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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
  • Chayei Sarah: Sarah’s Years — A Peshat-Style Alternative to Rashi’s Midrashic Reading

    Chayei Sarah: Sarah’s Years — A Peshat-Style Alternative to Rashi’s Midrashic Reading
    Nov 13 2025

    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: peshat.

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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
    Show more Show less
    10 mins
  • Prologue of Sefer Iyov - Part 2: Iyov's Profile (Iyov 1:1-5)

    Prologue of Sefer Iyov - Part 2: Iyov's Profile (Iyov 1:1-5)
    Nov 7 2025

    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.
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    מקורות:
    איוב א:א-יב
    מלבי"ם - איוה א:א-ה
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    This week's Torah content is sponsored by Joey and Estee Lichter in commemoration of the yahrzeits of Joey’s mother, Faiga bas Yehuda, and Estee’s father, Yisroel ben R’ Moshe.
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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/
    YUTorah: 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
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Vayeira: Maybe Lote Wasn’t the Bad Guy Rashi Makes Him Out to Be

    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).

    -----

    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
    Show more Show less
    16 mins
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