משנה עדיות ב:י
רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר שופטים, הלכות סנהדרין והעונשין המסורין להם כג:ח
רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר המדע, הלכות יסודי התורה ד:ז-ט; ה:ד
רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר המדע, הלכות תשובה ג:ג, ה-ו; ח:א-ה; ט:א
ערובין דף יט עמוד א
ראש השנה דף טז עמוד ב - דף יז עמוד א
דרור ארליך - על השמטת מושג הגיהינום מ'משנה תורה' לרמב"ם, חלמיש למעיינו מים, עמ' 235-255
מיוחס לרמב"ם - מילות ההגיון פרק ד
Menachem Kellner, Must a Jew Believe Anything? (Second Edition), p.154, note 12; pp.157-158
Rabbi Dr. Marc B. Shapiro, The Limits of Orthodox Theology, p.137
Moshe Halbertal, Maimonides: Life and Thought, p.141
Hannah Kasher, Some Notes About the Ultimate Punishment, p.97
Howard Kreisel, Reward and Punishment in Medieval Jewish Philosophy, p.43, note 51
משנה אבות ד:יז (גירסת הרמב"ם)
ר' יצחק שילת - רמב"ם מדויק, הלכות תשובה ג:ו (הערה)
כתב יד אוקספורד, הנטינגטון 80 (ספר המוגה) - הלכות תשובה ג:ו
Rabbi Saul Zucker, WhatsApp exchange, 11/26/25
רמב"ן - תורת האדם, שער הגמול לו-לז; מד-מז (לפי חלוקת ספריא)
רמב"ן - אגרת לרבני צרפת
Rabbi Moshe Maimon, private email correspondence, 11/17/25; 11/24/25
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The Torah content for the month of November is sponsored by Judah and Naomi Dardik in honor of the upcoming wedding of Dovid Lichter and Leora Cohn, and in honor of all those who serve the needs of the community.
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If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider supporting my work via Patreon, Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal — links below. Even a small contribution helps cover production costs and gives me the freedom to create more Torah content. To sponsor a day's or week's worth of content, or to inquire about tutoring or teaching, reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you for listening, reading, and supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
Patreon | [Venmo: @Matt-Schneeweiss] | [Zelle/PayPal: mattschneeweiss at gmail]
Substack | YouTube | YUTorah | Instagram
Podcasts: The Stoic Jew | Machshavah Lab | The Mishlei Podcast | Rambam Bekius | The Tefilah Podcast
WhatsApp Content Hub | Old Blog | Amazon Wishlist
Vayeira: Radak on the Akeidah (Part 1: Questions)
2026/10/30
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 10/29/26 titled: Vayeira: Radak on the Akeidah (Part 1: Questions). Radak has a beautiful interpretation of Akeidas Yitzchak (the Binding of Isaac), but it’s not without its difficulties. In Part 1, we summarize his approach and raise two major problems.
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The Torah content for the remainder of October has been sponsored by Naomi Schwartz Rothschild, who writes: "My stepmother was nifteres. She was a mother to me for almost 20 years. She called me her daughter. She was always positive and b'simchah. My Ima also helped and then took over my father's (z״l) Partners in Torah when he had difficulty and then couldn't do it all." May the memory of Chava Leah bas Tzivia Rochel be for a blessing.
-----
If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider supporting my work via Patreon, Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal — links below. Even a small contribution helps cover production costs and gives me the freedom to create more Torah content. To sponsor a day's or week's worth of content, or to inquire about tutoring or teaching, reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you for listening, reading, and supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
Patreon | [Venmo: @Matt-Schneeweiss] | [Zelle/PayPal: mattschneeweiss at gmail]
Substack | YouTube | YUTorah | Instagram
Podcasts: The Stoic Jew | Machshavah Lab | The Mishlei Podcast | Rambam Bekius | The Tefilah Podcast
WhatsApp Content Hub | Old Blog | Amazon Wishlist
Lech Lecha: Can We Still Call Him Avram? (A Meta-Halachic PSA)
2026/10/23
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 10/23/26 titled: Lech Lecha: Can We Still Call Him Avram? (A Meta-Halachic PSA). The Gemara says that one who calls Avraham “Avram” transgresses a positive or a negative commandment. Seems pretty clear-cut ... or is it? This turned out to be more of a PSA than a dvar Torah.
