Loading...

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

8:30

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

Machshavah Lab ·

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. ----- The Torah content for the month of Elul has not yet been sponsored. If you’re interested...

en-us

5:15

Maimonidean Musings: Mitzvos Between Man and God, or...

Machshavah Lab ·

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. ----- The Torah content for the Aseres Yemei Teshuva...

en-us

99:37

Rambam on Interpersonal Sin and Teshuvah (REDUX)

Machshavah Lab ·

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 ...

en-us

9:24

Ki Savo – Is It Really a Great Mitzvah to Be Happy...

Machshavah Lab ·

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. ----- The Torah content for the month of Elul has not...

en-us

19:47

Ki Teitzei – Sanitation and Shechinah

Machshavah Lab ·

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. ----- The Torah content for the month of Elul has not yet been spon...

en-us

19:32

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

Machshavah Lab ·

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-v...

en-us

19:31

Eikev: All You Need is Fear

Machshavah Lab ·

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. ----- The Torah content for the month of Av is sponsored by Aliza Feder in...

en-us

11:20

Vaeschanan: Rashba on What “Shema Yisrael” Demands of Us

Machshavah Lab ·

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. ----- The Torah Content for the month of Av is currently un...

en-us

77:08

Tishah b'Av 5786: Kinnah #18 - And You Said ... Why?...

Machshavah Lab ·

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 i...

en-us

9:27

Devarim: When Judges Are Threatened with Violence

Machshavah Lab ·

2026/07/17

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 7/17/26 titled: Devarim: When Judges Are Threatened with Violence. What would you do if you were a judge and a litigant threatened to kill you? The Torah commands judges not to be afraid. This article explores the halacha and its underlying philosophy. ----- The Torah Content for the month of Av is currently unsponsored...

en-us

8:13

Masei: The Release of Unintentional Killers

Machshavah Lab ·

2026/07/10

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 7/9/26 (a revised version of an article originally published on 7/25/14) titled: Masei: The Release of Unintentional Killers. Why are the unintentional killers exiled to the cities of refuge released when the Kohen Gadol dies? Here are two answers, from the Bechor Shor and Rambam. ----- The Torah Content for the m...

en-us

12:45

Chukas: Three Radical Takes on the Sin of Moshe and...

Machshavah Lab ·

2026/06/26

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 6/25/26 titled: Chukas: Three Radical Takes on the Sin of Moshe and Aharon. There are over a dozen theories about which sin barred Moshe and Aharon from leading the people into the Land. Here are three relatively unknown approaches from three relatively unknown commentaries. ----- The Torah Content for the month of...

en-us

17:02

Balak: The Appeal of Baal Peor (and Darwin)

Machshavah Lab ·

2026/06/25

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 6/24/26 (originally on 7/7/17) titled: Balak: The Appeal of Baal Peor (and Darwin). Worshiping an idol by defecating on it: what could the appeal possibly be, and what does it have to do with us today? Rav Hirsch has a theory, and it has to do with Darwinism. ----- The Torah Content for the month of Tammuz is sponsored ...

en-us

7:43

Korach: How Did Korach and His Followers Think They...

Machshavah Lab ·

2026/06/19

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 ...

en-us

50:43

Q&A #48 - Bribery Parameters, Bad/Good Influence...

Machshavah Lab ·

2026/06/18

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 To...

en-us

11:04

My Graduation Charge to the NEJA Class of 2026

Machshavah Lab ·

2026/06/14

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Here's the audio recording of the graduation charge I delivered to the NEJA Graduating Class of 2026 on June 14th, 2026. Transcript is available here. ----- The Torah content for this month has been sponsored by Meir Areman, l’zeicher nishmas Zelda bas Ziesel, his grandmother, whose yahrzeit is on the 21st of Sivan. ----- If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider supporting my work via Patreon, Venmo, Z...

en-us

8:29

Shelach: The Sin of the Spies and the Root of Idolatry

Machshavah Lab ·

2026/06/12

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 6/11/26 titled: Shelach: The Sin of the Spies and the Root of Idolatry. There are many theories about the cause of this catastrophic sin. Sforno aims to explain the Israelites' perplexing accusation: that Hashem hates them. Their error is more insidious than it seems. ----- The Torah content for this month has been spon...

en-us

12:43

Behaalosecha: Don’t Cry Over Lost Fish / Forbidden...

Machshavah Lab ·

2026/06/09

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 6/9/26 titled: Behaalosecha: Don’t Cry Over Lost Fish / Forbidden Relations (FULL Article). Sometimes a fish is just a fish, but sometimes it's a euphemism. At least, that's the disagreement in the Gemara. What is the basis of this disagreement, and what does it teach us? Here's my approach. ----- The Torah content for ...

en-us

80:27

Rambam on Divine Knowledge and Hashgachah (Part 2:...

Machshavah Lab ·

2026/06/05

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 20 minutes Synopsis: This morning (6/5/26), in our last Friday morning Sefer Iyov series for women of the season, we concluded the Rambam's INITIAL presentation of the true view of hashgachah, as understood from the Torah by the multitude of Sages, and as understood by the Rambam himself. Because we're going to be pausing our Iyov shiurim for the summer, I had to make it clear - in the shiur and in this synopsis - that ...

en-us

5:51

Behaalosecha: Don’t Cry Over Lost Fish / Forbidden...

Machshavah Lab ·

2026/06/05

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 6/5/26 titled: Behaalosecha: Don’t Cry Over Lost Fish / Forbidden Relations (Part 1: The Question). Sometimes a fish is just a fish, but sometimes it's a euphemism. Part 1 of this article presents the facts and the question. My answer will be forthcoming in Part 2 (God willing). ----- The Torah content for the mont...

en-us

650 results

Similar Podcasts

UsmanGee Islamic Universe | Quran: Tilawat & Tarjuma

usmangee-productions

Divine Living

Gina DeVee

Morning and Evening with Charles Spurgeon

Crossway

灵异恐怖故事

灵异恐怖故事

WETR Podcasts

Moffit Media