Machshavah Lab

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 33 minutes Synopsis: This morning (9/12/25), in this year's first Friday morning Machshavah Lab shiur for women, we began our (hopefully) year-long series on Sefer Iyov! I began by recapping my prior experience with Iyov, but to my delight, this turned into a really great discussion about the various challenges of learn...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 48 minutes Synopsis: This evening (9/11/25), in our Thursday night Pirkei Avos shiur for women, we learned the next mishnah in our chapter. This one was more practical, more approachable, and less metaphysical than the last. After raising a ton of questions, we learned the explanations of three commentaries: Rambam, Meiri, a...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of article: 2 pages Length of audio: 8 minutes 28 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 9/5/25, titled: Ki Teitzei: Ibn Kaspi's Radical Rationale for Sending Away the Mother Bird . He'd sum up the rationale by saying: "You're n...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 48 minutes Synopsis: This evening (9/4/25), in our first Thursday night Pirkei Avos shiur for women of the 2025-2026 season, we took up a mishnah that happens to be on the same topic as Sefer Iyov, which will be a major focus of mine this year! In fact, this mishnah seems to undermine Iyov in its entirety! Thankfully, Sforno...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of FREE article: 2 pages (PAID version is 3 pages) Length of FREE audio: 7 minutes 44 seconds (PAID version is 11 minutes 37 seconds) Synopsis: This is the audio version of the FREE version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 8/20/25, titled: Re’eh: The Torah Temimah’s Counterintuitive Ta...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of article: 2 pages Length of audio: 7 minutes 4 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 8/14/25, titled: Eikev: Slowing the Conquest ... For Animals? The Torah gives a bizarre reason for the slow conquest of Canaan. Two contrary explanations given...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of article: 2 pages Length of audio: 5 minutes 57 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 8/8/25, titled: Vaeschanan: The Loneliness of the Jew . Moshe Rabbeinu warns us not to add to or subtract from the Torah, but his reasoning is rather strange....

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! 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 t...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! 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...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! 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 i...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! 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...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! 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 no...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! 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...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! 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...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! 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...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! 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) r...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! 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...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! 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. ----- This week’s Torah content is sponsored by Chaim and Rifka Peck, the awesome parents of two of my NEJA s...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! 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 th...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! 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 trans...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! 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 pesh...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! 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 deci...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! 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? Ho...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! 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 in...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! 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 relation...