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Machshavah Lab
Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss
574 episodes
16 hours ago
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of article: 4 pages Length of audio: 16 minutes 8 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 4-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 11/21/25 titled: Toldos: How Different Were Yaakov and Eisav? I was tempted to title this "When Teaching Rashi to Children Promotes Kefirah (Heresy)" but I decided that was too bold and relegated it to the subheading. Many thanks to Rabbi Pesach Sommer for...
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Judaism
Education,
Religion & Spirituality,
Society & Culture,
Philosophy
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All content for Machshavah Lab is the property of Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of article: 4 pages Length of audio: 16 minutes 8 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 4-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 11/21/25 titled: Toldos: How Different Were Yaakov and Eisav? I was tempted to title this "When Teaching Rashi to Children Promotes Kefirah (Heresy)" but I decided that was too bold and relegated it to the subheading. Many thanks to Rabbi Pesach Sommer for...
Show more...
Judaism
Education,
Religion & Spirituality,
Society & Culture,
Philosophy
Episodes (20/574)
Machshavah Lab
Toldos: How Different Were Yaakov and Eisav?
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of article: 4 pages Length of audio: 16 minutes 8 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 4-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 11/21/25 titled: Toldos: How Different Were Yaakov and Eisav? I was tempted to title this "When Teaching Rashi to Children Promotes Kefirah (Heresy)" but I decided that was too bold and relegated it to the subheading. Many thanks to Rabbi Pesach Sommer for...
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16 hours ago
16 minutes

Machshavah Lab
Prologue of Sefer Iyov - Part 3: Methodology, Avoiding Heresy, and Preface to the Satan (1:6-12)
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 27 minutes Synopsis: This morning (11/14/25), in our Friday morning Machshavah Lab series for women, we continued learning through the prologue of Iyov (1:1 - 3:1). We began with a question of Iyov Methodology: Which commentaries would I recommend? This led to another important tangent (the second in three sessions!) about the ikkarim (fundamentals of Judaism). I'm particularly interested in what people think about what...
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1 week ago
1 hour 27 minutes

Machshavah Lab
Avos 1:6 - Aseh Lecha Rav - Make a Rav for Yourself (Part 2)
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 29 minutes Synopsis: This evening (11/13/25), in our Thursday night Pirkei Avos shiur for women, we continued with the clause we worked on last time. We spent the first part of shiur reviewing everything we covered last time, answering the questions we left off with and sharpening some of the insights we had. Then we moved on to the Meiri, who gave us several different interpretations of the first two clauses of the mis...
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1 week ago
1 hour 34 minutes

Machshavah Lab
Chayei Sarah: Sarah’s Years — A Peshat-Style Alternative to Rashi’s Midrashic Reading
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of article: 2 pages Length of audio: 9 minutes 8 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 11/13/25 titled: Chayei Sarah: Sarah’s Years — A Peshat-Style Alternative to Rashi’s Midrashic Reading. Rashi’s drash on Sarah’s 127 years is well known and conveys profound ideas, but I prefer a different style of drash, one that speaks in my language: pes...
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1 week ago
9 minutes

Machshavah Lab
Prologue of Sefer Iyov - Part 2: Iyov's Profile (Iyov 1:1-5)
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 4 minutes Synopsis: This morning (11/7/25), in our Friday morning Machshavah Lab series for women, we reviewed the first five pesukim and answered our questions based largely on the Malbim's commentary, setting the stage for the drama that unfolds in the remainder of Chapters 1-2. ----- מקורות: איוב א:א-יב מלבי"ם - איוה א:א-ה --- This week's Torah content is sponsored by Joey and Estee Lichter in commemoration of the ya...
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2 weeks ago
1 hour 4 minutes

