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

    Tishah b'Av 5786: Kinnah #18 - And You Said ... Why? (or Why We Learn Iyov on Tishah b'Av)

    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." ----- 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 ----- The Torah Content for the month of Av is currently unsponsored. If you would like to sponsor it, please 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

  2. Jun 19

    Korach: How Did Korach and His Followers Think They Could Get Away With It?

    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 6/19/26 titled: Korach: How Did Korach and His Followers Think They Could Get Away With It? Korach and his men claim to be chosen by Hashem. Moshe says, "Let's test it." Korach agrees. They fail the test. One cannot help but wonder: What did they EXPECT to happen? Abravanel offers an answer. ----- The Torah Content for the month of Tammuz is sponsored by Yael Weiss. Thank you, Yael, for your support! It’s people like you who make it possible for me to continue doing what I do. ----- 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. Jun 18

    Q&A #48 - Bribery Parameters, Bad/Good Influence on/from Friends, Torah on Inner Work, What is YBT

    Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length:49 minutes Synopsis: This morning (6/18/26), in lieu of morning Mishlei, we had the last Q&A - and last shiur! - of the 2025-2026 season. We took up four questions: (1) What are the parameters of philosophical/ethical bribery? (2) How do you navigate having friends who could potentially have a bad influence on you, and how might you have a good influence on them? (3) What would you say to a person who is unaware that the Torah cares about our inner life? (4) How does one explain our yeshiva when asked about it? (I was actually asked another question about my thoughts on the role of Israel in our Jewish life, but I declined to answer - not only because I keep all my Zionism articles behind a paywall, but because I'm considering writing another one this summer and I don't want to make any statements until I've written it.) This was my last YBT shiur of 2025-2026, and what a great year it's been. I'm looking forward to summer break, but I'm already excited about what next year will bring! ----- מקורות: משלי טו:כז דעות ו:א אבות ב:ט https://www.yeshivabneitorah.org/ ----- The Torah Content for the month of Tammuz is sponsored by Yael Weiss. Thank you, Yael, for your support! It's people like you who make it possible for me to continue doing what I do. ----- 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

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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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