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The Torah content for the remainder of October has been sponsored by Naomi Schwartz Rothschild, who writes: "My stepmother was nifteres. She was a mother to me for almost 20 years. She called me her daughter. She was always positive and b'simchah. My Ima also helped and then took over my father's (z״l) Partners in Torah when he had difficulty and then couldn't do it all." May the memory of Chava Leah bas Tzivia Rochel be for a blessing.
-----
If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider supporting my work via Patreon, Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal — links below. Even a small contribution helps cover production costs and gives me the freedom to create more Torah content. To sponsor a day's or week's worth of content, or to inquire about tutoring or teaching, reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you for listening, reading, and supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
Patreon | [Venmo: @Matt-Schneeweiss] | [Zelle/PayPal: mattschneeweiss at gmail]
Substack | YouTube | YUTorah | Instagram
Podcasts: The Stoic Jew | Machshavah Lab | The Mishlei Podcast | Rambam Bekius | The Tefilah Podcast
WhatsApp Content Hub | Old Blog | Amazon Wishlist
Noach: Microlooting and the Mabul
2026/10/16
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 10/16/26 titled: Noach: Microlooting and the Mabul. Chazal say that theft sealed the fate of the Generation of the Flood. But what kind? Armed robbery? Kidnapping? The Yerushalmi says it was a type that’s becoming increasingly acceptable today.
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The Torah content for the remainder of October has been sponsored by Naomi Schwartz Rothschild, who writes: "My stepmother was nifteres. She was a mother to me for almost 20 years. She called me her daughter. She was always positive and b'simchah. My Ima also helped and then took over my father's (z״l) Partners in Torah when he had difficulty and then couldn't do it all." May the memory of Chava Leah bas Tzivia Rochel be for a blessing.
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If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider supporting my work via Patreon, Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal — links below. Even a small contribution helps cover production costs and gives me the freedom to create more Torah content. To sponsor a day's or week's worth of content, or to inquire about tutoring or teaching, reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you for listening, reading, and supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
Patreon | [Venmo: @Matt-Schneeweiss] | [Zelle/PayPal: mattschneeweiss at gmail]
Substack | YouTube | YUTorah | Instagram
Podcasts: The Stoic Jew | Machshavah Lab | The Mishlei Podcast | Rambam Bekius | The Tefilah Podcast
WhatsApp Content Hub | Old Blog | Amazon Wishlist
Bereishis: Rav Hirsch vs. the World on Divine “Emotions”
2026/10/09
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 10/8/26 titled: Bereishis: Rav Hirsch vs. the World on Divine “Emotions.” If I had written about this 18 years ago, when I first encountered this Rav Hirsch, it would have turned out to be a polemic. I don’t THINK this is a polemic, but you can be the judge of that.
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The Torah content for the remainder of October has been sponsored by Naomi Schwartz Rothschild, who writes: "My stepmother was nifteres. She was a mother to me for almost 20 years. She called me her daughter. She was always positive and b'simchah. My Ima also helped and then took over my father's (z״l) Partners in Torah when he had difficulty and then couldn't do it all." May the memory of Chava Leah bas Tzivia Rochel be for a blessing.
-----
If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider supporting my work via Patreon, Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal — links below. Even a small contribution helps cover production costs and gives me the freedom to create more Torah content. To sponsor a day's or week's worth of content, or to inquire about tutoring or teaching, reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you for listening, reading, and supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
Patreon | [Venmo: @Matt-Schneeweiss] | [Zelle/PayPal: mattschneeweiss at gmail]
Substack | YouTube | YUTorah | Instagram
Podcasts: The Stoic Jew | Machshavah Lab | The Mishlei Podcast | Rambam Bekius | The Tefilah Podcast
WhatsApp Content Hub | Old Blog | Amazon Wishlist
Hoshana Rabbah 5787: Ho’il Moshe’s Theory of Hoshana Rabbah
2026/10/02
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 10/2/26 titled: Hoshana Rabbah 5787: Ho’il Moshe’s Theory of Hoshana Rabbah. After years and years of Hoshana Rabbah apathy, confusion, and disgruntlement, I have finally encountered a theory of the day that resonates with me.