Machshavah Lab
Vayeira: Maybe Lote Wasn’t the Bad Guy Rashi Makes Him Out to Be
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of article: 4 pages Length of audio: 15 minutes 19 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 4-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 11/7/25 titled: Vayeira: Maybe Lote Wasn’t the Bad Guy Rashi Makes Him Out to Be.In Rashi’s “world of midrash,” Lote’s the bad guy—but in the “world of peshat,” Radak paints a different picture. Which view is more compelling and relevant? ----- The Torah ...
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2 weeks ago
16 minutes

Machshavah Lab
Avos 1:6 - Aseh Lecha Rav - Make a Teacher for Yourself (Part 1)
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 29 minutes Synopsis: This evening (11/6/25), in our Thursday night Pirkei Avos shiur for women, we went back and learned the beginning of the mishnah we started last week. We spent most of the time mining the depths of Rashi on the first clause-and-half. We then moved on to Rambam and Rabbeinu Yonah, attempting to compare and contrast them to discern how much they overlapped ... but then I got tired because of the clock...
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2 weeks ago
1 hour 29 minutes

Machshavah Lab
Prologue of Sefer Iyov - Part 1: Questions on Iyov 1:1-5 (Plus Rant About Rambam's 13 Ikkarim)
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 17 minutes Synopsis: This morning (10/31/25), in our Friday morning Machshavah Lab series for women, we began our unit on what I call the Prologue to Sefer Iyov (1:1 - 3:1). The initial plan was to have a brief introduction, then read and translate the entire Prologue, then analyze 1:1-5. Instead, our intro led to a rant (on my part) about the Rambam's 13 ikkarim, as misunderstood by anti-Maimonideans and hyper-Maimonid...
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3 weeks ago
1 hour 17 minutes

Machshavah Lab
Lech Lecha: Shadal on Jewish vs. Egyptian Circumcision
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of article: 2 pages Length of audio: 8 minutes 45 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 10/31/25 titled: Lech Lecha: Shadal on Jewish vs. Egyptian Circumcision. Contrary to what some might assume, circumcision did not originate with Jews. It was practiced in Egypt thousands of years earlier. What do we make of this? Shadal offers a profound a...
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3 weeks ago
9 minutes

Machshavah Lab
Avos 1:6 - Dan l'Chaf Zechus - Judge Each Person Favorably
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 2 hours Synopsis: This evening (10/30/25), in our Thursday night Pirkei Avos shiur for women, we took up the famous precept of being dan l'chaf zechus. We ended up raising twenty questions total and answering most (if not all) of them through our in-depth analysis of Rambam and Rashi. If you're interested in a deep-dive into this topic which addresses the topic theoretically and practically, then this shiur will give you plent...
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3 weeks ago
2 hours 1 minute

Machshavah Lab
Noach: Did All Humanity Really Speak One Language?
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of article: 4 pages Length of audio: 15 minutes 24 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 4-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 10/24/25 titled: Noach: Did All Humanity Really Speak One Language? Though Malbim, R. Mecklenburg, and Rav Hirsch shared a common milieu and similar educational aims, each approached this question in a distinct way. ----- The Torah content for the re...
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4 weeks ago
16 minutes

Machshavah Lab
Q&A #45 - Desiring Olam ha'Ba, Blaming Sins on Hashem, and Should We Strive for the Crown of Torah
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 40 minutes Synopsis: This morning (10/23/25), in lieu of our usual morning Mishlei, we had a Q&A session! We discussed the following three questions: (1) According to the Rambam, if Olam ha'Ba is non-physical, and if our desires only relate to physical enjoyments, how can we desire Olam ha'Ba? (2) What do we mean in the short vidui when we say ti'ta'nu, which some translate as "You have let us go astray"? (3) Should every ...
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4 weeks ago
40 minutes

Machshavah Lab
Sukkos 5778: I Hate Sukkah (In a Good Way)
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of article: 5 pages Length of audio: 14 minutes 57 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 5-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 10/10/25 titled Sukkos 5778: I Hate Sukkah (In a Good Way). Here's a newly edited version of my first (and favorite) article on Sukkos, originally published on 10/4/17. It captures a huge part of how I relate to mitzvos. ----- The Torah content for t...
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1 month ago
15 minutes

