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PODCAST

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

religion & spirituality judaism

All Episodes

46:10

Q&A #43: Evil Chacham, Wiki-Wars, World of Midrash,...

Machshavah Lab ·

2025/04/24

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 45 minutes Synopsis: This morning (4/24/25) we had Q&A! We discussed the following six questions: (1) If perfection of middos is a prerequisite to perfection of the intellect, how do we explain individuals like Achitophel and Doeg ha'Edomi, who were great chachamim who did evil things? (2) Anti-Israel activists have engaged in malicious editing of Wikipedia articles to promote their cause. What do we think of this tactic, ...

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9:29

Egypt Reflections as a Jew (by My Brother)

Machshavah Lab ·

2025/04/11

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of article: 3 page Length of audio: 8 minutes 40 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 3-page article I co-wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 4/11/25, titled: Egypt Reflections as a Jew (by My Brother). My globetrotting brother’s reflections on his trip to Egypt—poignant words that move me to tears every time I read them, especially going into Pesach. And yes, I started crying while making the...

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10:55

Why WE Eat Matzah vs. Why THEY Ate Matzah

Machshavah Lab ·

2025/04/11

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of article: 3 page Length of audio: 10 minutes 5 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 3-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 4/10/25, titled: Every year we read Rabban Gamliel's explanation for why we eat matzah on Pesach, but why did the Israelites in Egypt eat matzah on the night of the Exodus? Here are three approaches. ----- The Torah content from now until Erev Pesach has be...

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103:26

Adir Hu: Praiseworthy Paean or Sacrilegious Screed?

Machshavah Lab ·

2025/04/04

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 43 minutes Synopsis: Last night (4/4/25), in our Thursday night women's shiur, we explored a question posed to me by two of my students (shout out to Moshe and Shmarya) about a song found at the end of most Haggadot: “Is there an inherent problem with saying Adir Hu?” The concern is that, on the surface, Adir Hu seems to exemplify the type of excessive adjectival praise condemned by R’ Chanina in Berachos 33b. Our sessi...

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5:21

Mit’chilah: Defining Avodah Zarah and Avodas Hashem

Machshavah Lab ·

2025/04/04

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of article: 1 page Length of audio: 4 minutes 31 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 4/4/25, titled: Mit’chilah: Defining Avodah Zarah and Avodas Hashem. How would you define avodah zarah and avodas Hashem—and how would you do it in a 500-word dvar Torah for Jewish day school families? ----- The Torah content from now until Erev Pesach has ...

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39:13

Q&A #42: Downtime with Rabbeim, God Creating Evil,...

Machshavah Lab ·

2025/03/20

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 38 minutes Synopsis: This morning (3/20/25) we had a rare (this year) Q&A! We discussed the following questions: (1) How should a person use their outside-of-yeshiva "downtime" with their rabbeim: to talk about Torah or about other things? (2) What do we make of the tension between acknowledging God as the cause of evil and the Rambam's position in the Moreh that God doesn't directly cause evil? (3) What, exactly, was give...

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12:08

Ki Tisa: Shadal’s Anti-Rationalist Rational...

Machshavah Lab ·

2025/03/17

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of article: 3 pages Length of audio: 11 minutes 6 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 3-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 3/17/25, titled: Ki Tisa: Shadal’s Anti-Rationalist Rational Explanation of Ayin ha’Ra (the Evil Eye). What if I told you there’s an explanation of ayin ha’ra that is neither purely rationalistic nor mystical? True to form, Shadal offers just such an ...

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11:55

Tetzaveh: Philosophical Pants

Machshavah Lab ·

2025/03/07

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of article: 3 pages Length of audio: 10 minutes 53 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 3-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 3/7/25, titled: Tetzaveh: Philosophical Pants. The most underappreciated item of the bigdei kehunah (priestly vestments) is the undergarments. In this article, we analyze these "philosophical pants" and uncover the many Torah ideas they embody. ----- The ...

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83:25

Ralbag's Lessons from Megilas Esther: Part 4 (#36-40)

Machshavah Lab ·

2025/03/07

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 23 minutes Synopsis: Tonight (3/6/25), in lieu of our Thursday night Pirkei Avos shiur for women, we continued learning the Ralbag's toalos ("beneficial lessons") on Megilas Esther, picking up were we left off last year, at the beginning of Chapter 6. Unlike last year, in which we JUST read the Ralbag, we decided to read and discuss the pesukim this year before learning the toeles. This resulted in a slower pace, but (I...

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112:42

Emulating a Vengeful God: ve'Halachta bi'Drachav and...

Machshavah Lab ·

2025/03/02

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 52 minutes Synopsis: Thoughts of vengeance have been on the minds of Jews worldwide since October 7th. In less than two weeks, we’ll celebrate Purim — a holiday in which vengeance is a dominant theme. We are commanded to emulate Hashem’s ways, and He is explicitly described as "vengeful" throughout Tanach. Are we meant to emulate Him in this regard? How does this align with the Torah’s halachic and ethical stance on rev...

