270 episodes

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.

Machshavah Lab Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss

    • Religion & Spirituality
    • 4.6 • 8 Ratings

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.

    Bo: The Jewish Lunar Calendar as Anti-Egyptian Polemic

    Bo: The Jewish Lunar Calendar as Anti-Egyptian Polemic

    Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote, entitled, Bo: The Jewish Lunar Calendar as Anti-Egyptian Polemic. Rambam (Moreh 3:29) maintained that knowledge of the beliefs and practices of the ancient idolatrous nations is vital for understanding the reasons for the Torah's commandments. Here is an example.

    If you enjoy these 1-page articles (and my other written content), be sure to subscribe (for free!) to my substack at rabbischneeweiss.substack.com.
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    The Torah content for the remainder of January has been sponsored by Yehuda in gratitude for fifteen years of friendship and learning.
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    If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.
    -----
    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.com. 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.com. 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.
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    Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/
    Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss
    YouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweiss
    Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/
    "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com
    "The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com
    "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com
    "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com
    "The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.com
    WhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0H
    Amazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel

    • 5 min
    Shemos: Dasan and Aviram - to Blame or Not to Blame?

    Shemos: Dasan and Aviram - to Blame or Not to Blame?

    Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote, entitled, Shemos: Dasan and Aviram - to Blame or Not to Blame? The Torah itself only ascribes one wrongdoing to Dasan and Aviram. It is the Sages who place them at the scene of other crimes. What are we to make of this? Let us turn to Rashi and Ralbag for insight.
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    The Torah content for the remainder of January has been sponsored by Yehuda in gratitude for fifteen years of friendship and learning.
    -----
    If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.
    -----
    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.com. 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.com. 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/
    Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss
    YouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweiss
    Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/
    "The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com
    "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com
    "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com
    "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com
    "The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.com
    WhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0H
    Amazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel

    • 5 min
    Q&A #17: Shalom Bayis, Darchei Shalom, and Questions About Jewish Cemeteries

    Q&A #17: Shalom Bayis, Darchei Shalom, and Questions About Jewish Cemeteries

    Length: 14 minutes
    Synopsis: This morning (1/12/22) we set out to do a Q&A, but the first question turned into a 30-minute tefilah shiur, which let only 14 minutes for other questions. We still managed to get in a few interesting questions.
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    מקורות:
    רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר זמנים, הלכות מגילה וחנוכה ד:יג-יד
    רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר שופטים, הלכות מלכים ומלחמות י:יד
    רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר שופטים, הלכות סנהדרין והעונשין המסורין להם יד:ט
     -----
    The Torah content for the remainder of January has been sponsored by Yehuda in gratitude for fifteen years of friendship and learning.
    -----
    If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.
    -----
    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.com. 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.com. 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/
    Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss
    YouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweiss
    Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/
    "The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com
    "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com
    "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com
    "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com
    "The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.com
    WhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0H
    Amazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel

    • 15 min
    Does Hashem Actually Pray?! - Part 2 (Berachos 7a)

    Does Hashem Actually Pray?! - Part 2 (Berachos 7a)

    This evening (1/11/23), in our Wednesday night Tefilah shiur, we continued and completed (for now!) our analysis of the midrash about Hashem davening to himself. The good news is that I believe we got the main idea of the midrash. The "bad" news is that we raised a powerful question on the Sefer ha'Chinuch and Rashba, which I THOUGHT I had an answer to, but I realized that I didn't have the answer as clear as I thought, so we didn't end up answering it. If you think of an answer, let me know!
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    מקורות:
    מסכת סופרים טז:ב
    ברכות דף ז עמוד א
    רש"י
    ריטב"א
    ברכות דף לג עמוד ב
    רלב"ג ביאור הפרשה - שמות לג:יט
    רשב"א - פירוש ההגדות ברכות דף ז עמוד א
    ברכות דף נ עמוד א
    ספר החינוך הערת המחבר
    בראשית רבה ה:א
    רלב"ג: הקדמה לתורה
    רש"י - דברים ל:יט
    שו"ת הרשב"א חלק ה סימן נ-נא
     -----
    The Torah content for the remainder of January has been sponsored by Yehuda in gratitude for fifteen years of friendship and learning.
    -----
    If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.
    -----
    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.com. 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.com. 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/
    Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss
    YouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweiss
    Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/
    "The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com
    "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com
    "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com
    "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com
    "The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.com
    WhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0H
    Amazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel

