Machshavah Lab

By: Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss
  • Summary

  • 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.
    © 2024 Machshavah Lab
    Show more Show less
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2
Episodes
  • Lech Lecha: Avraham Avinu – a Vial of Perfume in a Cemetery
    Nov 8 2024

    Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!

    Length of article: 3 pages
    Length of audio: 10 minutes 50 seconds
    Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 11/8/24, titled: Lech Lecha: Avraham Avinu – a Vial of Perfume in a Cemetery. This week's article is part Mishlei, part midrash, and part insight into the pshat of the parashah - all thanks to Rabbeinu Bachya's introductory drashah, which centers upon a strange analogy.
    -----
    This week’s Torah content has been sponsored by Yael Weiss. I forgot to ask her for a dedication message in advance, but in the meantime, I’ll dedicate this Torah content to the entire Weiss family: Rabbi and Sara, Yael and Esti, Eli and Benji, with a special shout-out to Rabbi Weiss Sr. Thank you for supporting what I do and for being part of my learning life, each in your own way!
    -----
    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. 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. 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
    Instagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/
    "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com
    "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com
    "The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com
    "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com
    "The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.com
    Old Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/
    WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0H
    Amazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel

    Show more Show less
    12 mins
  • Avos 4:7 - Why Judges Should Avoid Judging
    Nov 8 2024

    Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!

    Length: 1 hour 21 minutes
    Synopsis: Tonight (11/7/24), in our Thursday night Pirkei Avos shiur for women, we continued learning Chapter 4. On its surface, this mishnah is directed at judges, but the advice it gives is counterintuitive. Despite the seemingly narrow audience, we were able to derive practical insights for us normal folk, as well as perspectives on halachic jurisprudence.
    -----
    מקורות:
    אבות ד:ז
    רש"י
    רמב"ם
    רבינו יונה
    מאירי
    רמב"ם - הקדמה לפירוש המשניות
    רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר שופטים, הלכות סנהדרין והעונשין המסורין להן כ:ז-ח; כב:ד
    רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר המדע, הלכות תלמוד תורה ה:ד
    -----
    This week’s Torah content has been sponsored by Yael Weiss. I forgot to ask her for a dedication message in advance, but in the meantime, I’ll dedicate this Torah content to the entire Weiss family: Rabbi and Sara, Yael and Esti, Eli and Benji, with a special shout-out to Rabbi Weiss Sr. Thank you for supporting what I do and for being part of my learning life, each in your own way!
    -----
    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. 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. 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
    Instagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/
    "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com
    "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com
    "The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com
    "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com
    "The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.com
    Old Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/
    WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0H
    Amazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel

    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 21 mins
  • Sforno on the Nachash: Apikorsus or Pshat? Part 1: Methodology and Premises
    Nov 4 2024

    Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!

    Length: 1 hour 37 minutes
    Synopsis: This morning's YBT Sunday shiur (11/3/24) was a bit different than usual, focusing more on reading and discussing sources than in-depth analysis. This was intentional, since this shiur was intended to be a setup for the REAL shiur. My original goal was to present Sforno’s view that the nachash in Gan Eden represents the yetzer ha’ra. However, I realized two preliminary issues needed to be addressed: (a) clarifying Sforno’s understanding of the tzelem elohim, and (b) addressing a shiur by my Rosh ha'Yeshiva, Rabbi Chait, who argues that allegorizing the nachash is an illegitimate, heretical, and dangerous approach. In this shiur, I aim to tackle both points, setting the stage (God willing) for Part 2, where we’ll explore Sforno’s view of the nachash in Gan Eden and the aftermath of the cheit.
    -----
    מקורות:
    Rabbi Israel Chait, "The Snake" (C107-108)
    אברבנאל - הקדמה לבראשית פרק ב
    אבן עזרא - פירוש א' בראשית ג:א; פירוש ב' בראשית ג:כא
    רמב"ם - מורה הנבוכים ב:כט-ל
    ספורנו - בראשית א:כו-כז; ב:ז-ט,טו
    ספורנו - אור עמים טד:נ-נא
    -----
    This week's Torah content is sponsored by Ayala, who says, "Thank you, Rabbi Schneeweiss, for the countless Torah and life insights you share and, specifically, for making the world of chochmah more accessible through your Mishlei shiurim."
    -----
    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. 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. 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
    Instagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/
    "The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com
    "Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com
    "The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com
    "Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com
    "The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.com
    Old Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/
    WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0H
    Amazon Wishlist:

    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 38 mins

What listeners say about Machshavah Lab

Average customer ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.