Machshavah Lab
Sukkos 5786: Musings on the “Branding” of Chag ha’Sukkos
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of article: 1 page Length of audio: 3 minutes 46 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 3-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 10/6/25 titled: Sukkos 5786: Musings on the “Branding” of Chag ha’Sukkos. Two years ago, a student of mine asked a question about Sukkos using one quirky word that set off a cascade of thinking. I hope it does the same for you! ----- The Torah content...
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1 month ago
4 minutes

Machshavah Lab
Haazinu: What If You Find Torah Empty?
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of article: 3 pages Length of audio: 11 minutes 24 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 3-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 10/5/25 titled: Haazinu: What If You Find Torah Empty? Chazal would respond, “The fault is yours—you didn’t toil in Torah.” But what about those who have toiled and still find Torah empty? Here are my thoughts. ----- The Torah content for the remainder of...
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1 month ago
12 minutes

Machshavah Lab
Yom ha’Kippurim 5786 / Acharei Mos: The Order of Vidui
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of article: 2 pages Length of audio: 9 minutes 18 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 10/1/25, titled: Yom ha’Kippurim 5786 / Acharei Mos: The Order of Vidui. Here’s a quick article I wrote this morning. The idea isn’t fully developed, but I hope it gives some food for thought on Yom ha'Kippurim. Gmar chasimah tovah! ----- The Torah Content...
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1 month ago
10 minutes

Machshavah Lab
Approaching the “Sweet Secret” of Ha’Melech ha’Mishpat
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of article: 2 pages Length of audio: 8 minutes 36 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 9/29/25, titled: Approaching the “Sweet Secret” of Ha’Melech ha’Mishpat. Does the grammatically anomalous "ha'Melech ha'Mishpat" contain a secret? Some Rishonim think so. Here's my best (incomplete) attempt to understand that secret. ----- The Torah Conten...
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1 month ago
9 minutes

Machshavah Lab
Intro to Iyov - Part 3: Historicity (or Lack Thereof)
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 26 minutes Synopsis: This morning (9/26/25), in our Friday morning Machshavah Lab series for women, we concluded (I think?) the introductory portion of our Iyov shiurim by taking up the question of when and whether Iyov lived. We read through the ten plus opinions in the Gemara, raised questions on what Chazal were trying to do, and then tried to answer them with a speculative theory (since I haven't found any satisfact...
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1 month ago
1 hour 27 minutes

Machshavah Lab
Vayeilech: When Hashem Hides His Face
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of article: 3 pages Length of audio: 12 minutes 25 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 3-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 9/25/25, titled: Vayeilech: When Hashem Hides His Face. Twice in this parashah Hashem says He will hide His face: once for sin, and again even after we admit we were wrong. Here are five solutions to this difficulty. ----- The Torah Content for the m...
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1 month ago
13 minutes

Machshavah Lab
Intro to Iyov - Part 2: More on Authorship
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 10 minutes Synopsis: This morning (9/19/25), in our Friday morning Machshavah Lab sreies for women, we began with a comprehensive review of what we covered in Part 1, adding and clarifying the points we previously discussed. It was so comprehensive, in fact, that it took up the majority of our shiur! We used the remaining time to wrap up the question of Sefer Iyov's authorship, paving the way for our next planned topic:...
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2 months ago
1 hour 10 minutes

Machshavah Lab
Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of article: 4 pages Length of audio: 16 minutes 8 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 4-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 11/21/25 titled: Toldos: How Different Were Yaakov and Eisav? I was tempted to title this "When Teaching Rashi to Children Promotes Kefirah (Heresy)" but I decided that was too bold and relegated it to the subheading. Many thanks to Rabbi Pesach Sommer for...