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...
Chukas: Three Radical Takes on the Sin of Moshe and Aharon
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Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 4-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 6/25/26 titled: Chukas: Three Radical Takes on the Sin of Moshe and Aharon. There are over a dozen theories about which sin barred Moshe and Aharon from leading the people into the Land. Here are three relatively unknown approaches from three relatively unknown commentaries.
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The Torah Content for the month of Tammuz is sponsored by Yael Weiss. Thank you, Yael, for your support! It’s p...
Balak: The Appeal of Baal Peor (and Darwin)
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Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 4-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 6/24/26 (originally on 7/7/17) titled: Balak: The Appeal of Baal Peor (and Darwin). Worshiping an idol by defecating on it: what could the appeal possibly be, and what does it have to do with us today? Rav Hirsch has a theory, and it has to do with Darwinism.
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The Torah Content for the month of Tammuz is sponsored by Yael Weiss. Thank you, Yael, for...
Korach: How Did Korach and His Followers Think They Could Get Away With It?
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Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 6/19/26 titled: Korach: How Did Korach and His Followers Think They Could Get Away With It? Korach and his men claim to be chosen by Hashem. Moshe says, "Let's test it." Korach agrees. They fail the test. One cannot help but wonder: What did they EXPECT to happen? Abravanel offers an answer.
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The Torah Content for the month of Tammuz is sponsored by Yael...
Q&A #48 - Bribery Parameters, Bad/Good Influence on/from Friends, Torah on Inner Work, What is YBT
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Length:49 minutes
Synopsis: This morning (6/18/26), in lieu of morning Mishlei, we had the last Q&A - and last shiur! - of the 2025-2026 season. We took up four questions: (1) What are the parameters of philosophical/ethical bribery? (2) How do you navigate having friends who could potentially have a bad influence on you, and how might you have a good influence on them? (3) What would you say to a person who is unaware that the Torah cares about our inner life? (4) How does one explain our...
My Graduation Charge to the NEJA Class of 2026
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Synopsis: Here's the audio recording of the graduation charge I delivered to the NEJA Graduating Class of 2026 on June 14th, 2026. Transcript is available here.
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The Torah content for this month has been sponsored by Meir Areman, l’zeicher nishmas Zelda bas Ziesel, his grandmother, whose yahrzeit is on the 21st of Sivan.
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If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider supporting my work via Patreon, Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal — links below. Even a small contribution help...
Shelach: The Sin of the Spies and the Root of Idolatry
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Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 6/11/26 titled: Shelach: The Sin of the Spies and the Root of Idolatry. There are many theories about the cause of this catastrophic sin. Sforno aims to explain the Israelites' perplexing accusation: that Hashem hates them. Their error is more insidious than it seems.
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The Torah content for this month has been sponsored by Meir Areman, l’zeicher nishmas Zelda bas Ziesel, his grandmother, wh...
Behaalosecha: Don’t Cry Over Lost Fish / Forbidden Relations (FULL Article)
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Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 3-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 6/9/26 titled: Behaalosecha: Don’t Cry Over Lost Fish / Forbidden Relations (FULL Article). Sometimes a fish is just a fish, but sometimes it's a euphemism. At least, that's the disagreement in the Gemara. What is the basis of this disagreement, and what does it teach us? Here's my approach.
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The Torah content for this month has been sponsored by Meir Areman, l’zeicher nishmas Zeld...
Rambam on Divine Knowledge and Hashgachah (Part 2: True Views) Moreh 3:17b-18
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Length: 1 hour 20 minutes
Synopsis: This morning (6/5/26), in our last Friday morning Sefer Iyov series for women of the season, we concluded the Rambam's INITIAL presentation of the true view of hashgachah, as understood from the Torah by the multitude of Sages, and as understood by the Rambam himself. Because we're going to be pausing our Iyov shiurim for the summer, I had to make it clear - in the shiur and in this synopsis - that what we covered in this shiur will NOT attempt to...
Behaalosecha: Don’t Cry Over Lost Fish / Forbidden Relations (Part 1: The Question)
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Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 6/5/26 titled: Behaalosecha: Don’t Cry Over Lost Fish / Forbidden Relations (Part 1: The Question). Sometimes a fish is just a fish, but sometimes it's a euphemism. Part 1 of this article presents the facts and the question. My answer will be forthcoming in Part 2 (God willing).
