Machshavah Lab
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.
Episodes
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Length of audio: 1 hour 6 minutes
Synopsis: This is the recording of the Tishah b'Av shiur I gave at the Island Synagogue on 8/3/25. Two things to note: (1) Unlike most other Tishah b'Av shiurim I've given, I don't think there are any chidushim (novel insights). Instead, I decided to focus on the basics. (2) Towards the beginning of the shiur, we read...
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Length of article: 5 pages
Length of audio: 18 minutes 3 seconds
Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 5-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 8/1/25, titled: Tishah b’Av 5785: Metaphysical Trauma and the Aftermath of October 7th. I’ve revised and combined my four most important pieces on Tishah b’Av into a single article, with ...
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Length of article: 2.5 pages
Length of audio: 8 minutes 44 seconds
Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2.5-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 7/24/25, titled: Masei: Leviim as Countercultural Role Models Against Cancel Culture. What can the Levite Cities of Refuge teach us about cancel culture in "progressive" Ame...
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Length of article: 2 pages
Length of audio: 6 minutes 29 seconds
Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 7/18/25, titled: Pinchas: Inheritance as a Non-Intuitive Mishpat. What’s the purpose of inheritance laws? Most don't even ask. They assume the answer is obvious. But the Sefer ha’Chi...
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Length of article: 2 pages
Length of audio: 9 minutes 5 seconds
Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 7/11/25, titled: Balak: How Bad Omens Can Harm You (Even According to the Rambam). Many people believe that bad omens are harbingers of real harm. Rambam is not one of them. But even he mi...
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Length of article: 3.5 pages
Length of audio: 11 minutes 37 seconds
Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 4-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 7/9/25, titled: The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Integrity of the Masoretic Text (Q&A Response) Part 1.
Here's Part 1 of my response to a high school student's question ...
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Length of article: 4 pages
Length of audio: 14 minutes 36 seconds
Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 4-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 7/4/25, titled: Chukas: A Maimonidean Explanation for Parah Adumah (from a Different Moshe). Yes, even the red heifer has a reason. Rambam paves the way but stops short of delivering. An...
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Length of article: 2 pages
Length of audio: 7 minutes 54 seconds
Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 6/26/25, titled: Korach: Three Types of Machlokess (or “How Korach Wasn’t as Bad as You Think”) We’re quick to condemn Korach. But what if his motives weren’t entirely evil? And what if t...
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Length of article: 2 pages
Length of audio: 7 minutes 15 seconds
Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 6/20/25, titled: Shelach: Rabbeinu Bachya on the Meraglim, Mishlei, and the Current War With Iran. I don't know who needs a Bitachon 101 (Trust in God) refresher course for this war ...
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Length of article: 5 pages
Length of audio: 17 minutes
Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 5-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 6/19/25, titled: The Potentially Problematic Line in Sheva Berachos (and What to Do About It). The fourth of the Sheva Berachos is prone to misunderstanding. Abudarham warns it could lead to "...
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Length of transcript: 3 pages
Length of video/audio: 9 minutes 4 seconds
Synopsis: Here's the audio of the graduation charge I delivered to the NEJA Graduating Class of 2025 on June 8th, 2025, complete with all my speech tics.
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This week’s Torah content is sponsored by Chaim and Rifka Peck, the awesome parents of two of my NEJA students, in honor of the ...
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Length of article: 2 pages
Length of audio: 6 minutes 53 seconds
Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 6/13/25, titled: Behaalosecha: The Non-Symbolic Trumpets. What’s the reason for the mitzvah of the chatzotzeros (trumpets)? The Sefer ha’Chinuch reminds us that sometimes, the simplest an...
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Length: 1 hour 1 minutes
Synopsis: This Wednesday evening (6/11/25), in our last Tehilim shiur of the 2024-2025 season, we ended up doing a chaotically orderly experimental Chumash exploration instead of Tehilim. If you've ever looked at English translations of the siddur, you may have noticed that the word "Ashrei" is translated differently by different p...
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Length of article: 4.5 pages
Length of audio: 14 minutes 23 seconds
Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 4.5-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 6/6/25, titled: Naso: Twelve Identical Offerings. Why does the Torah repeat the twelve identical offerings in Parashas Naso? This article explores a peshat answer, two midrashim, and...
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Length: 47 minutes
Synopsis: This morning (6/5/25) we had what will likely be our last Q&A of the 2024-2025 season! We discussed the following five questions: (1) Have my views on Mishleic fatalism changed? (If you're not familiar, don't worry - we review it.) (2) What insight can I offer on the types of high-stakes life decisions that tend to start croppin...
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Length of article: 2 pages
Length of audio: 8 minutes 15 seconds
Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 5/30/25, titled: Bamidbar: Dust, Sand, and Stars. Hashem reiterates His promise to multiply Avraham’s offspring using three metaphors. What does each mean? How do they shed light on our p...
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Length of article: 2 pages
Length of audio: 9 minutes
Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 5/23/25, titled: Bechukosai: Does Hashem Ever Truly Loathe Israel? Our gut reaction to this question is, "No!" but the verses in the blessings and the curses indicate that the answer is no...
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Length: 1 hour 45 minutes
Synopsis: Tonight (5/22/25), in our final Thursday night Pirkei Avos shiur for women of the 2024-2025 season, we took up a mishnah that is relevant to us all, and is particularly appropriate as we approach Zman Matan Toraseinu. If you're someone who plans to relocate or who needs to relocate or whose relationship with Torah is in need of a ...
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Length of article: 1.5 pages
Length of audio: 5 minutes 55 seconds
Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1.5-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 5/15/25, titled: Lag ba’Omer PSA: The Falsehood of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai’s Yahrzeit. Mark Twain said, “Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.” Rumors of R...
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Length of article: 2 pages
Length of audio: 8 minutes 41 seconds
Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 5/2/25, titled: Kedoshim: “Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself” – Not the Greatest Principle in Torah. R’ Akiva calls “Ve’ahavta l’reiacha kamocha” a great Torah principle. Ben Azzai disagrees. ...
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