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The Torah content for the month of Elul has not yet been sponsored. If you’re interested in sponsoring, let me know! Additionally, I'm in search of a sponsor for this year's Zoom subscription and for an actual SoferAI account, so that I can start transcribing my 700+ recorded Mishlei shiurim in preparation for writing my book on Mishlei.
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If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider supporting my work via Patreon, Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal — links below. Even a small contribution helps cover production costs and gives me the freedom to create more Torah content. To sponsor a day's or week's worth of content, or to inquire about tutoring or teaching, reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you for listening, reading, and supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
Patreon | [Venmo: @Matt-Schneeweiss] | [Zelle/PayPal: mattschneeweiss at gmail]
Substack | YouTube | YUTorah | Instagram
Podcasts: The Stoic Jew | Machshavah Lab | The Mishlei Podcast | Rambam Bekius | The Tefilah Podcast
WhatsApp Content Hub | Old Blog | Amazon Wishlist
Maimonidean Musings: Mitzvos Between Man and God, or Between Man and Himself?
2026/09/25
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 9/25/26 titled: Maimonidean Musings: Mitzvos Between Man and God, or Between Man and Himself? Is there such a category as “bein adam la’atzmo”? How does the Rambam understand the categories of mitzvos? Here are two insights: one I found shocking, the other subversive.
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The Torah content for the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah (and appaerently beyond!) has been sponsored by Avital Richter, with a request that Hashem grant us all an upcoming year filled with learning and a refuah sheleimah for her father. Shanah tovah!
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If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider supporting my work via Patreon, Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal — links below. Even a small contribution helps cover production costs and gives me the freedom to create more Torah content. To sponsor a day's or week's worth of content, or to inquire about tutoring or teaching, reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you for listening, reading, and supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
Patreon | [Venmo: @Matt-Schneeweiss] | [Zelle/PayPal: mattschneeweiss at gmail]
Substack | YouTube | YUTorah | Instagram
Podcasts: The Stoic Jew | Machshavah Lab | The Mishlei Podcast | Rambam Bekius | The Tefilah Podcast
WhatsApp Content Hub | Old Blog | Amazon Wishlist
Rambam on Interpersonal Sin and Teshuvah (REDUX)
2026/09/11
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!
Length: 1 hour 39 minutes
Synopsis: Tonight (9/10/26), in our Thursday night Machshavah Lab series for women, I gave a shiur on a topic I THOUGHT I had never given shiur on before. As it turns out, an hour before shiur I realized that I gave shiur on this exact topic three years ago - and when I checked the transcript, I discovered that I said almost exactly the same thing. OH WELL! Review is always beneficial, and I feel like we got it clearer this time than we did last time. The questions are still juicy, the approach is still thought-provoking (even if you end up disagreeing with it), and we had a bunch of new faces this time, so it was a worthwhile shiur in my book. I'd love to hear your thoughts!
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מקורות:
חגיגה דף ט עמוד ב
רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר המדע, הלכות תשובה ב:ט-יא; ד:א,ו
רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר המדע, הלכות דעות ו:ז
רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר זמנים, הלכות מגילה וחנוכה ד:יד
Seneca – On the Constancy of the Wise Man 17:4
Epictetus – Enchiridion (The Handbook) 20
Epictetus – Discourses 1:25:28
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The Torah content for the remainder of Elul is sponsored by Chaim Peck and Rifka Kaplan-Peck. May Hashem grant us all a new year filled with learning and growth!