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The Torah content for the month of Iyyar is sponsored by Naomi Schwartz Rothschild in memory of her mother, Bre...
Four Entered the Pardes: An Exploration With An Agenda
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Length: 1 hour 35 minutes
Synopsis: Tonight (6/4/26), in our Thursday night Machshavah Lab series for women, was not a shiur but an exploration with an agenda (which I explain toward the beginning and won't divulge here). We read the famous aggadah about the four Tannaim who entered Pardes - R. Akiva, Acher, Ben Zoma, and Ben Azzai - along with several other sources that comment directly or indirectly on it. Our goal was not to conduct a comprehensive analysis, but to read through the facts and think aloud...
Naso: Three Explanations of the Chatas ha’Nazir (Nazrite’s Sin-Offering)
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Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 5-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 5/29/26 titled: Naso: Three Explanations of the Chatas ha’Nazir (Nazrite’s Sin-Offering). Why must every nazir bring a chatas? I knew about the diametrically opposed answers given by the Rambam and Ramban, but I recently found a third and intermediate explanation in the Sefer ha'Chinuch.
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The Torah content for the month of Iyyar is sponsored by Naomi Schwartz Rothschild in memory of her moth...
Can God Do the Impossible? Teaching High Schoolers the "Limits" of Divine Omnipotence in Iyov
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Length: 2 hours 19 minutes
Synopsis: This morning (5/17/26), in my last YBT Sunday Shiur of the season, I gave an updated version of my Judaism Demystified episode titled "Can God Do Anything/Everything? Can God Do the Impossible?" The shiur had three parts: (1) in the first hour of the shiur, I presented seven approaches to answering the question, "Can God create a rock He can't lift?" largely based on firsthand sources in the Rishonim; (2) I raise and respond to the two most common objections to the approach of...
Rambam on Divine Knowledge and Hashgachah (Part 1: False Views) Moreh 3:16-17a
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Length: 1 hour 28 minutes
Synopsis: This morning (5/15/26), in our Friday morning Sefer Iyov series for women, we moved on to the next - and last! - subseries within our overarching series on Iyov. Over the course of the next eight chapters, the Rambam presents his views on God's knowledge, hashgachah, and Sefer Iyov. Today we covered his overview of the false views: what led the philosophers to deny God's omniscience, and the four false views of hashgachah held from ancient times. Next time (בג"ה) we'll learn through the Ram...
Bamidbar / Korach: What We Guard in the Mikdash
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Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 5/14/26 titled: Bamidbar / Korach: What We Guard in the Mikdash. Why is the Tribe of Levi commanded to guard the Mikdash? Do the Rambam and Torah Temimah disagree? And what relevance does this mitzvah have to the current state of the Jewish people?
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The Torah content for the month of Iyyar is sponsored by Naomi Schwartz Rothschild in memory of her mother, Breindel Bracha...
Rambam on the Satan and Ra (Part 6: Three Types of Ra)
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Length: 1 hour 25 minutes
Synopsis: This morning (5/8/26), in our Friday morning Sefer Iyov series for women, we review what we covered last time, then learned and discussed the rest of the Rambam's Moreh ha'Nevuchim 3:12, in which he outlines the three types of ra that befall human beings. In addition to the points explicitly raised by the Rambam, we also discussed why these types of ra MUST exist. This may be our last shiur in this "Rambam on the Satan and Ra" subseries within our larger series on...
Behar: The Torah’s Double Standard for Slave Labor
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Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 7-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 5/7/26 titled: Behar: The Torah’s Double Standard for Slave Labor. In this article (first published in 2024), we examine three approaches to understanding why the Torah forbids us to work a Jewish slave with oppressive labor but permits it for a non-Jewish slave.
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This week’s content is sponsored by Benjy Weiss, currently a student at Yeshivat Migdal HaTorah. The vast majority of my talm...
Rambam on the Satan and Ra (Part 5: Intro to the Types of Ra)
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Length: 53 minutes
Synopsis: This morning (5/1/26), in our shorter-than-usual Friday morning Sefer Iyov series for women, we began with an efficient review of the Rambam's theory of ra which we covered last time in 3:10. We then read and discussed the short 3:11 about the cause of interpersonal ra. Finally, we learned through the first part of 3:12, where the Rambam diagnoses the philosophical disease that makes people think there is more ra in the world than tov. Next time (בג"ה) we'll learn through the second half of this chapter in whi...
