Machshavah Lab

Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss

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.

  1. 1d ago

    Hoshana Rabbah 5787: Ho’il Moshe’s Theory of Hoshana Rabbah

    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. ----- 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. ----- 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

  2. Sep 25

    Maimonidean Musings: Mitzvos Between Man and God, or Between Man and Himself?

    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. ----- 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! ----- 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

  3. Sep 11

    Rambam on Interpersonal Sin and Teshuvah (REDUX)

    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! ----- 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 ----- 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! ----- 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

  4. Aug 28

    Ki Savo – Is It Really a Great Mitzvah to Be Happy All the Time?

    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. ----- 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. ----- 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

  5. Aug 6

    Re’eh: Rav Kook’s Anti-Vegetarian Views

    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 ----- 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. ----- 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

  6. Aug 1

    Eikev: All You Need is Fear

    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. ----- 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. ----- 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

Ratings & Reviews

4.7
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

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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