Machshavah Lab

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 15 minutes Synopsis: This morning (12/1/23), in our Machshavah Lab series for women, we took up a "classic" question in the first aliyah of this week's parashah: If Hashem promised to protect Yaakov, why was he afraid? After reviewing the "classic" answer, we raised a major problem which touches upon...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of the article: 2 pages Length of the audio: 7 minutes 56 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 12/1/23, entitled: Vayishlach: When Should the Righteous Bow Before the Wicked? In this week's article we look at Yaakov's dealings with Eisav through...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 31 minutes Synopsis: This evening (11/30/23), in our Thursday night Pirkei Avos shiur for women, we took up the very last mishnah in Chapter 3. This was certainly a weird one, but still led us to some important insights into how we relate to the various subjects we learn and aspire to learn.  ----- מקורות: אבות ג:כ ר' ע...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of the article: 2 pages Length of the audio: 8 minutes 55 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 11/24/23, entitled: Vayeitzei: Hashem’s Love-Hate Relationship With Stone Monuments . The stone pillar set up by Yaakov is presented by the Torah as a good thing...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of the article: 2 pages Length of the audio: 9 minutes 15 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 11/23/23, entitled: Vayeitzei: Leah’s Thanksgiving Revolution . Thank God I was able to crank out this last-minute article in under two hours. Pardon the shoddin...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 8 minutes 11 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2.5-page article I published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 11/17/23, entitled: God of Time or Dog Eating Its Own Vomit?   I wrote this in lieu of a parashah article because I needed to write it for myself. If I don't write for myself, who will write for me?...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 50 minutes Synopsis: This morning (11/17/23), in our surprise Q&A, we took up six questions: (1) How should one go about learning Shir ha'Shirim? (2) Why didn't Yitzchak realize what was going on with his sons? (3) What is the best way to teach YBT's derech ha'limud, and to get people interested in ideas? (4...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 30 minutes Synopsis: This evening (11/16/23), in our Thursday night Pirkei Avos shiur for women, we learned the second statement of R' Elazar ben Azaryah comparing a person whose wisdom exceeds his deeds and a person whose deeds exceed his wisdom. As usual, we raised lots of questions, but found that many of our "g...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of the article: 2 pages Length of the audio: 8 minutes 35 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 11/10/23, entitled: Chayei Sarah: The Virgin Rivka - Plain Pshat and Wild Drash . The Torah spotlights Rivkah's virginity in a strange way, but what's...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Avos 3:19 - Kemach (Flour) Plus Torah Length: 1 hour 26 minutes Synopsis: This evening (11/9/23), in Thursday night Pirkei Avos shiur for women, we learned the final clause in our multi-clause mishnah. This one proved to be the easiest of the four - yet, in was still enlightening!. We learned three approaches to this clause and translated...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of the article: 2 pages Length of the audio: 8 minutes 16 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 11/3/23, entitled: Vayeira: A Lesson in Tznius from Lote's Daughters . One would not expect to find a lesson in tznius (modesty) in the rape of a father by...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 30 minutes Synopsis: This evening (11/2/23), in Thursday night Pirkei Avos shiur for women, we moved on to the next clause in our mishnah about the interrelationship between binah and daas. We tackled what I believe is one of the most difficult Rambam's I know. With Hashem's help - after a crash-course style review...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 36 minutes Synopsis: I've heard it said that "Amalek" refers to any nation or group which harbors an antisemitic ideology and poses an existential threat to the Jewish people (e.g. the Nazis, or Hamas). This position is ascribed to the Rav (Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik) in the name of his father, R' Moshe...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of the article: 2 pages Length of the audio: 8 minutes Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 10/27/23, entitled: Lech Lecha: Avraham’s Origin Story and the Torah’s Silence . For years I've been bothered by the Torah's silence on Avraham's backstory....

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 35 minutes Synopsis: This YBT Sunday Shiur (10/23/23) is an updated version of a shiur I gave two years ago (10/23/21), the goal of which is to understand each and every step in Avraham's dialogue with Hashem about the fate of Sedom as explained by Sforno, and to extrapolate ideas about God's righteousness and just...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of the article: 3 pages Length of the audio: 11 minutes 36 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 3-page article I published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 10/20/23, entitled: Noach: Searching for Meaning in the Post-Diluvian Genealogy . I set out to write an article on a small question but ended up writing one abo...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 23 minutes Synopsis: Tonight (10/19/23), in Thursday night Pirkei Avos shiur for women, we began a new mishnah. Each clause follows the pattern of "without X, there is no Y, and without Y, there is no X." Tonight we analyzed the first of these: "without derech eretz, there is no Torah, and without Torah, there...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of the article: 2 pages Length of the audio: 8 minutes 27 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 10/13/23, entitled: Bereishis/Noah - Why God Hates Hamas (חמס and حماس) . I may have taken liberties, cut corners, strayed into next week's parashah, and al...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 1 hour 12 minutes Synopsis: This morning (10/12/23), in our first Machshavah Lab (for Women) Q&A of the year, we took up six questions: (1) What are the different ways people "cry out" to Hashem when in dire straits? (2) What can we do when we feel so powerless in situations of crisis like this? (3) What do we mean wh...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length: 37 minutes Synopsis: This morning (10/12/23), in our first Q&A of the year, we took up six questions: (1) What is idea of an "eis ratzon"? (2) Is there any connection between the COVID pandemic and the current war in Israel? (3) How do we achieve practical and emotional balance in our lives, given the situation in Isr...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of the article: 2 pages Length of the audio: 7 minutes 28 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 10/11/23 entitled Thoughts on the Role of Jewish Educators at a Time of War . I began writing this article on Monday (10/9/23). I wrote it primarily for myself,...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of the article: 3.5 pages Length of the audio: 11 minutes 48 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 3.5-page article I published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 10/9/20 - yes, you read that right! - entitled: Shemini Atzeres 5781: The Festival of Holding On . I wrote this during the Fall of 2020, as we headed into t...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of the article: 3 pages Length of the audio: 11 minutes 10 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 3-page article I published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 9/29/23, entitled: This is Your Mind on Lulav: The Psychoactive Properties of the Four Species (Part 1) . I believe that the four species we take on Sukkos have...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of the article: 1 page Length of the audio: 4 minutes 39 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 1-page article I published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 9/26/23, entitled: The Beneficial Effects of Torah Wine on Metaphysical Heart Rate Recovery . Looking for a VERY weird article to prepare you for the upcoming hol...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Length of the article: 2 pages Length of the audio: 5 minutes 53 seconds Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 9/22/23, entitled: Shabbos Shuvah 5784: How to Do Teshuvah, Little by Little . Have you ever felt intimidated by teshuvah? Have you felt pressured to radically c...