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Machshavah Lab

Machshavah Lab

By: Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss
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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.© 2025 Machshavah Lab Judaism Philosophy Social Sciences Spirituality
Episodes
  • Vayeira: Maybe Lote Wasn’t the Bad Guy Rashi Makes Him Out to Be
    Nov 7 2025

    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?

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    The Torah content for the remainder of October is sponsored by Yael Weiss in honor of her parents, and in celebration of her father’s birthday (September 25 / 17 Tishrei).

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    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.
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    Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/
    YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-Schneeweiss
    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

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    16 mins
  • Avos 1:6 - Aseh Lecha Rav - Make a Teacher for Yourself
    Nov 7 2025

    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 change and ended shiur. Our plan is to come back for another pass on that next week, then move on to the second clause.
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    מקורות:
    אבות ד:טז
    רש"י
    רמב"ם - הקדמה לפירוש המשניות
    רמב"ם
    רבינו יונה
    רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר המדע, הלכות תלמוד תורה ג:יב
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    If you’re interested in sponsoring my Torah content for one or more weeks this month, please let me know! It’s a great way to share a message - whether to raise awareness, celebrate a simchah, or commemorate a yahrzeit - while helping support my ongoing work of publishing free articles and giving free shiurim.
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    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/
    YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-Schneeweiss
    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

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    1 hr and 30 mins
  • Prologue of Sefer Iyov - Part 1: Questions on Iyov 1:1-5 (Plus Rant About Rambam's 13 Ikkarim)
    Oct 31 2025

    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-Maimonideans alike. I thought it was a productive discussion (many thanks to Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman), but as a result, only managed to read and raise questions on Iyov 1:1-5. Next time (בג"ה) we'll analyze that passage then continue with the Prologue.
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    מקורות:
    איוב א:א-ה
    Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman, "Ani Maamin" (pp.191-195)
    רמב"ם - פירוש המשניות: סנהדרין, הקדמה לפרק חלק
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    The Torah content for the remainder of October is sponsored by Yael Weiss in honor of her parents, and in celebration of her father’s birthday (September 25 / 17 Tishrei).

    -----

    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/
    YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-Schneeweiss
    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

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    1 hr and 18 mins
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