Rambam: On the Purpose of the Universe (Moreh 3:13)
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Length: 1 hour 43 minutes
Synopsis: This evening (4/30/25), in our Thursday night women’s shiur, we learned through the entire chapter in the Moreh ha'Nevuchim in which the Rambam discusses the purpose of the universe. Technically speaking, this is part of our Friday morning Sefer Iyov Machshavah Lab series for women, but in order to make up for lost time, I decided to take it up in our Thursday night shiur. Thankfully, it's also a standalone topic. I'm happy with our analysis, and hope you find the Rambam's ar...
Rambam on the Satan and Ra (Part 4: Theory of Ra)
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Length: 1 hour 22 minutes
Synopsis: This morning (4/24/26), in our Friday morning Sefer Iyov series for women, we began with a review of 3:8 and the satan, then quickly learned through 3:9 while avoiding epistemological potholes, and finally began 3:10, one of the most important chapters in the series. Here the Rambam formally presents his theory of ra, defining what it is, what it's not, and where it stands in relation to God. We read and discussed this chapter at a quicker pace than usual because I wanted to make sure...
Rambam on the Satan and Ra (Part 3: Matter as the Cause of Ra)
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Length: 1 hour 22 minutes
Synopsis: This morning (4/17/26), in our Friday morning Sefer Iyov series for women, we finally began the "Moreh ha'Nevuchim" portion of our Iyov journey. After a very brief review of matter and form, we read, analyzed, and discussed the Moreh 3:8 about the relationship between matter and ra. We concluded by decoding the basic elements of the satan allegory (which, ironically, was interrupted a few minutes before shiur ended by the satan himself). Next week, I hope to cover 3:9 and the all-important 3:10!
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מקורות:
רמב...
Shemini / Tazria / Metzora: What a REAL Rationalist Would Say About Tumah
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Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 3-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 4/16/26 title: Shemini / Tazria / Metzora: What a REAL Rationalist Would Say About Tumah. These three parshiyos all deal with tumah (impurity), which many regard as a mysterious force. Self-described rationalists will likely reject such a notion. But what if THEY are the irrational ones?
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This week's Torah content is sponsored by Seth Speiser, in honor of the yahrzeit of his father, Rabbi George Speiser...
Q&A #47 - Hashgachah Diagnosis, Rambam on Lashon ha'Ra, Dividing Learning Into Thirds
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Length: 28 minutes
Synopsis: This morning (4/16/26), in lieu of our usual morning Mishlei, we had a short Q&A session! We discussed three questions: (1) To what degree can we "diagnose" whether something in our life was hashgachah pratis? (2) What does the Rambam mean by all the aggadic statements he brings down in Hilchos Deios Perek 7 about lashon ha'ra? (3) What are my views on how/whether we do/should implement the halacha about dividing one's learning time into thirds: a third in Torah she'bi'Chsav, a third in Torah...
Rambam on the Satan and Ra (Part 2: The Form of Man)
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Length: 1 hour 7 minutes
Synopsis: This Friday morning (3/20/26), in our Friday morning Sefer Iyov series for women, we were GOING to begin the section of the Rambam's Moreh ha'Nevuchim that will be our focus for the next couple of months, beginning with 3:8 on the nature of matter. However, five minutes before shiur, I spontaneously decided to read some Rambams in the Mishneh Torah that I hadn't prepared, but thought would be a good way to review and clarify what we covered in Part 1. The good news is...
Rambam on the Satan and Ra (Part 1: Aristotelian Primer on Form and Matter)
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Length: 1 hour 47 minutes
Synopsis: Turns out, I accidentally forgot to upload last Friday's Iyov shiur! This past Friday morning (3/13/26), in our Friday morning Sefer Iyov series for women, I gave a shiur with the aim of introducing the basics of Aristotelian "hylomorphic" thinking, explaining the concepts of "matter" and "form" to lay the groundwork for the Rambam's explanation of the satan and the nature of ra. We began and ended with halachos in the Rambam but the bulk of the material came from "Aristotle for Everybody"...