    • 1 hr 8 min
    Q&A #16: Churban, Minhag, "Shmiras Einayim," Sharing Psak, Reading, Feeding Animals 1st, MO Problems

    Q&A #16: Churban, Minhag, "Shmiras Einayim," Sharing Psak, Reading, Feeding Animals 1st, MO Problems

    Length: 1 hour 21 minutes
    Synopsis: This morning (1/6/22), in our SECOND Friday Q&A (this one for women only), we took up a bunch of topics which included many subtopics: (1a) What can we infer about the relative importance of bein adam l'makom vs. bein adam l'chaveiro mitzvos from the reasons given for the destruction of both Batei ha'Mikdash? (1b) Which types of lo lishmah mitzvos are acceptable and which aren't? (2) How should we relate to minhagim which feel like cumbersome vestiges of the halachic system? (3a) How can the Torah demand "shmiras einayim" when, statistically speaking, it seems to be an impossible standard? (4a) Are there guidelines for when psak should and shouldn't be shared? (4b) Similarly, are there guidelines for when we should and shouldn't share halachic knowledge with someone who isn't aware of the halacha? (5) What is the philosophical reason for feeding our animals before we feed ourselves? (6) How do I, Rabbi Schneeweiss, curate my reading and watching list? (7) Do the problems in Modern Orthodoxy imply a failure of the entire approach? There might have been more questions, but these are the ones I was able to remember after the fact. If you listen to this and find that I left one out, please let me know!
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    מקורות:
    ב' מלכים כא:א-טז
    ישעיהו א:י-יז
    רמב"ם - איגרת לקהל מרשילייא על אצטגנינות ומזל
    ספר החינוך - הקדמה
    רמב"ם - ספר המצוות, לא תעשה מ"ז
    דברים לב:מז
    ירושלמי פאה א:א
    ר' צבי שכטר - מפניני הרב, עמוד רעב-רעג
    רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר שופטים, הלכות מלכים ומלחמות יא:ד

    Things I Recommended:
    - "Chametz - Why So Serious?" https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2016/04/chametz-why-so-serious.html
    - "Lishmah and l'Kanter" https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2019/06/lishmah-and-lkanter.html
    - "Shechem: A Bad Place (Rabbi Elie Feder)" https://www.buzzsprout.com/1850974/11947146
    - The Stoic Jew Podcast (1/15/21): "Seneca - Letter #2: On Discursiveness in Reading" https://www.buzzsprout.com/1478911/7284784
    - Timothy Ferriss, "Tribe of Mentors"
    - Tim Ferriss, "Tools of Titans"
     -----
    This week's Torah content has been sponsored by Rachayl as a "thank you" to me for teaching, and as a "thank you" to all those who participate in my shiurim and share their thoughts and questions.
    -----
    If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.
    -----
    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.com.
    -----
    Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/
    Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss
    YouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweiss
    Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/
    "The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com
    "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com
    "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com
    "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com
    "The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.com
    WhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0H

    • 1 hr 21 min
    Vayechi: The Wolf as an Allegory for the Shechinah

    Vayechi: The Wolf as an Allegory for the Shechinah

    Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote, entitled, Vayechi: The Wolf as an Allegory for the Shechinah. This article is about two topics that are near and dear to my heart: the wolf (as as a subject of epistemological epiphanies) and the shechinah. What do they have to do with each other? Listen and find out!
     -----
    This week's Torah content has been sponsored by Rachayl as a "thank you" to me for teaching, and as a "thank you" to all those who participate in my shiurim and share their thoughts and questions.
    -----
    If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.
    -----
    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.com. 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.com. 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/
    Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss
    YouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweiss
    Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/
    "The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com
    "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com
    "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com
    "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com
    "The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.com
    WhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0H
    Amazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel

    • 5 min
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