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If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider supporting my work via Patreon, Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal — links below. Even a small contribution helps cover production costs and gives me the freedom to create more Torah content. To sponsor a day's or week's worth of content, or to inquire about tutoring or teaching, reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you for listening, reading, and supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
Patreon | [Venmo: @Matt-Schneeweiss] | [Zelle/PayPal: mattschneeweiss at gmail]
Substack | YouTube | YUTorah | Instagram
Podcasts: The Stoic Jew | Machshavah Lab | The Mishlei Podcast | Rambam Bekius | The Tefilah Podcast
WhatsApp Content Hub | Old Blog | Amazon Wishlist
Ki Savo – Is It Really a Great Mitzvah to Be Happy All the Time?
2026/08/28
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!
Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 5-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 8/28/26 titled: Ki Savo – Is It Really a Great Mitzvah to Be Happy All the Time? Rebbe Nachman and the Rambam both make statements about the role of simchah in serving Hashem. Both statements are problematic in different ways, especially in light of a key pasuk.
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The Torah content for the month of Elul has not yet been sponsored. If you’re interested in sponsoring, let me know! Additionally, I'm in search of a sponsor for this year's Zoom subscription and for an actual SoferAI account, so that I can start transcribing my 700+ recorded Mishlei shiurim in preparation for writing my book on Mishlei.
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If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider supporting my work via Patreon, Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal — links below. Even a small contribution helps cover production costs and gives me the freedom to create more Torah content. To sponsor a day's or week's worth of content, or to inquire about tutoring or teaching, reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you for listening, reading, and supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
Patreon | [Venmo: @Matt-Schneeweiss] | [Zelle/PayPal: mattschneeweiss at gmail]
Substack | YouTube | YUTorah | Instagram
Podcasts: The Stoic Jew | Machshavah Lab | The Mishlei Podcast | Rambam Bekius | The Tefilah Podcast
WhatsApp Content Hub | Old Blog | Amazon Wishlist
Ki Teitzei – Sanitation and Shechinah
2026/08/21
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!
Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 5-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 8/21/26 titled: Ki Teitzei – Sanitation and Shechinah. I had a radical reading of these two obscure mitzvos and was delighted to discover that Ho’il Moshe took the same approach. Once I started writing, I couldn’t NOT include Shadal, Ralbag, and Ramban.
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The Torah content for the month of Elul has not yet been sponsored. If you’re interested in sponsoring, let me know!
-----
If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider supporting my work via Patreon, Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal — links below. Even a small contribution helps cover production costs and gives me the freedom to create more Torah content. To sponsor a day's or week's worth of content, or to inquire about tutoring or teaching, reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you for listening, reading, and supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
Patreon | [Venmo: @Matt-Schneeweiss] | [Zelle/PayPal: mattschneeweiss at gmail]
Substack | YouTube | YUTorah | Instagram
Podcasts: The Stoic Jew | Machshavah Lab | The Mishlei Podcast | Rambam Bekius | The Tefilah Podcast
WhatsApp Content Hub | Old Blog | Amazon Wishlist
Re’eh: Rav Kook’s Anti-Vegetarian Views
2026/08/06
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!
Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 5-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 8/6/26 titled: Re’eh: Rav Kook’s Anti-Vegetarian Views. This article is my first foray into Rav Kook's stance on vegetarianism, but what motivated me to write it is his revolutionary view of chukim as seeds planted for a future we aren't ready for. https://rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/p/reeh-rav-kooks-anti-vegetarian-views
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The Torah content for the month of Av is sponsored by Aliza Feder in honor of the yahrzeit of her mother, Mindy Pincus a”h. I had the pleasure of getting to know Mindy during my first year of yeshiva. She and her husband Gersh hosted me so often that she told me I could assume that a place would automatically be set at their table every Friday night. I will always remember her as a living embodiment of chesed and hachnasas orchim.
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If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider supporting my work via Patreon, Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal — links below. Even a small contribution helps cover production costs and gives me the freedom to create more Torah content. To sponsor a day's or week's worth of content, or to inquire about tutoring or teaching, reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you for listening, reading, and supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
Patreon | [Venmo: @Matt-Schneeweiss] | [Zelle/PayPal: mattschneeweiss at gmail]
Substack | YouTube | YUTorah | Instagram
Podcasts: The Stoic Jew | Machshavah Lab | The Mishlei Podcast | Rambam Bekius | The Tefilah Podcast
WhatsApp Content Hub | Old Blog | Amazon Wishlist
Eikev: All You Need is Fear
2026/08/01
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!
Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 5-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 7/31/26 titled: Eikev: All You Need is Fear. According to R. Chanina, Moshe tells us that Hashem asks only fear of us, and only fear is in our hands. But the pesukim list far more. The Torah Temimah and the Rambam provide opposite solutions.
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The Torah content for the month of Av is sponsored by Aliza Feder in honor of the yahrzeit of her mother, Mindy Pincus a”h. I had the pleasure of getting to know Mindy during my first year of yeshiva. She and her husband Gersh hosted me so often that she told me I could assume that a place would automatically be set at their table every Friday night. I will always remember her as a living embodiment of chesed and hachnasas orchim.
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If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider supporting my work via Patreon, Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal — links below. Even a small contribution helps cover production costs and gives me the freedom to create more Torah content. To sponsor a day's or week's worth of content, or to inquire about tutoring or teaching, reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you for listening, reading, and supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
Patreon | [Venmo: @Matt-Schneeweiss] | [Zelle/PayPal: mattschneeweiss at gmail]
Substack | YouTube | YUTorah | Instagram
Podcasts: The Stoic Jew | Machshavah Lab | The Mishlei Podcast | Rambam Bekius | The Tefilah Podcast
WhatsApp Content Hub | Old Blog | Amazon Wishlist
Vaeschanan: Rashba on What “Shema Yisrael” Demands of Us
2026/07/24
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 7/24/26 titled: Vaeschanan: Rashba on What “Shema Yisrael” Demands of Us. There's a lot to think about in the Shema, but how many of us pause to consider what the word "Shema" is instructing us to do? Thankfully, the Rashba provides a comprehensive answer.
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The Torah Content for the month of Av is currently unsponsored. If you would like to sponsor it, please let me know!
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If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider supporting my work via Patreon, Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal — links below. Even a small contribution helps cover production costs and gives me the freedom to create more Torah content. To sponsor a day's or week's worth of content, or to inquire about tutoring or teaching, reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you for listening, reading, and supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
Patreon | [Venmo: @Matt-Schneeweiss] | [Zelle/PayPal: mattschneeweiss at gmail]
Substack | YouTube | YUTorah | Instagram
Podcasts: The Stoic Jew | Machshavah Lab | The Mishlei Podcast | Rambam Bekius | The Tefilah Podcast
WhatsApp Content Hub | Old Blog | Amazon Wishlist
Tishah b'Av 5786: Kinnah #18 - And You Said ... Why? (or Why We Learn Iyov on Tishah b'Av)
2026/07/23
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!
Length of audio: 1 hour 16 minutes
Synopsis: This is the recording of the Tishah b'Av shiur I gave at the Island Synagogue on 7/23/26. The good news is that this might be the most important Tishah b'Av shiur I've given. It's certainly my favorite, both because of the ideas and because it went according to plan (which doesn't always happen with my Tishah b'Av shiurim).
The "bad" news is that if you are currently listening to my in-depth Iyov shiurim (in my Machshavah Lab series for women), I will recommend that you NOT listen to this shiur this year. My goal was to capitalize on the year I spent immersed in Sefer Iyov by choosing a kinnah that spoke directly to its themes. I chose to convey some core Iyov ideas to the members of my shul, knowing that most of them would likely not learn Sefer Iyov in-depth. For thsoe who are learning Iyov in-depth with me through my series, you will be better off if you encounter those ideas in the proper seder and at the right time. As the Rambam wrote to R. Yosef ben Yehuda: "My purpose in this is that the truth should present itself to your mind in its proper order, and that you should not hit upon it by mere chance."
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מקורות:
קינה י"ח - וְאַתָּה אָמַרְתָּ הֵיטֵב אֵיטִיב עִמָּךְ
רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר זמנים, הלכות תעניות ה:א,יא
רמב"ם - מורה הנבוכים א:נג; ג:כג
ירמיהו ט:א-ה;כב-כג
מלבי"ם - איוב לה:א-יד
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