Vayikra: Toward a Theory of Jewish Guilt
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Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 3/20/26 title: Vayikra: Toward a Theory of Jewish Guilt. Most people who think they know what the asham talui (suspended guilt-offering) is for are missing an important fact - one that sheds light on the Torah's conception of guilt.
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This week's Torah content is sponsored by Seth Speiser, in honor of the yahrzeit of his father, Rabbi George Speiser (Rav Yosef ben Dovid). Rabbi...
How to Relate to Arbitrary Halachic Details (Part 2 - Rambam and Rav Kook)
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Length: 1 hour 50 minutes
Synopsis: This week (3/19/26), in our Thursday night Machshavah Lab series for women, we continued the topic we embarked on the week before. First, we revised our understanding of the Rambam's approach and my "Pillow Theory." Then we answered all the questions we raised last time. We then learned through a perek of Rav Kook's Le-Nevukhei ha-Dor, in which he spells out two foundations of the need to be meticulous in halacha. We concluded with a halacha in the Rambam which suggests that he...
Vayakhel / Pikudei: Remembering Minas Tirith … I Mean Mikdash
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Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 3/11/26 titled: Vayakhel / Pikudei: Remembering Minas Tirith … I Mean Mikdash. Saadia Gaon states that contemplating the architecture of the Mishkan earns us reward. What is the nature of this reward? How should this shape our reading? And how does this relate to Boromir?
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This week’s Torah content is sponsored by Rabbi Dr. Ben Aaronson in honor of NYHS (Northwest Yeshiva High School), our alma...
How to Relate to Arbitrary Halachic Details (Part 1 - WILL BE REVISED IN PART 2)
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DISCLAIMER: I almost didn't post this shiur because it wasn't as clear as I hoped AND because we revised it in Part 2. I'm happy with Part 2, but I'm posting Part 1 for the sake of thoroughness and transparency. Just know that if you listen to it, you should NOT expect the level of clarity that I typically aim for.
Length: 1 hour 47 minutes
Synopsis: This week (3/12/26), in our Thursday night Machshavah Lab series for women, we took up a question I've wanted to address for a...
Post-Purim 5786: Operation Growling Bear
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Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 4-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 3/11/26 titled: Post-Purim 5786: Operation Growling Bear. This began as a recap of a Mishlei/Megilah/Midrash crossover shiur I gave before Purim. Then Operation Roaring Lion, which commenced on Shabbos Zachor, added another dimension. Better late than never!
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This week’s Torah content is sponsored by Rabbi Dr. Ben Aaronson in honor of NYHS (Northwest Yeshiva High School), our alma mater. So many of ou...
What Modern Orthodoxy Means to Me (or Rabbi Fox’s 2007 NYHS Commencement Address)
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Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 3/9/26 titled: What Modern Orthodoxy Means to Me (or Rabbi Fox’s 2007 NYHS Commencement Address). Since NYHS’s annual fundraising campaign is in full swing, I figured this would be a good time to share the educational philosophy of the school, as articulated by former head of school R. Bernie Fox.
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This week’s Torah content is sponsored by Rabbi Dr. Ben Aaronson in honor...
Rabbeinu Yonah on Bitachon (Part 3)
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Length: 1 hour 40 minutes
Synopsis: This evening (3/5/25), in our Thursday night women’s shiur, we continued our exploration of Rabbeinu Yonah on bitachon. The bad news is that I didn't have a chance to prepare. The good news is that our review went SO far in-depth that we ended up covering a whole lot that I hadn't planned. In the text of Rabbeinu Yonah, we only read one additional sentence, but our understanding of bitachon was sharpened AND deepened. Next time (בג"ה) we'll attempt to finish the Rabbeinu Yonah...
Ki Tisa: Is Shabbos a Day of Simchah?
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Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 3/5/26 titled: Ki Tisa: Is Shabbos a Day of Simchah? If so, why isn't it presented this way in the Torah and in halacha? And if not, then why are there so many references to Shabbos joy in the songs we sing on Shabbos?
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The Torah content for the month of February is sponsored by the Koffsky family in memory of Adira Rose Koffsky a...