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12:16

Mishpatim: Judaism's Stance on (Extrajudicial) Witch...

Machshavah Lab ·

2025/02/21

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of article: 3 pages Length of audio: 11 minutes 33 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 3-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 2/21/25, titled: Mishpatim: Judaism's Stance on (Extrajudicial) Witch Hunts. The Torah prohibits witchcraft under the penalty of death, but if you think you know what that means and why, then you may be in for a surprise. ----- The Torah content for the e...

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87:52

Mishpatim: Judaism's Take on [Literal] Witch Hunting...

Machshavah Lab ·

2025/02/21

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 27 minutes Synopsis: This evening (2/20/25), in lieu of our regularly scheduled Pirkei Avos Shiur for women, we took up the topic that I'm currently writing about for my Friday substack article. We began by asking all the questions we could on this three-word pasuk, and by the end of the shiur, we answered all but one. The shiur itself focused on a highly disturbing minority view (expressed by only 3.5 meforshim) about ...

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14:36

Yisro: Shadal’s Unfortunate Stance on Idolatry,...

Machshavah Lab ·

2025/02/14

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of article: 4 pages Length of audio: 13 minutes 53 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 5-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 2/14/25, titled: Yisro: Shadal’s Unfortunate Stance on Idolatry, Belief, and the Value of Knowledge. Perhaps this article will expose me as a fool, an ignoramus, a haughty dilettante—or all three. But I had to write it, if only to be shown how wrong I am...

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10:53

Beshalach: What Did the Splitting of the Sea Look Like?

Machshavah Lab ·

2025/02/09

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of article: 3 pages Length of audio: 10 minutes 30 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 3-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 2/9/25, titled: Beshalach: What Did the Splitting of the Sea Look Like? After seeing this magnificent photo, I was inspired to write a bonus article on Beshalach - an article I've been meaning to write for years. Surprise! ----- The Torah content for the ...

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113:41

Avos 4:11 and 5:17 - Meiri on Machlokess

Machshavah Lab ·

2025/02/07

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 53 minutes Synopsis: Last night (2/6/25), in our Thursday night Pirkei Avos shiur for women, we did something a little unusual: analyzing TWO mishnayos with only ONE commentary. When I sat down to prepare for this shiur, I noticed the parallel wording in 4:11 and 5:17. When I read the Meiri, I saw that he gave a similar interpretation of both, but it was JUST different enough to raise a host of problems. Our goal was to...

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18:10

Beshalach: Moshe’s Role in the Mahn Confusion and its...

Machshavah Lab ·

2025/02/07

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of article: 5 pages Length of audio: 17 minutes 27 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 5-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 2/7/25, titled: Beshalach: Moshe’s Role in the Mahn Confusion and its Implications for Teachers. This article explores one of the most perplexing narratives in Shemos, addressing a key question: How was Moshe at fault for the fiasco with the mahn? It conc...

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16:38

Shemos: Two Views of Hishtadlus

Machshavah Lab ·

2025/01/17

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Length of article: 4 pagesLength of audio: 15 minutes 29 secondsSynopsis: This is the audio version of the 4-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 1/16/25, titled: Shemos: Two Views of Hishtadlus. Intended to write a short dvar Torah article about Yocheved as model of bitachon (trust in Hashem), but I ended up writing out my entire "hishtadlus rant." -----It’s a new year on the Gregorian calendar, a ne...

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8:46

Vayechi: How Never to Be Angry at Anyone or Hate...

Machshavah Lab ·

2025/01/09

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Length of article: 2 pagesLength of audio: 7 minutes 38 secondsSynopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 1/9/25, titled: Vayechi: How Never to Be Angry at Anyone or Hate Anyone (Part 1: Questions). Yes, this is the second week in a row that I've written a "questions only" article. Unlike last time, I plan on writing Part 2 (for paid subscribers). I published thi...

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9:27

Vayigash: Who Sent Yosef to Egypt? (Part 1: The...

Machshavah Lab ·

2025/01/03

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Length of article: 2 pagesLength of audio: 8 minutes 19 secondsSynopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 1/3/25, titled: Vayigash: Who Sent Yosef to Egypt? (Part 1: The Questions). Yosef answers this question three times, and we assume we know what he meant, but Ibn Kaspi hints at a different interpretation in the Rambam - one that raises a few problems of its o...

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95:30

Avos 4:11 - Angelic Advocates and Accusers (Reexamined)

Machshavah Lab ·

2025/01/03

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Length: 1 hour 35 minutesSynopsis: Tonight (1/2/25), in our Thursday night Pirkei Avos shiur for women, we took up an intriguing mishnah about the effects of mitzvos and aveiros. We ended up with two solid interpretations - one that emerged during the shiur, and another based on an article I wrote back in 2012 - as well as a fundamental discourse on reward and punishment according to Rabbeinu Bachya, which we (sadly) didn't have time t...

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564 results

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