Q&A #46 - 30 Days Before the Chag, Necessity of Haggadah, Mishlei vs. Gemara, Hodaah Anniversaries
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Length: 31 minutes
Synopsis: This morning (3/5/26), in lieu of our usual morning Mishlei, we had a Q&A session! We discussed four questions: (1) What's the nature of the halacha of "learning the halachos of the chag 30 days before the chag"? (2) How necessary is it for people to read and understand every line of the Haggadah? (3) Why do I prefer Mishlei over Gemara b'iyun? (4) Is there any idea of having a recurring seudas hodaah on the anniversary of an event one feels grateful for?
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מקורות:
רמב"ם - משנה תור...
The Tail of Vashti and Gavriel ha'Malach
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Length: 1 hour 26 minutes
Synopsis: This morning (2/27/26), in our Friday morning Sefer Iyov series for women, we capped off our series of shiurim on malachim with a midrash on Megilas Esther about a malach (in preparation for Purim, of course). This is a well-known midrash, but the version in the Gemara differs markedly from the version in the popular imagination. After raising questions and problems, we took a detour into the topic of angelic names, then analyzed the midrash, first on our own and then through the...
Rabbeinu Yonah on Bitachon (Part 2)
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Length: 1 hour 46 minutes
Synopsis: This evening (2/26/25), in our Thursday night women’s shiur, we continued our exploration of Rabbeinu Yonah on bitachon. After a lengthy, in-depth review of what we covered last time on Mishlei 3:5, we began learning his commentary on Mishlei 3:6. If Part 1 focused on the theoretical aspects of bitachon, Part 2 shifted to the practical. We had to examine several premises about how Hashem runs the world and about the faculties of the soul in man, but we emerged with a working model of what bi...
Explaining Arayos (Forbidden Relations) to an Aunt and Her Nephew Who Are In Love
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Length: 2 hours
Synopsis: Back in 2022, I gave a shiur on the extremely niche topic of avunculate marriage, that is, an uncle marrying his niece. Two years later, I received an email titled “Avunculate Marriage: Need Some Spiritual Guidance” from an aunt and nephew who were in love and seeking rabbinic guidance about whether their relationship would meet with Divine approval. I responded to the best of my ability. This morning (2/22/26), in our YBT Sunday shiur, I presented the answer I gave them.
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מקורות:
רמב"ם - משנה תורה...
What are Malachim (Angels) According to the Rambam? (Part 3) Why Depict Angels as Physical?
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Length: 1 hour 26 minutes
Synopsis: This morning (2/20/26), in our Friday morning Sefer Iyov series for women, we continued our exploration of the Rambam’s view of angels. After a brief review, a question led us on an unplanned detour through his presentation of angels in the Mishneh Torah. We then returned to the central question: Why are angels depicted as physical, and why are those depictions sometimes so wacky? We offered three answers and concluded with the Rambam’s statement about how we should relate to people who...
Terumah – The “Where?” “What?” and “Why?” of Shechinah
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Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 2/20/26 titled: Terumah – The “Where?” “What?” and “Why?” of Shechinah. I typically rely on the Rambam's explanation of shechinah in the Moreh 1:25. This time, I'd like to showcase the explanations of two Italian chachamim which I believe are consistent with Rambam.
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The Torah content for the month of February is sponsored by the Koffsky family in memory of Adira Rose Koffsky a”h, whose third yahrzeit is...
Mishpatim – Is there a Conflict Between Trusting in Hashem and Trusting in Doctors?
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Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 3-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 2/13/26 titled: Mishpatim – Is there a Conflict Between Trusting in Hashem and Trusting in Doctors? The Torah unequivocally allows us to rely on physicians for healing, but should we regard that allowance as reluctant or as an endorsement? Ibn Ezra and Ibn Kaspi disagree. I side with Rabbeinu Yonah.
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The Torah content for the month of February is sponsored by the Koffsky family in me...
What are Malachim (Angels) According to the Rambam? (Part 2) Review and Clarification
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Length: 56 minutes
Synopsis: This morning (2/13/26), in our Friday morning Sefer Iyov series for women, I had planned to continue our analysis of the Rambam's view of angels. Instead, we did something more important: review and clarification! We did a complete review of all the main points from last time, and raised additional questions which resulted in greater clarity. Given my preface of this shiur, which underscored the importance of taking it slow and in small doses when learning metaphysics, I'm happy with how our shiur turned...
